My goal in the Oregon Legislature is, and always has been, to make life better for our community in East County. I’m committed to listening to my constituents and delivering the results they need. This is why I’m leading efforts to keep our families and neighborhoods safe and our economy moving with more accessible public transportation and improved roads and bridges. I’m also passionate about getting Oregonians the training and skills they need to support themselves and their families, while making sure essentials like housing and gas are affordable for hardworking people.

In my first term as a legislator in the Oregon House, I worked on a diverse set of issues, including Community College and apprenticeship funding, an audit of Trimet, and ensuring armed law enforcement officers were welcome in all public buildings.

In subsequent terms, I updated the Oregon Strategic Investment Program, establishing an even playing field for economic development across the state and to ensure East Multnomah County’s competitiveness. As the result of these and other efforts to draw investment into the community, East County has since garnered the attention of many new businesses, including expansions at Microchip, a parts hub for Subaru of America and a diamond manufacturing plant operated by the DeBeers consortium.

As part of efforts to ensure East County has its share of state investment and to improve public safety, I've worked with our state legislative delegation, Representatives Hudson and Ruiz, to secure funding for programs like East Metro Outreach, Prevention and Intervention (EMOPI), which the City of Gresham uses to provide upstream efforts to reduce gang activity.

Further, in our efforts to increase  public and private investment in East County, I've worked with our delegation partners to secure funding for road projects, recreational facilities, Mt. Hood Community College, and school-based health centers in the Gresham-Barlow and Reynolds School Districts. Together we have worked with city officials, and community leaders, to coordinate efforts to revitalize East County, providing resources for community parks, increased fresh food options and area food banks, improving the quality of life for all residents.

I've also worked with various law enforcement organizations to pinpoint and stop outbreaks of criminal activity, including car theft, catalytic converter theft, street racing, intersection takeovers, and dangerous counterfeit airbags. As these laws come online we’re seeing dramatic impacts, such as the 80% reduction in catalytic converter thefts and the New Years Street Takeover Mission. According to the Portland Police Bureau, The mission resulted in 19 arrests and 13 citations. Additionally, seven firearms were recovered and 21 vehicles were towed. Some of those vehicles could be subject to forfeiture with the passing of Oregon Senate Bill 615. Oregon Senate Bill 615 was legislation I introduced in 2023.

While working with law enforcement to provide them with necessary tools to fight crime, I've also acknowledged the need and provided leadership for justice reform. I've worked with the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth to create a first-of-its-kind law prohibiting lying to kids in interrogations and required recordings of youth interviews for felony and misdemeanor offenses. Additionally, I've worked to eliminate ineffective gang interdiction tactics while implementing reforms to ensure fairness in prosecutions. I was one of the first legislators to mention the public defense crisis on the floor of the Oregon House and I’ve championed funding to ensure the universal right to representation, which is essential for a fair justice system.

As co-chair of the powerful Joint Transportation Committee (JTC), I've worked on issues ranging from AMTRAK rail to traffic safety and congestion, ensuring the steady export of goods and the importation of necessities and raw materials. Furthermore, as co-chair of the Oregon Legislative Rail Caucus and through my work on the JTC, I've become a regional leader on improved passenger and freight transportation, collaborating with neighboring states to invest in exciting new technologies like high-speed and faster conventional rail, essential for our state's prosperity as a net exporter of goods.

In the 2024 legislative session, I worked closely with Representatives Hudson and Ruiz ,whose districts are both halves of the Senate District I represent. Together we believe that working as a team, especially in the five weeks that make up even year legislative sessions, we can achieve more for the cities of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village in the Oregon legislature. During the 2024 session we pushed for immediate solutions to the biggest challenges our constituents face every day. We’re confident that the policy changes and investments we secured are going to make a real difference for the Oregonians we serve.

We are all seeing the impact that drugs and crime have on our community. That’s why this legislative session we helped pass laws to rapidly expand drug treatment and increase accountability to keep people safe in Oregon’s response to the drug crisis. 

We worked to protect Oregonians from cheap, deadly drugs by increasing penalties for dealers targeting people in parks, shelters, and treatment. We also introduced new accountability measures for individuals found in possession of hard drugs and re-instated law enforcement’s ability to confiscate these dangerous substances. 

We know we cannot arrest our way out of addiction, so these new laws provide those found with drugs to choose treatment over jail with what’s called a “deflection program.” Those who opt-in to deflection programs get a direct connection to treatment and other services and never have to interact with the criminal justice system. Those who are charged with a crime will get multiple opportunities to complete treatment before they could face a single day in jail, and most people will see their records automatically expunged within 90 days. For the worst-case scenarios, we made strides to increase access to treatment in our jails and offer the option of early release to in- or out-patient treatment.

We also brought millions in new public health and safety investments to East Multnomah County to address this crisis. This includes funding for sobering and detox services, youth drug treatment, peer mentoring and outreach, and more.

One program we’re particularly excited about is Gresham’s East Metro Outreach, Prevention and Intervention program, or EMOPI. We secured more than $3 million for this innovative program which coordinates with existing community organizations to stop youth violence before it starts through mentorship, life-skills training and local engagement with at-risk youth. EMOPI deters gang involvement and helps keep kids on track and out of trouble.

Finally, we know that a root cause of drugs and crime in our community is homelessness, so we made major investments to increase affordable housing and shelter capacity. This includes $1 million to Miracles Club MLK to build stabilization and sober housing, $3 million for the City of Gresham to make the infrastructure upgrades we need to build housing where there used to be a K-Mart in the Civic Neighborhood, $7 million for homelessness prevention services through the Urban League of Portland, and much more. 

We would like to thank everyone who called us, wrote to us and visited us at town halls or in the Capitol. Your input helped shape our policy and priorities. We’ll continue to work to keep our communities safe and to protect our most vulnerable neighbors as we serve the communities of East County.

I'm proud of the work we've accomplished, but there is still more to be done. I remain committed to fighting for our community's needs and ensuring a better future for all Oregonians. Thank you for your support.

The 2023 and 2024 Legislative Sessions

I worked closely with East County Representatives Hudson and Ruiz to deliver big wins for the cities of Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, and Wood Village in the Oregon legislature. During the 2024 session, we pushed for immediate solutions to the biggest challenges our constituents face every day. We're confident that the policy changes and investments we secured are going to make a real difference for the Oregonians we serve.

We all see the impact that drugs and crime have on our community. That's why this legislative session, we helped pass laws to rapidly expand drug treatment and increase accountability to keep people safe in Oregon's response to the drug crisis. We worked to protect Oregonians from cheap, deadly drugs by increasing penalties for dealers targeting people in parks, shelters, and treatment. We also introduced new accountability measures for individuals found in possession of hard drugs and reinstated law enforcement's ability to confiscate these dangerous substances.

We know we cannot arrest our way out of addiction, so these new laws provide those found with drugs the option to choose treatment over jail with what's called a "deflection program." Those who opt-in to deflection programs get a direct connection to treatment and other services and never have to interact with the criminal justice system. Those who are charged with a crime will get multiple opportunities to complete treatment before they could face a single day in jail, and most people will see their records automatically expunged within 90 days. For the worst-case scenarios, we made strides to increase access to treatment in our jails and offer the option of early release to in- or out-patient treatment.

We also brought millions in new public health and safety investments to East Multnomah County to address this crisis. This includes funding for sobering and detox services, youth drug treatment, peer mentoring and outreach, and more.

One program we're particularly excited about is Gresham's East Metro Outreach, Prevention and Intervention program, or EMOPI. We secured more than $3 million for this innovative program, which coordinates with existing community organizations to stop youth violence before it starts through mentorship, life-skills training, and local engagement with at-risk youth. EMOPI deters gang involvement and helps keep kids on track and out of trouble.

Finally, we know that a root cause of drugs and crime in our community is homelessness, so we made major investments to increase affordable housing and shelter capacity. Among the projects we’ve worked to fund is $1 million to Miracles Club MLK to build stabilization and sober housing, $3 million for the City of Gresham to make the infrastructure upgrades we need to build housing where there used to be a K-Mart in the Civic Neighborhood, $7 million for homelessness prevention services through the Urban League of Portland.

Another crucial accomplishment was the establishment of a new framework for debt collection, aimed at shielding families from unjust and predatory recovery tactics. Additionally, we took proactive steps to address the shortage of mental health professionals by implementing behavioral health apprenticeship programs. 

Recognizing the urgency of the drug crisis, we expanded drug treatment options while simultaneously increasing accountability measures to enhance public safety. Another significant stride was requiring public meetings to be accessible online, ensuring greater transparency and participation in governmental proceedings. Moreover, we prioritized comprehensive drug and alcohol education in schools to equip students with essential knowledge for navigating potential risks, especially as related to those posed by Fentanyl. 

To safeguard public safety further, we successfully prohibited the sales of dangerous counterfeit car parts and modified punishments for street racing offenses. Furthermore, we fought for the rights of employees by ensuring that workers' compensation covers time off for medical treatment and removing restrictions on unemployment benefits for certain educational workers. These legislative achievements reflect our unwavering commitment to serving the best interests of Oregonians and building a safer, more equitable future for all.

I would like to thank everyone who called us, wrote to us, and visited us at town halls or in the Capitol. Your input helped shape our policy and priorities. We'll continue to work to keep our communities safe and to protect our most vulnerable neighbors as we serve the communities of East County.

I'm proud of the work we've accomplished, but there is still more to be done. I remain committed to fighting for our community's needs and ensuring a better future for all Oregonians. Thank you for your support.