Safer schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods are deserved by all Oregonians. We workers towards this goal by cutting the red tape that comes with background checks and establishing task forces composed of key stakeholders to improve our specialty court system and response to gun violence.
HB 4001 Taskforce for Specialty Courts - This bill will establish a task force to ensure the long-term stability of specialty courts which are essential to providing an alternative to incarceration to eligible individuals.
SB 1503 Taskforce to Stop Gun Violence and Suicide - SB 1503 will study how gun deaths are prevented in our state, the intersection of domestic violence and suicide in Oregon, and identify which resources are needed to help people in crisis and reduce gun deaths across Oregon.
HB 4122 Rap Back Background Checks - HB 4122 allows state and local government agencies to enroll in the FBI’s rap back fingerprinting program to ease background check processes for those seeking employment in agencies or districts.
As we continue to see housing prices skyrocket and working families struggle to pay rent, we are working towards meeting Governor Kotek’s housing supply goals,by investing in recovery and affordable housing, and working with our environmental justice partners to meet our housing supply goals and preserve farmland at the same time.
SB 1537 Establishes the Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO) - This bill will establish the Housing Accountability and Production Office which will aid local governments in complying with housing laws, reduce permitting and land use barriers to housing production, and mediate disputes.
SB 1530 HCSD, OHA, DHS, Energy, & DAS Agency Bill - SB 1530 passed with bipartisan support. It brought with it more than 82 million dollars in investment in Multnomah County, including: .
$65,000,000 to Project Turnkey for operations, services, and administration of emergency shelters, Project Turnkey sites, and navigation centers.
$7 million to the Urban League of Portland for homelessness prevention services.
$3 million to Unite Oregon to purchase a property on E Burnside Street in Portland for affordable housing development.
$1.25 million to the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization to purchase a property on SE Stark Street for affordable housing development. (HD 47)
$1 million to Community Warehouse to support the furnishing of reused household goods to low-income residents.
$700,000 to 4D Recovery, Inc. for the development of recovery housing that is responsive to the needs of young adults in Multnomah County.
$700,000 to 4D Recovery, Inc. for the development of recovery housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals in Multnomah County.
$1,555,274 to Bridges to Change, Inc. for down payment and operational support for Multnomah County scattered housing sites.
$750,000 to the Iron Tribe Network for a self-pay home purchase in Multnomah County.
$500,000 to Juntos NW, Inc. for transitional housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of Latino men in Multnomah County.
$211,000 to The Lasko Refuge, LLC for the housing expansion in Multnomah County.
$500,000 to the Miracles Club MLK Limited Partnership for the purchase of Sober Housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of LGBTQ2 African Americans in Multnomah County.
$700,000 to Painted Horse Recovery, Inc. for the purchase of recovery housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of Native Americans in Multnomah County.
$915,177 to Transcending Hope Next Steps Rapid Rehousing Expansion in Multnomah County.
$98,000 West Coast Sober Housing, Inc. for support of operational costs of housing that is responsive to the needs of women in Multnomah County.
Fair pay and safe working conditions are essential for every worker, especially for Black and Brown communities and women. We worked to close workforce shortage gaps and provide good-paying jobs, childcare, quality education, and retirement benefits for working Oregonians.
SB 1595 Financial Family Protection Act of Oregon - SB 1595 was passed by both chambers with bipartisan support. This bill increases the amount that is protected from debt collectors and modifies some provisions regarding unfair debt collection.
HB 4158 Child Care Infrastructure: Expanding Rural & Culturally Responsive Care - Unfortunately, HB 4158 failed to move forward this session. However, a component of the bill that was included in SB 5701 will contribute to the expansion and stability of our childcare infrastructure, namely an allocation of $1.43 million to the Child Care Licensing Division to help manage workload.
Investing in IDAs and curbing racial disparities in homeownership
$5 million was invested in Individual Development Accounts to help individual build wealth and achieve financial independnece, helping to curb racial disparities in homeownership.
It is imperative that we strengthen our democracy by ensuring that populations of all backgrounds, languages, and in every corner of our state can participate fully in our democracy. Several bills passed the legislature this session aimed at strengthening our democracy. It will continue to be a top priority of mine.
SB 1533 Voters Pamphlet Translation 10 languages - SB 1533 passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support, passing the House with a 45-9 vote and the Senate with 21-9. This bill will require the Secretary of State to include translations of voter pamphlets for the top 10 most spoken languages in a county.
HB 4024 Campaign Finance Reform - HB 4024 passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support. Getting big money out of politics and ensuring fair elections are an essential part of our democracy. This is the first bill related to campaign finance passed in Oregon since spending limits were removed fifty years ago.
Our kids deserve safe and strong schools with quality education where they can learn, grow, and thrive. The following bills, I believe, work towards that goal and strengthening Oregon's schools.
HB 4082 Summer Learning Grant Program
HB 4082 passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support. It passed the House 53-4 and the Senate 26-4. This bill allocates $30 million for summer learning programs in 2024 and requires the Department of Education to study the establishment of Summer Learning as a permanent part of Oregon’s K-12 system.
HB 4084 Foster Youth Pilot Program
HB 4084 passed both chambers with broad bipartisan support. The bill passed the House unanimously and the Senate 26-3. This bill will provide academic and wrap-around services to foster youth and seeks to increase graduation rates.
HB 4137 International Baccalaureate High School Requirements
HB 4137 passed the House and Senate unanimously. I am excited to see bipartisan support for a bill that will give students credit for the hard work that they have done. The bill was signed into law on March 7th. This bill will allow students who have completed an international baccalaureate program to satisfy certain requirements for completing a high school diploma.
SB 1583 Ban on Book Bans
Unfortunately, SB 1583 did not move forward in the 2024 Short Session, but I am hopeful this is an issue we can tackle in future legislative sessions.
Climate change disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities, and in the past two years, Oregon has seen increasing incidences of wildfires, drought, winter storms, and heat events. Oregon Democrats are committed to prioritizing climate resilience in new utilities and transportation infrastructure. We saw the passage of bills that will strengthen our environmental protections and establish a more robust framework for addressing the pressing needs of our planet and vulnerable populations and consumers alike.
HB 4083 - COAL Act
The COAL Act passed both chambers with party-line votes. This bill directs the Oregon State Treasury to end new investments in thermal coal and to divest from current holdings totaling an estimated 1 billion dollars. This divestment and change to investment plans reflects Oregon’s commitment to environmentally conscious economic planning and will protect retirement funds for Oregonians.
SB 1596 – Right to Repair
SB 1596 will grant Oregonians the “right to repair.” On fair and reasonable terms, this bill would require the original equipment manufacturers to make available any documentation, part, or tool necessary for independent repair providers to repair consumer products. SB 1596 passed the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Kotek. Oregon is now the state with one of the strongest Right to Repair laws in the US.
The 2024 Short Session saw significant investments in Housing and Behavioral Health, with large sums of money being invested directly into House District 47 to help us address these important issues. In addition, several large investments in the districts surrounding us and Multnomah County will provide resources that residents of HD 47 and the broader community can utilize.
The investments in these sectors come primarily from three bills: SB 1530, HB 5204, SB 5701. All three of these bills were introduced by committees and were passed with strong bipartisan support.
See below for a recap of major investments being made in HD 47 and the surrounding area in Housing and Behavioral Health.
SB 1530
$65,000,000 to Project Turnkey for operations, services, and administration of emergency shelters, Project Turnkey sites, and navigation centers.
$7 million to the Urban League of Portland for homelessness prevention services.
$3 million to Unite Oregon to purchase a property on E Burnside Street in Portland for affordable housing development.
$1.25 million to the Center for African Immigrants and Refugees Organization to purchase a property on SE Stark Street for affordable housing development. (HD 47)
$1 million to Community Warehouse to support the furnishing of reused household goods to low-income residents.
$700,000 to 4D Recovery, Inc. for the development of recovery housing that is responsive to the needs of young adults in Multnomah County.
$700,000 to 4D Recovery, Inc. for the development of recovery housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals in Multnomah County.
$1,555,274 to Bridges to Change, Inc. for down payment and operational support for Multnomah County scattered housing sites.
$750,000 to the Iron Tribe Network for a self-pay home purchase in Multnomah County.
$500,000 to Juntos NW, Inc for transitional housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of Latino men in Multnomah County.
$211,000 to The Lasko Refuge, LLC for the housing expansion in Multnomah County.
$500,000 to the Miracles Club MLK Limited Partnership for the purchase of Sober Housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of LGBTQ2 African Americans in Multnomah County.
$700,000 to Painted Horse Recovery, Inc. for the purchase of recovery housing that is culturally responsive to the needs of Native Americans in Multnomah County.
$915,177 to Transcending Hope Next Steps Rapid Rehousing Expansion in Multnomah County.
$98,000 West Coast Sober Housing, Inc. for support of operational costs of housing that is responsive to the needs of women in Multnomah County.
HB 5204
$4,000,000 to The 4th Dimension Recovery Center (4D Recovery) to support the acquisition of a facility to provide adolescent substance use disorder residential and outpatient services.
And $3.2 Million to the Oregon Health Authority for Nurse-Family Partnership, a community health program that meets parents and families in their homes to provide care from early pregnancy through a child’s second birthday.
$2.5 Million to expand the East Multnomah Outreach, Prevention, and Intervention Program operated by the City of Gresham reaching west to 82nd Avenue in SE Portland, and east into Fairview, Troutdale, and Wood Village.
$1,000,000 to distribute to Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center for a peer-to-peer mentoring outreach program.
HB 5204 & SB 5701
