Latest news with #OregonLegislature
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Get it done': Advocates push Oregon lawmakers to fund services for victims of abuse
Survivors, advocates and community leaders urge lawmakers to maintain funding to support domestic abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking survivors at a rally at Willson Park in Salem on June 4, 2025. (Courtesy of Amanda Rain, Clackamas Women's Services) Nonprofits that help survivors of sexual assault, and other crimes are urging Oregon lawmakers to maintain state funding for their jobs and the services they provide. As the Oregon Legislature juggles lower-than-anticipated revenue and the possibility of further reductions from federal funding cuts and decreased tax revenue related to tariffs and economic instability, advocacy workers and abuse survivors rallied at a park next to the Oregon Capitol on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to keep funding services for children and adult victims. Anything short of current funding would result in fewer staff members, fewer shelter beds, longer wait times and less support for survivors facing a crisis, Melissa Erlbaum, the executive director of Clackamas Women's Services, told the crowd. 'The private sector can't make up the gap,' said Allison Kelly, the CEO of Liberty House, a children's advocacy group based in Marion and Polk counties. The Oregon Department of Justice receives state and federal funding to facilitate grants to nonprofits to help survivors find safety, shelter, clothing and other resources needed in an emergency situation. This funding also goes toward hiring advocates at Oregon's colleges and universities who help students experiencing abuse, stalking or other crimes. 'It funds our jobs and it funds the people we help whether it's emergency housing or transportation, clothing vouchers, gas vouchers or relocation support,' Zoey Reyes, an advocate working at Haven from Domestic and Sexual Violence based in The Dalles told the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Advocates want lawmakers to pass two bills and one budget proposal. The latter is the Oregon Department of Justice's Policy Option Package 327, which would provide $22 million to tribal and local programs providing emergency shelter and safety services to abuse victims. This is the funding needed to maintain these services as its current capacity. Additionally, House Bill 3196 would appropriate $18.5 million from the state's general fund to the Oregon Department of Justice to give grants to the hundreds of Oregon nonprofits helping abuse victims find safety. These grants are usually federally funded through the Victims of Crime Act, a federal law enacted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to provide federal support for direct services to crime victims. However, this federal funding is being reduced by 42%, according to the Oregon Law Center. The bill would also distribute $3 million from the general fund to the Oregon CASA Network to make up for cuts in federal CASA funds, which abruptly had funding cancelled in April. Lastly, advocates are urging the passage of House Bill 3070, which would appropriate $400,000 from the state's general fund to the Attorney General's Sexual Assault Task Force, a statewide agency that certifies sexual assault nurse examiners. Both bills have yet to receive a vote in either chamber. 'It is absolutely important that we recognize that our legislators have a very difficult task of balancing this budget,' said Libra Forde, the executive director of the Women's Foundation of Oregon. 'But you were put there to do that. Get it done.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Other Views: Investing in Eastern Oregon families from the start
As someone who has lived my entire life in Eastern Oregon, I know what makes this part of the world special. It's the people. It's the way of life. And it's the deep-rooted values we hold: hard work, family, independence and community. Levy Those are the values that guide my work in the Oregon Legislature, and they are why I'm proud to support Senate Bill 1167, the Child Success Act, a bipartisan effort to support Oregon families during the most important stage of a child's development: the first 1,000 days of life, from pregnancy through age 2. As a mother of four in a blended family, grandmother of 14, and longtime advocate for rural Oregon, I understand how difficult those early years can be for young families — especially in rural communities where access to services can be limited. That's exactly what the Child Success Act is designed to address. SB 1167 will invest in seven regional demonstration pilots across the state, in urban and rural areas, to fund locally designed 'Child Success Models.' These models are built from the ground up by community leaders who know what families in their area need — whether that's prenatal care, home visiting programs or mental health support. In Eastern Oregon, these resources will help the Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub establish a system of navigators to connect pregnant women and parents of 0-2 year olds to essential services and resources, expand access to infant and toddler care, align childcare schedules with work hours and expand Baby Promise to the Blue Mountain region. What I appreciate most about this approach is that it's not a one-size-fits-all solution. What works in Portland or Eugene isn't the same as what works in Pendleton or La Grande — and SB 1167 reflects those differences. It empowers local partnerships of educators, health care providers, and community organizations to build support systems that fit our families. It also makes smart financial sense. When we invest early, we avoid much costlier interventions later. If families have what they need in those first few years — safe housing, access to health care, stable employment and trusted caregivers — children are more likely to stay healthy, succeed in school, and grow into responsible adults. And communities see fewer challenges like child welfare involvement, substance use disorder and poverty. In Eastern Oregon, we've always looked out for our neighbors. We show up for each other in times of need, and we build from our strengths. That's the same spirit behind the Child Success Act. It's not about creating new bureaucracies or expanding state control. It's about trusting communities to lead and giving them the tools to make a difference. I've spent much of my life working to close the gap between rural and urban Oregon. I helped start the Eastern Oregon Women's Coalition because I believe our region deserves to be seen, heard and supported. SB 1167 is a rare example of legislation that truly understands that — bringing people together from across the aisle and across the state to support our youngest citizens. This isn't about politics. It's about priorities. And I believe investing in families early is one of the smartest, most compassionate things we can do as a state. I encourage my colleagues in the House and Senate to join me in supporting the Child Success Act. Let's give every child in Oregon — no matter where they're born — a real shot at a healthy, strong start. Let's support the parents and caregivers who are doing their best every day, often with very little. And let's show that when it comes to our kids and our communities, we can still come together and get things done. — Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, represents House District 58, which encompasses all of Union and Wallowa counties and a portion of Umatilla County.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek supports using $1B ‘kicker' tax returns for wildfire costs
Gov. Tina Kotek has thrown her support for using Oregon's 'kicker' tax refund to infuse $1 billion into fighting wildfires. Lawmakers have struggled for years to come up with a new stream of revenue to pay for fighting the growing number of wildfires that burn each summer. In 2024, the Oregon Legislature held a special session to approve $218 million to cover unpaid wildfire bills from the record-breaking season. At a news conference May 19, Kotek opened the possibility of withholding a large part of next year's $1.65 billion 'kicker' to help cover wildfire costs in future years. 'I do think this conversation — on a one-time basis — of supporting rural Oregon by potentially using a portion of the kicker tax break would be a beneficial approach," she said. "I think that's the right conversation to be having, and I would urge legislators to continue with that.' Kotek later clarified, through a spokesperson, she only supported holding back the piece of the kicker that would go to 'high income earners.' The kicker is a quirky part of Oregon tax law. It is triggered when income taxes in a two-year budget cycle come in at least 2% higher than lawmakers projected when setting the budget. In those cases, the extra money is given back to taxpayers. Lawmakers have generally been loath to use it for anything other than sending it to taxpayers, but in the absence of other options, it appears to have started gaining support in the Oregon Legislature. Kotek's statement was a de-facto endorsement of a bill — Senate Bill 1177 — authored by state Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, that would use 'surplus revenues (the kicker) for wildfire funding.' Golden told KGW how the bill would work. "My number one priority is passing a bill to redirect the income tax kicker one time — it only happens once — into a permanent wildfire trust fund, where you never spend the principal. You only spend the interest earnings," Golden said. "Using rough estimates and figures that would provide us every biennium ... about $165 million, which is about half of what we need for wildfire. "If we do it this one time that will keep generating that fund, we'll keep generating that interest 'til long after I'm gone." Oregon Republicans, however, balked at the idea. "Republicans do not support taking the kicker for this purpose," House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said in a statement. "Oregonians are struggling under the weight of the cost of living in this state. And the kicker absolutely supports them, absolutely helps them. And there are a lot of ways to fund wildfires in Oregon." To use the kicker for wildfire costs, lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority vote. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@ or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon kicker tax return could cover wildfire costs under bill
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon Rep. Courtney Neron appointed to Senate
Rep. Courtney Neron , D-Wilsonville, at the Oregon Legislature on Feb. 12, 2024. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle) State Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, will move to the Oregon Senate after county commissioners tapped her to finish the remainder of Sen. Aaron Woods' term. Neron's appointment, at the end of a nearly two-hour meeting with Clackamas, Washington and Yamhill county commissioners Wednesday evening, comes after Woods' April death from cancer. It will trigger a new appointment process for someone who will finish her House term. Both Neron and whoever replaces her in the state House will serve until January of 2027, with the ability to run for a full term in 2026. Neron was local Democratic officials' top choice for the appointment and beat out energy consultant Dave Backen and Tigard City Councilor Jeanette Shaw. Backen also threw his support behind Neron while speaking to commissioners, saying she was the best person for the position. Neron is in her fourth term in the House and chairs the House Education Committee. She grew up in Metzger and Tigard, attended and taught at Tigard High School and is raising her family in Wilsonville. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon bill would stop bans on mobile homes
Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, at the Oregon Legislature on Feb. 12, 2024. (Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle) A bill making its way through the Oregon Legislature would prevent new planned communities from banning manufactured and modular homes. House Bill 3144 would not impact existing communities, only new communities moving forward. Manufactured units would still be subject to the same design requirements of other homes in a community. 'While successfully addressing the crisis will take many types of creative solutions, frankly, this bill is an easy one,' bill sponsor Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland, told the Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Monday afternoon. Marsh is the chair of the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness. She represents Jackson County, one of the areas hardest hit when high winds during Labor Day in 2020 contributed to the spread of five megafires. The 2020 Labor Day fires spread across more than 1 million acres, and thousands of homes burned down in Marsh's district — ultimately exacerbating the existing affordable housing shortage. The fires destroyed 18 mobile home parks in the Rogue Valley, wiping out more than 1,500 manufactured homes in Marsh's district. Before the fires, Marsh's district had the highest number of manufactured homes of any House district. There are more than 140,000 manufactured homes in Oregon, according to Bill Van Vliet, the Network for Oregon Affordable Housing executive director. 'Oregon has both a housing crisis and an affordability crisis,' he told the committee. 'To solve those, we need to remove barriers that unnecessarily prevent the use of existing lower-cost solutions such as manufactured and modular homes. ' House Bill 3144 also extends the date that manufactured home park tenants and marina residents can receive grants meant to help them receive legal representation during a dispute with a landlord to January 2031. Mobile home park residents in Oregon fund these grants through a $10 annual fee which supports the Manufactured and Marina Communities Resource Center. 'These programs are paid for by manufactured park tenants, and there is enough money in the fund to pay for at least another two years,' Marsh said. 'Finding a tenant lawyer is difficult, and this program allows them access to critical representation.' Lane County legal aid attorney and Oregon State Tenants Association vice president John VanLandingham testified in favor of the bill. VanLandingham said most people living in mobile home parks across Oregon own their homes but rent the land. They pay property taxes, but they're tenants, he said. Individuals living in floating homes operate similarly. The bill already passed the House in a 49-7 vote. To become a law, the Senate committee must vote to advance the bill to the Senate floor during a work session at a later date. If passed by the Senate, it would head to Gov. Tina Kotek's desk where she may sign the bill into law, allow the bill to become law without her signature or veto the bill. There would be no financial impact to the state, Marsh said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
