Sen. Roblan release – SALEM – The 80th Oregon Legislative Assembly adjourned yesterday on the same day as the constitutional adjournment deadline. Early in the session, legislative leadership announced four top priorities for the session: creating a new source of funding for preK-12 education, addressing the housing crisis, stabilizing Medicaid funding, and providing new ways to address the impacts of climate change. Senate Democrats delivered on their ambitious agenda to build a healthy and prosperous Oregon by earning several key victories on key general priorities for the session. Those include priority spending for District 5, in addition to the following bills, listed by topic area in the Oregon Senate Democratic Caucus 2019 Session Agenda: $3,000,000 Arts and cultural trust projects; $1,000,000 Neskowin egress project; $500,000 Siuslaw Regional aquatic Mapleton Pool; $5,106,587 Oregon Coast Aquarium; $1,500,000 Double up food bucks; $1,700,000 Sudden Oak Death; $4,000,000 City of Newport Big Creek Dams; $5,106,587 Coos Bay rail line and COI. Supporting Oregon’s environment and natural resources – SB 90: Bans single-use plastic straws statewide; SB 256: Bans oil-drilling off the Oregon Coast; SB 1044: Transitioning state fleet to zero emissions; HB 2007: Invests in clean diesel upgrades to reduce carbon emissions; HB 2509: Banned single-use plastic bags across the state; HB 2623: Banned fracking in the state of Oregon; HB 2209: Oil train safety plan. Investing in educational opportunities for all Oregonians – HB 3427: Student Success Act creates dedicated, sustainable fund for schools; SB 3: Allows community college to offer bachelor’s degrees in pertinent topics; SB 155: Strengthening sexual misconduct investigations when school employees are involved; SB 664: Requires genocide education in all school districts in Oregon; SB 859: Increasing access to Oregon in-state tuition for ‘Dreamers’ in grad school; HB 2191: Mental health excused absences in schools; HB 2023: Statewide inclusive curriculum standards. Encouraging healthy communities to thrive – SB 52: Adi’s Act provides supports to help prevent youth suicide; SB 250: Prohibits health benefit plans from discrimination; SB 262: Extends sunset on program encouraging multifamily housing development; SB 278: Extends rent guarantee program to foster youth; SB 526: Universal voluntary nurse visits for families with newborns; SB 608: Establishes first-in-the-nation statewide rent stabilization law; SB 698 and HB 2935: Legislation requiring multiple languages on prescription drug instruction labels, as well as making readers available from pharmacies for the visually impaired; SB 770: Creates a committee to create a plan and transition plan for universal health care for all Oregonians; SB 910: Increases access to addiction-treatment medications; HB 2005: Establishes paid family and medical leave insurance program for all Oregonian workers; HB 2010: Continues funding mechanism to keep thousands of Oregonians insured through the Oregon Health Plan; HB 2016: Public Worker Protection Act protects workers’ right to participate in labor unions; HB 2270: Raises tobacco tax, creates new vape product tax to fund Oregon Health Plan and keep thousands of Oregonians on their health insurance. Advancing government accountability and transparency – SJR 18: Constitutional amendment referral for allowing campaign contribution and expenditure limits; SB 15: Gives Oregon Youth Authority ability to inspect facilities where Oregon’s youth are detained; SB 420: Expunging past marijuana convictions; SB 478: Prohibits campaign funds’ use as ‘hush money’; SB 861: Paid postage for Oregon’s ballot return envelopes; SB 870: Joining the National Popular Vote Compact; SB 944: Requires audits after every election to ensure accuracy of results; SB 1049: PERS reform; HB 2027: Gives Child Care Office more enforcement tools to protect child safety in child care facilities; HB 2430 and HB 2353: Public Records Advisory Council and public records accountability; HB 2716 and HB 2983: Campaign finance donor transparency; HB 3310: Oregon Voting Rights Act will give greater voice to the underrepresented. Promoting public and workplace safety – SB 1: Creates coordinating council to ensure better services for youth; SB 474: Neglectful parents won’t be able to collect in lawsuits when their children die under Department of Human Services care; SB 479: Requires written workplace discrimination policies; SB 576: ‘Kaylee’s Law’ prohibits campus security from looking like police; SB 577: Cracks down on hate crimes; SB 726: Protections for survivors of workplace harassment; SB 944: Requires audits after every election to ensure accuracy of results; SB 962: Streamlines U Visa process to increase reporting of human trafficking and other crimes; SB 995: Extends period a survivor can file for a Sexual Assault Protective Order; SB 1008: Establishes process for second-look hearings, gives juveniles a second chance to reform instead of becoming hardened criminals; SB 1013: Death penalty reform; HCR 20 and HB 3377: Update Oregon Legislature’s current safe and respectful workplace policies, establish new response procedures for harassment and create independent Legislative Equity Office to address complaints; HB 2013: Closing the ‘intimate partner and stalker loophole’; HB 2015: Improving public safety by making driver licenses available to all; HB 2328: Cracks down on auto theft; HB 2393: Updates ‘revenge porn’ definition to include text messages and other methods of distribution.
