I want to wish you all a wonderful and Merry Christmas as well as a new year filled with blessings!  Working for you this year has been a joy and a privilege.  I am excited to see what we can achieve together in the coming year.

The holiday season is such a special time and many of us are fortunate to spend time with our family and friends.  With that in mind I want to say how very important it is to reflect on, and appreciate the emergency services workers in our community.  They are always ready and always there in our time of need.  I am thankful for their willingness to go above and beyond.  Thank you for what you do.

Special Addition

This month I bring you a special addition of From the District.  Please join Adam and Katy in this episode to learn more about my amazing staff!  You can listen at the SoundCloud, or watch the video on YouTube by clicking below.

 

Around the State

Kroger Albertsons Merger

While this issue is certainly a statewide issue, we in Senate District 16 need to be paying attention and participating in this process.

Many of you have seen pharmacy closers near you and have felt the impact from those closers directly.

I have significant concerns with this merger that I have brought up to the parties involved, and I certainly hope that our concerns will be addressed.  However, this opportunity for you to voice your concerns and participate directly should not be missed.

Please take some time to review the information below and consider submitting an application to be a member on the Community Review Board or at the very least submit written comment with your opinion and concerns.

House Bill 2017 Transportation Funding Package

House Bill 2017 (Transportation Funding Package) was passed by the 2017 legislature and made a significant investment in Oregon’s transportation system, both statewide and in local communities. With those investments came transparency, accountability, and performance requirements, including the submission of a semi-annual Revenue and Expenditure Report by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).  There is quite a bit to unpack in this report, and with ODOT on the minds of so many I found it a worthy addition to this months newsletter.  The report can be found here or by clicking on the picture below.

HB 2549 (2021)

HB 2549 (2021), requires state agencies to report annually to the Oregon State Legislature and the Oregon State Marine Board certain closures, restrictions, and access modifications of certain public access sites for recreational use of certain waterways. Only closures lasting over 24 hours needed to be reported and recorded in the Oregon State Marine Board database. With the new reporting requirements, ODOT has recorded closure data from January 1, 2023 to December 4, 2023 on this map, managed by the Oregon State Marine Board. During this time there were 43 closures or restrictions lasting longer than 24 hours. These closures or restrictions resulted from environmental factors (extreme weather, wildfires, landslides, flooding, etc.), road maintenance and repairs, or from public safety necessitating the closure (road collapse, unsafe road conditions, etc.).

 

Paid Leave Oregon

I am so very disappointed in the way the paid leave system has rolled out.  At a time when someone is off work for medical, family, or safe leave they should not have to endure the added anxiety and stress of wondering when, if ever, their paid leave will show up.

My office has been able to help a small number of constituents, but only the ones that have reached out to ask for assistance.

If you know someone that is struggling with paid leave, please don’t hesitate to have them email me directly.  sen.suzanneweber@oregonlegislature.gov

The Department of Education released their annual statewide report card and we have been seeing a lot about it in the media.  But for those that want to dig into the data themselves I have copied the press release, as well as attaching a link to the report below.  There is so much to unpack here, I do hope you will take a look at it.

(Salem, OR) – The 2022-23 edition of the Oregon Statewide Report Card is now available on the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) website. This annual look at Oregon’s kindergarten through grade 12 education system includes key data on students, teachers and schools.

“Academic excellence for students in Oregon remains the top priority for our agency. I took this role to make a difference, and we need to see what the data are telling us and be responsive to that,” Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams said. “Clearly the results show we have more work to do to set Oregon’s students up for success. I care deeply about helping each and every scholar, and know that through centering their needs, aspirations and talents, we can prepare every student for their future.”

The Oregon Statewide Report Card includes new and returning data, most of which has already been released in the last year:

• There are 333 unique languages spoken by Oregon students.
• The number of women serving as principals increased by 3 percentage points to 58 percent in 2022-23, compared to 55 percent in 2021-22.
• Updated methodology and approach to supporting schools identified for Comprehensive and Targeted Support and Improvement as part of ongoing alignment and integration efforts.
• For the fourth year in a row, we’ve seen an increase in the number of non-binary students reported in fall membership enrollment.
• Ninth Grade On-Track data increased again in 2022-23, compared to 2021-22. The total statewide rate increased by 0.8 percentage points to 83.6 percent and is approaching pre-pandemic levels.

NEWS RELEASE: Oregon Statewide Report Card Released (govdelivery.com)

Oregon Statewide Report Card 2022-23

 

Around the District

Iron Chef Goes Coastal 2023 United Way raised over $100,000 in this year’s Iron Chef Goes Coastal! I had the distinct pleasure of being a guest judge at United Way of Clatsop County ‘s Iron Chef Goes Coastal! It was such a treat! Both figuratively and literally.  I hope you all join me in thanking the United Way of Clatsop County board members for their dedication and skill in bringing this annual event to the coast.  And while we all enjoyed the competition and food very much, they were able to raise over $100,000 for the local community.   Thank you United Way of Clatsop County!

 

The competition between Jonathan Hoffman, Shawn Whittaker, and John Sowa was stiff, but Chef Sowa managed to take home the glory with his exquisite dish of risotto blanketed by Eggo waffle, topped with roast duck!  It was a beautiful presentation and tasted delicious.

When the black box of ingredients was opened, it included Eggo Waffles, Canned Gooseberries, Black Garlic, and Chayote!  I have to tell you, I truly had to wonder how these fine chefs were going to pull this meal together.  But they did a wonderful job and gave a whole new life to the Eggo Waffle!

Veterans Day at the Tillamook Air Museum

I had the distinct pleasure of celebrating and honoring our veterans this year at the Tillamook Air Museum.  Pictured below is Ed Eaton a former US Army Sniper and Author.  Mr. Eaton was the guest speaker at Tillamook Air Museum for this years Veterans Day Event.

Rockaway Beach WWII Veteran Andrew Stark is 104 years young in this picture.

A visit from Senate President

Senate President Wager visited Tillamook last month and we decided one of the best ways to share our community with him was to take him on a forestry tour.  We had a wonderful time and our tour guides did not disappoint.  Thank you Dave Kunert for helping my staff put this together and thank you to Heath Curtiss, Adam Hopkes (and crew) and Ryan Pettit for letting us take a peak into a day in the life of the Tillamook forest industry.

After the tour we enjoyed lunch at Werner’s Beef & Brew.  Followed by a visit to  DJ Josi’s farm stand where we were also able to get a look at the products currently growing and talk about the fertile Tillamook valley farm lands.

We finished the day in my kitchen with a big bowl of Tillamook Ice Cream!

19th Annual Tillamook Pioneer Museum Festival of Trees I also had the great pleasure of participating in the 19th Annual Tillamook Pioneer Museum Festival of Trees! This annual event is a fund raiser for museum projects.  Please consider attending next year as it is a wonderful event filled with drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and silent auction items. Win the silent auction on your favorite tree and it is wrapped up and delivered for you and your family to enjoy.

CWWC Holiday Happy Hour I had a wonderful holiday visit with my friends at Clatsop Working Watersheds Cooperative. Pacifick Distillery on the waterfront in Astoria was kind enough to open the doors for our gathering.

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1716  District Phone: 503-300-4493
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-405, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen​.SuzanneWeber@oregonlegislature.gov
Website:  ​https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/weber/​