By Representative Cyrus Javadi, House District 32

Dear friends and neighbors,

This week marks a significant milestone in the legislative process, as numerous bills reached their critical deadline. Friday was the last day for legislation to be scheduled for a work session in committee, and with few exceptions, any unscheduled bills have now reached the end of their journey.

In a heartening display of unity, the Republicans’ Homelessness Package bill successfully passed the House, garnering overwhelming bipartisan support. Equally encouraging was the similar level of cooperation that led to the passage of my bills aimed at expanding access to dental care.

While the session has largely been characterized by a spirit of collaboration, we are now approaching a period of more challenging debates. Among the bills up for discussion is HB 2279, which proposes an expansion of Oregon’s Assisted Suicide Law. This bill is set to be voted on the House floor this week. Additionally, House Bills 2006 and 2007, concerning potential limitations on constitutional gun rights, are scheduled for a public hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, March 20 at 5 pm.

Another important issue to consider is HB 2002, which proposes changes to Oregon’s abortion laws and access to certain medical procedures for minors, with the associated costs borne by taxpayers.

As your representative, I am eager to hear your thoughts and concerns on these matters. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at Rep.CyrusJavadi@oregonlegislature.gov or 503-801-5363. Together, we can work towards a brighter future for our community.

HCP Round-up

For those tracking the Department of Forestry’s Habitat Conservation Plan, I wanted to put some resources all in one place:

• I recently wrote an op-ed in the Daily Astorian that outlines the dangers of the current HCP plan. Read that here.
• The Daily Astorian also wrote a detailed story about the impact on schools and the police.
• I have introduced to add more accountability to the Dept. of Forestry and to protect North Coast jobs. Read that here.

Listen to my recent interview with Lars Larson below ⬇️

Housing for the Coast

Watch my speech in support of the housing package above.

Last week, the House passed two bills, House Bills 2001 and 5019, that dedicate about $200 million towards the critical homeless problem in the state, and is projected to house about 1,200 people currently without homes, prevent homelessness for more than 8,000 and expand shelter capacity by 600 beds within one year.

I voted yes, not because I believe this will single-handedly SOLVE the homelessness problem, but because I believe it is a step in the right direction to build more homes, and get some of our neighbors off the streets. When we talk about homelessness, we can’t ignore our drug issues. We need to reform Measure 110, so there is some accountability for those refusing the state’s help. We cannot continue spending money on housing without ALSO addressing the underlying drug issues. I recently noticed coverage of the drug cartel problem in Seaside. This is just another example of the underlying issues of our homeless crisis.

While it is understood that constructing buildings in hazard zones carries inherent risks, some communities, such as Rockaway Beach and Seaside, are entirely situated within tsunami hazard zones. These communities require workforce housing; however, existing regulations hinder development in such hazardous areas. In response, I have introduced HB 3442, a bill aimed at facilitating the construction of affordable housing in hazard-prone regions, including flood plains and tsunami zones. Coastal communities often face challenges in securing affordable land for development, which in turn makes it difficult to establish reasonably priced housing. By passing this bill, we can provide coastal cities with increased opportunities to construct housing without incurring the exorbitant costs associated with land production or rezoning.

Watch my committee testimony on HB 3442 below:

Increasing Access to Dental Care

I’m excited to announce that two of my priority oral health workforce bills passed the House Floor and are on their way to the Senate!

HB 2996 and HB 3223 aim to address one part of our dental assistant workforce crisis by removing a barrier to certification – costly, third-party exams. By making this change, we will be able to recruit more individuals into this critical field, especially in rural areas, and increase access to care for patients sitting in emergency rooms and wards with oral health issues.

Thank you to Rep. Pham, the Oregon Dental Association, and the Oregon Society of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons for being instrumental partners in this effort!

Protecting the Port of Astoria

The Port of Astoria, and other small ports in Oregon, risk losing their ability to operate exempt from certain anti-trust regulations under federal law. That could harm our local economy by throwing into question the status of the Port of Astoria. The Coastal Caucus has brought forward a bill to ensure these protections stay in place, and protect our coastal communities.

A Concerning Bill for Parental Rights

HB 2002 is up for a public hearing today, and I feel compelled to express my concerns. While opinions on abortion may vary, many Oregonians agree that our current laws are quite far-reaching. This bill proposes to take our laws a step further, raising concerns over certain provisions. The bill would ease the process for minors aged 15 years or older to make life-altering decisions about their bodies.

Here are some noteworthy aspects of the bill:

• Allows a minor to consent to an abortion at any age.
  Mandating health insurance companies to cover gender-affirming procedures for minors.
• Directing taxpayer funds to cover gender-affirming procedures for those insured through the state.

The Public Hearing Session for this bill is scheduled in the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care today at 3:00 pm.

Working with the Community

I recently met with the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA) for Classified School Employees Week. I chatted with them about their legislative priorities and what they see on the ground in our schools.

I want to thank them for making our schools work well!

I recently met with Briar Smith, the Executive Director of Tillamook Habitat for Humanity, to talk about how they are serving the community! Thank you for the work you do! 

I was honored to meet the Tillamook County Dairy Princess, MacKenzie, at the Tillamook County Creamery Association Member Meeting held with Senator Weber at the Tillamook Air Museum!

Honorary Page Program

The House of Representatives hosts an Honorary Page program whereby students can sign up to volunteer in the House Chamber for a day.

If you are a student, or know of one that would be interested, I would love to host you.

To sign up to be a Page for a day, go here. You will be prompted to make an account.

If you have questions, email Civics.Education@OregonLegislature.gov.

Tell ODOT Your Thoughts on Tolling

There is a lot of concern about the implementation of tolling on Oregon freeways.

The 45-day public comment period is open now and closes April 7 at 4pm. During this time, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) invites feedback on the Environmental Assessment and associated technical reports. The Environmental Assessment, appendices, technical reports and a summary fact sheet are available online.

Opportunities to learn more and provide comment

• In-Person: Our online calendar will have a full list of information sessions.
• Public hearing: Online public hearing on Tuesday, April 4, 3-6 pm.
• Verbal comments: Call 503-837-3536 to leave a voicemail comment. We will also provide an opportunity to provide a verbal comment in-person April 4, 3‒6 pm
• To submit an electronic comment, use this online comment form. (or to I205TollEA@odot.oregon.gov.)

More information is available here.

Comment on ODOT’s Infrastructure Improvement Plan

The Oregon Transportation Commission released the draft 2024-2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), ODOT’s capital improvement plan, for formal public review. To view the proposed projects in Clatsop County, start of page 115. For Tillamook County, start on page 268. And for Columbia County, page 160 of this document.

Every three years, the commission puts together the STIP that lays out where they will invest federal and state money in the transportation system – everything from bike paths and sidewalks to roads and bridges to public transportation.

The commission started developing the STIP in 2020 by deciding how to allocate state and federal funding among different areas with input from partners, the public, cities, counties, and the public. They have spent the last two years selecting critical projects and now have a draft list of proposed investments to present for public comment.

This draft STIP includes:

• A major investment in repairing and replacing deteriorating bridges.
• A significant increase for public and active transportation to help people get around.
• Increased funding for projects that improve safety on state highways and local roads.
• More money for local governments to invest in their priorities.
• A major investment in ADA curb ramps to help people with disabilities get around safely.

ODOT want to hear from you. In particular, they want feedback on two primary issues:

• Which of the proposed projects do you support, and which projects do you have concerns about?
• Would any of the proposed projects have possible impacts that we should work to address?

How to provide public comment

You can provide comments on the projects in the STIP in a variety of ways.

1. Visit the online open house at Oregon Draft Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. It will be open from March 9 to April 28.
2. Attend in-person public comment sessions. See the STIP website for details.
3. Attend virtual public comment sessions, either April 6, from 6-7 p.m. or on April 13, from 2-3 p.m. Check out the STIP website for details.
4. Send an email to ODOT.STIP@odot.oregon.gov.

Public comment will close on April 28. Comments will inform ODOT’s decision-making as they consider adjusting the projects in the STIP and project design. All comments will be included in the public comment record that goes to the commission before they approve the final STIP in July.

To learn more about the STIP, visit our website. To stay up to date on all things STIP, sign up for email updates.

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1432
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-373, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.CyrusJavadi@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/javadi​