By Representative David Gomberg, House District 10
5/1/2023
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Across our district, we continue to enjoy a broad, satisfying, and quite remarkable arts and culture scene.
I often remind people that Newport, with only 10,000 people, hosts a full symphony. We provide stages at the Performing Arts Center, Lincoln City Cultural Center, and Pacific Maritime Heritage Center. The Philomath Frolic & Rodeo is regularly voted the “Best Rodeo in the Northwest”. From name entertainment concerts at Chinook Winds, to the Siletz Bay Music Festival and Oregon Coast Jazz Party, local live theater like Theater West, independent movie houses like the Bijou, and nightly jazz, rock, and blues at our bars, coffeehouses, and breweries, we enjoy entertainment that rivals anything found in the big cities.
But arts and culture are suffering. Venues that rely on live audiences were among the hardest and longest hit by the pandemic. And with seats empty and staff largely laid off, theaters still had bills to pay. In 2020, working to keep live entertainment alive, Oregon lawmakers crafted a $50 million relief package with money forwarded from the Federal government.
Problems continue. A survey by Business Oregon, Travel Oregon, and the Small Business Development Center Network said many large cultural organizations report ticket sales remain only about 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland is one example and is shedding staff to save money. Executive director David Schmitz told the Oregon House’s Interim Committee on Economic Development that many arts groups, including his own, are at risk of shutting down. “We face a fiscal cliff like none we have experienced in our rich, 88-year history,” he said. “Oregon will be far less vital, far less empathetic, and far less spiritually vibrant because the cultural organizations you know and love will close.”
In response, nine members of the Oregon Legislature have formed the state’s first-ever Arts and Culture Caucus. Seven Democrats and two Republicans will research the arts and try to inform other members of the Oregon statehouse. I am pleased to be one of the founding members.
- Representative Rob Nosse, Janelle Bynum, and I are sponsoring House Bill 2459 which will include $50.15 million in the state budget for arts and cultural groups to help defray Covid-caused losses. The bill includes direct support to a list of designated venues and over $25 million in grants.
- Nosse has joined me in sponsoring House Bill 3532 to increase administrative support for the Arts Commission and Cultural Trust, who provide grant funding for local organizations through fundraising and sales of the “Celebrate Oregon!” Cultural Trust license plate.
- Work is underway at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on the new Cultural Plaza. We secured much of that funding from the legislature with money supported by lottery ticket sales. Among my priorities for Capital Construction projects this year will include the expansion of the PAC Center in Newport and the replacement of the Philomath Frolic Grandstands destroyed by a fire in 2022.
All early indications are that state budgets will be tight this year. We expect final projections from the State Economist in about two weeks. But if earlier estimates hold, the arts will be in competition for money with housing, health care, and public safety.
Oregon currently ranks 34th in arts and culture funding nationally. In Oregon, the industry represents about 3.3% of GDP and about 60,000 jobs. It’s an $8 billion industry.
As a legislator, I’m called on to make hard decisions each day. But I also need to bring a district perspective to those decisions. The arts create jobs in our part of Oregon. But they also create a broader environment that contributes to livability, tourism, quality of life, meaningful retirement, and something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon!
Niki Price (Lincoln City Cultural Center), Rep. Gomberg, Jason Holland (Oregon Coast Council for the Arts), and Lisa Lipton (Newport Symphony) with the Oregon Coast Art Bus in Salem.
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As you read this report, the Oregon House will be well into two of our most intense and contentious days.
Monday, we hear House Bill 2002 which modifies provisions relating to access to reproductive health care and gender-affirming treatment. The bill also modifies provisions relating to protections for providers of and individuals receiving reproductive and gender-affirming health care services.
Tuesday we hear House Bill 2005 which punishes the manufacturing, importing, sale, or transfer of an undetectable firearm or firearms without a serial number. It prohibits persons under 21 years of age from possessing some firearms. And it authorizes governing bodies to limit possession of firearms in public buildings by a concealed handgun licensee.
I recently wrote about these two bills and detailed my position on each. I won’t repeat that here. Republicans and Democrats agreed to delay both bills until May. And now May has arrived.
I will expect to see long days, punctuated with a variety of procedural tactics and a lot of sincere, passionate speeches. I respect that. With supporters of the bills in the majority, the results are all but certain. Both bills will pass. That said, the important question is whether we can return Wednesday and work together to pass budgets and bills that benefit Oregon and Oregonians.
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Up until now, the House has been relatively drama free and found a way to work respectfully and productively together. We don’t always agree. But we have not been largely disagreeable. I give credit for that to both the Democratic and Republican leadership.
Over in the Senate, procedural filibusters have been more prevalent and business is taking much longer. And that being the case, I think it is interesting to review the outcome.
The Oregon Senate as of April 14th passed 197 bills. Seventy-one bills, 36%, were passed unanimously. And 115, 58%, were approved on a bipartisan vote. Only 11 bills, 5.6%, were passed on a straight party-line vote.
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While I’m in Salem listening patiently to speeches and preparing to vote, I thought I would share some news for any animal lovers reading this report.
It’s official! Oregon now has an official State Pet – rescued shelter dogs and cats.
When I introduced this resolution earlier in the year, I said naming a state pet sounds like a fluffy, feel-good measure when we have more important things to do. And certainly, we are working on larger and more important issues. But just as we have named a state pie with the goal of selling more marionberries, a state crustacean to help sell more Dungeness crab, and a state drink to support the dairy industry, recognizing shelter pets will encourage more adoptions. And that will reduce the number of animals being euthanized, honor families that adopt, and reduce public expenses to house, feed, and provide health care for those animals.
Over the years, my family has adopted a number of dogs and cats through rescues, including dogs that owners neglected or that breeders no longer had a use for. This experience led to my support for legislation like HCR 8, which recognizes the investment of state resources to ensure these animals are cared for and highlights the compassion of Oregonians that welcome them into their lives. HCR 8 is far from the most important legislation we’ll pass this session. Still, I’m hopeful that designating rescued shelter dogs and cats as the official state pet will encourage Oregonians to consider adopting, not shopping, the next time they consider adding a pet to their household.
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Susan Gomberg with two of our State Pets. |
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Here is some news from my friend Senator Suzanne Weber. Keep an eye out for wildlife. Almost 6,000 drivers in Oregon are involved in a collision with a deer, elk, bear, or other wildlife every year.
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is planning to construct new safe wildlife crossings along the Oregon Coast and Central Oregon. The project aims to reduce the number of wildlife-related collisions on highways and to help protect wildlife populations.
The wildlife crossings will be constructed in locations where animals frequently cross the road, and they will include bridges, tunnels, and other structures that allow animals to safely cross the highway without coming into contact with vehicles. ODOT hopes that the project will not only reduce the number of accidents but also help to preserve Oregon’s diverse wildlife population. Read more about these plans here.
And for a different perspective on wildlife crossings, take a moment and listen to the concerns of Donna the Deer Lady…
The Watch for Wildlife license plate is available for purchase at all DMV locations in Oregon. Find more information here.
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Seal pups have started to appear on the Oregon coast again this spring. The pups can be seen on beaches and rocks, and visitors are advised to stay at least 50 yards away to avoid disturbing them.
Seal pups are typically born from spring to summer in Oregon and Washington. Mother seals often deposit the pups onshore while they go hunting, which leads some humans to mistakenly think they’ve been abandoned.
It is illegal to approach or touch seal pups or any other marine mammal. It is important to give the animals space and to avoid causing them stress, as this can impact their health and survival.
If you come across a seal pup you should leave it alone and can call the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, which will monitor the situation and put up signs informing the public to keep their distance. Learn more about the baby seals here.
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I spent much of the weekend in our coastal garden, still cleaning up fallen trees and the mess caused by our heavy winter snows. I was busy with my chainsaw, chipper, and weed wacker. In many ways, it was like being in Salem except the results were more clear!
Saturday, Susie and I drove south on 101 across the Beverly Beach bumps and on to Toledo for a dinner and auction to support the Summer Festival. Sunday I was honored to be the guest speaker for the Unitarian Universalists Fellowship in Newport.
I’m back in Salem and wish you all a joyous and celebratory May Day.
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email: Rep.DavidGomberg@oregonlegislature.gov
phone: 503-986-1410
address: 900 Court St NE, H-480, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg