By State Senator Suzanne Weber

Hello Neighbors and Friends,

Less than 40 days remain in the 82nd Legislative Session and so far it has been rather eventful. It appears there continues to be a legislative impasse between the Democrats and Republicans in the senate. Despite the tension within the building, the sun has been putting on quite the display outside!

National Police Week

Please join me in thanking our incredible law enforcement officers. For your dedication and commitment to our communities, “thank you” is simply not enough.

Committees

You can find me still working in committees on important pieces of legislation. I am working hard to make sure your concerns are heard and understood over here in Salem. Regardless of whatever is going on during floor sessions, I will continue to work on behalf of my constituents.

Meetings

I continue to find time to meet with constituents from within the district and Oregonians in general. Below you will find me pictured with Camy VonSeggern
who is the manager at the Tillamook County Fair Grounds. She stopped by to say hello and discuss the fair grounds as well as other in-district matters.

Local Matters

May Special Elections

Last week we saw the conclusion of the 2023 May Special Elections. Citizens in counties across the state cast their votes on a range of issues. Notoriously, special elections have some of the lowest turn out numbers of any election cycle, but that doesn’t take away from the significance of these elections. In fact, some of the decisions made in them will have direct impacts on our community. With 5 counties being located either entirely or partially in Senate District 16, it has been quite a busy week for my district.

Tillamook County
In Tillamook County several director positions were decided on throughout the county. Voters also passed bonds to finance the Health Clinic, Nursing Facilities and related projects in Nehalem. You can find more election results for Tillamook County here.

Clatsop County
In Clatsop County, voters decided to renew a local option levy in order to maintain city library services. They also narrowly rejected ballot measure 04-221 in Tuesday’s election that would repeal a Clatsop County vacation rental ordinance unanimously approved by the county Board of Commissioners last June. That ordinance recognized vacation rentals as a permitted use in 16 unincorporated zones in the development code. Citizens of Clatsop county have been concerned about the availability of residential space. You can find the election results for Clatsop County here.

Columbia County
Along with the several Port of Columbia County Commission seats, voters in Columbia County decided on important issues such as the St. Helens High School improvement bond, Measure 5-282, which was approved by a margin of 323 votes. This measure proposed to allocate $55 million towards enhancing safety, security, building facilities, and technology upgrades by establishing a new property tax of .94 cents for every $1,000 of assessed value. Election results for Columbia County are available here.

Washington County
Washington County residents rejected a potential levy for a 5-year public safety option. Voters also decided to renew multiple levies that are related to class sizes and education funding. You can find more results here.

Multnomah County
Nearly 82% of Multnomah County voters said “no” to a proposed capital gains tax that would have been enacted through measure 26-238. The tax would have funded legal assistance for renters facing eviction. You can find more election results for Multnomah County here.

To the candidates who won their elections, congratulations! I am looking forward to seeing the work that you will be able to accomplish on behalf of the people. And to those who did not win, I commend you for your efforts and hope you are able to use this experience as motivation for your future endeavors.

Newly implemented wastewater regulations are causing concerns amongst Oregon Seafood Processors

New wastewater regulations in Oregon have caused concern among seafood processors who fear they will be forced to install expensive equipment or face fines. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently issued draft permits for wastewater discharge that include lower limits on pollutants such as biochemical oxygen demand, which measures the amount of oxygen used by microorganisms to break down organic matter. Those limits are based on updated toxicity levels for chemicals commonly found in seafood processing, such as ammonia and chlorine.

Seafood processors argue that the new regulations will require them to invest in expensive equipment or risk violating the new limits, which could result in fines and lost business. They also claim that the regulations are based on outdated science and that the DEQ did not adequately consider the economic impact of the new rules. The DEQ has acknowledged the concerns of seafood processors and is seeking feedback on the draft permits before they are finalized. You can read more about this developing situation here.

From the District!

Make sure to check out the most recent episode of From The District.

Oregon Legislative Information System

Both committee hearings and floor proceedings are available to watch online. You can track bills and be notified when a hearing is scheduled. I recommend spending some time learning about it by visiting Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS). Links to the instructional videos for each of the “How To” lines below are included in the attachments.

Stay Connected

Don’t forget to follow me on my social media pages! That is one of the best ways to keep up with what I am up to. I post regular updates and commentary about local and statewide issues. Below you will find several links. Feel free to follow me on whichever platform you prefer.

Facebook
Twitter
Youtube
Instagram

We are here for YOU!

As per usual our floor schedule is beyond our control. But we will make time for you. Please email or call and my staff will get you on my calendar. My staff and I are here to help you! If you have a problem, question or comment, please feel free to email me at sen.suzanneweber@oregonlegislature.gov or suzanne@weberfororegon.com.

I do ask you to PLEASE include your phone number and your address. This allows me to call you to follow up or ask any questions I might have. Your address lets me know that you’re a constituent. I get thousands of emails every week, but I always make sure that constituents get top priority. If you’d prefer, you can also call us at 503.300.4493.

If you’d like to visit me in Salem, you’re always welcome to come by! If you drop by without an appointment, I’ll do my best to meet with you, but to ensure that I don’t have any other commitments, please call or email first for an appointment. That way I can make sure to give you my undivided attention.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to be your State Senator. It truly is the honor of my life, and I look forward to being your voice in the Senate for the next four years!

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/