By State Senator Suzanne Weber

It has been another busy month. I have had many meetings to aid in handling issues both with agencies and with constituents. It would be impossible to recapture them all here. But one issue I am still deeply troubled by is the failure of our unemployment insurance system. Daily my staff respond to calls and email from constituents who have gone many weeks with no contact by the unemployment department. Many have been waiting for 8 to 12 weeks before receiving any response from their application. This is unacceptable. While the staff that are working through these cases are fantastic, the system for them to do their work is not. Migrating to this new system with little to no training has caused a multitude of problems. Oregon has failed both the beneficiary and the staff at the Oregon Employment Department that are working so hard to handle these cases. We must do better! This week my colleagues and I are requesting the Governor Kotek come up with an action plan to solve the ongoing dysfunction at the Oregon Employment Department.

The month has passed so quickly with such a full calendar. I will do my best to hit the highlights here. However, a quick watch or listen to this month’s episode of From the District will help catch you up as well. Click the pictures below to watch on YouTube or to listen on Soundcloud.

Events and Activities

It has been a long hard climb to get to this point. But this group of individuals has persevered and we finally were able to to celebrate the groundbreaking on the soon to be Rainier Oregon Historical Museum!

Last week I had the pleasure to sit amongst parents, alumni, and current Astoria FFA members to share in their awards banquet. The leadership that these young people demonstrate is outstanding. They are our future. Let’s do all we can to support them!

Use this link to shop and donate Astoria FFA

After a long hiatus we have brought back the Oregon Coast Economic Summit.

Coastal communities, while unique, share similarities that many inland communities wouldn’t relate to so well.

The Oregon Coast Economic Summit is meant to cover a range of topics that our Coastal Communities can work together to solve.

• Sustainable Coastal Development
• Renewable Energy and Environmental Stewardship
• Workforce Development
• Coastal Economic Growth Opportunities
• Disaster Preparedness
• Infrastructure and Connectivity
• Sustainable Fisheries and Seafood Industry
• Affordable Housing and Community Revitalization

Taskforces and Workgroups

As many of you know, I stay very busy during the interim with relevant workgroups and taskforces to prepare for policy making in the future.

Currently I am engaged in the Oregon Hunger Task Force, the Joint Task Force on Substitute Teachers, the Early Literacy Educator Preparation Council, and the Chronic Absenteeism Workgroup.

Each of these groups is doing important work and I am certain that being engaged makes sure rural northwest Oregon has a voice in these issues.

In our newest workgroup on Chronic Absenteeism, which I co-chair with my colleague Rep Nguyen, I was fortunate enough be able to advocate for and successfully secure spots for three rural northwest school superintendent; Mr. Hopes from Astoria, Mr. Fritz from Knappa, and Mr. Ellis from Tillamook.

As a former educator I have seen the impact of absenteeism on learning and is eager to bring this issue to the forefront. It is important to shed light on all conditions pertaining to quality education. Our most important resource is our youth and their future.

State Reports and Agency Information

Throughout the months legislator receive many required reports. Some are audits and others are agency details. I am not going to go into detail on these, but thought some of you may find them interesting to look into. Click on the picture or highlighted text to follow the link to the full report.

Audit Release: Department of Environmental Quality.

Ongoing Strategic Planning Can Help DEQ Address Obstacles to Achieving its Goals

A statewide audit was conducted in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America; the standards applicable to financial audits contained in Government Auditing Standards, issued by the Comptroller General of the United States; and the audit requirements of Title 2
U.S. Code of Federal Regulations Part 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (Uniform Guidance). This report encompasses the year ended June 30, 2023, and is required for the State to continue receiving federal financial assistance, which, as shown in this report, totals approximately $20.4 billion.

May is Wildfire Awareness Month. As Oregonians, we know the importance of being prepared for wildfire season. Every year, wildfires threaten our homes, communities, and the beauty of our state. That’s why each year we dedicate May to raising awareness and promoting actions to reduce the risk of wildfires.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal is encouraging all Oregonians to get prepared for the upcoming wildfire season. Creating defensible space is one of the most important things you can do to protect your home and increase the chances it will survive a wildfire.

The OSFM offers free defensible space assessments to Oregonians who want to start creating defensible space or those who want to optimize their current plan. For a limited time, people living in select areas of the state may be eligible for a $250 payment after receiving an assessment. Request an assessment and read more details at www.oregondefensiblespace.org.

“Creating defensible space might feel overwhelming but taking it one project at a time can go a long way in protecting your home,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “May is a great time to tackle these projects before the heat of summer arrives.”

A few projects you can consider this month include:

Space and prune trees.
Remove leaves, needles, wood, bark mulch, and other debris from within 100 feet of buildings or to the property line.
Remove leaves, needles, and other debris from roofs and gutters.
Move flammable material away from the outside of your home, including mulch, flammable plants, leaves, and needles.
Prevent plants from growing directly under the eaves; a minimum of five feet away is recommended.
Keep firewood piles and lumber at least 30 feet from any structure.
Maintain the plants in your yard. Clean out old leaves or pine needles from your plants and prune away dead parts.

For a detailed guide on how to create defensible space at your home, click here.

The Oregon Coast Visitors Association sponsored an economic study that investigated what drives coastal counties economies. The Coast study area is Clatsop, Tillamook, Lincoln, Coos, and Curry counties and the coastal portions of Lane and Douglas counties. Separate statistics are provided for Columbia County. The information was put together by The Research Group, LLC, Corvallis, Oregon. The principal author was Shannon Davis who was assisted by Hans Radtke. You can access the report by clicking here. Along with Coastal County Social and Economic Characteristics here.

Upcoming Events

On May 29th at 11:00 AM in Warrenton, at the Flagpole Park, a dedication to the Gold Star Families will be held.

Please join in supporting and honoring our Gold Star families. The Gold Star family is one that has experienced a loss of a loved one–an immediate family member – who died as the result of military service. Those who die in service to their country leave behind parents, siblings, spouses, children and extended families. These are recognized as Gold Star families.

Joint Committee on Transportation

State Transportation Conversations Across Rural and Urban Communities for 2025 Package

The Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) will be holding 12 meetings and local tours around the state for the purpose discussing the need for stable and sufficient transportation funding in anticipation of the 2025 legislative session.

This year I have once again partnered Tillamook Working Lands & Water Cooperative to bring other legislators to the coast for an educational tour of our working lands on June 13th.

If you haven’t heard of them, Tillamook Working Lands and Waters Cooperative is a group of dedicated individuals committed to responsible stewardship of Tillamook County’s natural resources in order to build, nourish, and sustain the community for generations to come. This grass roots group organized to raise awareness of working forest, farms, and fisheries and the importance of providing sustainable, locally grown and harvested products.

I truly enjoy attending and participating in our community events and parades. In the coming month I plan to join in the fun with the June Dairy Parade in Tillamook on June 22nd.

I look forward to enjoying the community festivities with all of you!

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/