Gomberg: A busy week with legislative days | Community

Hello friends and neighbors,

Last week, Oregon hosted Legislative Days, a regular inter-session check-in for lawmakers and committees to gather, hear information about the state’s challenges, and discuss what the next legislature might bring. As in the previous year, our legislative-day hearings were all held from a distance this year.

I chaired the Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee meetings, chaired the General Government Subcommittee, attended an update on the Wildfire Recovery Committee, and ended the week with a long session on ways and means.

To view one of these meetings, click the start arrow next to the meeting date on the right side of the screen.

I also appeared before the Veterans and Emergency Management Committee to raise questions about Oregon license plates.

When you see one of these license plates on an Oregon car, what’s your first reaction?

My first thoughts were always, “Thank you for your service,” “You deserved more gratitude than you received,” and “You and your family have sacrificed so much.” But I have learned that these reactions are not always justified.

Paralyzed Veterans and Vietnam Veterans are part of a group of license plates any Oregonian can buy for $ 20.

Other marks in this group are the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, Veterans for Human Rights, Fallen Public Safety Officers, and Oregon Professional Firefighters. The money raised from the sale of these records will go to benefit organizations that aid veterans and first responders.

To make matters worse, there is another group of military license plates for which you have to present proof of service or a special qualification. These include the Gold Star Family, First Marine Division, Purple Heart, Army Special Forces Airborne, and a veteran badge with a picture of your branch or a earned medal.

I put a simple question to the committee. What is more important? Honor veterans or raise money for good veterans organizations?

It’s a complex question and I don’t know the answer right away. But I know that the current rules easily confuse the public. The committee agreed and immediately set up a working group with plans to consider changes in the next legislative period.

You can watch the hearing here for about five minutes.

The House of Representatives Interim Committee on Veterans and Emergency Management also received an update on Oregon’s new Department of Emergency Management (ODEM) formed under House Bill 2927. This move will pool the functions of multiple agencies and streamline Oregon’s emergency systems to improve the government’s response to natural disasters and future disaster events, including forest fires, floods and ice storms.

I was a major co-sponsor of this law. As coastal legislature, I will continue to prioritize disaster relief and resilience to address future tragedies and save lives. I’ve seen firsthand the effects of natural disasters in my district, like the 2020 forest fires and the floods last week. We also know that at some point there will be an earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone. Inaction is not an option.

“Today’s update shows that we are on the right track to have a department that effectively coordinates emergency response all year round,” said Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, one of the other sponsors of the bill. “This new department will ensure that we are proactive and will allow us to have the resources we need to mitigate future disasters, rather than just react.”

The bill, passed unanimously in the House of Representatives, establishes the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) as an independent agency focused on local investments to improve resilience and fire safety, and creates a local government advisory board to ensure that local governments are concerned are able to act effectively communicating the needs of their communities to ODEM.

On Wednesday, the House and Senate Revenue Committees received the December economic and revenue forecast from the Office of Economic Analysis.

My reports have been buzzing with business and employment news lately – and for good reason. Oregon continued to generate record-breaking revenue, beating economists’ expectations that the economy would slow after state coronavirus aid dried up. Wages and salaries are 8% above their pre-pandemic peak, although employment is 70,000 jobs lower than before.

Economists warned lawmakers that inflation could last well into next year and is likely to counteract much of current wage growth. Higher prices could affect low-income Oregonians or parts of the state where wages are not rising as quickly.

Overall, the revenue that the state is now forecasting is so strong that economists are planning another “kicker” for 2024 in the amount of 558 million US dollars. The kicker is Oregon’s unique tax refund that is applied when actual earnings exceed predictions by 2% or more. In August, economists revealed amazing news that Oregon is expecting a kicker refund of nearly $ 2 billion in 2023.

The average Oregonian, who makes between $ 35,000 and $ 40,000, is expected to receive about $ 420 off their taxes in 2021. The median salary for an Oregonian is $ 67,500. These individuals are expected to receive a $ 850 loan.

A sunny weekend helped us recover from a very wet week that caused floods, evacuations, landslides and accidents. I worry that more is to come.

The National Weather Service predicts cooler and wetter than normal conditions for the Pacific Northwest in the coming winter months. These include higher than normal wave heights and more rain.

The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) is a good source for insurance information.

The full coverage of a typical auto insurance policy covers damage to your car caused by a flood.

Contact your insurance agent or insurance company to check your coverage or to make a claim.

After speaking with your insurance company, if you have any questions or concerns, call DFR’s consumer advocates for free assistance. 888-87-4894 (toll free.)

If your home or car is damaged by flooding:

Put safety first when assessing storm damage. Avoid dropped power lines and watch you walk around storm debris or near high water.

Retain all evidence of hiring professionals or purchasing supplies to make temporary repairs.

Make a note of the highest waterline of your car and DO NOT attempt to start a flooded vehicle until it is checked by a professional.

Nikki, Aja and Jessi are three transgender women who have lost their lives to violence. In 2019, 17-year-old Nikki was strangled in Vancouver, Washington. In 2020, Aja was stabbed to death in Portland, Oregon. Last month Jessi was found dead in Banks, Oregon.

In 2019, a transgender woman named Lauren was beaten at Agate Beach State Park in Newport. Her attacker was sentenced to almost six years in prison.

Local religious leaders respond to Lauren’s attack

In 2021, at least 46 transgender people in the United States have lost their lives to violence so far, making this the deadliest year for deadly violence against transgender and non-gendered people.

Every year on November 20th, people around the world commemorate transgender and mixed-gender people on Transgender Remembrance Day. We celebrate the lives of our trans family and neighbors and mourn their deaths. We reflect and recalibrate ourselves to stop the ongoing violence against trans and gender neutral people.

Last Sunday I was invited to make some remarks at a fundraiser for the Lincoln City Playhouse. Playhouse is a local youth theater group.

I was reminded of my own experience in youth theater when I was a nervous seventh grader playing the puck from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. My costume that night included green leotards and a felt pixie hat.

Theater teaches invaluable life lessons – confidence, teamwork, and following instructions. But there’s more to the Lincoln City Playhouse program. The Sunday show was tied to All Together Now, a global event that brought together more than 2,500 theaters in all 50 states and over 40 countries performing the same musical. Being part of something bigger than you is also an important life lesson.

Check out Elf’s Playhouse production later this year.

Later that week, I zoomed in to the other end of the county to open the Cape Perpetua Land Sea Symposium with a few words of welcome. This symposium is a community event aimed at promoting local stewardship and awareness of current research being carried out near Cape Perpetua and the adjacent watersheds.

I was also invited to offer a legislative update to the Oregon Ports Association. Our ports are an important part of the coastal economy and District 10 is fortunate to include Alsea, Toledo, Newport, Tillamook and the port of Depoe Bay. A recent study reports that our fishing industry and adjusted numbers for related activities resulted in total income of $ 346 million and 7,400 jobs in Lincoln County alone.

As you can see, Legislative Days have been busy both in Salem and here at home. The highlight of the coming week will of course be the Thanksgiving holiday. We all have so much to thank, not least for living in a beautiful part of a remarkable state. Enjoy Thursday with family and friends. I’ll get back to you next Monday with another update.

We owe a lot here.

Representative David Gomberg