Friends, 

Some of you have heard me say that being a Senator is like traveling on lonely roads with busy intersections. The lonely roads are the times spent in the interim, working in obscurity, checking e-mails, and reaching out to constituents and community groups.

As we moved towards the busy intersection, down here in Salem, I reflected on the conversations and lessons I learned from you during my time along that lonely road.

You brought to me concerns about protecting our children, our environment and addressing the problems of our public schools. You told me what you wanted to see done in Salem, and I armed myself with those suggestions determined to continue righting the ship.

Now, as we move towards the half way point in the session, these ideas are manifesting into some great legislation.

I look forward to receiving more of your input and thank you for staying involved and informed.

Sincerely,

Protecting our Children

As chair of the Senate Committee on Education, I am proud to announce passage of two significant pieces of legislation that will help protect our kids from predators.

Senate Bill 46 requires the fingerprinting of any public school employee. Additionally it also gives the Department of Education the discretion to fingerprint contractors who will have direct contact with students.

Senate Bill 47 holds student teachers who commit crimes to the same standards as current teachers who commit crimes. The bill also prohibits the issuance of an Oregon teaching license to someone that has committed a punishable offense in another jurisdiction.

I believe that the legislation we have passed and the reforms that will follow this session will give the strongest child protection laws in the nation. 

Protecting Our Environment and the Health of Oregonians

I am proud to announce the passage of Senate Bill 596.  This bill establishes a phased-in ban of DecaBDE.  This dangerous chemical is used as a flame retardant commonly found in mattresses and other household products.

DecaBDE migrates from its host product into the environment and eventually into our bodies. There, like PCBs, it builds up in the fat tissue of people and animals. Studies show that DecaBDE breaks down over time into more toxic cousins, PentaBDE and OctaBDE, which Oregon already banned.

Oregon will follow Maine and Washington and the European Union in their restrictive use of DecaBDE.

Feasible, safer and effective alternatives like resorcinol bisdiphenyl phosphate (RDP) has helped the bill garner the support of Oregon firefighters.

The bill will now go to the House for consideration.

Educating Our Children

Kindergarten is a crucial part of our education. The lessons and skills that students acquire during this time have profound affects on their reading levels, retention, social skills and performance.

With that, I am proud to announce that the Senate has moved forward in a bi-partisan fashion with legislation to provide full day kindergarten for our children. Passed unanimously, Senate Bill 44 is expected to soon pass in the House.

Protecting all the Al the Alligators in Oregon 

And finally, remember Al the alligator? Al was just a baby when he won the heart of a Beaverton resident. As the years passed, Al grew. He grew from a small lizard size, to a four foot long snarling beast. Well, one day Al escaped and put Beaverton residents on high alert. Al was eventually found, in a residential neighborhood close to death.

With Al's story in mind, the City of Beaverton asked me make sure this doesn't happen again. Senate Bill 391, protects wild animals from suffering Al's fate. It does so by making sure that people obtain USDA licenses if they wish to own exotic animals. It does not take away exotic pets already owned by Oregonians. I believe, wild animals belong in the wild, not in our basements.

Senate Bill 391 has passed the Senate and moved to the House for consideration.

HONORARY PAGE PROGRAM

The Honorary Page Program is available for students age 12-18 and offers a one-day experience of the State Capitol.  Honorary Pages get to see the legislative process first hand and work with State Senators during the day while learning the process in which ideas become laws.  The program runs from Feb. 10 to June 1. Reply to me by email, or call me at 503-986-1714 if you know someone who would be interested.