Dear Friends,

I hope you had a happy and safe Fourth of July weekend.  I spent my days with family, eating, laughing, and enjoying the warm weather.

Dear Friends,

Dear Friends,

It's over. We just adjourned Sine Die, which literally means "without a day." After all the ups and downs of the last six months, I want to again thank you for your comments, suggestions, criticisms and kind words. It is an honor to serve as your State Representative, and this session has been our most productive in years.

Many people are compiling lists of their accomplishments of the session; I am particularly proud of two - the passage of the Clean Indoor Air Act, and securing state funds for the Southeast Portland to Milwaukie expansion of Light Rail.

SB 571 - Clean Indoor Air Act

After years of work, we finally succeeded in expanding Oregon's Clean Indoor Air Act to protect workers from the dangers of secondhand smoke. Restaurants, bars and taverns, bowling alleys, bingo halls, etc. will all be smoke free. There are a few exceptions, for retail establishments whose primary business is selling tobacco, 25% of hotel rooms, and ceremonial activities covered under the American Indian Religious Freedom Act. This represents a HUGE victory for the teams of advocates who have worked so hard and I was proud to be a sponsor of this bill and to shepherd it through my committee and then on the House floor.

SE Portland to Milwaukie Light Rail Expansion

Bringing the MAX line through SE Portland to Milwaukie has been a top priority of mine. The Southeast Metropolitan Extension Project will connect fast-growing areas in downtown Portland, South Waterfront, Southeast Portland neighborhoods, and Milwaukie. This week we were able to secure $250 million in lottery bonding for this project. The timing is perfect - one dollar in lottery funds will be matched with more than two dollars in federal transportation dollars. With the projected population growth, the costs of traffic congestion, and the economic development opportunities that light rail brings, the Southeast Metropolitan Extension Project makes good sense. I was pleased to champion this issue through the legislature and claim victory for this important project.

Upcoming Town Halls - Saturday, Aug. 4 and Tuesday, Aug. 7

Mark your calendars now and plan on attending one of my upcoming Town Halls.

Saturday, August 4

10:00 - 11:30 AM

Milwaukie City Hall

10722 SE Main Street

Milwaukie

Or

Tuesday, August 7

6:30 - 8:00PM

SMILE Center

8210 SE 13^th Ave.

Portland

E-UPDATE, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Dear Friends, I haven't stopped smiling since election night. In addition to putting Democrats in the control of the Oregon House for the first time in years, voters defeated the anti-government Measures 48 and 41; voters supported expanding the Oregon Prescription Drug Pool to give more citizens access to low-cost medications; and they re-elected Governor Ted Kulongoski who will work for adequacy and stability in education funding, health care for all kids, and strong renewable energy standards. With these changes at hand, we have been extremely busy this last week. House Democrats have selected Rep. Jeff Merkley (Portland) as their choice for Speaker of the House. Other leadership positions have gone to Rep. Diane Rosenbaum (Portland), Rep. Dave Hunt (Milwaukie), Rep. Phil Barnhart (Eugene), Rep. Arnie Roblans (Coos Bay), Rep. Sara Gelser (Corvallis), and Rep. Peter Buckley (Ashland). I am pleased to see representation from throughout the state in our leadership team. We all remain committed to working across party lines to bridge the so-called urban/rural divide.