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

June 15, 2007

From the Office of Senator Avel Gordly
Contact: Sean Cruz, Chief of Staff (503) 986-1723

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Constituent responses to Immigration statement


My office has received numerous responses to my previous statement in support of Mayor Tom Potter on the recent immigration raid in North Portland, both pro and con.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Dear Friends,

Friday, June 8, 2007

Dear Friends,

As the session moves closer to Sine Die (the last day) we are staying longer, working harder, and the pressure is mounting. Each legislator has important issues for their own district that they want addressed. We continue to finalize the budgets, both in terms of the big numbers but also in the fine details included in each budget. I want to thank my constituents who write or call, offering support and sharing views on particular bills. Your input is so very welcome!

Education Budgets
Next week we are poised to pass the some of the biggest budgets of the session, the education budgets. We will see increases at all levels of public education, from Head Start, through K-12, community colleges and higher ed. The business community, early childhood specialists, university researchers, and citizen advocates are all on the same page this session - we MUST fund education to assure economic development and personal success. It's been a long time coming, but finally we will see record reinvestment in our education system.