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Hi folks,
We just wrapped up November Legislative Days and I submitted my bill requests for the upcoming short legislative session. More on that below. I am now home getting ready for a busy weekend with a Constituent Coffee on Saturday and a workgroup meeting later on Sunday. I hope you are able to join me for the coffee on Saturday, I have some big updates to share. This time it is at Living Room Coffeehouse at 9:00 AM.
New Committee
I am excited and humbled to announce that I have been appointed to a seat on the Climate, Energy, and Environment Committee in the House of Representatives. As you know, climate is the reason I first got into politics and it continues to be my top issue to this day. Serving on this committee, I will be able to have an even more direct role in statewide climate policymaking. I will also continue to serve on the Housing and Homelessness; Transportation and Economic Development (Ways and Means); and Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committees. Typically, a legislator only sits on three committees so this is a pretty full plate, but I am eager to dive in and do the work.
Pictured: As Co-chair of Oregon's Environmental Caucus I was happy to convene us for a dinner earlier this week. We previewed some of the upcoming legislation and began building support.
My Legislation
In the upcoming short legislative session we are only permitted to introduce two bills each. Today, I filed the below concepts for drafting:
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System Development Charge Reform: In short, this involves the state stepping in as a sort of guarantor for cities who allow builders to delay payment of this critical charge for infrastructure. This allows the builder to finance the charge at a better point in the construction process, get a much lower interest rate on the loan, and ultimately bring down the cost to build new housing.
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Infrastructure Financing Map: We can't build the housing we need without also building out our water treatment plants, sewer lines, roads, and more. All of this is paid for through a complicated patchwork of state and local systems. This bill is intended to map all of this out, identify areas for improved governmental efficiency, and envision possible new ways of doing things better and cheaper.
Thanks for reading and staying informed. As always, reach out with any questions you have. I hope to see you 9:00 AM Saturday for my next Constituent Coffee.
All my best,
Representative Mark Gamba
House District 41
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1441
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-477, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.MarkGamba@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gamba
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