Meet our Coastal Legislative Interns!!!; Bills that made it through the legislative process

Greetings Friends and Neighbors.

As the State elected official for Senate District 5, I want to thank you for the honor and privilege you have given me to represent my fellow coastal residents. This legislative session, our office is hosting three college interns, two of whom hail from Senate District 5. During their time in the office, the three students will have the opportunity to learn about the legislative process through tracking bills, writing memos, conducting research and interacting with other elected officials and constituents.

Below is a small sample of the legislation I introduced or co-sponsored with my colleagues that made it through the legislative committee process this month. We focused on more specific legislation that stressed our commitment to working with our local and statewide organizations to find solutions to the problems we care most about. My objectives remain the same – create achievable and common-sense solutions that is centered on the priorities of everyday Oregonians who know we must invest in education and job creation

Sophie Goodwin-Rice grew up in Newport, where she attended Newport High School and graduated with an International Baccalaureate Diploma in 2017. Currently, she is a sophomore at Willamette University, majoring in Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics and Spanish. At Willamette, Sophie serves as a class senator on the Associated Students of Willamette University Senate, and is working with her caucus to introduce a reusable container program on campus. She also works as the News Editor for The Collegian, Willamette’s student-run newspaper and plays the violin in various student ensembles. After graduating from college, she hopes to work in advocacy and human rights protection, possibly within an organization like the ACLU. Sophie’s parents, Cait Goodwin and Jim Rice, both work at Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, and her younger brother Noah is a junior at Newport High School.

Chelsea Alatriste is a junior at George Fox University, where she is studying philosophy and politics. Chelsea was born and raised in Newport and also graduated from Newport High School, with an International Baccalaureate Diploma, in 2017. As a first-generation college student, she took part in George Fox’s Bridge Scholars program the summer before her freshman year. She currently works as a Teacher’s Assistant in the university’s history and politics departments and as a Cultural Ambassador for the school. While Chelsea has been interning in Senator Roblan’s office since January, she also spends other weekdays working for Sen. Jeff Golden (D-Ashland) from Senate District 3. Chelsea’s plans after graduating from George Fox include attending law school and eventually becoming an immigration or criminal defense lawyer. Her parents, Max Alatriste and Minerva Martinez, own the Izzy’s restaurants in Newport and Corvallis. She has two sisters, Michelle and Nayla.

Dale Peterka, originally from Dundee, is a junior at Portland State University and has been interning with Senator Roblan since the beginning of the 2019 session. At Tualatin High School, Dale served as Yearbook Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of the Thespian Troupe. He also competed in water polo and concert choir. His early college years were spent at Portland Community College, where he earned an Associate Degree and studied American Sign Language Interpretation. Before transferring to PSU to continue earning an undergraduate degree in Urban & Public Affairs, Dale took a two-year break from school to add some work experience to his resume. During that time, he coached a youth rock climbing team, worked at PCC as an administrative assistant and served as a non-credit instructor for fitness classes such as swimming, indoor cycling and triathlon.

How to secure an internship:

If you are interested in interning at the State Capitol, spend some time researching the types of issues you’re interested in, finding the legislators who specialize in legislation in those areas. There are 90 legislators and a multitude of state agencies, lobbying groups and other affiliated organizations to choose from, representing all regions and communities of Oregon, and thousands of hot-button issues at hand. However, with the right amount of networking and experimenting, finding the right place in the Capitol Building can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The Oregon State Legislature’s website is an excellent source for finding the bills for each session and accessing the pages of each individual senator or representative.  

SB 255 Funding for Oregon Institute of Marine Biology at University of Oregon

The University of Oregon’s 90-year-old Oregon Institute of Marine Biology (OIMB) in Charleston is a destination for students, scholars and visitors to experience the marine environment. The University of Oregon provides the only undergraduate marine biology major in Oregon. OIMB employs several different methods of experiential learning. This includes boat trips on RV Pluteus, which was built in 1973. On the boat, students learn about oceanographic sampling methods using dredges and trawls. They experience close-up encounters with deeper-dwelling sea life that they otherwise would not have the opportunity to see. Vessels are designed and fabricated right here in Oregon (for example, Tarheel Aluminum Co. in Charleston serves as a fabrication company for similar boats). Senate Bill 255 would appropriate $500,000 to help OIMB replace one of these research vessels. OIMB will use the public funding in addition to private investment to accomplish this.

SB 257 OSU Extension Service and Forest Research Laboratory Programs

Oregon State University is known widely for its contribution to research in the agriculture and forestry fields. OSU also facilitates several extension programs throughout the state, providing education and sustainable solutions to urban and rural areas alike. Senate Bill 257 would allocate $30 million to support OSU’s agricultural experiment station and branch stations, extension service and increased investment in sustainable management of working landscapes, water quality and quantity, public health, food safety and security and education for the future workforce.

SB 692 Statewide Youth Reengagement System to Improve Equitable Educational Outcomes

Numerous states and localities have implemented reengagement policies to provide a continuum of prevention, intervention and recovery services for out-of-school youth. With the newly established Joint Committee on Student Success underway, Oregon has placed a high priority on reducing the number of students who do not complete high school by creating a statewide youth reengagement system. A statewide youth reengagement system will increase access to appropriate educational opportunities, provide a continuum of individualized services and increase equitable outcomes by reducing barriers to educational success.

SB 694 Relating to Community Rural Fire District Development

Rural fire protection districts are authorized to levy property taxes to provide fire protection and other public safety services. RFPDs may contract for water services and facilities, emergency medical service equipment and services, law enforcement services, fire protection, road-lighting facilities and services, mutual communication systems and regional oil and hazardous materials emergency response teams. They are governed by boards that report to the State Fire Marshal, who also cooperates in the formation and administration of those boards. Senate Bill 694 would establish the Task Force on Rural Fire Protection District Community Development to study and develop recommendations for developing, enhancing or expanding the ability of rural fire protection districts to facilitate community development efforts following a natural disaster.

SB 739 University of Oregon Partnerships to Improve High School Graduation Rates

The Oregon Research Schools Network is a University of Oregon-sponsored program that works to create a partnership between the UO and Oregon public high schools, strengthening public education and boosting graduation rates. Currently, ORSN is engaged in a pilot program with Roosevelt High School, North Eugene High School, Pendleton High School and Coquille High School. In each school, teachers are paired with UO instructors to share expertise and collectively impact student achievement. Senate Bill 739 would provide $2.5 million to expand the program to serve six additional Oregon school districts in geographically diverse and under-performing schools.

SB 755 Establishes Citizens' Initiative Review (CIR) Commission Endowment Fund

The Oregon Citizen Initiative Review process was created in 2009 by House Bill 2895, which authorized the Secretary of State to have non-profit organizations form citizen panels to review and create official statements on ballot initiative measures. The review processes bring randomly selected representative panels of voters together to fairly and thoroughly evaluate ballot measures and give voters information they can trust. The Citizen Initiative Review Commission facilitates high-quality public review with the use of findings of fact. Senate Bill 755 creates the CIR Commission Endowment Fund that includes an operating subaccount to accept contributions from limited sources. The Citizens’ Initiative Review has proven to be one of the most effective election reforms passed by the Oregon legislature.