Coming into the 2023 legislative session at the Oregon Capitol, we faced some truly important work ahead of us. Our state is facing a number of serious challenges and Oregonians are clear that they expect us to tackle them.

As we near the two-thirds mark of this session we have had historic successes and it has been an honor for me to be actively engaged in it.

Session started with two key priorities that we needed to move forward fast: our housing and homelessness crisis response package and our initial bill to attract billions in federal dollars to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors.

They are each critical in their own way for Oregon’s future. We have heard consistently that Oregonians’ number one priority is making housing more available and affordable for everyone while supporting efforts to move people experiencing homelessness off our streets and onto a path toward permanent housing.

House Bill 2001 and House Bill 5019 did these things by investing $200 million for increasing our housing supply, combating homelessness today and changing policies to prevent homelessness in the future.

At the same time, we were working on Senate Bill 4, a bill focused on securing the future of Oregon’s semiconductor economy. Semiconductors are in everything from electric toothbrushes to vehicles and missile defense systems, and Oregon plays a key role in global research and production.

With the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act last year, the federal government made available $52 billion to boost domestic manufacturing of semiconductors — a once-in-a-generation opportunity for businesses. Senate Bill 4 committed $190 million for grants and loans to Oregon businesses so they could then apply for the billions from the federal government and grow the dynamic semiconductor industry we have in our “Silicon Forest” and around the state.

I have been around the Oregon Legislature for nearly half my life, and never before have I seen lawmakers commit this level of resources, this early in a legislative session with this much bipartisan support.

Collaboration across the aisle is something I am most proud of this session. You often read about the dysfunction in our politics, that all Democrats and Republicans do is bicker at each other and nothing important ever gets done that both sides can agree on.

In Oregon, this simply is not true.

The fact is that 95% of the bills the Senate has passed so far this session have received bipartisan support. While Democrats are in the majority, we have passed bills that are sponsored by only Republicans. I myself have co-sponsored several bills with the Senate Republican leader and all legislators are meeting regularly about how to address the challenges facing Oregonians from all four corners of the state.

Politically, we always agree on more than we disagree. We all want good schools for our kids, to feel safe in our communities and be able to afford a roof over our heads. These are bipartisan goals; we just don’t always agree on the path to achieve those goals.

However, running a bipartisan legislature doesn’t mean both sides agree on everything.

Democrats in November ran on an agenda of ensuring the right to an abortion and protecting communities from gun violence. In the face of attacks on choice and with gun violence on the rise, we will not back down from those values.

The Reproductive Health and Access to Care Bill — House Bill 2002 — would codify and clarify the reproductive health protections Oregonians had before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Oregonians agree the government should not be involved in deeply personal health care decisions and this bill will ensure people have the right to make decisions about their own bodies.

To advance gun safety and prevent further gun violence, we also are partnering with Speaker Dan Rayfield and the Oregon House of Representatives with HB 2005, which bans untraceable “ghost” guns, raises the minimum age of purchasing and possession of a firearm to 21 and gives local governments the authority to restrict guns on their premises if they so choose. This is a common sense solution that will take on gun crimes, help law enforcement do their jobs and prioritize public safety, while protecting responsible gun owners.

Finally, I am proud to be a chief co-sponsor with Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber on a constitutional amendment proposal to protect reproductive freedom and codify marriage equality.

These bills will be voted on in the Senate this month.

With the legislative session nearing the home stretch, I encourage everyone to be in contact with your legislators about the issues you care about. The input my office receives from constituents directly impacts how I view certain pieces of legislation. We are in Salem to work on your behalf, so thank you for the opportunity to be your state senator.