Friends and Neighbors,

It's been a busy week. I am in Salem during the week and back in the district on the weekends. That is about a 4-hour round trip, covering over 200 miles. Every time I get back into the Gorge, I am reminded that I represent the most beautiful district in the state.

Last week, the federal government announced that it will give $715,000 towards plans to move Mount Hood Summit Rest Area on Highway 26. The current rest area was built in the 50s and increased traffic volumes make the site unsafe for recreationists, travelers, and commercial truck traffic.

Also, last week, the Governor released her proposed budget. It represents a nearly $2 billion increase above the current service level. It does not propose tax increases. How does the Governor plan on spending $2 billion more without raising taxes? Skip our regular deposit into our state reserves (aka the state's savings account). With economic uncertainty ahead, I have serious reservations about that being the most fiscally responsible move.

The Governor wants us to approve more than $1 billion to build and preserve housing in the next two-year budget. Building more housing is a good goal, but I am not sure spending more money will be the solution. Here is why: Since 2020, when Gov. Kotek was Speaker, Oregon has spent nearly $1 billion on housing. Homelessness and housing affordability don't seem to have improved since then. We have structural and regulatory issues that prevent naturally affordable housing from being built. I hope to have serious discussions about those issues on the Governor's Housing Production Advisory Council.

Make sure to follow me on Facebook and read my February column in the Mountain Times and the Columbia Gorge News.

Best,

Representative Jeff Helfrich

Bridge Day

Tomorrow, February 7, at 5 PM, the Joint Committee on Transportation will hold a public hearing on various proposed bridge projects impacting our community.

SB 431 would dedicate $125 million for the construction of the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge rebuild. SB 815 would set aside $6 million for Bridge of the Gods seismic improvements. Both Senator Daniel Bonham and I have sponsored these measures.

These two bridges are critical to our region's economic and transportation needs. 

Thank You, Law Enforcement

I am impressed with how local law enforcement handled the recent active shooter situation in Hood River. Thank you for your courage to keep our community safe. As a police officer for 26 years, I understand how dangerous these situations can be. It is easy to spotlight police when things go wrong, but we must also recognize our men and women in law enforcement when things go right.

A Big Bipartisan Bill

I am proud to join Senator Knopp as a sponsor of Senate Bill 853. This bill would prohibit out-of-state government workers from being reimbursed when they travel to Oregon. I believe in fiscal responsibility. This starts with ensuring our taxpayer dollars stay in the state. 

This bill has the bipartisan support of ALL 30 Senators and nearly half of the House of Representatives.

Appointed to the Governor's Housing Production Advisory Council

Under Governor Kotek's Executive Order 23-4, Speaker Rayfield appointed me to the Governor's Housing Production Advisory Council. 

We have a housing shortage, and if we want to make Oregon a more affordable place to live and work, we must increase the number of homes built. I am hopeful that the Governor's focus on housing supply will translate to lower rents and mortgages for Oregonians. Hood River and Gorge communities see some of the highest housing costs in the state. I hope to be a thoughtful voice looking at some structural regulatory problems that too often prevent affordable housing from being built. I want to thank the Speaker and Governor for giving me this opportunity to be a part of a solution.

Around the District

Big thanks to Mark Bailey and KIHR for hosting me on Mid-Columbia Today last Friday morning!

Last Friday, I talked with Hood River County Commissioner Authur Babitz (right), Claudia Munk-von Flotow (mid-right), and Andy von Flotow (mid-left) about proposed FEMA flood zone maps. Some areas on the maps are causing concern in our region and across the state. Oregon is conducting a housing needs analysis currently, and if FEMA’s maps have errors, local developments may be cited in places they shouldn’t be… or not cited where they should be. I will be working with local and federal officials on possible solutions.

On January 27th, I joined the Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers at Tamura Orchard for an on-farm tour and chatted with farmers at the Grange Hall about OSHA housing regulations and the impacts of Oregon's new agriculture overtime law.