Dear Friends,

As committee work continues in Salem, it has been great to receive so much e-mail from constituents about issues that are important to you. My staff and I are responding to all constituent input, and we are tracking it in order to help me make a more compelling case to my colleagues when issues come up in caucus or on the floor. So please keep it coming! My side of the bargain is to keep letting you know about what we're discussing and where I stand.

Now, a few updates...

1. Town Hall with Sen. Avel Gordly, Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, and Dr. Bruce Goldberg, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS)

Join me this Saturday, February 3 from 10am to noon at the Hollywood Senior Center at 1820 NE 40th Ave. Sen. Avel Gordly, Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, and I will discuss our legislative agendas and respond to questions from the audience.

We will be joined by Dr. Bruce Goldberg, director of the Department of Human Services, who will help provide an overview of the Healthy Kids Initiative. If passed, Healthy Kids will help provide affordable health insurance for children of working families. More information is available from the link on the governor's web page here.

2. Take Action - Benzene

Due to lax federal regulations, gasoline sold in the Pacific Northwest contains higher levels of benzene than anywhere else in the country. Benzene is a compound found naturally in crude oil that is linked with leukemia and other severe health problems.

On Friday, I will be urging my colleagues on the House Committee on Energy and the Environment to join me in signing a letter to the Administrator of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA). The letter asks the EPA to cap the amount of benzene allowed in gasoline produced in refineries that serve Oregon.

I would invite you, too, urge your federal officials to safeguard the health of Oregonians. Please visit www.oeconline.org for more information about contacting the EPA and Congress.

Healthy Kids: On a 5-4 vote last Friday, the House Health Care Committee passed HB 2201, also known as the Healthy Kids Initiative. I voted with the majority. HB 2201 will head next to the Revenue Committee, where the proposed funding mechanism - an 84.5 cent increase in the tobacco tax - will receive close scrutiny. Contact Rep. Phil Barnhart and Rep. Tom Butler, chair and vice-chair respectively, to weigh in on this issue.

Measure 37: Leaders of the House and Senate have created the Land Use Fairness Committee to address the problems generated by Measure 37. I support an immediate suspension of Measure 37, which would give the Legislature time to make sure that the law is implemented to provide fairness to individual landowners without opening the door to big developers. To weigh in on this issue, please take action at Onward Oregon. This website will help you send an e-mail or letter to your representatives and to leaders of the committee.

Renewable Energy: The House Committee on Energy and Environment, on which I serve, is hearing public testimony on House Bills 2211 and 2212. These bills would create new incentives for Oregon businesses and individuals to invest in renewable energy projects, such as the solar energy panels on the Laurelhurst home in the photo below. Reply to this email if you'd like to weigh in on this topic.

4. In the Neighborhood

On Saturday, February 10, from 8-10am, I'll be meeting neighbors at Cooper's Coffee, 6049 SE Stark St. Please feel free to drop by and say hi!

Volunteer! There will be chances to volunteer every week, particularly with dropping off invitations for my neighborhood visits. There may also be a chance for helping with a new website. Email Leon to sign up to volunteer - just an hour or two can be enjoyable, and quite helpful.

5. Other News

Here's a story from my alma mater's newspaper.

Previous issues of this e-newsletter are available on the legislative website: www.leg.state.or.us/cannon.

Best regards,