While the weather took little notice, Portland-area students began their summers last week. That means I watched 19 students graduate from my 8th grade class at a beautiful ceremony last Wednesday night. It also means that I get to be a full-time legislator for the next few months. Honestly, I could not imagine a better summer vacation. Here is what I have to look forward to...
Committee Work
I continue to serve on my interim committees: Health Care and Energy & Environment. A handful of committee meetings are scheduled for this summer, and I am working on bills for 2009 within those issue areas.
I am also a member of the Bottle Bill Task Force. I spent last Friday in Salem discussing plans for the continued expansion of our landmark bottle bill. Click here to read an article from the Eugene Register Guard summing up the current conversation.
Perhaps most significantly, I will be continuing my work as a member of the Global Warming Commission and its subcommittee on Utilities and Stationary Sources. The work of the Global Warming Commission has been carefully archived here.
Meetings, Meetings, and More Meetings
This summer will also be a time for me to catch up with constituents, advocates, and other legislators. I have lined up meetings with stakeholders on issues like global warming, land use, water, transportation, and health care reform. I am meeting with neighbors concerned about issues ranging from paid family leave to TriMet safety.
I will also be holding a few informal coffees at locations around the district. The first one? Saturday, June 28th from 8-10am at Speedboat Coffee (another fantastic new Foster-Powell business!) - 5115 SE Foster. These are informal events. Drop in any time with your questions or just to listen to the conversation.
Conferences
In order to become more knowledgeable on a variety of issues before the Legislature, I will be attending two conferences for state legislators this summer. First, this Sunday I go to Denver for the National Conference of State Legislatures' Energy Effeciency Institute. Then, in mid-July, I am heading to Alaska for the Council of State Governments - West's annual meeting.
Policy Development
Underlying all of these meetings and conferences will be the development of my 2009 Legislative Package. You can click here to see the bills that I am working on right now in preparation for the upcoming session. I am in the process of sending requests to Legislative Counsel in order to get these bill ideas written up as legislative concepts. The goal is to have each bill vetted by various stakeholders and then filed pre-session in order to increase the odds of each bill passing. This list is far from exhaustive; there are many important issues where other legislators are taking the lead.
Family, too, of course...
This summer will also be filled with neighborhood adventures -- and an out-of-state excursion -- with my wife Liz and daughter Evelyn. We can likely be spotted at our local farmers' markets -- in Montavilla and in Lents -- each Sunday or at one of our family-filled local parks any day of the week. 
Evelyn and I had the best possible Father's Day, as you can see to the right. We marched in the Portland Pride Parade, Evelyn clapping the entire way. (Thank you to District 46 constituent Bing Wong for the photo.)
As always, I urge you to be in touch with your ideas and concerns. I hope that you will make it to Speedboat Coffee next Saturday or to another coffee later this summer. I can be reached by email or phone, too.
Best wishes to you and yours for a warm, sunny summer and I will be in touch.
State Representative Ben Cannon
1125 SE Madison, Suite 100B
Portland, OR 97214
rep.bencannon@state.or.us
http://www.repbencannon.com
(503) 236-3351
Past Newsletters
Recent Press
