Thank you for visiting my legislative website.
I am honored to serve residents of southern Jackson County for a fourth term in the Oregon Legislature. House District 5 spans from the Applegate to the Greensprings and includes Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, a southern portion of Medford, Jacksonville and Ruch. I'm convinced my district has the state's most passionate and involved constituents.
In the wake of multiple crises brought on by the pandemic, catastrophic wildfire, social inequities, and a housing shortage, I am committed to taking bold and transformative action in support of all Oregonians—for our health, our environment and our economy.
I am honored to currently serve as Chair of the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment, shepherding policies to promote energy efficiency, energy affordability and environmental justice; and focusing on meaningful policy for waste prevention and wildfire mitigation. In addition, I am currently serve as a member of the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water, House Committee On Revenue, and Joint Committee On Tax Expenditures.
My Legislative Priorities
Core policy areas of my legislative focus are:
Climate: My top goal is to develop legislation that fosters the development and implementation of policies for energy efficient buildings, renewable energy sources, state climate goals, and resilience in the face of climate extremes and disasters.
Homelessness: With an emphasis on families, veterans and youth, I continue to support and pursue innovative solutions to the housing crisis, including operational funding for Project Turnkey and the Navigation Centers; funding and capacity building for localized community services, case managers for outreach; best practices for shelters and campgrounds.
Affordable housing: Statewide we have a deficit of 140,000 housing units, which is the factor driving the lack of affordability, increasing homelessness, workforce shortages, and economic expansion. My agenda for housing production prioritizes investments in capacity to enable local cities and counties to plan and permit housing; innovative production strategies including investment in modular/manufacturing housing as both a housing production and wildfire recovery strategy; funding to address capital gaps for workforce housing; investment in affordable preservation, including manufactured home parks; and ongoing affordable housing development funding.
Wildfire recovery: Our communities are still struggling to recover from the devastation of the September 2020 wildfires. Wildfire mitigation, response and resilience are paramount in rural communities across Oregon—I am committed to advocating for policies and funding that will help us to reduce risk and respond to the devastating impacts of smoke and fire. In this session, I'll continue to pursue housing investments to make sure that every family that wants to return to our community is able to do so.
Broadband: Since 2016, I have been working to close Oregon's digital divide, authoring HB 2173 (2019) to establish the state Broadband Office, and HB 4092 (2022), which set Oregon's course for broadband expansion. I continue to pursue policies that resolve infrastructure challenges so all Oregonians can have access to highspeed internet for education, health, government information and services, entertainment and more.
Please Participate in the Legislative Process!
Public engagement is vital for making laws and developing policy that supports and benefits Oregonians across the state. Please note that the Capitol is undergoing an extensive construction project for seismic upgrades that has closed many areas of the building. However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, it's easier than ever to testify remotely at a public hearing, and without driving to Salem. To learn more about how you can search for and follow bills, watch committee hearings or floor testimony, and submit testimony remotely or in person, please use this Legislative Session Participation Guide.
A thousand thanks for your support – I'm so honored to be your voice for Southern Oregon. You can stay informed about my progress on these priorities and constituent news by signing up for my newsletter.
As always, please be in touch with your concerns, questions and feedback.
Best,
Representative Pam Marsh
Oregon House District 5
