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Rep. Galizio gives his list of important bills from last week

Photos and story by Dana Haynes

There’s this crazy theory that the Legislature never does anything. That it just bickers.

It’s pretty much an illusion. Yes, there’s bickering. It’s called “debate” and it’s the healthiest form of political communication known to humanity.

Rep. Larry Galizio, D-Tigard, just sent out his list of bills that passed the House last week. The list does two things: It shows you the depth and breadth of the issues lawmakers face (in any given week); and it gives you an idea of what issues Rep. Galizio considers important. All bills below now head to the Senate.

The list includes:

‘ House Bill 2625: Strengthens the ability of the Department of Environmental Quality to keep invasive species out of Oregon waterways. And by “invasive species,” he doesn’t mean Californians. (Hey. I’m from Idaho. I can get away with that joke.)

‘ HB 2317: Changes lottery payout rules to preclude lottery payments greater than $600 when the recipient has delinquent state or court accounts. Oregon law already permits the state to withhold payouts if the recipient has not met child support obligations, and HB 2317 expands this procedure to include debts to the court or any part of the judicial branch.

‘ HB 2052: Brings law enforcement, community members and mental health advocates to the table for decisions about locating mental health residences. A “mental health residence” is a group home for people with mental health issues. Either that, or my mom and dad’s place.

‘ HB 2509: Directs school districts to provide age-appropriate and medically accurate sex education courses in all public elementary and secondary schools, and specifies items to be included in the curriculum. The bill requires that students be informed of the emotional, physical and psychological aspects of a healthy relationship; the benefits of delaying pregnancy beyond adolescence; and the rights and responsibilities of young parents under Oregon law.

This is pretty good evidence of the wide array of topics our lawmakers are tackling.

dana