Rep. Jules Walters. (File photo)

It wasn’t an easy Oregon state legislative session for Rep. Jules Walters, D-West Linn. 

But for the former West Linn mayor, that meant it was time to lean into the work at hand. 

“It was just one of those where it all comes in at the same time,” said Walters. “Everything was happening at the same time. That being said, I was able to really focus on my committee work, and the work on the House floor and lobbying for the bills that were important to me and I thought were really important for my constituents.” 

Walters added that uncertainty from the federal government, especially regarding what funding would or wouldn’t be cut by the Department of Government Efficiency early in the year, left a lot unknown. 

“There are a lot of important programs in place in Oregon, Medicaid and others, that we rely on that may not get the federal dollars,” said Walters. “We were going to have to make very deliberate decisions … so that definitely shaped a lot of policy this session.” 

What happened with transportation and education funding?

Perhaps nothing better defined the chaos of the long legislative process than the failure to pass a funding package for ODOT, leaving a shortfall of more than $300 million that caused hundreds of layoffs statewide. 

“Let me start by saying I’ve had a long journey here with ODOT in West Linn. Stopping tolling was really important to me, ” said Walters, referring to prior efforts as both mayor and representative to halt a tolling proposal on I-205. “I think this project (Abernethy Bridge) started at $250 million … it’s now in the $800 million range. What’s really important to me is the accountability piece.” 

Walters added that she hopes a possible future transportation package can prioritize local impacts, improvements and maintenance over “mega projects” and she is supportive of a late-summer emergency legislative session to pass a funding bill. 

“I was asking to see this bill as quickly as possible in session, so that we could all see it, pour through it, discuss it, find places that we think things could work better. We didn’t get a copy of the bill until June 10 … and that’s just not how I operate. I like to bring people in, I like to have the conversations. I don’t like things done, you know, maybe with less transparency than there should be,” said Walters. Another issue that hit home in West Linn was education funding. Even though the state Legislature passed a record-breaking $11.36 billion state school fund, the West Linn-Wilsonville School District still faced a budget shortfall. 

“It’s different around the state, right? I feel very grateful that my kids grew up in West Linn and went to West Linn-Wilsonville schools,” said Walters. “I want to make sure that all kids across the state have the same opportunities to get a good, robust education in safe facilities with high-quality teachers, staff and curricula.” 

Other efforts receive funding support

The amendments to House Bill 5006, called the “Christmas Tree bill” because spending amendments are added like ornaments, were end-of-session additions for advocacy groups around Oregon. 

In West Linn, Walters felt it was important to secure investments in water infrastructure. This includes $1.75 million for seismic upgrades to Tualatin’s six reservoirs. 

“They’re essential services, right? If we don’t have access to clean water, we’re in big trouble,” said Walters. “We want to make sure that our water systems are seismically safe and that they’re working properly.” 

Another HB 5006 amendment allocated $45.5 million to the Willamette Falls Trust for the Willamette Falls Inter-Tribal Public Access Project. 

“I’m very excited about the robust investment into the Willamette Falls Trust,” said Walters. “The Willamette Falls are beautiful — it’s the second largest waterfall in the nation by volume, second to Niagara Falls. The opportunity to open it up is huge. What the Grand Ronde does on the Oregon City side will be a great complement to whatever we can do on the West Linn side. 

Other bills that Walters noted supporting were Senate Bill 110, which lets Oregon compete for a major league baseball team, and House Bill 3321 which works toward a new statewide youth substance abuse prevention strategy. 

“As a representative, it’s my job not just to pass bills that really benefit all Oregonians, but I also keep my ear open and talk to my constituents and talk to my community about what’s important to them,” said Walters.