On Friday, July 25th, the Tigard Chamber of Commerce kicked off our quarterly listening sessions with Senator Courtney Neron Misslin. Previously, as a State Representative, her district covered a small part of Tigard. Now, as a recently appointed Senator, she covers all of Tigard and wants to learn more about the needs of businesses so she can support them through the legislature and her priorities.
Everyone who was at the Listening Session was given a chance to voice a concern or ask the senator any questions they had about the 2025 Legislative Session. Neron Misslin spoke candidly about the issues the legislature faced and the bills that were close to her heart. Much of this year’s issues, she emphasized, came down to budgeting. With limited resources, legislators had to make tough decisions about which priorities to fund.
The top concern on people’s minds was the lack of a Transportation Package being passed. The Senator shared that there will be a Special Session convening at the end of August, and it is the Governor’s top priority that they pass something to fund ODOT. Most likely, the package will just include the necessities and be basic, with longer discussions of transportation and funding mechanisms to come.
One highlight of the 2025 Legislative Session was the significant level of public engagement with over 100,000 pieces of written testimony and 20,000 in-person contributions. Senator Courtney Neron Misslin shared that public input and hearing the needs and wants of people in her district is her main goal, so she really encourages feedback and takes reading and listening to public testimony very seriously.
Business and workforce development were a recurring theme of the Listening Session. The Senator shared that several legislators come from business backgrounds, and they are keenly aware of Oregon’s declining business competitiveness. They are working on keeping skilled workers in Oregon and bringing new companies here. The Senator noted that strong wages and a robust education system are both essential to the goal of economic vitality and a strong workforce.
One new business shared their struggle with the complexity of compliance, facing a maze of regulations at different levels of governance without the resources to manage them all. Many business owners in the room agreed with that sentiment. Neron Misslin expressed a desire to simplify and clarify those systems.
The conversation also touched on several pressing community issues. The popular Oregon Main Street Program, which supports small businesses and community redevelopment, received no funding for the upcoming year. This program is on the Senator’s radar to fund again in the future. Early childcare was also brought up as an issue. Costs of childcare continue to go up, making it challenging for parents, often mothers, to return to the workforce. On the other end of the spectrum, providers aren’t choosing childcare as an industry to create a career in. Senator Courtney Neron Misslin helped create the Department of Early Learning and Care a few years back and is very passionate about this work. She admitted that not as much got done in this area as she wanted this session, and she will continue to focus on it in the future.
Other issue areas covered included Healthcare and the decreasing reimbursement rates with the consistent increase in the cost of care. Healthcare access remains a major concern. The issue of battery recycling was brought up, specifically HB 2062. The Senator was asked to remember this bill to bring up in the future. Lastly, SB 974 was brought up, and the Senator and business owners discussed why she voted the way she did and how the bill will, in many cases, help developers speed up their process and get houses and communities built quicker.
Overall, many issues were addressed, and the Senator is looking forward to more Listening Sessions to hear from a diverse group of businesses. A huge shoutout to CoLab for letting us use their beautiful space to host this kick-off event. Each of our Listening Sessions with the Senator will be on our Tigard Chamber Calendar and will be open to all members and non-members.