A new bill introduced by Rep. Daniel Nguyen, D-Lake Oswego, at the Oregon State Capitol, House Bill 3294, would essentially allow for a property owner to apply for the removal of racist property documents, replacing them with versions that do not include racist or other discriminatory language. The original property document would then be preserved by the state for archival purposes.

Lost in the news surrounding a new presidential administration last week was the first day of the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session.

While many Oregonians may be more inclined to stay up on what is going on in politics on a national level, the truth is your Oregon Legislature usually has far more influence on your day-to-day life than your president.

The state exerts power over education, health care, housing, transportation, the criminal justice system and more. Laws as mundane as the speed you drive on the interstate and as high stakes as the number of years you spend in prison if caught with drugs come not from the White House, but from Salem. Major building projects in communities live and die by the hand of the state Legislature.

One of the most consequential discussions the Legislature will face this year is redrawing district boundaries for the state Legislature and Congress. The outcome of that work will determine who represents you at the state and federal level starting with the 2022 election, and what other communities will be grouped with yours.

The Legislature is also facing important questions about dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, as well as non-pandemic concerns, such as wildfire prevention. Some legislators are looking to bring back bills that were dropped after the 2020 legislative session ended abruptly with a walkout by Senate Republicans. One of those bills would stop allowing parents to exempt their child from school vaccination requirements for nonmedical reasons.

As Rep. Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, tweeted recently, just because a bill exists, it does not mean “legislators” or “the Democrats” want to pass it. “At this point, it means one legislator had an idea,” she wrote.

Some bills do become law, however, which is why it is important to speak up if you are concerned about the effects of a proposed law.

While the Hermiston Herald has a local focus, our regional sister paper, the East Oregonian, will provide in-depth coverage of this legislative session three times a week in print and throughout the week at www.eastoregonian.com. Much of that coverage is made possible by the Oregon Capitol Bureau, a partnership between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group to fund a dedicated bureau of experienced journalists in Salem year-round. You can sign up for the bureau’s weekly email newsletter, published on Fridays, at oregoncapitolinsider.com.

Organizations that represent your industry, such as the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association, can also provide alerts about bills specific to your work.

You can sign up for legislators’ newsletters, follow them on social media or visit oregonlegislature.gov to read the text of proposed bills yourself and track their progress from committee to the governor’s desk. You can even sign up for email alerts for a specific bill, and see when committees are scheduled to meet so you can watch live video feeds of those meetings.

A helpful “frequently asked questions” section at oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement explains in detail the different ways you can get involved if you see a bill that you are concerned about. It provides options for contacting your legislator, for example, to share your support or opposition to a bill.

You can also submit written testimony to committees discussing the bill. And for the first time, due to COVID-19 restrictions on in-person gatherings, residents will be allowed to testify remotely via video. This presents a great opportunity for residents in Eastern Oregon who in the past haven’t been able to take a day off work for a trip to Salem.

Time to get to work.