Canby Representative Announces Sponsored Legislation as 2023 Session Begins

Freshman Republican Representative James Hieb, of Canby, this week announced the bills he has sponsored so far in the new session, which would limit abortion, greatly increase the earnings threshold for the state’s corporate activity tax and expand health care coverage for donated breast milk, among other things.

“I am excited to begin work to improve the lives of Oregon’s families, parents, children, workers, business owners, military and law enforcement, and people of faith,” Hieb said in a release. “We are here to serve you, the people of Oregon.

“I am especially excited to be serving with my incredibly talented and passionate colleagues in the House Republican Caucus, many of them newer lawmakers like myself who are eager to serve our neighbors and constituents, along with our dedicated, experienced leadership.”

In the 82nd Legislative Session, which officially began Tuesday, Hieb has sponsored legislation that would:

Prohibit early-term (after the 37th week of gestation), full-term (39th week) and late-term abortion (40th week), with exceptions for rape, incest or to preserve the life of the mother (HB 2810, 2808, 2807 and 2809, respectively).

Expand health insurance coverage to include donated human breast milk for infants 12 months or younger if prescribed by a licensed medical professional (HB 3038, also known as “Zavion’s Law”).

Increase the corporate activity tax (CAT) threshold on Oregon businesses, currently set at $1 million, to $10 million or $15 million (HB 2798 and 2797).

Expand all-terrain vehicle highway access routes to include county roads (HB 2796).

Prohibit local governments from including lands used for golf courses in their inventories of buildable lands for purposes of urban planning (HB 2795).

Allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on rural residential lots by reducing the lot size minimum requirement, currently set at two acres, to one acre or one-half acre (HB 2749 and 2758).

Hieb, who is a U.S. Marine Corps Iraq War veteran, former vice chair of the Canby Planning Commission and director of an early learning center in Wilsonville, will serve on the House’s Early Childhood and Human Services Committee and the Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans Committee.

In the release, Hieb also shared four key priorities of the session for the House Republican Caucus, of which he is a member: prioritizing fiscal responsibility; addressing housing, homelessness, and mental health; supporting law enforcement and increasing community safety; and protecting rural Oregon and its natural resource economy.

To contact Representative Hieb, visit his legislative website at www.oregonlegislature.gov/Hieb. More information about proposed bills and other work of the 2023 Legislative Session can be found at oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws.