KrissWright4StateRep

I’m grateful I had the chance to attend this important training exercise. Thanks to Jayne Wolf and the Yamhill County Citizens Emergency Response Team (CERT) for leading the “Be 2 Weeks Prepared” training at Chemeketa Community College on March 20th, 2026.

Jayne, thanks for creating such an impressive and important list of resources to help our community prepare for everything from small to regional disasters. I’ll be sharing these throughout the summer to help spread this valuable and critical information.

On behalf of our community, we extend sincere gratitude to Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office, Yamhill County Emergency Management, and Yamhill County CERT for delivering this essential disaster preparedness training. Also, a big thank you to Chemeketa Community College, Yamhill Valley Campus, McMinnville Oregon for the dedicated space for the Be 2 Weeks Prepared Training.

Your leadership, expertise, and commitment to public safety empower residents to plan, prepare, and protect one another. Thank you for investing your time and resources to make Yamhill County safer and more resilient.

A big thanks to everyone who joined the training for personal or community reasons. Your commitment to learning and getting involved is truly inspiring.

Getting prepared can be overwhelming. This training was focused and realistic about preparation, cost and time investments for preparation activities, practicing, keeping your property insurance up to date, how to plan with children to avoid panic, documents you will need; what to expect is covered in 8 units of combined information, activities, and how to respond with resilience. --Kriss Wright

Congratulations to all the candidates and a special shout-out to Tucker VanDyke, Yamhill-Carlton on moving forward to the next round of the FFA's State Officer interviews! Yamhill County, Yamhill, and Carlton are rooting for you! Go Tucker!

Congratulations to the candidates who are moving forward to the next round of the State Officer interviews!

Thank you Yamhill County Sheriff's for keeping Yamhill County Communities Safe. You are very appreciated.

🏆𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🏆

This Awards Season, we want to take a few moments to share our 2025 award recipients of Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.

Our Street Crimes and Narcotics Unit was recognized for materially strengthening the safety and well-being of the citizens they serve since its formation in June. The Unit achieved exceptional results, including 59 arrests; the seizure of 10 fi****ms; $18,987.90 in illicit proceeds; and significant quantities of dangerous narcotics that they directly were involved in removing, which totaled 6 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.7 pounds of fentanyl, 278 dosage units of benzodiazepines, Suboxone strips, and fentanyl pills, and 369.65 grams of co***ne between June 2nd and November 26th.

Through authoring approximately 40 search warrants, and conducting two overdose Len Bias investigations, they have dismantled or disrupted 11 major dealer pipelines, resulting in 129 months of prison sentences to date, with additional cases pending or referred federally.

The exemplary performance, professionalism, and tenacity of the Street Crimes and Narcotics Unit have had a profound impact on community safety.

Please join us in congratulating our Street Crimes and Narcotics Unit for their dedication to the County! 👏🎉

Stay tuned for more awards to come as we continue to honor our amazing staff! 💼💙

On behalf of Yamhill County, thank you to "Chris Bolek, Jody Ingham, Steve Schuster, and Steve Wilkinson" for your outstanding service and dedication to our communities. Your professionalism, leadership, and initiative strengthen public safety and reflect the very best of our Sheriff’s Office.

The Yamhill County Community especially recognize Jody Ingham’s record of 110 DUII arrests, Chris Bolek’s steadfast support as a Reserve Deputy, Steve Schuster’s dependable leadership as Acting Sergeant, and Steve Wilkinson’s work establishing the Truck Inspection program.

Congratulations on your 2025 'Enforcement Division Excellence Awards', our community is grateful for your commitment, and we are proud to have you serving Yamhill County. --Kriss Wright

🏆𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 🏆

This Awards Season, we want to take a few moments to share our 2025 award recipients of Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.

Four of our Enforcement Division staff members were recognized with Excellence Awards.

🌟Chris Bolek was recognized for exemplary dedication and support of agency as a Reserve Deputy, in particular the Civil Unit and Special Investigations Unit, consistently advancing the mission and success of the organization.

🌟Jody Ingham was recognized for outstanding performance as a DUII Enforcement Deputy, achieving a record 110 DUII arrests as of December 12, and exemplifying dedication to the agency’s mission.

🌟Steve Schuster was recognized for leadership and dedication as Acting Sergeant, consistently supporting staffing needs and advancing the organization’s success.

🌟Steve Wilkinson was recognized for identifying a gap in services and working to establish and operate the Truck Inspection program with exceptional diligence, integrity, and professionalism, enhancing the agency’s mission and reputation.

Please join us in congratulating our Enforcement Division Excellence Award winners for their dedication to the County! 👏🎉

Stay tuned for more awards to come as we continue to honor our amazing staff! 💼💙

I am disgusted and appalled that an Oregon correctional officer would commit sexual misconduct and that Coffee Creek Correctional Facility failed to preserve key evidence in this prison assault case. This is a profound betrayal of trust and a grave failure of accountability — survivors deserve justice, not cover‑ups.

I acknowledge the anger and concern that arise when institutions meant to keep people safe instead enable harm. Protecting people in custody from sexual assault is a legal, moral, and practical imperative.

Protecting people in custody from sexual assault is nonnegotiable: it is a legal duty, a moral obligation, and essential to public safety and institutional legitimacy. Failures to prevent abuse or preserve evidence compound harm to survivors and to the public’s trust in the justice system.

Remember Epstein and all those who helped cover up his crimes of human trafficking, sexual assault, and the r**e of minors—enabling him to remain a long-term predator who was nearly unstoppable once he had leverage over corrupt leaders. No more victims! Accountability is a must!

Federal judge rules Oregon failed to save key video evidence in prison assault case A federal judge ruled the state of Oregon failed to preserve video evidence in a case involving a correctional officer who pleaded guilty to sexual misconduct against an incarcerated woman at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.

Please register for the Be-2-Weeks-Ready disaster preparedness training. After serving with Tigard CERT, studying Oregon’s Cascadia subduction zone, and seeing landslides turn quick trips into hours-long detours, I know just how important it is to have a plan. While making one can feel overwhelming, signing up to create a family emergency plan is a great start.

Disasters don’t announce themselves; preparedness does. --Kriss Wright

🚨 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬🚨

𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘺?

Oregon has faced its fair share of disasters lately, including wildfires, floods, droughts, heatwaves, ice storms, and even a pandemic. These events show us just how important it is to 𝗕𝗲 𝟮 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 when the unexpected strikes.

Being 2 Weeks Ready means having an emergency plan in place and enough supplies to survive for at least 14 days after a disaster. It may sound daunting, but the truth is, you're probably more prepared than you realize! ⭐

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥?

Join us at a 𝙁𝙍𝙀𝙀 training and take control of your safety today! Our program is here to help you take it step-by-step, building your preparedness at your own pace:

📌𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: Friday, March 20, 2026
📌𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 9:00am - 3:00pm
📌𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Chemeketa Community College Yamhill Valley Campus (288 NE Norton Lane, McMinnville, OR 97128)
❓𝗧𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿: Scan the QR code or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-2-weeks-ready-tickets-1984326690548

Whether you're just starting or need a few extra tips, we'll guide you through making your home, your family, and your community stronger and more resilient. 💪Together, we can make sure we’re all prepared for whatever comes next.

Our family’s experience with brain injury has shown me how complex recovery can be — medically, emotionally, and financially.

Evidence shows progress comes from rigorous research, coordinated clinical care, and strong support for families and caregivers.

I am committed to working with Oregon’s medical centers, researchers, and community organizations to expand state research capacity, improve access to rehabilitation services across urban and rural areas, and build data systems that help clinicians learn what works.

Brain injuries are a public‑health and medical‑research challenge that benefits from collaboration.

I welcome input from survivors, clinicians, researchers, and caregivers as we identify practical steps forward". --Kriss Wright

🧠 March is Brain Injury Awareness Month.
👩‍🔬To better support survivors and advance treatments, we must elect leaders who trust science and commit to funding medical research.
👀 Find out where your candidates stand BlueVoterGuide.org

HB 4134 Passed! My heart is filled with gratitude to everyone who contributed written or verbal testimony, shared expertise, or simply showed up to engage in the conversation around HB 4134. Your time, your stories, and your willingness to participate made a real difference.

What stood out most was the collaboration across groups who are not always on the same side of an issue.

Farmers, conservationists, ranchers, advocates, and community members came together with a shared goal: protecting our working lands, strengthening rural resilience, and ensuring Oregon’s wildlife and natural resources thrive for generations to come.

This kind of cooperation is not easy and it’s exactly what our state needs more of.

Thanks for leaning in, listening, and finding common ground. Your voices helped show how these bills can support our farms, ranches, stream and habitat restoration, and reduce conflicts between wildlife and agricultural industries. They offer real tools and resources for producers in Yamhill and Polk Counties to get technical and financial help with overlapping challenges.

With 81% of the land privately owned in Yamhill County our streams now in DEQ 303d status have become polluted with run off. HB4134 will directly help these systems gain stability and return to their healthy state ensuring clean, plentiful water now and for the future of Polk and Yamhill Counties, my home.

I’m grateful for every person who took the time to speak up. Together, we’re proving that when we focus on solutions instead of divisions, we can build something stronger for all of us.

Let’s keep going. Oregon is better when work on solutions together. 🌱

Read below to learn how HB4134 will support farmers and ranchers. This is the testimony I submitted to the Oregon Senate and shared during Citizens Lobby Day with MCAT, highlighting the ways HB4134 will benefit farmers and ranchers.

"The 1.25% “For Wildlife” bill (HB 4134) proceeds will directly support farmers and Ranchers though habitat restoration grants (riparian buffers, fencing), invasive species control, wolf depredation compensation, and technical assistance. Yamhill & Polk County producers could access these programs through ODFW and partner conservation groups.

HB 4234 will raise Oregon’s transient lodging tax to fund habitat recovery, wildlife coexistence, and stewardship programs. Stewardship programs collaborate with Farms helping habitat recovery by restoring and managing land in ways that increase native vegetation, improve water quality, and create corridors and refuges for wildlife. Practices like riparian buffers, cover crops, native grassland restoration, and targeted easements both boost biodiversity and often improve farm resilience and productivity in places like Yamhill County.

How the bill channels money to help farmers
Dedicated funding for State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP): supports habitat projects that often overlap with working lands (riparian restoration, wetland enhancement) and can include cost‑share for on‑farm conservation.

Wolf depredation compensation and financial assistance:
Creates a more reliable pool to reimburse livestock losses and fund nonlethal deterrents (fladry, guardian animals, fencing). This reduces economic risk for ranchers.

Wildlife Stewardship and Connectivity programs:
Fund projects that reduce human–wildlife conflict (wildlife crossings, habitat corridors) and can pay landowners for easements or stewardship actions on private lands.

Invasive species response and habitat recovery grants:
Help farmers control weeds that harm forage and water quality and restore native vegetation that supports pollinators and fisheries.

How this Benefits Farmers
Benefit, how it helps farmers, Example program &
Likely funding source
__________________________________________________
Depredation compensation
Reimburses livestock losses, funds deterrents.
Example program: Wolf Depredation Compensation Program,
Likely funding source: HB 4134 lodging tax revenue.

Riparian restoration
Improves water quality; stabilizes banks; enhances forage.
Example program: SWAP habitat grants; stewardship payments,
Likely funding source: SWAP/Conservation grants from HB 4134.

Fencing & deterrents
Reduces predation risk; protects crops.
Example program: Financial assistance grants,
Likely funding source: Wildlife Stewardship/ODFW funds.

Invasive species control
Protects pasture productivity; reduces management costs.
Example program: Invasive species response grants,
Likely funding source: HB 4134 invasive species allocation.

Practical steps for farmers in Polk and Yamhill County
1. Monitor ODFW and local conservation districts for grant solicitations and application windows; HB 4134 funds would flow through ODFW and partner NGOs.

2. Document losses and conservation actions now (photos, vet/livestock records, GPS of projects) to speed compensation and grant eligibility.

3. Partner with land trusts or watershed councils to design riparian or connectivity projects that qualify for stewardship payments.

4. Explore cost‑share for nonlethal deterrents and technical assistance to reduce future losses and strengthen grant applications.

Risks, trade‑offs, and what to watch:
Timing and Rules: Funds depend on legislative passage and program rulemaking; expect application criteria and timelines to be set after enactment.

Competition for funds: Projects tied to public benefits (habitat, recreation) may be prioritized; farmers should emphasize ecosystem services and community benefits in proposals.

Administrative capacity: Smaller operations may need help with applications—partnering with conservation groups reduces this barrier.

Thanks for your time and consideration, from Kriss Wright, Research Scientist and candidate for State Representative in HD23.

I want to express my deepest gratitude to whoever found my purse and turned it in to an employee at the Walmart in Sherwood, Oregon. It had my ID and some cash in it, and I can’t tell you how thankful and relieved I am that it made its way back to me safely.

Your honesty and kindness turned what could have been a really stressful day into a reminder that there are still good, decent people in this world. If you ever see this — thank you. You made a bigger impact than you know.

Sherwood, you’ve got some wonderful humans among you.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, and God Bless you for your honesty and kindness.

With Warm regards, Kriss Wright, candidate State Representative HD23, serving portions of Polk and Yamhill Counties.