Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are more than halfway
through the 2016 legislative session, and there has been strong progress on
several major issues – including both chambers passing a trailblazing raise to
Oregon’s minimum wage. Read on for a few
updates from the Capitol, including information about recent reports of
alarming levels of heavy metals recently detected in our community.
This past Thursday, the
House took a historic vote to raise Oregon’s minimum wage. The Legislature last approved a significant
raise in 1989 (voters approved the link between the state minimum wage and
inflation in 2002). Our action will help
hundreds of thousands of hard-working Oregonians while also giving small
businesses the time and certainty they need to plan. Thank you to the hundreds of people who
weighed in on this issue over the past year. I’m thrilled by the progress – this raise will
make a meaningful difference in so many people’s lives.
Senate Bill 1532, which
Governor Brown will soon sign into law, will raise the minimum wage gradually
over six years to three different levels, based on geographic areas:
- Workers within Portland’s
Urban Growth Boundary would see their wages increase to $14.75 per hour by
2022;
-
Workers in Benton,
Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane,
Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, Washington and
Yamhill counties would earn $13.50 per hour by 2022; and
- Workers in Baker, Coos,
Crook, Curry, Douglas, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur,
Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler counties would earn
$12.50 per hour by 2022.
This proposal strikes the
right balance. It gives more than half a
million Oregonians a meaningful and much-needed raise, while also recognizing
the different costs of living in various communities and giving businesses time
to plan and phase in higher wages.
Every Oregonian working
at minimum wage, in every industry, will get a raise. Whether they are working
in a factory or a field, in Portland or Grants Pass, every Oregonian should be
paid enough to meet their basic needs. Read
more from the Associated Press: Oregon
Lawmakers Approve Landmark Minimum Wage Increase
Raising the minimum wage
and expanding Oregon’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) have been two of my top
priorities for the 2016 session. Together,
these policies will help working families by boosting incomes, expanding the
path to the middle class, and making progress to build an economy that works for
everyone.
This past Friday, the
House voted to expand the state’s EITC, which is one of the most effective
anti-poverty programs in the country. House
Bill 4110, which passed on a strong bipartisan vote, will increase Oregon’s
EITC for families with children under the age of three (from 8% to 11% of the
federal EITC). This boost for low-income
families is expected to help approximately 58,000 Oregonians.
By specifically targeting
the tax credit expansion to low-income families with the youngest children, our
tax system will provide much needed support to families who are striving for
the stability that will help their children be successful in the future.
Possibly unsafe levels of
two heavy metals that can be health risks – arsenic and cadmium – have been
found in the air around two glass manufacturers in Portland. Bullseye Glass Company in Southeast Portland
has voluntarily suspended all arsenic and cadmium use. Uroboros Glass in North Portland has
voluntarily suspended all cadmium use (they have never used arsenic). Both companies have also agreed to stop using
chromium six, also known as hexavalent chromium. The Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and Multnomah County Health are
in charge of investigating the risks and getting information out to the
community.
This is a startling
development, and many people are working to find answers as quickly as
possible. The House Committee on Energy
and Environment will hold an informational hearing on Portland-area air quality
issues this Tuesday, February 23, at 8:00 A.M.
You can find more
information on this emerging issue from the Oregon Health Authority: www.healthoregon.org/metalsemissions.
My office is closely
following this issue and will continue to advocate for additional air quality
monitoring and enforcement in Portland.
To celebrate
Presidents' Day, the women of the Oregon House Democratic Caucus took part in a
day of reading the book Grace For President, a project
organized by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers:
"Grace for President tells about a girl
who, stunned to discover that all U.S. presidents have been men, decides to
kick off her own political career by running for president of her class. She
faces off against a popular boy and wins in a surprising way.
"The lesson? That
a woman – whether Grace or you – can run for office, win, and lead."
Best,
Tina Kotek State Representative House District 44 Speaker of the House
email: Rep. Rep.TinaKotek@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1200 address: 900 Court St NE, H-269, Salem, OR 97301 website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kotek
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