PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 20th, 2020
Rep. Brock Smith Requests Colleague & Governor’s Support on Ways to Assist Residents and Businesses Economically
Port Orford – State Representative David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) requests that his colleagues and Governor Brown support the four plans outlined below that will assist the residents and businesses of Oregon and urges them to reach out to our Federal Delegation in support of these measures.
“With much needed focus on the health, life and safety of Oregonians and the resources to do so, we also need to respond to the economic hardships that are dramatically occurring now and in the future,” said Rep. Brock Smith. “Oregonians are staying home to protect themselves and the public from this coronavirus spreading and overwhelming our health care systems.” “They are doing so at great financial burden to themselves and their families,” he said. “Including these steps in a Federal & State financial response will greatly improve recovery.”
Rep. Brock Smith outlined four proposals to advocate support for State and Federal action that will positively impact our residents, there businesses and the communities that support them.
- State and Federal backed financial institutions give temporary (minimum of two months) deferral of residential and business mortgage interest and principal payments on loans.
- Businesses be allowed to utilize their insurance; backed by federal financial resources, to claim reimbursement of financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic.
- All Agricultural and Ranching businesses be temporarily exempt from USDA inspection requirements and be allowed to sell and donate beef, lamb and pork products directly to the public and food banks.
- All Fishers be granted a waiver of fees and regulations associated with selling fish, crab, shrimp and other seafood from their boat directly to the public.
“These are just a few of the recommendations that could significantly assist our residents,” said Rep. Brock Smith. “Direct payments from the Feds are great, but loan deferral would carry down to rent deferral and would positively impact all Oregonians and their businesses. I respectfully request the support of my Legislative Colleagues, Governor Brown and our Federal Senators and Representatives for their support,” he said.
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Rep. David Brock Smith represents House District 1, which includes Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine counties. This press release and an archive of previous press releases issued by Rep. David Brock Smith’s office are available on the web at: www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd
With the Press Release above, I wanted to briefly go into a little greater detail one the proposals than one can in a press release.
- State and Federal backed financial institutions give temporary (minimum of two months) deferral of residential and business mortgage interest and principal payments on loans.
First, State managed financial institutions cannot afford to offer deferral without federal financial support. This stimulus will assist everyone who needs it. It should be tracked that landlords of single family housing and multifamily housing only receive the deferral IF they defer their rent payments as well.
- Businesses be allowed to utilize their insurance; backed by federal financial resources, to claim reimbursement of financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic.
Businesses could; and the IRS has data of previous financial income, claim through their insurance the financial losses from the impacts of covid (recommending insurance companies as the conduit for the easiest path for collection and distribution of data) This of course would have to be federally financially supported as well.
- All Agricultural and Ranching businesses be temporarily exempt from USDA inspection requirements and be allowed to sell and donate beef, lamb and pork products directly to the public and food banks.
I’ve been working on legislation in Oregon to begin a Statewide Meat Inspection Program, and we will hopefully move forward in ’21. This recommendation would have the USDA temporarily suspend their USDA inspection program, for some areas, to allow for beef, lamb and pork to be sold from non-USDA processing facilities in Oregon. Oregon’s processing facilities are sparse and a great distance from ranchers in our rural parts of the state. Transportation and processing costs are extremely high, especially now. This would allow more local product to the public and more importantly, more local product to be donated to our food banks that currently cannot except non-USDA inspected product. I’m in no way advocating for these products to be sold commercially through this rule suspension, only direct to the public from the supplier.
- All Fishers be granted a waiver of fees and regulations associated with selling fish, crab, shrimp and other seafood from their boat directly to the public.
With the closures of food and beverage statewide, our fishers are experiencing great impacts from a lack of buyers purchasing their products. A boat can sell direct to the public, with special licensing, scales and regulations. I’m asking for a temporary suspension of these rules (I’m working on the state side of things) so that the fishers can keep track of the catch and there sales with less regulatory burden such as certified scales, and measures such as sale by the crab or the fish rather than weight, etc.
Coronavirus-Covid 19 Information
Friends, please remember to follow the guidelines outlined by the Oregon Health Authority. The Coronavirus; Covid-19, is a fast spreading and serious health risk to you, your families and especially our vulnerable populations, including our younger and older populations and those with existing health conditions.
Please stay home, if you can. Please help your friends, neighbors and older populations to stay home, from assistance with purchasing food and necessities to relaying information from the Oregon Health Authority and World Health Organization. Please stay away from groups and attempt to practice the social distancing guidelines of six feet. This coronavirus can be transmitted through the air and some individuals who are contagious, might not show signs symptoms or know they are carrying themselves.
Our rural Oregon lifestyle already has a lot of us apart from one another. I also know that many of you feel these guidelines are extreme, and I understand. Please know that they can be more extreme and by following the current guidelines, we can limit the potential expansion of more, such as shelter in place as other states have done. I also want you to think about your family, friends and neighbors. The precautions we’re taking today; and will be taking for sometime, are to limit the spread of the virus and flatten the curve of infected persons. The reason this is critically important, is so that we may lessen the impact on our health care systems. Many patients, especially those that our older and already have cardiovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory illness, etc., will require hospitalization and treatments such as the use of ventilators. There are a finite number of both. For our region, we have a higher senior population; that is again more susceptible and in need of a higher quality of care, while having limited hospital beds and their resources.
I don’t want anyone to panic, but I also don’t want to lose one member of our communities to this disease.
I am on multiple conference calls with state and federal colleagues, agencies and staff daily. The legislature will be coming together soon, although it will be very different procedurally, to allocate more resources for our residents and their communities. The Governor has convened a task force and the legislature has created a committee to provide needed suggestions moving forward.
As Chair of the Oregon Legislative Coastal Caucus, we are also having regular conference calls to discuss and provide input on the particular needs for our coastal communities, their residents and businesses. I will continue to update you as I can with information as I receive it. I want you to know that we’re not only focused on the health, life and safety of Oregonians, but as my Press Release above outlines, we are also focused on the incredible economic impacts this is having on our residents.
We need to remember, we’re all in this together. No one wants to lose a friend, colleague or family members to this disease. We all need to follow the protocols outlined by the Governor’s (like her or like them or not) and the Oregon Health Authority (link is below) to protect our communities and their residents. All models show, as well as witnessing first hand in other countries like Italy, that the spread of this coronavirus will continue to rise exponentially over the next coming weeks. The protocols outlined in the Governor’s Executive Orders are again in place to flatten the spread and growth, to protect lives and not overwhelm our health care facilities and their amazing and dedicated employees.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office via email with questions and my staff and I will continue to assist our residents through this time.
Please take care of yourselves, your family, your friends and neighbors. Stay safe and healthy. God Bless you and your families.
https://govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19
 House District 1
Curry, Coos, Douglas and Josephine Counties
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1401
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-379, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd
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