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State Represenative Mitch Greenlick, one of Oregon's longest-serving and respected elected officials, passed this last weekend.
It’s amazing how many lives Mitch touched. A lion in the legislature and a brilliant thinker, but also funny and so kind. I have been thinking on the stories and the photos from the past days, but one personal image I’ll never forget is from a decade ago. My wife Laurie Cremona Wagner was diagnosed with pneumonia and we went to Kaiser for her chest scans and treatment, and we bumped into Mitch and Harriet in the waiting room - he was fighting off the flu. In the entire time we were with him, he never once spoke about himself, his attention and care was on Laurie and her health. His legacy will be in the lives of children who have access to quality health care, in the unwavering faith that we could all do more, that access to quality health care is a fundamental human right, and that education is a cornerstone of our society. Mitch - you will be missed my friend.
My condolences go out to his family in this difficult time.
 At a dinner last November honoring Representative Greenlick's many years of legislative service.
 While it is too late to mail your ballot, there is still time to turn it in safely at a drop box location near you. You can enter your address into the Secretary of State Drop Box Locator to find the most convenient location. As you travel to turn in your ballot, please remember two things: be sure to turn it in by 8 pm, Tuesday May 19th, and be sure to practice physical distancing.
Please turn in your ballot if you haven't already!
Last Friday, all counties in Oregon officially entered Baseline Reopening status. That means places like grocery stores continue to remain open and restaurants can be open for take-out or delivery service. In addition stand alone retail operations are open, with the exception of indoor and outdoor malls. Some parks have opened, as has non-emergency medical care. Local cultural, civic and faith gatherings are allowed for up to 25 people, provided there is proper space for physical distancing. In addition, social gatherings are allowed only if they are under 10 people and physical distancing can be maintained.
Day camps and child care services can open under specific restrictions and child care is open, and facilities are directed to prioritize placements for the children of health care workers, first responders and frontline workers. Public transit continues to remain open, with specific sanitation guidelines and physical-distancing enforcement.
Health and safety guidance, including guidance on face coverings and for service providers can be found here. You can read more on guidance for specific subject areas below
Clackamas, Washington, Multnomah, Polk, and Marion counties remain at baseline status. Please continue to adhere to the guidance below. I will update you once Phase I Reopening is approved for Washington, Clackamas, and Multnomah counties.
Oregon's other 31 counties were approved to enter Phase I of Reopening (in addition to Baseline status). For these counties, Governor Brown issued specific guidance on:
If counties see a jump in cases it may slow their progress toward entering Phase II. Or, they may need add back restrictions on businesses and gatherings. Therefore, it is key that we continue physical distancing and infection control through proper hygiene and cleaning and use of face coverings.
Oregonians should still limit travel between counties and communities. The Oregon Health Authority guidance asks that you:
- Stay close to home,
- Avoid overnight trips and minimize other non-essential travel, including recreational day trips to destinations outside the community where you live,
- Travel the minimum distance needed to obtain essential services; in rural areas, residents may have to travel greater distances for essential services, while in urban areas, residents may only need to travel a few miles for those services.
This Wednesday, the updated State revenue forecast will be released. If you're interested, you can tune in at 9 am to the Senate Finance and Revenue committee meeting to hear legislators discuss the forecast.
Oregon is constitutionally required to maintain a balanced budget. Unfortunately, it is highly likely that budget cuts will be coming because of expected declines in state revenues. For an overview of the potential budget cuts, you can read this OPB article. Please note that the numbers in the article are speculative and based on agency worst case scenario planning. We will know more after the revenue forecast is released.
Oregon has made the progress we have thanks to your hard work to practice physical distancing. And we can’t stop now. I am grateful Oregonians are dedicated to looking out for one another. I hope that you have a nice week and that you are able to responsibly observe the upcoming Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Last week, I honored Peace Officers Memorial Day with a special edition of the Weekly Strum. Click the image below to watch.
 Click the image to watch the YouTube video.
Please let my office know if you have any questions or concerns and we will do our best to get back to you as quickly as possible.
Be well and take care,
 State Senator Rob Wagner
email: Sen.RobWagner@OregonLegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1719
address: 900 Court St NE, S-215, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wagner
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