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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Yesterday, the Senate and House Interim Revenue Committees heard a presentation on the first economic forecast since the pandemic hit Oregon a couple of months ago. All of us have been affected by the changes the coronavirus outbreak has forced upon us, and the impacts are clearly visible in our communities and in our economy. Therefore, the revenue forecast was not altogether surprising; Oregon – like the rest of the nation – is facing a challenging road ahead after years of economic growth.
The projected budget shortfalls, $2.7 billion in the current biennium, and $4.4 billion in the 2021-2023 biennium, will lead to difficult budget conversations. Fortunately, thanks to years of prudent fiscal management, Oregon is well situated to manage a recession. Our state has saved more than $1.5 billion in reserve funds to help stabilize our schools and other critical services during an economic downturn. By using a portion of these reserve funds to protect key programs Oregonians rely on, we can reduce the level of cuts needed.
That is not to say we won’t have difficult decisions to make. We must make thoughtful, responsible decisions that will aid our state’s recovery and not send more people into unemployment. Budgets are moral documents that reveal our values and priorities. The pandemic has underlined and amplified existing inequities in our society along the lines of race, gender, immigration status, and more. While we plan for our future recovery, it’s clear that returning to the old status quo isn’t acceptable. We must use a robust equity lens to address the fallout of this pandemic and to plan our post-COVID future. By doing so, we can help ensure that resources are delivered to those who need them most, and we can work towards an economy where everyone can thrive. So, I will do all I can in the coming weeks and months to find creative solutions to minimize impacts on the critical services that Oregonians are counting on and to center voices of color in our response.
One last takeaway from the revenue forecast presentation is that we cannot fix the economy if we do not solve our public health problems first. The state’s economist, Mark McMullen, said, “A return to normal in the health outlook is vital for this economic outlook. I think the two are tied together very tightly.” So, I will continue to work with the Oregon Health Authority, our counties and cities, our health care providers, and our frontline health care workers to ensure everyone has what they need to keep Oregonians healthy. As individuals, we all continue to have the collective responsibility to listen to the guidance from public health experts. Our actions will help dictate just how quickly our economy can recover. Oregonians have done an incredible job following the public health guidance, and I am confident we will collectively continue to make strong efforts to protect the health of our communities.
As the state works to rebalance its budget strategically and thoughtfully, I will be sure to share updates with you in future newsletters. In the meantime, you can watch the entire revenue forecast from the House and Senate Interim Committees on Revenue here. OPB also wrote an article on this issue, which you can read here.
Legislative Days
May Legislative Days will begin tomorrow, May 22nd, and meetings will be held throughout the next couple of weeks. In order to socially distance, all of the Interim Committees will meet virtually, but you can still watch the meetings on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS). You can find more information on committees meeting times and how to submit testimony here.
I am deeply honored that Speaker Kotek has entrusted me with the gavels for the House Interim Committee on Health Care and the House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health. Tomorrow, the House Interim Committee on Health Care will be meeting, and it will be exceptionally difficult to not have Representative Mitch Greenlick on the dais. As some of you might have heard, Rep. Greenlick passed away last week, and I miss my mentor and friend dearly. His youthful spirit compelled him to continually think about the potential waiting over the next horizon, and his years of experience propelled him to shoot for the moon when serving the common good. His breadth and depth of health care research and policy development truly served to transform the way we deliver health care in Oregon, and his leadership will be sorely missed. I always admired that Mitch knew that his health care transformation work was not over and that we must ensure that all Oregonians have access to quality, affordable health care. He was sincere in that quest, and it is with great humility that I commit to continue this work to honor Representative Greenlick’s memory, lifetime of work and clear vision for a better future for all Oregonians.
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Oregon Unemployment Department
Last week, House Majority Leader Smith Warner called for urgent action to find ways to clear the backlog of unemployment insurance claims at the Oregon Employment Department (OED). I echo her call, because the wait for unemployment checks has gone on for far too long. I hear from constituents every day who, despite spending hours waiting on the phone and sending emails, have not received a response from OED nor their unemployment check. That is unacceptable. These are certainly unprecedented times, and they require bold, new solutions to ensure Oregon families have the support they need. Some of the reforms we suggested include allowing some agency staff to work remotely to increase the number of workers available to answer calls and emails during normal business hours; safely bringing on retired agency staff who have the expertise to handle the most complicated, time-consuming cases; and expanding transparency and proactive communications to filers and the public. I will continue to push the agency to act now, because Oregonians couldn’t afford to wait for assistance when this all began, so they certainly cannot afford to be kept waiting months later.
As always, if you are experiencing challenges or difficulties navigating the unemployment insurance system, please contact my office.
In my next newsletter, I will provide an update on reopening and where Clackamas and Multnomah Counties are in that process. If you have any questions in the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out. Be safe and be well.
Warmly,
 Andrea Salinas, State Representative
email: Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1438
address: 900 Court St NE, H-485, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/salinas
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