|
Friends and Neighbors,
Governor Updates
Governor Kate Brown Announces $30 Million Investment to Protect Agricultural Workers and Secure Oregon’s Food Supply Chain
Friday, Governor Kate Brown announced a $30 million investment to secure Oregon's food supply chain and protect essential agricultural workers. The Governor's Office worked with state agencies, farmers, and farmworker advocates to develop a funding proposal to deploy rapid support and resources to Oregon's agricultural producers to meet harvest demands and to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
The investment will leverage resources to support continuity of harvests during the COVID-19 pandemic with the goal to reduce the potential for illness and death associated with COVID-19 among farmworkers, their families, employers, and other residents in rural and urban communities. Additionally, it will enhance the public health of the state and assist Oregon’s agricultural industry to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Components of this investment include:
- Distribution of 1 million face masks and 5,000 gallons of hand sanitizer to the agricultural and farmworker communities announced earlier this week
- $14 million for mitigation of COVID-19 outbreaks
- $10 million for agriculture workforce housing
- $5 million for additional COVID-19 field sanitation
- $1 million to support additional physical distancing requirements for employer-provided transportation in response to OR-OSHA temporary rules
Visit the Food Security and Farmworker Safety program website for more details and to subscribe for updates.
Read the full press release here.
Identity Theft
I went to the mailbox on Saturday and collected two letters from the Oregon Employment Department addressed to me. Imagine my surprise when I opened the letters and read that my unemployment claim has been denied. I did not file for unemployment. It would appear that my personal identification had been compromised. I spent a considerable amount of time securing my information, putting protections in place and documenting the process so that others may learn from this and what to do if it happens to them. Thankfully, there is no activity on my credit report to indicate harm. I am fortunate. This is more of a stressful inconvenience for me.
When I contacted the Employment Department today, they mentioned that they are working on a form to report this kind of fraud to them and it should be available this week. Currently, they ask that if you have information about unemployment fraud, please call 1-877-668-3204. Or, you may send an e-mail to the Fraud Hotline. They review all tips that are received, regardless of how much information you provide. Try to include as much detail as possible, including a customer id number given in any documentation, if available.
Identity Theft- How to Respond if it Happens to You
-
Report ID Theft online to Get a Recovery Plan: If you report identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online, you will receive an identity theft report and a recovery plan. Report identity (ID) theftto the FTC online at IdentityTheft.govor by phone at 1-877-438-4338. Create an account on the website to:
- Update your recovery plan
- Track your progress
- Receive pre-filled form letters to send to creditors
If you don't create an account, you won't be able to access the report or letters later. Download the FTC's publication (PDF, Download Adobe Reader) for detailed tips, checklists, and sample letters.
If you report identity theft by phone, the FTC will collect the details of your situation. But it won't give you an ID theft report or recovery plan.
-
You May Choose to Report ID Theft to the Police: It could be necessary if:
- You know the identity thief
- The thief used your name in an interaction with the police
- A creditor or another company requires you to provide a police report.
-
Report Specific Types of Identity Theft: You may also report specific types of identity theft to other federal agencies.
-
Report Identity Theft to Other Organizations: You can also report the theft to other organizations, such as:
- Credit Reporting Agencies - Contact one of the three major credit reporting agencies to place fraud alerts or freezes on your accounts. Also get copies of your credit reports, to be sure that no one has already tried to get unauthorized credit accounts with your personal information. Confirm that the credit reporting agency will alert the other two credit reporting agencies.
-
National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center - Report cases of identity theft due to a stay in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
- Financial Institutions - Contact the fraud department at your bank, credit card issuers and any other places where you have accounts.
- Retailers and Other Companies - Report the crime to companies where the identity thief opened credit accounts or even applied for jobs.
-
State Consumer Protection Offices - Some states offer resources to help you recover from identity theft.
-
Request a copy of your Social Security Earnings Report here or call 1-800-772-1213.
You may need to get new personal records or identification cards if you're the victim of ID theft. Learn how to replace your vital identification documents after identity theft.
Identity Theft - How to Protect Yourself
Keep these tips in mind to protect yourself from identity theft:
- Secure your Social Security number (SSN). Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet. Only give out your SSN when necessary. It is ok to push back and ask if it is required on documents you are signing or filling out.
- Don't share personal information (birthdate, Social Security number, or bank account number) because someone asks for it.
- If you do not have a locked mailbox, collect mail every day. Place a hold on your mail when you are away from home for several days.
- Pay attention to your billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender.
- Use the security features on your mobile phone.
- Update sharing and firewall settings when you're on a public wi-fi network. Use a virtual private network (VPN), if you use public wi-fi.
- Review your credit card and bank account statements. Compare receipts with account statements. Watch for unauthorized transactions.
- Shred receipts, credit offers, account statements, and expired credit cards. This can prevent “dumpster divers” from getting your personal information.
- Store personal information in a safe place.
- Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer.
-
Create complex passwords that identity thieves cannot guess. Change your passwords if a company that you do business with has a breach of its databases
- Review your credit reports once a year. Be certain that they don't include accounts that you have not opened. You can order it for free from Annualcreditreport.com.
- Freeze your credit files with Equifax, Experian, Innovis, TransUnion, and the National Consumer Telecommunications and Utilities Exchange for free. Credit freezes prevent someone from applying for and getting approval for a credit account or utility services in your name.
For more information on how to prevent and report identity theft, visit:
Community Outreach
Phase 1 Reopening: Bottle Bill Redemption Requirements Modified
Previously, on March 15, 2020, in an effort to allow stores to appropriately manage the COVID-19 crisis, OLCC suspended enforcing the requirement for retailers to accept empty beverage container returns for refunds as required by the Oregon Bottle Bill. Starting June 1, 2020, OLCC will link the enforcement of Bottle Bill compliance to the phase a county is in (Baseline, Phase 1).
OLCC will re-start its compliance enforcement in these areas no later than two weeks after a county enters Phase 1. (For example: counties that entered Phase 1 on May 15 will have to become compliant by May 29.) Retailers in Phase 1 counties will be required to resume accepting empty beverage containers from customers, both through their reverse vending machines and by hand count.
For additional information, please visit our industry partners’ websites, including Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative and Northwest Grocery Association. The OLCC along with our partners are collaborating to ensure a safe and successful restart of the redemption program. Due to social distancing requirements and high container redemption demand during Phase 1 reopening, retailers may not be able to accommodate all individuals who
wish to return containers in a given day.
THPRD Parks and Trails are OPEN with Temporary Use and Physical Distancing Rules in Effect
Open Now:
- All THPRD parks and trails
- Community gardens
- Outdoor tennis courts / pickleball courts
- Skate parks
- Dog parks
- Disc golf
- Bocce courts
- Archery range at PCC Rock Creek
CLOSED for Now:
- Playgrounds
- Outdoor equipment
- Athletic fields
- Picnic shelter
- Basketball courts
- Swimming pools
- Splash pads
- Restrooms
- Water fountains
- Progress Lake fishing (not enough space for required physical distancing)
Temporary Rules for Park Use
Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and in compliance with direction from the state of Oregon the following temporary rules are in effect:
-
Maintain Physical Distance: Keep 6 feet of distance between your group and other visitors.
-
Follow State Rules for Group Size: 10 or fewer people who arrived at a site together before Washington County enters Phase 1. Once we are in Phase 1, groups will be limited to 25 people.
-
Be Healthy: If you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, stay home. These are symptoms of COVID-19, please call your healthcare provider.
For more information and FAQ, visit here. List of THPRD Parks and Trails.
|
Westside Transportation Alliance Bike More Challenge
The Bike More Challenge started Monday, June 1! Join on www.bikemorechallenge.com. As you log rides, you'll become eligible to win prizes from the Westside Transportation Alliance (WTA).
 Education Updates
Higher Education Community Conversation
 Click here to register.
Hillsboro School District Graduation Begins!
This is the week when the most unique graduation events in HSD history will begin. First up is Hilhi on Monday and Tuesday, June 1 and 2; followed by Century on Wednesday and Thursday, June 3 and 4; next is Liberty on June 8 and 9; and finally Glencoe on Wednesday and Thursday, June 10 and 11. The events will be held at the Hillsboro Stadium in a “drive-through”/”stage walk” model. Students will arrive at the stadium in their caps and gowns and remain in their cars until they reach the stage area. Once there, they will approach the stage, announce their name, and walk across the stage to receive their diploma cover. This process will be recorded, live-streamed at www.hsd.k12.or.us/livestream, and broadcast over FM 88.9* (please note that the transmission can only be picked up within approximately a quarter-mile of the Stadium). Afterward, complete graduation videos for each high school will be edited together with speeches, performances, and each graduate’s walk in alphabetical order. We anticipate these completed videos being ready by Friday, June 26, if not sooner. Only vehicles with graduates in them will be allowed into the Stadium. We understand there may be other family members and friends who wish to participate, but we are doing our best to comply with State and local caps on gatherings, traffic concerns, and our very limited timeframe to get each of our nearly 1500 graduates filmed. Your assistance and understanding is appreciated.
Education Links
Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
- Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-11: places a temporary moratorium on residential evictions for nonpayment in light of the public health emergency caused by the spread of coronavirus in Oregon. The order is effective for 90 days.
- Governor Brown's Executive Order 20-13 strengthens Governor Brown's previous ban on residential evictions, and prohibits landlords from charging tenants late fees for nonpayment of rent during the moratorium.
- Community Action.org
- Oregon Food Bank
- Meals on Wheels
 It has been a particularly painful and heavy week. Our nation is hurting. Oregon is hurting. We need to heal and seek corrective action to address systemic racism. If we do not, we will remain in a “thoughts, prayers, silence and repeat” mode on yet another harmful, act of violence. We must do better. Two videos aired recently with the same narrative; bias and hatred. I applaud that there was video footage for both, because the ending could have gone differently. George Floyd tragically lost his life, but because there was a video, four officers lost their jobs, criminal charges have been filed and the world is watching with eyes wide open. Ask yourself, what if there was no video? Would there be the same outcome for the officers involved? A woman called in a false claim against an African American man, because there is video footage, he is safe and alive, the woman is fired from her job and the world is watching with eyes wide open. What if there was no video of this? Would there be the same outcome? What if officers had shown up and reacted to her false, accusatory call negatively? Question what you are seeing all around you. Question the policies and practices put in place to prevent such actions from happening in your own neighborhood. Inquire, do not assume. We must listen to each other and learn from each other. I pledge to do more of that. We must take corrective action. We must teach our youth to be better. We must be better.
My POC Caucus colleagues stated it best, “We are all angry at the disregard for Black lives, the lack of justice in our criminal justice system, the funneling of wealth from Black communities. We, the POC Caucus, are intimately acquainted with the fear that for US, and for our fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives and partners, any encounter with law enforcement could turn deadly. We are doing the work every day to show up for our communities, to pass legislation that holds police accountable, that formalizes anti-racist, anti-bias trainings and zero tolerance policies for racist behavior in our institutions. We need all hands on deck for this work. We need our non-Black community members to speak truth to power, to protect us, to stand with us in this fight for justice, in this fight for our lives.”
Onward & Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
| 
