OREGON UNEMPLOYMENT:
ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
The House Business and Labor Committee members, including Representative Boshart Davis, convened over the weekend in a special hearing to question the steps the Oregon Employment Department has taken to resolve the delay in Unemployment Insurance benefits. As a result, Governor Brown asked for the resignation of Director Kay Erickson and placed David Gerstenfeld as acting Director, effective immediately.
Representative Boshart Davis had this to say about the events that took place after the hearing:
“I extend my thanks and gratitude to Chair Holvey of the Business and Labor Committee for allowing this additional hearing to take place over the weekend. I also want to thank Director Erickson and her staff for their participation and for providing the public with answers to some very serious questions about the Department’s performance over the last few months.
I want to be clear, I did not asking for Director Erickson’s resignation. I believe the responsibility of determining who leads state agencies rests solely with Governor Brown. However, it’s clear that major systemic mistakes were made over the last few months and I am not yet convinced the Department is addressing these issues with the urgency they deserve.
I hope Governor Brown’s office will play a more active role in demanding accountability from the agency, provide greater transparency and more regular communication with the public. Furthermore, I hope they do whatever they deem necessary to get this agency on the right track as soon as possible. Oregonians are counting on us to fix this."
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Press Release 05-27-2020
Press Release 05-30-2020
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
I see and hear the pain and trauma being experienced and also hate seeing the violence and looting. I am thankful for the peaceful protests, but also concerned about COVID-19 outbreaks. Like many of you, all of these things are true at the same time.
To quote former President George W. Bush: "We serve our neighbors best when we try to understand their experience. We love our neighbors as ourselves when we treat them as equals, in both protection and compassion."
Please note the below resources. Please reach out for support.
Joint Statement from Oregon Association Chiefs of Police, Oregon State Sheriffs' Association and Oregon State Police:
“We are dismayed and disgusted when the actions of a few tarnish the reputation of our honorable law enforcement profession and undermine the heroic work our police officers perform in service to our communities. We will continue to work hard to strengthen the confidence Oregonians have in our work and we value the trust you place in us.”
Monthly economic indicators have been released and its no surprise the effects COVID-19 has had on the economy in the month of April. Oregon saw a 14.2% seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, for the mid-valley counties such as Linn County, there was a 15.5% unemployment rate. For more information on industry specific data follow the link below.
OED Labor Market Infographic
State economist project a $2.7 billion tax revenue loss due to the coronavirus pandemic. Mark McMullen explained to Oregon lawmakers on Wednesday that our economy is more volatile than other states because of a boom and bust cycle in the personal and corporate income tax structure. Read the full article below.
OPB article
Since the onset of COVID-19 emergency declarations, most customer service agencies like the DMV have been closed to the public. With restrictions easing up, the DMV is ready to reopen and will adhere physical distancing and maximum occupancy requirements. In order to do this, Starting June 1st they will start accepting phone calls for appointments for limited in-person visits. For more in formation follow the link below.
Accessing DMV Services
Read article about DMV Reopening:
“We knew the demand was going to be high, we just didn’t know it was going to be so high,” Fuller added. “We didn’t have a lot of confidence in it.” - Tom Fuller, state's transportation spokesman.
Oregon DMV reservation system ‘wholly inadequate,’ scrapped after first day
On May 29th, Gov. Brown announced a $30 million invest for to secure Oregon’s food supply chain and the workers that support this vital infrastructure. Aspects of the proposal include 1 million face masks and 5,00 gallons of hand sanitizer, $14 million for outbreak mitigation, $10 million for workforce housing, $5 million for field sanitation and $1 million to help support employers fill OSHA requirements. Follow the link below for the official announcement and details.
Food Security and Farmworker Safety Program
Coming this Fall, ODOT and WSDOT will close down the I-5 bridge to replace the trunnion mechanism that lifts and lowers the bridge. Since this is work is extensive, the whole Northbound bridge will need to be shut down temporarily for duration of the replacement. Specific Dates are September 12 through September 20, during which time the Southbound bridge will used for both directions of traffic with a movable barrier to adjust for peak travels flows in either direction. For more information follow the link below.
Interstate Bridge Website
With all the changes over the last few months it can be difficult to try and navigate the vast web of government assistance programs. Rules and regulations have been changing by the hour which means legal resources are valuable, now more than ever. Oregon Law Center has graciously shared their frequently asked questions and support hot lines, follow the links below for anything that might pertain to a situation you are having difficulty with to try and resolve it.
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Housing Overview of Resources:
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Family Law Overview of Resources:
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Employment Overview of Resources:
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Public Benefits Overview of resources:
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Oregon Public Benefits Hotline
- 1 (800) 520-5292 (statewide hotline)
If you are experiencing difficulties with your rent and/or electric bill, the federal CARES Act allocated money to help relieve some of that burden. In some cases, there is assistance for water bills as well. Community Services Consortium is taking the lead and setting up appointments for families and households in the Linn, Benton and Lincoln county communities.
Community Services Consortium
For more information: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/ORDOT/bulletins/28e14a7?fbclid=IwAR2a7RzbPNi2AMAYaTXQjmZFPaAqn6LwW5d8FpwdBHg7MHhC1ZyuuZnpXnI
Reminder: The Oregon Health Authority – OHA: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus211Info is a source of information about resources and benefits, and they are also ready to answer your questions about coronavirus. They are open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. by phone (call 211), text (text your ZIP code to 898211) or email (help@211info.org).
No doubt this virus is impacting all of us. Together, we will get through this. Thank you for being strong and hanging in there and taking care of each other District 15!
Better together,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis
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