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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Starting off on a light note, I want to highlight that more state parks are beginning to reopen and offer more recreational opportunities. In our neck of the woods that includes: L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint, and Banks-Vernonia State Trail. State, local and national parks are such an incredible resource for safe recreation, healthy lifestyle, and appreciation of nature, they are also a huge economic driver for our state. While we can’t travel long distances to national treasures like Crater Lake or the Coast, we can appreciate the beautiful bounty in our own region.
Beautiful Stub Stewart State Park!
Town Hall Next Weekend! Next Saturday, June 20th at 10am, I will be joining Rep Sollman and Sen. Riley to host a Virtual Community Conversation. The Conversation will be hosted over zoom, and attendance will be limited to the first 100 RSVPs. You can RSVP by emailing Linda.RayKeeny@oregonlegislature.gov. The deadline for RSVPs is 5pm on Friday June 19th.
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Pressing Pause on Reopening: Thursday, Governor Brown announced that the state will be “pressing pause” on any more reopening across the state for seven days. This means that for at least one week all counties will remain in their current phase of reopening. While this does not affect our reopening status in Washington county, it is a reminder that we all have an important role to play in reopening. The decision to press pause was made because of the increase in new cases we have seen across the state this week, mostly tied to workplace outbreaks. Please do everything you can as an employer, employee or individual to keep yourself and our community safe. Wear masks, wash hands, clean surfaces, and maintain distance from others. If you are contacted by a Public Health worker or contact tracer because of a connection to a known case, follow their advice for testing, isolation and other mitigation and containment strategies. Learn more about the pause here.
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Comprehensive Coronavirus Testing Plan for Long-Term Care Facilities: Governor Kate Brown announced that Oregon will be implementing a comprehensive coronavirus testing plan to protect the residents and staff of long-term care facilities, prioritizing those facilities at greatest risk for outbreaks. Public health officials will also be working with long-term care facilities to implement recommended best practices for ongoing monitoring, including:
- Conducting active daily screenings for fever and COVID-like symptoms for all residents and staff, providing testing for any residents or staff with even mild symptoms. Residents who test positive should be isolated.
- Providing testing for all staff every month on a staggered weekly basis, with the goal of having 25% of all staff tested each week over the course of the month.
- Providing testing for all residents and staff if there is a single new confirmed or suspected resident case or a confirmed staff case, and retesting weekly until at least 14 days pass without a new positive result. Residents who test positive and are symptomatic should be isolated.
- Testing all new residents prior to admission or readmission, including transfers from hospitals or other health care facilities. Even new residents who test negative should be quarantined for 14 days.
- The state’s ability to quickly test all long-term care facility residents and staff is partially dependent on the federal government’s supply of necessary testing materials to Oregon. Governor Brown released a letter today pressing federal officials for more testing swabs and transport media for testing samples. According to federally-reported figures, Oregon has received far less assistance in terms of testing supplies than many other states, hampering the state's ability to expand testing capacity. Find more information on the new plan here.
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Statewide Greenhouse Gas Reduction Update: The Oregon Statewide Transportation Strategy, or STS, is a state-level scenario planning effort that examines all aspects of the transportation system, including the movement of people and goods, and identifies a combination of strategies to reduce greenhouse gas, or GHG, emissions. Oregon’s Statewide Transportation Strategy: A 2050 Vision for Greenhouse Gas Reduction outlined ways to fight climate change by reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions in the state by reducing overall emissions to at least 75 percent below 1990 levels. In 2019, Governor Brown directed the Oregon Department of Transportation, Department of Land Conservation and Development, Department of Environmental Quality, and Department of Energy to identify specific actions to help the state get back on track with the strategy’s vision through Executive Order 20-04 earlier this year. The four agencies have developed a two-year Multi-Agency Implementation Work Plan to help make progress toward the vision. You can submit public comments on the Multi-Agency Implementation Work Plan through this online survey by June 15.
Support local Forest Grove Businesses! Here is a list of open businesses from the Forest Grove News Times.
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Food Security and Farmworker Safety Program: Oregon’s Food Security and Farmworker Safety Program provides assistance to Oregon’s agricultural producers in order to help secure Oregon’s food supply chain and protect essential agricultural workers from COVID-19 exposure and illness. The COVID-19 emergency caused Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OR-OSHA) to issue temporary rules requiring increased field sanitation measures and more stringent labor housing and transportation regulations. The Food Security and Farmworker Safety Program provides financial assistance to comply with these increased measures during peak harvest. Applications are now open to apply for assistance in any, or all, of the following areas:
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Free Hand Sanitizer:The Hillsboro Chamber now has Free Hand Sanitizer. Bring and fill your own bottles. Limit 5 16oz bottles per person. We are open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday. They are located at 5193 NE Elam Young Parkway, Suite A, Hillsboro.
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Modeling: New modeling from OHA suggests that we are at a critical point in our efforts against this virus. The pause in reopening from Governor Brown is vital to understanding how we should interpret the recent rise in cases. Recent data and model calibration provide evidence that transmission has increased since reopening began on May 15th. It is too early to accurately estimate the effects of phased reopening on changes in COVID-19 trends. Because of this, epidemiologists and disease modeling make three different assumptions about the recent COVID-19 trends for our projections:
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Most optimistic assumption: A 10-percentage point increase in transmission after re-opening on May 15th. This model fit the hospitalization trend in late May well and assumed that trend would continue. It assumed the more pronounced increase in hospitalizations in the last few days of data (June 2nd-4th) was only a temporary increase.
- Under this scenario, the number of new infections per day will remain relatively stable over the next month.
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Less optimistic assumption: A slightly larger increase in transmission (15 percentage points) after May 15th, which fit the recent observed hospitalization and diagnoses trends better.
- Under this scenario, the number of new infections per day will gradually increase over the next month (approximately 170 additional new infections per day).
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More pessimistic assumption: A 15 percentage point increase in transmission after May 15th, as in the “less optimistic” scenario, plus an additional 10 percentage point increase in transmission after May 25th. By doing so, this model assumed that the recent increase in the number of new diagnoses is indicative of increased transmission, rather than largely due to increased testing.
- Under this scenario, the number of new infections per day will increase more dramatically. Compared to the most optimistic scenario, this model projects about 14,000 more cumulative infections (35,400 vs. 21,400), 925 more new infections per day (1,040 vs. 115), and 17 more new severe cases per day (22 vs. 5) by July 3rd.
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Model projections for the next 4 weeks, assuming that after May 15th: 1) transmission increased by 10 percentage points (blue line), 2) transmission increased by 15 percentage points (red line), and 3) transmission increased by 15 percentage points, then an additional 10 percentage points on May 25th (green line). The lighter shaded areas correspond to 80% forecast intervals (i.e., 10th and 90th percentiles of the projection). Click the image for more information.
- Confirmed Cases: 2,016,027 (up 21,744 from yesterday)
- Deaths: 113,914 (up 947 from yesterday)
- These national numbers come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can view their national and state by state data here.
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Oregon Status Report: Oregon now has 5,377 total cases (confirmed and presumptive) of COVID-19. Today we have 142 new confirmed and presumptive cases. Tragically we have had a total of 173 Oregonians die from COVID-19. Washington County still has one of the highest case counts at 828 confirmed cases, however we are seeing a downward trend in new cases. You can review on-going updates from OHA by clicking on the table below.
Table showing Oregon case, testing and demographic data, link to more information
- The Oregon Health Authority recently provided a Public Health Indicators Dashboard to enable communities across Oregon to monitor COVID-19 in the state.The dashboard, which will be updated weekly on Thursdays, provides a transparent report that presents complex epidemiological data in an interactive, easy-to-understand way on a state and county level.
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The Oregon Department of Education has released Ready Schools, Safe Learners Guidance designed for school leaders that puts forward the requirements and recommendations school districts will use to design and open schools across the state in the fall. This guidance describes what we know now, with an understanding that we will all need to navigate the state’s evolving efforts to mitigate COVID-19. As part of that work, ODE will regularly release updated versions of the guidance based on feedback. Over 8,000 parents participated in community engagement in the last few months, and those comments were used to inform the development of the guidance. Families are encouraged to share suggestions on how to further improve the guidance using this survey.
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ODE’s focus is on the Safe Reentry of Students and Staff to School. ODE will continue to work closely with the Oregon Health Authority to develop and update requirements and recommendations for school districts that meet obligations for health, safety, equity, and quality instruction across the state. Oregon Health Authority epidemiologists helped create and vet this guidance, and this collaboration ensures that our school leaders have the critical information they need so that school doors are open and ready to welcome students in the fall.
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For the 2020-21 school year, each and every public school will work under the direction of the school district to develop an Operational Blueprint for Reentry that meets the requirements outlined in the guidance while tailoring their approach for their own students, staff, and community. Through this process, each school must also determine whether they will teach all students on-site, teach all students through distance learning, or utilize a hybrid model that combines both approaches. Before the beginning of the school year, the local school board must review each school’s plan and make it available to the community on the district website.
- Visit the Ready Schools, Safe Learners website for more information.
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Instructional Models for Reopening
Requirements and Recommendations by Instructional Models
Reentry Decision Tool
Healthy Schools Reopening Council
- Governor Brown also announced she will be convening a Healthy Schools Reopening Council to advise her and ODE during the Ready Schools, Safe Learners K-12 schools reopening process. The council will look to ensure all community voices – especially those representing school employees and Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and other communities of color – have a forum to give feedback as school districts develop their plans for a safe return to school for Oregon’s students and educators.
- The council, which will meet over the next several months as districts develop their plans, and periodically during the school year, will be charged with:
- Giving feedback on equitable policies and practices for a safe return to school.
- Informing additional guidance from ODE developed over the summer to help school districts implement their back-to-school plans.
- Receiving updates on school district plans and implementation.
- Reviewing COVID-19 status reports and evaluating outbreak management during the school year.
- The council will include elected officials, education community representatives, health representatives, and members of the public, with a focus on ensuring that a wide and diverse range of community voices are represented. A full roster of council members will be available prior to the council’s first meeting this month.
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Hillsboro Police Department: The Hillsboro Police Department shared their use of force policies with me, and I have linked them below for those interested. More information will be available at the Hillsboro City Council Meeting next Tuesday, June 16th, at 6pm, you can learn more about the details of that meeting here. At this meeting the council and department will be reviewing the use of force policies currently in place, and considering possible changes, including those recommended by Campaign Zero’s “Eight Can’t Wait”.
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Washington County Sheriff’s Department: I recently heard from Washington County about the use of force policies in place for the Sheriff’s Department. Here is what I learned:
- The Washington County Sheriff's office is preparing a webpage to address the 8 Can’t Wait list. The Sheriff's office already aligns with much of it, and are making clarification and adjustments to their policies to further align, including by prohibiting neck restraints unless deadly force is justified. They expect that to be posted by week’s end. I will keep you all up to date as I learn more.
- LRAD – The Sheriff understands “LRAD” to mean Long Range Address System. Basically, a very strong PA system. The Crisis Negotiations Team has an LRAD to communicate in situations where we have to cover long distances. Thus, it is not intended or allowed to be used to force crowd dispersal.
- Tear gas – The Sheriff's office does have a supply. The Sheriff's office does not believe it has been used outside of training.
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Officer Misconduct: A Washington County Jail Deputy has been charged with official misconduct after new evidence emerged regarding an incident in 2018. The officer involved was found to have sent emails using racist epithets, which caused a 2018 case against the officer to be reopened. In 2018 jail deputy, Rian Alden, assaulted a man in custody, Albert Molina, while booking him into the jail, fracturing his skull which required a 19 day hospital stay. While charges were not filed in 2018, last Friday, June 5th, a grand jury indicted Alden for official misconduct, and the Washington County District Attorney plans to resubmit the case to a grand jury at the end of June with a charge of second-degree assault. This incident is a painful reminder that issues of systemic bias and excessive force exist in our own community. You can read more in this Oregonian Article. A warning: this article includes a graphic video of the assault, please be mindful of the vicarious trauma it could cause before you watch or share the video.
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Portland Police Bureau: The Portland City Council continues to debate the budget for the Portland Police Bureau - you can read an update here. The Portland Police Bureau will also undergo a shift in leadership as Police Chief Jami Resch has stepped down and Lieutenant Chuck Lovell is the new Chief of Police. Chief Lovell has a strong reputation of thoughtfulness and integrity. I look forward to seeing what change happens under his leadership.
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State of Oregon: During the June 3 meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, State Senator Prozanski (chair of the committee) announced the formation of a work group dealing with police accountability, use of force, and other policing reform measures. The work group will be led by State Representative Janelle Bynum (chair of the House Judiciary Committee) and Senator Prozanski. They are currently finalizing membership of the work group, and will commence meetings shortly thereafter.
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Federal Action: Finally, at the federal level, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced the National Police Misconduct Database and Transparency in Hiring Act, which is legislation that would create a national database of police misconduct, allowing greater oversight and accountability across the nation. Enacting this legislation would help ensure that police officers who have been removed from their jobs for misconduct in one town cannot just move a few towns over and get a job as an officer there. To learn more about the National Police Misconduct Database and Transparency in Hiring Act, visit Senator Merkley's website.
Tomorrow, June 13th at 5:30pm, there will be a Black Lives Matter March and demonstration at the Hillsboro Civic Center. Please be safe, wear a mask and maintain distance whenever possible.
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Congresswoman Bonamici Town Halls: Click here to sign up for a call at the meeting time that works best for you. Audio from these meetings will also be streamed live here.
Wednesday, June 17 at 6 p.m. PT
Thursday, June 18 at 1 p.m. PT
Saturday, June 20 at 11 a.m. PT
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Metro Transportation: Metro Councilors want to hear from community members as they decide whether to ask voters to consider a transportation funding measure in November. Please save the date for a Get Moving 2020 online listening session in Washington County, Thursday, July 9 at 5:30pm. More details on how to access the meeting by phone and video conference coming soon. (Interpretation will be available) |
Queer Town Hall: Join the discussion with Black leaders when you tune in this Tuesday, June 16 at noon on YouTube Live for Basic Rights Oregon live-captioned Queer Town Hall. Black community leaders will be sharing their work, perspectives, and experiences during ongoing protests for racial justice and the fight against police brutality, on both the local and national levels.
They will be joined by:
- Jo Ann Hardesty, Portland City Commissioner
- Alexxis M. Robinson-Woods, Program and Services Director for Bradley Angle
- Cameron Whitten, Founder of Brown Hope and the Black Resilience Fund
- Travis Nelson, RN, BSN, RN-BC; Officer, Democratic Party of Oregon; Western Director, DNC Black Caucus; Nurses For Single Payer Board Member
- Lamar Wise, Political Coordinator for Oregon AFSCME
- And more!
When you engage with the Queer Town Hall by asking a question during the livestream, you'll be entered to win a Protect Trans Kids tote bag, so tune in this Tuesday at noon!
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ODOT wants your feedback about road funding: Online Open House - through June 22: Learn about OReGO, the state's road usage charge program. Find out about different funding options and provide your input. |
REAP Youth Town Hall: Young Leaders are invited to participate in this 2-Day youth Town Hall with REAP, Bridge, and Africa House. Click here for a video promo of the event. Or click the image to the right for more information.
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Employers and Employees
- Unemployment options http://www.oregon.gov/employ, including the Work Share program at oregonworkshare.com
- See FAQs, and subscribe to updates at https://govstatus.egov.com/ORUnemployment_COVID19
- File a Claim online at https://secure.emp.state.or.us/ocs4/index.cfm?u=F20200324A152211B60880938.0174&lang=E
- Independent Contractor, Gig Worker, & Self Employed Workers can use the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Application at https://govstatus.egov.com/ui-benefits/CARES
- Email the department with questions: OED_COVID19_Info@oregon.gov, you should hear back within about a week, please do not email multiple times with the same question, and please include as much information as possible in your first email. Sending multiple emails asking about the status of your claim will only cause further backlog, and make it harder for OED staff to respond to you and others.
- If you have received a claim denial, or need to appeal an Employment Department decision, use this email: OED_UI_HEARINGSREQ@oregon.gov
- With the extreme increase in people seeking unemployment, the phone lines are busy and it has been difficult to get through. Please preserve phone line capacity by using the email and online tools whenever possible, many of our neighbors do not have internet access but have not been able to get through on the phone due to bottlenecks. You will not lose your place in line by filing online or using email instead of the phone.
- The Oregon Labor and Industries Technical Assistance for Employers page at https://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/TA/pages/index.aspx has information about employer obligations and responsibilities.
- Business Oregon has a robust list of financial resources including non-bank lenders at https://www.oregon4biz.com/Coronavirus-Information/
- The US Small Business Administration offers disaster assistance in the form of SBA loans to designated states. Information about these loans is available at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/Index
- The latest COVID-19/Coronavirus information on resources for workers and business owners is available at https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/coronavirus2020.aspx
- Oregon Secretary of State’s business resources can be found at www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness or you can email questions to business.sos@oregon.gov.
Education Links
Local Government
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
View Past Updates, Share and Subscribe:
If there was COVID-related information in a past newsletter that you want to go back to, but find you’ve deleted it, you can always go to my legislative website (http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain), click on “News and Information,” and you’ll find them all there. You can also share this site with your friends and loved ones, so they can view past newsletters, and subscribe to future updates.
Can't wait to be able to relax at the beach! For now....enjoy the picture!
Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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