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Hello Friends,
Later this afternoon the Joint Interim Committee on the First Special Session of 2020 will meet to vet at least 13 LC’s (legal concepts) that could either be moved forward to become actual pieces of legislation for consideration. Several of the pieces for consideration are unfinished work from the 2019 and 2020 sessions.
The Governor has called the Legislature to gather in Salem “to take up proposed legislation to improve police accountability and address the COVID-19 pandemic.” While these are two very necessary and worthy areas of legislation it begs the question why not also address the revenue short fall of nearly 2.7 billion dollars.
According to her press release she is hopeful the federal government “takes action, states like Oregon could be forced to make significant cuts to schools, healthy care, and senior services.” Our economic crisis still leaves nearly 75,000 Oregonians who have yet to have their unemployment insurance claim processed. This is a far reduction of the initial 400,000+ who have filed, but none the less these are Oregonians who still need to purchase groceries, pay rent and/or mortgages, and any number of other financial obligations.
My years as a young single mother taught me that if it appeared that future income / revenue was not certain that I should plan accordingly. I remember vividly working through my budget and trying every which way to make the numbers pencil out. But at the end of the day I either needed to cut, which at the time there was not much to cut or find a job that would pay more. Some of the lessons from that period of my life have stayed with me. My adult son, and father of 8, tells me I still live like I am a single mom living on a shoestring.
All of this to say that I would not hold off making adjustments to the state’s budget at this time. It is prudent of us to make budgetary plans for the future. There is still time for the Governor to ask the Legislature to do so. It is one of the very reasons we exist as a branch of government.
As we prepare for a Special Session that begins on Wednesday, June 24th Leadership has appointed a committee to hear testimony regarding issues for the upcoming special session. The Joint Interim Committee on the First Special Session 2020 is currently scheduled to meet on Monday and Tuesday.
More information including the agenda and meeting materials as they are posted may be found here -
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019I1/Committees/J1SS/Overview
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019I1/Committees/J1SS/2020-06-22-15-30/MeetingMaterials
Please Note: The Capitol Building is currently closed to the public and meetings are taking place remotely. Go to https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019I1/Committees/J1SS/Overview to access a livestream of this meeting. Locate the meeting date and click on the camera icon at the designated time. A viewing station will also be available outside on the front steps of the Capitol Building.
Public Testimony Information: If you would like to provide testimony on any of the agenda items at this meeting, you have several options: 1. Written Testimony: You may submit written testimony to: j1ss.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov or by mail addressed to the committee, 900 Court Street NE, Room 453, Salem, Oregon, 97301. Written testimony received by the meeting time will be posted on the committee’s website promptly. 2. Remote Oral Testimony: Anyone wishing to testify by speaking directly to the committee must either: • Pre-register: To pre-register, click on this link: https://survey.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0oA6UssyEkGC3g9 to register electronically OR call 503-986-1535. To testify at the meeting, you must pre-register no later than 2:30 PM, June 22, 2020 • If you would like to testify at this meeting, but do not have access to a computer or phone, a public testimony access station will be set up on the front steps of the Capitol on the day of the meeting. Please Note: Registering to testify or being at the Capitol does not guarantee that you will be permitted to testify by speaking directly to the committee if the committee chair determines that public testimony must be limited. For this reason, written testimony is encouraged even if you plan to testify.
ADDITIONAL NEWS
Marion County moved into Phase 2 on Friday, June 19th. Phase 2 allows:
- Gathering limits will be raised to 50 people indoors, and 100 people outdoors.
- Indoor and outdoor venues, including theaters and churches, with 6 feet of physical distancing and other measures in place, can reach a COVID-19 occupancy limit of up to 250.
- Offices can begin reopening and employees can return to workplaces with physical distancing and other measures in place, though remote work is still strongly recommended whenever possible.
- Increased travel will be allowed throughout Oregon, though staying local is still recommended to prevent overloading county health systems.
- Restaurants and bars will have curfews extended to midnight.
- Pools and sports courts will be allowed to reopen under new guidance.
- Indoor and outdoor activities such as bowling, batting cages, and mini golf, will be allowed to reopen under new guidance.
- Recreational sports can resume in a limited form, under strict physical distancing guidance.
- More information is available at: https://govstatus.egov.com/reopening-oregon
Governor Brown recently issued a directive that residents in 7 counties including Marion County are required to wear masks frequenting indoor places such as grocery stores and businesses. Please see the guidelines below:
 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
With the new directive from the Governor the need for PPE is not going away. In fact, it is growing daily. Our friends at SEDCOR has been working with our community to to get locally produced PPE out to those who need it most. Below is a link to their directory for PPE and a special shout out to three local manufacturers, NW Alpine, WaterShed, and a-dec who have stepped up during this time and will be featured at SEDCOR’s upcoming Business Forum Webinar on July 8th.
Access our updated PPE Directory here.
DMV UPDATE
Last, but not least Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV) continues to reopen.
15 additional DMV field offices are scheduled to open Monday 6/22; these will offer the same limited in-person services as the already-reopened offices (things that can be done online won’t be done in-person). See the full list here: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/offices/index.aspx
They have also approved three new drive testing sites to perform drive tests for first-time licenses. In addition to the testing locations in the Portland metro area and Willamette Valley, the DMV now has additional testing sites in Coos Bay, Bend, and Ontario. More testing site locations will open soon. You can also find out more information about the DMV’s third party testers here.
To make an appointment at the DMV, the online form can be found at: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/DriverID/ClassCTestingBusiness.aspx
Additionally, the Oregon law enforcement citation moratorium for expired driver licenses, permits, ID cards, and vehicle registration has been extended through October 1st. The grace period is intended to allow Oregon residents to continue driving while they are waiting for an appointment and DMV works through the backlog due to COVID-19 restrictions. Law enforcement can verify the status of a driver or vehicle electronically during a traffic stop. More information may be found at: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/docs/Law_Enforcement_Grace_Period_Memo.pdf
Thank you for engaging with your state government. Please know my door is always open and my staff, Pam McClain, Lena Prine, and I welcome your participation.
Yours truly,
 Representative Raquel Moore-Green
House District 19 serving South Salem, Turner & Aumsville
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1419
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-385, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.RaquelMooreGreen@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/moore-green
Be sure to follow my legislative Facebook @reprmghd19
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