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If you're having trouble viewing this message, please visit my legislative web page at http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/prozanski/, click on "News" in the lower left-hand column and scroll down.
Dear friends,
Governor Brown is expected to call a second special session in coming weeks to address the impact of COVID-19 on the state budget. It's yet to be determined whether Congress will complete work on a second major relief act to provide additional federal assistance to states, so just how deep state budget cuts will be has yet to be determined.
Yesterday, the Governor announced modified mandates to stem the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. Starting Friday, July 24, facial coverings will be mandatory for ages 5 and up (including at schools) and exceptions have been removed (including at gyms while working out). Additionally, the indoor venue capacity limit has been lowered to 100 people, and restaurants must close by 10 p.m. For more information, please see the Governor's COVID-19 Resources page.
As Oregon continues to experience record-high reported cases of COVID-19, please stay vigilant: wear a mask, maintain six feet of social distance, wash hands frequently and stay home if you feel sick.
A constituent who is unable to wear a mask for medical reasons contacted me about being accosted at a grocery store by another customer for not wearing a facial covering. She stated that the manager intervened because the other customer was out of control and would not leave her alone. It sounded like the "irate" customer didn't know that the Governor's executive orders provide a medical exemption from wearing facial coverings. Either way, that customer's conduct was wrong. We're all in this together and we need to remember that while "masking up" is our best tool to prevent transmission of COVID-19, there are individuals who can't wear masks for medical reasons.
I suggested to the constituent that she consider using a face shield since it qualifies as a facial covering under the executive order. (Two other options that the constituent or others who are similarly situated might consider are ordering groceries online for pick up or delivery and asking a family member, friend or neighbor to help with grocery shopping. I understand that some local service organizations may be offering grocery assistance, but please beware of scams. Sadly, there are people who will take advantage of those unaware of risk.)
Below you will find information on:
- Updates from the Oregon Employment Department
- AARP Live Stream 8/11/20: Oregon's Economy in a COVID-19 World
- Primary Resource Links
I hope this information is helpful and informative for you or someone you know. As always, feel free to share your comments, questions or concerns with me by phone, mail or e-mail.
Updates from the Oregon Employment Department
I continue to hear from and assist constituents who are facing challenges or delays in dealing with the unemployment benefit process. I share their frustrations. I'm sorry people are not receiving responses or payments in a more timely manner. We've been working with the department to get answers. Here is the latest update from the Oregon Employment Department (OED) to legislators:
OED launched a new online form for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) initial claims and weekly certifications. The new online PUA claim form offers the following improvements:
- Speeding up weekly benefit processing. Reducing application errors and automating the application upload process will help the department get claims processed faster and PUA benefits out to more Oregonians.
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Preventing uploading blank PDFs. Many PDF application forms were submitted blank. The chance that someone would accidentally upload a blank PDF form is gone when using the online form.
- Preventing incomplete claims. Important information, like the COVID-19 reason that makes an applicant eligible for PUA, is required, but has often been missing or left blank on the PDF forms. The online PUA application or weekly certification will give a warning notifying customers that the information is required. This change will help OED process claims faster and reduce delays in Oregonians receiving benefits due to missing information.
People who have filed weekly claims via PDF and who have not yet received payment are encouraged to re-file their weekly certifications through this new online claim form. Folks can continue submitting their initial application and weekly certifications by PDF upload, mail, fax or phone if they choose. OED says these will take longer to process than the online claim form.
In addition to the new form, OED's new informational site, unemployment.oregon.gov, has answers to frequently asked PUA questions.
AARP Live Stream 8/11: Oregon's Economy in a COVID-19 World
During this virtual event, John Tapogna with ECONorthwest and Rukaiyah Adams with Meyer Memorial Trust will share their understanding and forecasts for Oregon's economic future. Our state and the nation are in the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Forecasters anticipate a long, uneven recovery that will begin in earnest only after the virus is eliminated. This online event will take place on Tuesday, August 11, from 10:30-11:45 a.m. Register at https://bit.ly/agefriendlyeconomy81120.
Primary Resource Links
Here's a list of government resources that you may find useful:
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