Our Community and the Work Ahead

Representative Andrea Salinas

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As a state and as a nation, we face an onslaught of acute and chronic challenges. The suffering taking place is unprecedented. From families facing scarce and diminished resources, to the ongoing delays in receiving unemployment benefits, to the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming school year, to the lack of jobs, and to the racism present in our community, the cumulative impact of these crises has taken its toll on each and every one of us. We are all hurting in different ways, and I know we are fatigued.

In my first job on Capitol Hill, I responded to constituent mail for a member of Congress. Over the years, I read thousands of letters, and I came to realize that the letter writers all had something in common: they were afraid. People would write about automatization stealing away their jobs, their SNAP benefits expiring, or the unaffordable cost of their prescription drugs. I heard from people on both sides of controversial issues like gun control or abortion. Everyone was afraid, but for different reasons, and it was that fear that drove people to write to their elected officials. As a young twenty-something, I could not always relate to, nor did I always agree with, the constituents who wrote these letters. However, I could relate to feeling afraid, and it was with that perspective that I gained a better understanding of what life was like for these constituents. Today, as I respond to my own constituent mail and engage in conversations, I still take this approach. I am an optimist, and I believe that people are inherently good. So, despite being in a moment where our nation feels insurmountably divided, I remain hopeful that we can and will be able to use our common connections to bring about the meaningful change we need.

When I first learned how to write these constituent responses, I was directed to always read with empathy, assume good intent, and respond with compassion. The same lesson still guides my responses to you, and how I attempt to communicate in all aspects of my life. Like I said, I do not expect us to always agree, but I am committed to understanding your worldview. The challenges we face as a nation, a state, and a community are significant, and I know many are rightfully weary from fighting the good fight. I also know that the conversations we need to have can be triggering and traumatizing. So, please know that I am committed to engaging in the difficult conversations on your behalf. I am ready to bring a diverse set of voices to the table, and my door is always open to anyone and everyone. As we engage with one another, mistakes will certainly be made, but what matters is whether we learn from them.

Sincerely,

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Andrea Salinas, State Representative 


Dismantling Institutional Racism

Words have meaning, which is something our community is currently discussing right now. So, I will speak clearly, Black Lives Matter. Full stop. Adding conjunctions after that phrase is disrespectful, ignores the gravity of the issue, and distracts from the change that needs to take place. I also must acknowledge that we should not need to have a conversation to convince people that Black Lives Matter and for people to practice anti-racism. As I stated, yes, we will make mistakes, but we must quickly learn from them, acknowledge the harm we have caused, and change our actions going forward.

In Lake Oswego and in cities across the United States, institutional racism exists for our Black neighbors and coworkers. We have known about these inequities and injustices, but we have not done nearly enough to change these realities. I am committed to moving beyond rhetoric to create meaningful, concrete change in our community and in Oregon.

Last week in a town hall, I thanked today’s students and youth for speaking out to demand far more than just incremental change. They join a chorus of voices of all ages demanding accountability from their leaders, and I am grateful for this pressure. They refuse to be satisfied, and the latest tragedy in Kenosha shows exactly why. As Jacob Blake’s sister, Letetra Widman, said, “I don’t want your pity. I want change.”

The fight for racial justice must occur everywhere, but next week, you can influence the police reform policies the legislature is considering. On Thursday, September 3rd at 1:00pm, the Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform will hold a hearing to hear public comment regarding various legislative concepts. I encourage you to review the proposed concepts here, and then provide written or oral testimony. The meeting will be streamed live on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS).

Written Testimony

E-mail: JTPUFR.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov

Post: Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform, 900 Court Street NE, Room 453, Salem, OR 97301.

Testimony is posted online to the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) as part of the legislative record and made publicly available at: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019I1/Committees/JTPUFR/Overview

Oral Testimony (Live Remotely - via telephone) 

Phone: Registration is required. To sign up, either use the online form at: https://survey.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4SEZeBGQKvNR0c5 OR call 833-588-4500 for assistance. Registration closes two hours before the meeting start time.

Public Access Kiosk: Located at the back entrance (State Street side) of the Capitol Building for the duration of the meeting.

Reopening Schools to In-Person Learning

Like many of you, my household is preparing for the upcoming school year, and I find it difficult to not get caught-up in thinking about how different this year will be. But, what is the same is how hard our teachers and staff are working to ensure our students receive a high-quality education, and I am exceptionally grateful for the many hours they are dedicating to achieve this goal. However, distance learning is still not an ideal scenario. In my conversations with superintendents, teachers, parents, students, and pediatricians, everyone agrees that we must return to in-person school as soon as possible. I’m right there with them.

Unfortunately, while positive case counts and the state’s positivity rate have stabilized, they still remain too high to safely reopen schools. Our current transmission rate of 0.95 means that each case leads to approximately one additional COVID-19 case. Modeling shows that at this rate, it will take us more than six months to get our infection rate to a level where epidemiologists will feel comfortable reopening schools. This benchmark is based on analyzing the data from foreign countries who successfully reopened schools.  

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In a press conference last week, Governor Brown said that in order for schools to reopen before spring, changes need to be made to alter our state’s trajectory. She presented two options: either increase the compliance of the current mitigation efforts and guidance, or implement additional restrictions. To be clear, she does not want to resort to the latter option, nor do I. So, the Governor is working with county commissioners and local public health on ways to further mitigate transmission. This includes increasing the wearing of face coverings and compliance with OSHA guidelines, along with improving contact tracing, isolation, and quarantine efforts.

I know there are still many questions and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming school year. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and the Early Learning Division (ELD) are hosting a Facebook live event on Wednesday, September 2nd at 12:30pm to answer your questions. You can watch the livestream on OHA’s Facebook.

The coronavirus pandemic is persisting. However, we know what we are doing is working, and Oregon is much better positioned than other states in terms of containing the spread of infections. So, we must continue to do our part to protect our communities from the spread of COVID-19 so we can reopen schools. Remember to wear a face covering, socially distance, and wash your hands regularly. Together, we'll get through this.

Understandably, a great deal of our focus is on back-to-school, but last week, some students closed the chapter on their time in Lake Oswego School District and set off on the rest of their journey. The first class of Harmony Academy, the state’s only recovery high school, graduated and hosted a socially distanced ceremony. It was a reminder that there is still much to celebrate even in these challenging times. Congratulations to the Class of 2020 on this achievement. Your strength and courage adds so much to our community, and I look forward to seeing all that you accomplish next.

Oregon Employment Department

The Oregon Employment Department (OED) announced this week that the state will apply for the federal Lost Wages Assistance Program benefit. These extra benefits amount to $300 per week for an estimated three to five weeks. However, the Oregon Employment Department still has many concerns about the short timeframe for benefits and the additional administrative burden. Most families in Oregon need more than three to five weeks of additional benefits. But, as OED Acting Director David Gerstenfeld said, “While this program does not provide enough support, the Employment Department is committed to getting all assistance possible to Oregonians.”

More details, such as an estimate of when payments to Oregonians can start, will become available after the federal government approves the application. I will be sure to keep you updated on the implementation of this temporary measure. Additional updates can also be found at unemployment.oregon.gov, and through the agency’s Twitter and Facebook pages. Finally, I will continue to communicate to our federal delegation that additional financial assistance needs to be provided to Oregonians. Congress cannot keep stalling when people’s bills continue to accumulate.

Another development at OED is their new webpage focused on answering questions specific to school employees. You can find that webpage here

As a reminder, OED informed us that if you have the following needs, utilizing their new Contact us Form is a faster way for the department to provide you with assistance:

  • Weekly payment or missing payment
  • PIN Reset
  • Restart
  • Extended benefits - PEUC or EB
  • Error on claim
  • Report Identify Theft
  • Hasn’t filed, or not sure if you should file or not.

Employment Department Accountability

Finally, the Senate Interim Committee on Labor and Business will hold hearings next week to review OED’s administration of unemployment insurance benefits. The remote meetings will take place on September 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at 8am each day. The first two days of hearings will feature OED presenting to the committee and answering legislator questions. The final day will be reserved for the committee to hear directly from Oregonians. All meetings will be streamed live on OLIS.

I encourage you to provide either written or oral testimony at this meeting:

Written Testimony

Email: SLB.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov

Mail: Senate Committee on Labor and Business, 900 Court Street NE, Room 453, Salem, OR 97301. 

Written testimony will be accepted until 5 PM on Friday, September 4. Testimony is posted online to the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) as part of the legislative record and made publicly available at https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019I1/Committees/SLB/Overview.

Oral Testimony (Live Remotely)

Phone: Registration is required. To sign up, either use the online form at https://survey.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7aiAp8By9dDq7vn OR call 833-588-4500 for assistance. Registration closes at 5 PM on Wednesday, September 2, 2020.

Public Access Kiosk: Located at the back entrance (State Street side) of the Capitol Building for the duration of the meeting. Pre-registration is not required.

We All Count

The Portland Tribune recently published my op-ed about the importance of the 2020 Census. Here is a snippet of what I wrote:

"We all need to be asking what we can do to promote positive, meaningful change in Oregon. Taking 10 minutes to fill out the census is a critical first step. Rarely is there a task that each and every one of us can complete that will secure power and representation for our communities. So, I implore us to not waste this opportunity. We all count, and together, we will continue to build the future we need and deserve."

You can read the entire piece here. In just about a month, the census count will end. So, please make sure to fill out your census form before September 30th. Visit https://my2020census.gov/ to learn more.

The Oregon Cares Fund

Thanks to the hard work of Rep. Lawrence Spence and Black leaders from across the state, the Oregon Legislature's Emergency Board allocated $64 million to support the Oregon Cares Fund for Black relief and resiliency. This fund will help support Black individuals and families, Black businesses, and Black community-based organizations statewide as they weather the health and economic storm that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused. The Oregon Cares Fund is now live and accepting applications. All funds must be dispersed by the end of 2020, so apply early if you qualify. You can learn more about the fund and how to apply here.

Flu Season

Soon, we will simultaneously be battling the flu and the coronavirus pandemic. Maintaining the health of Oregonians and our health care system’s capacity remains a top priority, which is why health care professionals are spreading the word that flu shots are especially important this year. For more information on how to get vaccinated, please visit this website from the Oregon Health Authority.

The good news is that the same prevention strategies we use to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will also help prevent the flu. So, please continue to wash your hands, wear your mask, watch your distance, and stay home if you’re feeling ill.

Face Coverings in Office Spaces

Last week, OHA and Oregon OSHA hosted a Facebook Live about face coverings in office spaces. In case you missed it, you can view the recording on their Facebook page. As a reminder, you can find the latest face covering guidance here.


email: Rep.AndreaSalinas@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1438
address: 900 Court St NE, H-485, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/salinas