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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
This week I am working remotely from my family home at the Oregon Coast, and it is illustrating for me that there are ways for all of us to find joy, respite and rest while keeping communities across our state safe. This Labor Day weekend, remember that while we can’t celebrate in exactly the same way as previous years, there are many ways to celebrate and honor the labor movement and Oregon workers. Oregonians have been doing a great job slowing the spread of COVID-19, but it is important that we do not lose any of these gains because of holiday weekend activities. If we want to keep our friends, neighbors and families healthy, Oregonians need to modify or cancel holiday weekend gatherings and celebrate in safe ways so we can continue to make progress against COVID-19. Keep up the good work, and let’s get through this together!
- Today, Governor Kate Brown extended her declaration of a state of emergency regarding COVID-19 for an additional 60 days, until November 3, 2020. You can read her full statement here.
- Yesterday, Governor Brown extended the foreclosure moratorium for Oregon homes and businesses until December 31st. Executive Order 20-37 will extend House Bill 4204’s current statutory moratorium on foreclosures. While EO 20-37 will provide homeowners and business owners certainty through the end of the year, it is not a long-term solution. The Governor’s Office will be working with landlords, lenders, and other stakeholders in the coming weeks to craft a solution for the Legislature to consider. The Governor is also continuing to have conversations with community leaders and stakeholders to look at options surrounding a moratorium for evictions for renters, which does not expire until September 30.
- Washington County has launched their next round of small business economic assistance grants of $3,000 each. They reopened the grant application on Monday, August 31 at 8 a.m. and it will remain open until Friday September 4 at 5 p.m. Applications and eligibility requirements available here.
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Public Hearings on Unemployment Insurance Benefits: This week, the Senate Labor and Business Committee will hold three hearings with the Employment Department to review the administration of Unemployment Insurance benefits, including benefits provided under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Follow along with the hearings by clicking the links below:
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2020 Census: You may have heard that the Census bureau will be closing their data collection earlier than planned, on September 30th. A complete count is vital to make sure Oregonians get all the federal funding and representation we deserve. If you have not yet completed the census, there are lots of ways to do so! It only takes 10 minutes to ensure that Oregon gets fair representation for the next 10 years! If you have friends or family in hard to count circumstances, like RVs, nursing homes, congregate living, rental homes, please share these resources to be sure we all get counted! There are no citizenship questions on the census, and it is available in multiple languages. You can complete the census online, by phone, or by mail. More information can also be found at Oregon2020Census.gov or 2020Census.gov.
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Fire Season Update: In this fire season, nearly 80 percent of wildfires in the Northwest have been human-caused. These include fire starts from unattended campfires, escaped debris burns, vehicles improperly towed, machine use, dry grass sparked by hot vehicles, home fires igniting nearby vegetation, and more. The Mosier Creek and Juniper Ridge fires were significant human-caused fires. The Oregon State Fire Marshal is encouraging all Oregoninans to stay mindful of fire risk through September and October, to help reduce our risk. Collectively we can make a difference to protect our communities and support firefighters across the region.
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SNAP Benefits Update: Emergency SNAP supplemental allotments will continue in September, which means all SNAP recipients will receive the maximum amount for their household size. These emergency SNAP benefits will be distributed on September 11th and additionally at the end of the month for those that were missed in the first distribution or new applicants. View fliers in English and Spanish.
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Legislative Work: Committee Chairs met this week to work on agendas and plans for September Legislative Days. We will be having virtual meetings of most committees throughout the last week of September. Agendas and instructions for remote testimony will be posted on OLIS.
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The young people in HD 29 are truly inspiring! Check out these articles about the amazing work our young people are doing for our community!
Yolanda has been an active member of our community for a while. After years in Adelante Mujeres’s Chicas program, she began working at the public library, and in particular in the bi-lingual readers program. Read more in the Forest Grove News Times.
Ella is an engaged member of the Hillsboro and Cornelius community! Serving on the Youth Advisory Committee, and, like Yolanda, volunteering at the public library! Read more in the Forest Grove News Times.
- Confirmed Cases: 6,004,443
- Deaths: 183,050
- Cases in the last 7 days: 288,876
- 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 26,946 total cases (confirmed and presumptive) of COVID-19.
- Today we have 243 new confirmed and presumptive cases, and 6 new deaths.
- Saturday, August 29: 252 cases, 7 deaths
- Sunday, August 30: 269 cases, 4 deaths
- Monday, August 31: 162 cases, 1 death
- A total of 465 Oregonians have died from COVID-19.
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Washington County still has one of the highest case counts at 3,822 confirmed cases, including 42 new cases today. You can review on-going updates from OHA by clicking on the table below.
- 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.
Table showing Oregon case, testing and demographic data, link to more information
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School meals: Today, the USDA announced that it has reversed course and will extend school meal waivers through the end of the year. This reversal will mean that kids can continue to access school meals at nearly 80,000 sites across the country during the pandemic. You can read more about the USDA’s decision here.
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Keeping Safe in College Dorms: Oregon Health Authority recently provided this helpful list of tips for staying safe in college dorms.
- Stay at least six feet apart from people you don’t live with. This may mean taking turns when using elevators or stairwells, or when using shared living spaces like a bathroom, kitchen, laundry or exercise room.
- Wear a mask or face covering in shared spaces with people who don’t live with you.
- Keep visitors to a minimum, just like you would at home. Indoor gatherings are still limited to 10 people or fewer.
- Practice good hand hygiene.
- Don’t share food, dishes, glasses or eating utensils.
- Don’t place personal items like toothbrushes on shared surfaces like sinks or counters. Put these items in a tote you can carry to avoid touching the surface.
- You can find more tips on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
- Oregon schools also maintain their own pages about COVID-19 safety regulations. You can find links to these pages on Oregon’s Higher Education Coordination Commission website.
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The Joint Committee on Transparent Policing and Use of Force Reform will meet on September 3rd at 1pm to discuss legislative solutions for public safety reform. Instructions for testimony will be posted on the committee webpage. Some of the Concepts up for discussion are:
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LC 742 (LC 17): Regulates use of chemical incapacitants, kinetic impact projectiles and sound devices by law enforcement agencies.
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LC 743 (LC 18): Establishes requirements for peace officer uniforms. Establishes requirements for displaying identifying information on peace officer uniforms and for disclosing identifying information to public upon request.
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LC 746: Imposes limitations on arbitrators’ decisions concerning alleged misconduct by law enforcement officers. Prescribes method for selecting arbitrator to serve in arbitration proceeding concerning law enforcement officer misconduct. Establishes Commission on Statewide Law Enforcement Standards of Conduct and Discipline to adopt uniform standards of conduct for law enforcement officers and disciplinary standards by which law enforcement agencies and arbitrators shall make determinations regarding imposition of disciplinary action against law enforcement officers. Removes discipline guide or discipline matrix as mandatory subject of bargaining. Requires law enforcement agencies and arbitrators to comply with uniform standards established by Commission on Statewide Law Enforcement Standards of Conduct and Discipline when making decisions regarding law enforcement disciplinary matters. Restricts arbitrator discretion to impose disciplinary action that is different than disciplinary action imposed by law enforcement agency if agency’s action was made in accordance with uniform standards adopted by commission.
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LC 747 (draft LC in progress for 2021 Legislative Session): Relating to arrestee well-being.
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LC 762 (LC 19): Directs Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to establish publicly available database of certain information about misconduct and discipline of public safety employees established by the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. Requires reporting of complaints, allegations, charges, disciplinary proceedings, certain judicial findings and prosecutorial determinations of unreliability, suspensions and revocations of certification and certain resignations of public safety employees to the department for inclusion in the database.
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LC 763 (LC 20): Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to establish statewide database of reports of use of physical force by peace officers and corrections officers. Requires commission to report annually to the appropriate committee or interim committee of Legislative Assembly on reports. Requires law enforcement units to report on use or threat of physical force, and deaths of persons in custody, to commission.
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LC 821 (draft LC in progress for 2021 Legislative Session): Relating to identifying patterns or practices of misconduct by peace officers or by officials or employees of any governmental agency.
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LC 825 (draft LC in progress for 2021 Legislative Session): Relating to qualified immunity.
Governor Kate Brown’s Unified Law Enforcement Plan to Protect Free Speech and Bring Violence to an End in Portland
Governor Kate Brown released a unified law enforcement plan to protect free speech and bring violence and arson to an end in Portland. The plan would deploy additional state and local personnel, and federal resources to give the Police Bureau the investigative capacity to arrest and charge those individuals who have engaged in violent or destructive acts and endangered public safety. You can read her full statement here. The plan involves all levels of law enforcement who have agreed to the following:
- The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute serious criminal offenses, including arson and physical violence.
- The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office will work with system partners to hold individuals booked for violent behavior, and to ensure that there is adequate jail space to hold such individuals.
- As done previously, Oregon State Police will detail personnel and resources to Portland to free up the Portland Police Bureau’s investigative capabilities to arrest and charge those engaging in violent acts. OSP troopers will continue their standard practice of wearing body cameras to allow for the documentation of their activities.
- The Governor is asking Clackamas and Washington County Sheriff’s Offices and the City of Gresham Police Department to support the Portland Police Bureau with personnel and resources to keep the peace and protect free speech.
- Oregon State Police have offered over two dozen body cameras and associated evidence management to the Portland Police Bureau, and the Bureau will evaluate their use. The City of Portland has agreed to indemnify Clackamas and Washington Counties and the City of Gresham for law enforcement assistance. In addition, the Mayor will seek financial resources to reimburse these jurisdictions for their support.
- The United States Attorney and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will commit additional resources for investigation of criminal activity.
Employers and Employees
Education Links
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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.
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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