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Hello Neighbors and Friends,
As frustrating as it is for each of us to wait our turn for scarce vaccine supplies, the overall news is that Oregon is doing well. We remain the second lowest of all the states in our infection rates and our hospitalization and death rates have fallen dramatically over the last two weeks. Our progress is a real tribute to the perseverance and sacrifice of Oregonians.
Lincoln County has been effective at acquiring and disbursing vaccinations, placing it among the top counties in the state. Meanwhile, Tillamook County has transitioned from Extreme Risk, through High Risk, directly to Low Risk which will have a positive effect on business and public gatherings. Yamhill County is headed toward High Risk from Extreme as well.
That’s the good news.
My frustration this week is that regions like ours that are doing well are being asked to wait while other parts of Oregon catch up. The reason is that we have already vaccinated the highest priority recipients - the so-called “1a” population of first responders, medical professionals and educators. That has allowed us to begin administering vaccines to people further down the priority list. But the State has now decided to focus in areas that haven’t reached the 1a population yet.
Portland, with 43% of the state’s population will receive 60% of the doses next week. Meanwhile, seniors on the waiting list here will continue to wait.
I certainly understand that there are large eligible groups in the state’s healthcare and education hubs in and around Portland that haven’t seen shots yet. And I understand the goal of covering all 1a workers before moving to 1b. But here in our district, we have the highest concentration of seniors. We also have the highest unemployment statistics. Continuing to administer vaccines will help our health, our economy, and our general wellbeing. Our counties should be rewarded rather than punished for their good work.
“Other counties have done a fantastic job and have finished their first round of vaccines for Phase 1A populations,” the governor said in a social media post, “and we will push to give first doses to all Phase 1A individuals statewide before February 8.” The problem is allocating scarce resources. Everyone wants a chance to get protected from the coronavirus and fighting over places in line serves no one’s interest. I’ll push to get vaccinations flowing to the coast again as soon as possible and in quantities that reflect our population of the next wave of recipients.
Wildfire Recovery – How You Can Help: Over the weekend I visited the distribution center at the Salmon River Grange where fire victims can receive help with clothing, food, and household supplies. I also stopped by the Command Center in Otis where property owners and volunteers continue to clear debris. Each day I watch ongoing cleanup and support in my own neighborhood where a third of the homes are gone, and most properties were fire damaged.
Since Labor Day, our communities have opened their homes, their wallets, and their hearts to help those affected by the wildfires. Part of the response has come from the State. But a more meaningful response has come from people helping people.
I asked local organizers to describe their greatest need. I was told that workers onsite numbered about 15 on weekdays and 50 on weekends. They need more volunteers to help shovel ash into bags for removal. And they need lunch meals for those workers. The Grange is on Highway 18 at Northbank Road and Command Center is off North Bank Road near the yellow school bus on Yodel Lane. To get involved, call the distribution center at 541-961-5706 or the Command Center at 541-418-2773.
The new House Special Committee on Wildfire Recovery is beginning its work on legislative solutions to support Oregonians affected by the Labor Day wildfires. Livestreaming of the meeting will be available here.
The committee will hold two virtual public hearings in mid-February to hear directly from wildfire survivors in communities throughout Oregon about their post-fire experiences and needs related to shelter, clean-up, and rebuilding. These stories will help the committee identify where to focus efforts this legislative session.
- Monday, February 15th (5:30 – 8:30 pm): Canyon/Valley, Metro, Coast Regions
- Wednesday, February 17th (5:30 – 8:30 pm): Southern Region
If you have wildfire experiences, you can provide feedback by internet, phone, or in writing. You can also watch the hearings live or recorded later. For more information on the hearings, click here.
How to use OLIS: Your Legislature is open for business, although to prevent the spread of COVID-19, entry to the Capitol is currently limited to authorized personnel. Some would argue we are more accessible than past sessions since you can participate from home electronically. Others say that face-to-face connections are more effective. I think there is truth in both perspectives and hope that we can get the doors safely unlocked sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, we must take advantage of the opportunities available. Since we cannot take in-person public testimony during the pandemic, we are turning to technology to ensure transparency and public participation while prioritizing public health. Oregonians will be able to testify at every public hearing remotely, without having to worry about taking a day off work and driving to Salem.
- Sign-up to give testimony on a bill before its public hearing begins. You can testify remotely through a live video stream or by phone.
- Submit written testimony electronically through the legislative website or by email.
- Watch committee meetings and floor sessions live using the legislative website or watch recordings when it’s more convenient.
- Don’t have regular access to the internet? Have a different question? Call 1-800-332-2313 for assistance.
To participate or monitor the session, the Oregon Legislative Information System (also known as OLIS) is your best tool to track bills, watch legislative proceedings, and submit written testimony. Testifying virtually is something brand new for the 2021 session. We hope to have everyone back in the building later in the session, but until then this will be the way to voice your support and opposition to bills in committee.
To access OLIS click on Oregon State Legislature or copy and paste www.oregonlegislature.gov into your web browser. This is what the Oregon Legislature Homepage looks like:
The OLIS tab is on the right side of the page. Once you click on the OLIS tab, this is the page that will come up:
If you see the image above, then you are in the right place! From here you can look at previous legislative sessions, watch committees, search bills and find instructions on how to testify. For example, if you click on "Bills" in the right-hand corner a drop-down menu will appear where you can search for proposals by their bill number, a keyword search, or by sponsor of the bill. You can also click on "Committees" and a drop-down menu will appear where you can see a list of all the House, Senate and Joint Committees.
By clicking on a committee, you will see the committee membership on the left-hand side of the page and the previous and upcoming committee meetings on the right-hand side of the page. If you would like to watch a previous or upcoming committee meeting, a play or video icon will appear next to the committee meeting date. It looks like the image on the right.
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The Committee page is also where you will find information on how to testify virtually on bills. Before we provide information on how to do that let's answer a question we get frequently. "I'm interested in a bill and want to testify on it. How will I know when it's scheduled for a public hearing?" You can follow every bill and every committee by signing up for email updates. The link to sign up for email updates is on the top right-hand side of every committee page and every bill page. It looks like this:
You can register to speak on a bill once it has been scheduled for a public hearing. It is not possible to register to speak on a bill until it has been scheduled. Once the bill is scheduled you will need to go to the committee page that the bill is scheduled in. On the committee page on the right-hand side will be a short list of dates of previous and future committee meetings. Click on the date the bill is scheduled for a public hearing. Once that is clicked that day’s agenda will fill the screen. Here is an example of what this page might look like:
The top half of the page will list the bills scheduled for public hearings. The bottom half of the page has a link and additional instructions on how to testify virtually or by phone. Please follow these instructions. A confirmation email will be sent to you once you register. Our Legislative Policy and Research Office has also put together a list of important things to know before you testify. Please use this link for more information.
I understand this can be confusing. If you need help, please contact my office and we can help you navigate the system.
With the Session underway, my days are filled with remote committees, zoom conferences, and phone meetings. We send newsletters weekly and will try to keep you well informed. Thanks so much for your interest and concern for our special part of Oregon.
Best,
Representative David Gomberg
House District 10
email: Rep.DavidGomberg@oregonlegislature.gov
phone: 503-986-1410
address: 900 Court St NE, H-380, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gomberg
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