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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am deeply sad and angry to share that Senate Republicans have broken the trust of Oregonians by walking out on the legislative process yet again yesterday. This is unacceptable – it hurts Oregonians. I will keep my commitment to continue to work diligently to pass critical legislation - on COVID recovery, wildfires, housing, education - and to develop Oregon's budget for the next two years to support families across the state. I encourage you to read my statement below.
Earlier this week, the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis released the latest quarterly economic and revenue forecast. There is plenty of reason to be hopeful about the recovery of the economy as we move through the rest of this year, and the numbers of closed businesses and permanent lay-offs are not as severe as we feared.
This forecast allows us to be optimistic, but we cannot lose sight of the harm that has come to so many Oregonians, especially our marginalized and historically underserved neighbors. The work continues to make sure that we can preserve the critical services Oregonians rely on to thrive, and make smart investments in our future.
For more, visit the Office of Economic Analysis blog and access the latest forecast documents here. You can find my full statement on the forecast release below.
Vaccination Tools for Oregonians:
You’ve probably heard about covidvaccine.oregon.gov by now – the site that provides Oregonians with information about vaccine safety, current sequencing plans, frequently asked questions and public health protocols that will help slow the spread of COVID-19 while we work toward achieving community immunity.
I have heard from many constituents about the difficulty in accessing vaccines, and I will continue to press for more efficiency in delivery as vaccines become more widely available. If you’re having trouble navigating the tools the website offers, or you’re not sure where to start, the Oregon Health Authority has provided the table below to help you identify how you can learn more about getting vaccinated.
Vaccines for the Intellectual and Developmental Disability Community:
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who need help getting to a vaccine clinic have a couple of options available. If you are enrolled in Oregon Health Plan (OHP), you can use Non-Emergent Medical Transportation (NEMT) to get to a clinic and get back home. You can call the brokerages directly to schedule a ride.
If you receive Medicaid-funded in-home support through the Office of Developmental Disabilities Services, you can ask your Medicaid-funded in-home provider to take you to a clinic and to wait with you at the clinic.
Vaccines Are Safe:
It’s not unusual to be concerned about side effects of a vaccine, especially a new one. But side effects after COVID-19 vaccination “are normal signs that your body is building protection,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The COVID-19 vaccines were developed in record time, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t safe. These vaccines went through rigorous testing before being offered to the general public, and adverse reactions have been found to be very rare.
If you have questions about the vaccine and possible side effects, take some time to read this FAQ published by the Oregon Health Authority.
Small business with 20 or under employees - available Feb. 24-March 10, 2021:
In order to reach the smallest businesses, SBA will offer Paycheck Protection Program loans to businesses with 20 or less employees and sole proprietors only from Wednesday, February 24 through Wednesday, March 10, 2021. President Biden has also announced additional program changes to make access to PPP loans more equitable.
If you need to find a lender, use this link to get matched with a lender, or search for lenders in your area. If you have not received a PPP loan before, First Draw PPP Loans are available to you. If you have previously received a PPP loan, certain businesses are eligible for a second Draw PPP Loan.
Our community continues to recover from the historic storms, identified by PGE as a 40 year event, that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of Oregonians - including me and my extended family. Although power has been restored to most residents of Clackamas County, about 1,100 customers are still waiting for the lights to come back on. Please continue to check on your friends and neighbors who may be without power or heat, and visit the Clackamas County website if you need help.
PGE is in the final phase of restoration with repairs that restore power to only a handful of customers at a time versus the thousands that each repair restored last week. Right now, when crews fix each issue, it’s bringing an average of 3 customers back.
Those wishing to keep up with the latest updates should visit PGE's Storm Info website.
This week I am recognizing our hundreds of PGE workers who have been working diligently to restore power to the thousands of PGE customers across the state who lost electricity after our recent winter storms. We greatly appreciate the hard work you are doing to support our community during this tough time.
I also want to recognize the community volunteers who have taken time to help clear tree debris, working alongside city staff and contractors to clean up in this time of need. As always, I'm so proud to be part of a community that takes such good care of one another. Thank you!
If there’s anything the past year has taught us, it’s the importance of being prepared for the unexpected. For extra help with this, visit the Red Cross website to learn from trained Red Cross subject matter experts as they present basic preparedness information including how to make or build a preparedness kit, make an emergency plan with your family and learn what to do before, during and after disasters of all kinds, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Register for an upcoming presentation at this link.
As always, please let me know if you need any assistance. My office and I will work to connect you with resources and get your questions answered as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
 Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner
Senate District 19
email: Sen.RobWagner@OregonLegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1719
address: 900 Court St NE, S-223, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wagner
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