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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Many of you saw the news out of Atlanta, Georgia this week about the shooting deaths of eight people, six of whom were women of Asian descent. It’s horrifying, shocking, and heartbreaking.
It’s especially devastating for our Asian and Asian American neighbors. These are particularly scary times because of racism associated with fears about COVID-19. Oregon is experiencing an increase in hate crimes, racist harassment, and vandalism directed at Asian and Asian American residents. From Asian and Asian American students being racially targeted in the early days of the pandemic, to recent vandalism targeting Asian businesses in the Jade District of Portland, this hate has to stop. This article from The Oregonian noted 40 bias crimes against Asian Americans in Oregon in the last year.
Please take a moment to listen to this Oregon Public Broadcasting interview with Rep. Khanh Pham, my colleague who represents NE/SE Portland. As she notes, there is sadly a lot of history in our country of targeting and dehumanizing Asian Americans, which has led to violence and death.
This op-ed is another a important read on this issue.
Let’s stop this hate. Let’s confront racism in all forms and call out any attempts to threaten or intimidate others. We should be coming together in this pandemic.
Lastly, if you are a member of the Asian American or Pacific Islander community who has experienced any harassment or threats, please consider reporting your experience here through Stop AAPI Hate.
Oregon state government functions on a two-year budget. We are in the last six months of the 2019-2021 budget, so this week the legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee is taking up the “rebalance” bills, which are the revisions we usually make to update the current budget before we finalize and approve the next two-year budget.
This year’s rebalance is unique because it comes during multiple crises and we are recommending investments to address some key issues – in addition to the regular agency adjustments we normally do.
As Oregon Public Broadcasting covered here, the budget package includes $18 million in critical funding to support six low-barrier emergency shelters (known as navigation centers) in areas where local governments have taken on new efforts to address unsheltered homelessness. These facilities are designed to be open seven days per week to connect homeless individuals and families with health services, permanent housing, and public benefits.
The funding for navigation centers will help the following communities:
- Eugene - $5 million
- Salem - $5 million
- Bend - $2.5 million
- Medford - $2.5 million
- McMinnville - $1.5 million
- Roseburg - $1.5 million
Many communities across the state are working to address the needs of their unhoused neighbors. These communities need this funding now so they can make their facilities operational by next winter.
This funding proposal comes from House Bill 2004, which still contains $27 million for grants to be distributed statewide to increase low-barrier shelter capacity, provide necessary facilities and amenities, and fund rapid rehousing services. You can read a full release from my office about this low-barrier shelter funding here.
The budget package also includes $250 million in funding for the Summer Learning and Child Care package, which I testified in favor of this week alongside Governor Brown and Senate President Courtney. You can watch the hearing here and read coverage from the Statesman Journal here.
We all know stories of the stress this last year has caused for kids: more emotional distress, more depression, and more anxiety as routines have been upended. The challenges have been greater for low-income families, children with special needs, single-parent households, and communities of color disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
Families desperately need this funding package for the summer. Many parents have had a full year of balancing full-time jobs with around-the-clock parenting to support distance learning or child care needs. It’s not sustainable for another summer.
With students getting back into the classroom this spring, we must facilitate a fulfilling summer for kids and their parents. For the students and parents who are reading, I know many of you are ready for this and will need access to more activities. Your legislature is stepping up to help school districts and community groups to meet the need.
The Oregon Health Authority released its latest COVID-19 Weekly Report, which can be read in full here. Here are some highlights:
- During Monday, March 8, through Sunday, March 14, 2021, OHA recorded 2,272 new cases of COVID-19 infection, up 31% from last week’s figure, with test positivity rising from 2.8% to 3.6%.
- Hospitalizations, however, have continued their steady decline since their peak (494) the week of November 30–December 6, with 130 Oregonians hospitalized with COVID-19 this past week, down from last week’s 5- month low of 139 the previous week.
- There were 26 Oregonians who died in association with COVID19, down from last week’s death toll of 86.
A couple of weeks ago, when signing up for a vaccination was really hard, public health officials urged Oregonians to be patient and said that the supply challenges would probably improve by mid-March. Well, yesterday OHA director Pat Allen announced that all adult Oregonians will be eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine after May 1.
This new eligibility timeline is two months ahead of schedule, which is great news. Governor Brown will have more to say on this topic tomorrow.
It’s also encouraging to see signs that some COVID-19 patients who had long-term symptoms, often known as “long-haulers,” are seeing their symptoms subside after getting the vaccine.
So, please continue to encourage others to get the vaccine when they are eligible!
Outdoor capacity limits have been updated for outdoor recreation and fitness, as well as outdoor entertainment. As of March 17, all Oregon counties may allow the following:
- Lower Risk: maximum 50% occupancy
- Moderate Risk: maximum 25% occupancy
- High Risk: maximum 15% occupancy
- Extreme Risk: maximum 50 people
For updated outdoor capacity limits, please refer to the Sector Risk Level Guidance Chart found here.
Early in the week, the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Education released an update to the Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance in order to facilitate the school re-openings recently announced by Governor Brown. Here are some key changes to the guidance:
- There’s a simplified table (page 15) showing how schools will use county case rates, case counts and test positivity rates to decide when to offer on-site or hybrid learning and when they might limit instruction to distance learning only.
- The updated guidance offers more detail about how schools provide Comprehensive Distance Learning to families that request it (page 13).
- There are some changes to the size and design of cohorts – these are the stable peer groups that students are part of during the school day (page 22).
- While elementary school students will continue to be checked for symptoms of or exposure to people with COVID-19 as they enter school, the new guidance allows middle and high school students to screen themselves at home (page 24).
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is providing free vouchers to well users for water testing to assess any damage from the 2020 wildfires. You can apply now through May 15, 2021 by going here.
How the well testing voucher works:
- Apply for a voucher online here or mail in a paper application, which can be found here.
- OHA recommends using this assessment here to determine the damage level and testing needs of the well.
- If your application is approved, OHA will mail you a voucher that covers the testing cost for arsenic, nitrate, bacteria, lead, and depending on the damage assessment results, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX).
- Exchange the voucher for testing services at an OHA-contracted lab in your area and submit a water sample.
- The lab will return the results to you and OHA. OHA will provide recommendations if results are high.
You can find more information, eligibility criteria and applications online here. The application deadline is May 15 2021. If you need more time, just let OHA know by going here. Contact domestic.wells@dhsoha.state.or.us or 971-673-0440 for questions.
- The Oregon Employment Department says most people receiving expanded benefits through the American Rescue Plan won’t experience any delay in payments as those programs kick in, The Oregonian reported here. The agency has more details here on how benefit programs are impacted by the new federal stimulus package.
- Portland Public Schools reached an agreement with the Portland Association of Teachers to return to in-person classes on April 1, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported here, as well as a look at how hybrid education will work at PPS here.
- There’s more encouraging news about Project Turnkey funding being used for emergency shelter. Here are recent examples in Klamath Falls, Medford and Pendleton.
- The Oregon Health Authority announced 393 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total of new and presumptive cases to 160,622. The OHA also reported four more deaths, meaning 2,353 Oregonians have died of the coronavirus. As of today, 501,434 Oregonians have been fully vaccinated. There have been 1,363,307 total doses administered. You can click the images below for links to interactive data tables about coronavirus and vaccines in Oregon.
To read past newsletters, you can go to this link. For up to date information, please check this link to the Oregon Health Authority where regular updates are posted: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ERD/Pages/News-Releases.aspx
Please email me at Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov if you have specific concerns that have not been addressed by the OHA. Our office will do all we can to help and protect all Oregonians.
Thank you for reading! We will get through this together.
Best,
Tina Kotek
State Representative
House District 44
Speaker of the House
email: Rep.TinaKotek@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1200
address: 900 Court St NE, H-269, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/kotek
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