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Friends and Neighbors,
 After two recent confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the House floor that delayed our House floor sessions for a week, yesterday we were able to return to the building to work on the passing of bills. However, the House Republicans are still refusing to suspend the rules that keep us from having to read the full text of a bill before we can vote. We’ve been working for months (even before session started) on policies that will deliver real relief to struggling Oregonians. These non-stop slow down games by House Republicans are delaying bills and funding that will be critical to our recovery from the Labor Day wildfires and the pandemic recession. They’re also putting the health of all legislators, staff and their families at risk as we’re still fighting a global pandemic. When sent home last week due to the COVID exposure, I had to quarantine from my husband at home until my negative test results came in. Students and parents desperately need our support this summer, but the delay tactics are holding up $250 million in funding for summer learning and child care. Just like during the 2020 walkout, Republicans are trying to pick and choose which bills live and die. That is not how democracy works. We have a committee process that has seen increased public participation from across the state. Republicans are holding up dozens of bipartisan bills with these delays. Several of the bills that my office has worked on are bipartisan. The reading of the bills can be waived on a day by day basis. Tuesday’s 170 page bill for the OLCC, HB 2111, will take days to read, even when read by a computer. Democrats have attempted several times to pull the bill back and kill it to save time, with no support from Republicans.
COVID-19 Updates
Governor Kate Brown Announces Accelerated Timelines for COVID-19 Vaccination
Frontline workers and all Oregonians with underlying health conditions eligible April 5
Governor Kate Brown announced Friday that, in light of increasing vaccine supplies from the federal government and the progress counties and health care providers have made vaccinating seniors, Oregon will again be accelerating its timelines for COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for frontline workers and people with underlying health conditions.
In the past week, after attesting to largely completing senior vaccinations, 22 counties have begun vaccinating Oregonians in Phase 1B, Group 6. On Monday, March 29, Oregonians statewide in Group 6 will become eligible for vaccination, as previously scheduled.
Beginning Monday, April 5, all people in Phase 1B, Group 7 will become eligible for vaccination, two weeks earlier than previously planned. As previously announced, all Oregonians over the age of 16 will become eligible for vaccination no later than May 1.
“As we vaccinate our frontline workers and all Oregonians with underlying health conditions, we will work to make sure vaccines reach the communities that have been hardest hit by COVID-19: Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal and communities of color,” said Governor Brown. “With so many counties across Oregon ready to begin the next phases of vaccination, I am accelerating our vaccination timelines statewide rather than proceeding county-by-county.
“And, with increased supplies, expanding eligibility will allow health care providers and community-based organizations to be more efficient in their efforts to vaccinate hard-to-reach communities.”
 *For a list of frontline workers and underlying conditions as defined by the CDC, visit here.
Governor Kate Brown Announces 10-Point Economic Recovery Plan to Help Oregon Families and Businesses
Last week, Governor Kate Brown released a 10-Point Economic Recovery Plan for Oregon. The 10-Point Plan, which was developed with input from the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors and Racial Justice Council (RJC), builds on the work of local economic development districts across the state to help Oregon families and businesses. It provides a framework for economic recovery related to COVID-19 and wildfires, with a specific focus on strategically supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color communities.
The Governor also outlined her principles for the use of federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) resources, to guide state agencies and local governments in making investments that will maximize immediate benefits for Oregonians in an equitable way.
“Thanks in part to the passage of the American Rescue Plan, Oregon’s outlook for a rapid economic recovery is strong, if we act quickly to get relief to Oregonians," said Governor Brown. "We have the opportunity now to lift up Oregon families and businesses, by immediately investing state and federal resources to help them recover from the devastating economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic."
“We must do so by creating a more just and equitable Oregon, helping the communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and wildfires. By rooting our recovery efforts in equity, we can support economic growth for Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, and Tribal communities.
“My 10-Point Plan provides a roadmap for economic recovery, and will guide our state and local governments as we invest our shares of federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan. Aligning programs and activities funded through these dollars will help ensure we are coordinating, not duplicating efforts, and collaborating on what will make a difference in our economies.”
Between state and local governments, Oregon is slated to receive approximately $6.4 billion in federal funds from the ARP. The Governor also laid out her principles for making investment decisions with ARP… investments should be made now in a way that maximizes economic recovery efforts for Oregonians this year, while also addressing the existing disparities that were exacerbated by the pandemic, particularly for women and BIPOC communities.
“Oregon businesses have worked throughout the pandemic to do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19. We are pleased with the direction Governor Brown is taking with this plan to immediately invest state and federal resources towards shared prosperity and a robust recovery,” said Joth Ricci, CEO and President of Dutch Bros and Chair of the Oregon Business Plan Steering Committee. “Oregon businesses need both short-term relief and long-term investments like those in the Governor’s plan to help get our state back on its feet and thriving.”
"Without prioritizing equity we can not have social and racial justice," said Jan Mason, co-chair of the Community Chamber Coalition of Oregon. "I support the Governor Brown priority in grounding and leading with racial equity and justice. We simply cannot achieve economic justice and prosperity without these priorities."
The Governor applies these principles for equitable and rapid economic recovery in her 10-Point Plan:
- Action #1: Investing in Oregon’s hardest hit workers (those currently unemployed or underemployed)
- Action #2: Reinvesting in innovative housing
- Action #3: Supporting resilient rural communities
- Action #4: Supporting Oregon’s workforce (those currently employed but struggling)
- Action #5: Creating opportunities for Oregonians (workforce development)
- Action #6: Getting small business back on its feet
- Action #7: Investing in Oregon’s infrastructure
- Action #8: Oregonians investing in Oregon
- Action #9: Safely reopening Oregon’s economy
- Action #10: Innovation in manufacturing
Additional details on Governor Brown’s 10-Point Plan are available here.
These principles and 10-Point Plan are a starting point for conversations with the legislature, community stakeholders, the RJC, and the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors to develop a process for funding decisions related to ARP dollars. More information will be provided as decisions are made.
A breakdown of ARP allocations is available here.
Tax Updates
Department of Revenue Outlines Unemployment Benefit Tax Relief Steps
The Department of Revenue announced last week it will adjust the tax returns for Oregon taxpayers who have already filed their 2020 returns and are due relief from income taxes paid on recently exempted unemployment benefits earned in 2020.
“These taxpayers have already done what they were supposed to do. They filed their tax returns on time,” Revenue Director Betsy Imholt said. “We’re going to fix those returns to make sure these taxpayers get the proper refund under the new federal law.”
Oregon taxpayers, who received unemployment in 2020 and have not yet filed their tax returns, can do so now following the instructions the IRS recently provided.
“It’s rare that the department asks taxpayers to wait before filing their tax returns. In this case, it was necessary to give the IRS time to provide guidance and to allow e-file software providers time to update their software once Congress changed the law,” Imholt said.
The American Rescue Plan, signed into law March 11, exempts up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits received in 2020 per individual from taxes for households with less than $150,000 in modified adjusted gross income.
The change affects thousands of Oregon taxpayers who had already filed their state income tax returns, paying taxes on 2020 unemployment benefits, before Congress made the change to the tax code. Today’s announcement means those taxpayers do not need to take action to amend their returns. The department will correct it for them, and, in most cases, affected taxpayers will receive refunds or have a lower tax bill.
The department is still working out the details related to processing the corrections but expects to start adjusting returns next week. More information will be available in the coming days via the department’s American Rescue Plan frequently asked questions.
Most e-file software providers have indicated to DOR that they will have the necessary software updates in place beginning today. Taxpayers who have not yet filed should check with their tax preparer or software provider. More information about e-filing can be found on the agency’s website.
The deadline for filing and paying 2020 income tax returns has been extended by both the IRS and DOR until May 17, 2021.
To get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments, visit www.oregon.gov/dor or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. You also can call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish) or 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon. For TTY (hearing- or speech-impaired), we accept all relay calls.
Legislative Updates
House District 30 - 2021 Legislative Session Concepts
In order to provide information and updates on the policies that I am working on for the 2021 Session, this is a continuation of that series.
HB 2510: Safe storage of firearms. Gun violence is one of the most important public health issues we face today. In America, guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens. A significant portion of these gun deaths are suicides and unintentional discharges. These are deaths we could prevent if we kept firearms out of the hands of these kids and teens. That is why I am proud to be a Chief Sponsor of House Bill 2510, which passed out of committee yesterday afternoon and will move next to the House floor for a vote. HB 2510 holds gun owners responsible for securely storing their firearms. It is simple, if the gun is not in your control, it needs to be locked up and secured. If it is left unlocked or unsecured, the owner would be subject to a violation, no different from a traffic or parking ticket and places some of the financial liability on them when an improperly stored gun is used in a crime. The idea is that locking your gun, when not within your control or use, will become as routine and normal as putting on your seatbelt in the car before you drive.
Communities across Oregon are impacted by suicides and accidental gun deaths every year. In addition, improperly stored guns are used to commit crimes. The journey to get this bill to where it is today has been long. Each year that passes, the list of Oregonians who have lost sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and friends to gun violence grows longer. Every session, we hear new, tragic stories of a shining life cut short. Lives we can save. No method of suicide has a higher completion rate than suicide by gun. We cannot get dead children help. We cannot heal dead teens. But if we can keep them here, with us, we can help them. Keeping guns safely locked away is the only sure way to keep firearms away from vulnerable kids and teens.
Watch my Co-Chief Sponsors and I testify in the Public Hearing on HB 2510 from earlier this month. This testimony lays out exactly what this bill will do.
Capitol Diversity Equity and Inclusion Presentation
Written by Carol Suzuki, Operations Director, Senate Majority Office
I’m proud to send you a link to a Capitol Diversity Equity and Inclusion sponsored program from this past Friday, March 26. It was a showing of an award-winning student produced documentary on the life of Minoru Yasui and the Q&A session that followed. This program was also in observance of Minoru Yasui Day in Oregon which falls on March 28 annually. The program is now available for viewing on the Capitol YouTube channel and is approximately 30 minutes in length.
The young filmmakers Alan Zhou (Sunset HS, constituent of Sen. Johnson/ Rep. Witt) and Kyler Wang (Lincoln HS/constituent of Sen. Steiner Hayward/Rep. Dexter) are high school juniors who represented Oregon at the annual National History Day competition in Washington, DC in 2019 and 2020. Annually there are over 500,000 entries from across the United States that are narrowed down to 3000 and these impressive young men have come out on top with gold awards in the senior documentary category and have been recognized as National Endowment of History scholars two years in a row!
Link to program.
Intern Corner
Lily Donis, a Sophomore at Liberty High School, and one of three high school interns in my office, recently shared an update on her Mason bees and how her stations continue to grow.
This is year number seven for Lily Donis and her Mason bees! After starting with one station and 50 bees in the fifth grade, she is now up to over 1,000 bees and three stations. Mason Bees are a native bee to the Northwest, and hatch every spring with a life span of roughly 2 weeks. Like the name suggests, they are more famous for their use of mud, to create channels (traditionally in beetle burrows) where they lay their larvae which will spend roughly a year getting ready for their season. Unlike Honey Bees, they don't produce honey, have a queen bee, or live in a hive. Lily spends every season learning and investigating how the bees reproduce via observation and tracking how many larvae are in each channel. She is so excited for the season to start, and would love to answer any questions you have if you ever catch her in the Sonrise Community Garden!
Six Amazing Facts About Mason Bees
 Community Outreach
 WHAT IS UNCLAIMED PROPERTY?
From the Oregon Department of State Lands
Unclaimed property consists of abandoned financial assets such as checking and savings accounts, unpaid wages, securities, life insurance payouts, uncashed checks, and the safe deposit box contents that are without activity for a certain period of time. It does not include real estate or vehicles.
The organization holding the potential unclaimed property makes an effort to contact the owner and establish activity through an online login, written correspondence, a withdrawal or deposit, or an update to personal information. If these attempts do not produce activity, the asset is reported to the state of the owner’s last known address.
Unclaimed property laws began in the United States as a consumer protection program and they have evolved to protect not only the owners, but their heirs and estates as well. Once the state has custody of the asset, outreach efforts are made to locate the owners. Efforts may include mailings, press releases, advertisements and the use of social media. The state will maintain custody of the asset until the rightful owner or heirs come forward to claim.
Search for Unclaimed Property
Parent Speaker Series from Washington County Kids
 From Washington County Kids
Free presentations designed to provide useful information, tips, and tools for parents/guardians of children K-8
Register for one or all of the following sessions by clicking on the session title
(Puedes solicitar servicios de interpretación en español en el formulario de registro de Eventbrite)
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Tue, 4/6: Simple STEM Activities to do at Home: Helene Cuomo, STEM TOSA (Teacher On Special Assignment), Quatama/Tobias Elementary Schools
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Tue, 4/13: Positive Discussions when Dealing with Differences: Taking A Closer Look at Identity Factors That Impact Kids & the Family: Jocelyn Chavez, Sequoia Mental Health Services
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Tue, 4/20: How to help kids with homework (without doing it yourself): Christina Matousek, parent, and former teacher
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Tue, 4/27: Balancing Work, Life, and All the Rest: Jessie Ricker, Sequoia Mental Health Services
BIZ Walks with Cindy Cosenzo and Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce
Starts this Thursday! BIZ WALKS! A new "net-walking" opportunity for local businesses to connect and encourage each other. Hosted by Cindy Cosenzo of AgeCelebration in partnership with the Hillsboro Chamber, join us on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 12noon for a healthy informal way to learn about each other’s businesses while walking together outdoors. We will do an easy 2-mile route, masks on, socially-distanced, connecting outside in the open air — a perfect recipe to relax refresh and create new things together. Meet at the front doors of the Hillsboro Chamber office, 5193 NE Elam Young Pkwy, Suite A. Lots of parking available. Walk together, create together, grow together. Free, open to all businesses (Chamber membership not required). Register at https://web.hillsborochamberor.com/events/BizWalks%20-7494/details
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 Additional Resources
House District 30 Links
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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