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If you're having trouble viewing this message, please visit my legislative web page at http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/prozanski/, click on "News" in the lower left-hand column and scroll down.
Dear friends,
While our country and state have undeniably turned a corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, recent upticks in cases and hospitalizations have caused many Oregon counties to move backward in their county risk levels. Lane County now qualifies for Moderate Risk but is given a two-week caution period at Lower Risk because it moved down from Moderate Risk in the last movement period. Douglas County remains at High Risk. This backtracking serves as a reminder to stay vigilant and continue to do our part to keep COVID-19 and its variants from spreading though our communities by masking up, maintaining safe social distancing, and frequently washing hands with soap and water. (Please see below for vaccine information.)
While the 2021 Legislative Session has had its challenges, from virtual meetings to COVID-19 protocols on chamber floors, the people's work is getting done. For instance, last week the Senate voted 27-1 to pass SB 405, which I co-carried on the Senate floor with my Republican colleague, Senator Fred Girod. This bill will help Oregonians whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the September 2020 wildfires, as well as event and other nonconforming-use permit holders whose events were cancelled by COVID or fire emergency orders. Under the bill, permit holders will have until September 30, 2025, to rebuild or reschedule instead of the standard one-year period.
One of the biggest disappointments during this pandemic is the health need to close the Capitol and maintain distances, which keeps me from meeting in person with constituents as I normally do during legislative session. I dearly miss having students and constituent groups participating in person in the legislative process.
That said, online meeting platforms have provided the next best thing. Despite a few technical difficulties, many more Oregonians have been able to access and participate in public hearings because they do not have to travel to Salem to get involved. Pictured below is a screenshot of a virtual meeting with constituents who participated in the Justice Recovery Alliance's advocacy week.
My morning committee schedule prevents me from joining Cameron Reiten on KNND's Beeper Show regularly during session, so it was great to visit with him during a special show on April 2 to share a mid-session update. I've also been chatting with Kyle Bailey on KQEN's "Inside Douglas County" about news from Salem and Oregon's COVID-19 response. You can listen to my latest interview with Kyle Bailey here.
Below you will find information on:
- Vaccine Information
- DMV Update
- LTD Adds Service Back to McKenzie River
- Roseburg VA to Hold Virtual Veterans Town Hall April 21
- Scam Alert: Don't Share Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card on Social Media
- Scam Alert: "Grandparent Scam" Fraudsters Now Coming to Front Doors
I hope this information is helpful and informative for you or someone you know. As always, feel free to share your comments, questions or concerns with me by phone, mail or e-mail.
Vaccine Information
Lane County
The county health authority is hosting three large-scale (mass) vaccination sites:
- Lane County Event Center (fairgrounds)
- Autzen Stadium parking lots
- Lane Community College
These sites require preregistration. Please visit Lane County's vaccination website for more information. Whitebird Clinic is also offering vaccines at the WOW Hall. Visit their website for more information and to register. Many private pharmacies in the area are also offering vaccine appointments.
Douglas County
The Douglas Public Health Network (DPHN) is coordinating vaccination opportunities and has a mobile clinic. Visit DPHN's webpage for more information. Many private pharmacies in the area are also offering vaccine appointments.
Finally, if you want to travel up to Salem, vaccines are available at the state fairgrounds –– no appointment required –– but you must be eligible. (All Oregonians 16 and older will be eligible by April 19.) If you make the trip to Salem, be sure to check out the cherry trees on the Capitol Mall!
DMV Update
Oregon DMV provided my office the following update on its work to improve customer service across the state amid COVID-19:
Field Offices
- Field offices continue to receive tens of thousands of Oregonians for weekly customer visits.
- Knowledge tests and drive tests also remain high, with thousands administered each week.
Title and Registration
- Title production remains constant, with around 20,000 titles issued weekly.
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Upfront imaging of title transactions continues to progress, with thousands of titles already entered into DMV's system. DMV says this does two significant things:
- 1) It allows more work to be distributed electronically to a larger number of staff, thereby reducing the overall transaction time; and
- 2) It allows staff to know where a specific transaction is at a given point in time, which will help as customers call in seeking update on their transaction.
- Title processing times are currently 19 weeks for in-state and out-of-state titles, and 15 weeks for mailed-in dealer titles.
Call Centers
- Since rolling out new artificial intelligence technology at DMV call centers in January, the department has seen a 40 percent reduction in the number of customers who receive an "all lines are busy" signal, indicating that more individuals are getting their questions answered by this system, allowing more complex questions to be handled by phone agents.
- Call center wait times remain between 35 and 40 minutes.
Finally, starting in early May, many Oregonians will be able to renew their driver licenses and ID cards online. This won't be available to everyone but it will be available for the "typical" renewal transaction, allowing folks to avoid the DMV if they don't want to go in. Beginning in May, folks should check out the DMV2U website to see if their renewal qualifies or if they need an appointment to come in.
LTD Adds Service Back to McKenzie River
Lane Transit District (LTD) has resumed bus service to four bus stops on Blue River Drive and six stops along McKenzie River Driver on Route 91 serving McKenzie River Highway (Highway 126), effective Monday, March 22. Service along both roads had been modified due to the Holiday Farm Fire.
Also, passengers on Route 91 along the McKenzie River Highway (Highway 126) are able to safely flag an LTD bus for a pickup. LTD says passengers are encouraged to use the bus stops on Route 91 and should only flag a bus if it is absolutely necessary. Flagged pickups are at the discretion of the bus operator based on their judgment to safely stop the bus on solid ground that is completely off the highway on a straightaway and not near a curve.
For more details about Route 91 service, contact LTD Customer Service at www.ltd.org or 541-687-5555.
Roseburg VA to Hold Virtual Veterans Town Hall April 21
The Roseburg VA Health Care System invites all Veterans, their family members and stakeholders to a Virtual Veterans Town Hall on April 21. This will be an open dialogue forum to update enrolled Veterans and beneficiaries about Veteran care and will allow the Veterans we serve an opportunity to be heard and have their questions answered. An agenda will be shared by moderators for all to view and follow along. Attendees are encouraged to participate via the web application's instant messaging feature to discuss agenda items.
Who: RVAHCS leadership will present facility update for enrolled Veterans and beneficiaries receiving care and services at the Roseburg campus.
When: April 21, 5 p.m. –– 6 p.m.
Where: Virtual via Cisco WebEx (access info below)
WebEx – Join Meeting Link: https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/veteransaffairs/j.php?MTID=m68befb5a3b851f3c7f8ce24026996426
Dial In: 404-397-1596, Meeting Number (Access Code): 199 523 1142; Password: Roseburg-2021
Scam Alert: Don't Share Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card on Social Media
Oregon's attorney general is warning Oregonians to avoid posting photos of their COVID-19 vaccine cards on social media. Your vaccination card has information on it including your full name, date of birth, where you got your vaccine, and the dates you got it. When you post it to Facebook, Instagram, or to another social media platform, you may be handing valuable pieces of information over to someone who could use it for identity theft.
Just by knowing your date and place of birth, scammers sometimes can guess most of the digits of your Social Security number. Once identity thieves have the pieces they need, they can use the information to open new accounts in your name, claim your tax refund for themselves, and engage in other identity theft.
If you are one of the more than 1.2 million Oregonians who have already received a COVID-19 vaccine, be sure to safeguard your card by storing it in a safe place. Treat your COVID-19 vaccine card like you would your passport. Do not carry it around with you. Experts also recommend that you take a picture of it with your phone, so you’ll have the information in your photo library, and email the photo to yourself as backup. Remember, don't share the photo online! Some experts have also recommended laminating the card, though there has been some concern about lamination because it would prevent information from future booster shots from being added.
For more information on how to avoid becoming a victim of a COVID-19 scam, visit www.oregonconsumer.gov/COVID19. There, you'll find tips on how to spot a COVID-19 scam, links to scam alerts, press releases and letters to social media companies like Twitter about the sale of fake vaccine cards. For more information on how to stay safe online, visit www.oregonconsumer.gov.
Scam Alert: "Grandparent Scam" Fraudsters Now Coming to Front Doors
In a new twist on an old scam, older adults all across the United States have been duped into handing over cash at their front door, thinking they're helping a loved one who is in danger. According to the Oregon Department of Justice, here's what you should know to stay safe.
In "grandparent scams," fraudsters pose as panicked grandchildren in trouble, calling or sending messages urging you to wire money immediately. They'll say they need cash to help with an emergency –– like paying a hospital bill or needing to leave a foreign country. They pull at your heartstrings so they can trick you into sending money before you realize it's a scam. In these days of Coronavirus concerns, their lies can be particularly compelling. Unlike earlier versions of the scam where callers tell victims they must send money by wire transfer or pre-paid gift cards or some other internet transfer, the caller says it's urgent and they'll come to the victim's home to collect the money.
How can you avoid grandparent scams or family emergency scams? If someone calls or sends a message claiming to be a grandchild, other family member or friend desperate for money:
- Resist the urge to act immediately – no matter how dramatic the story is.
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Verify the caller's identity. Ask questions that a stranger couldn't possibly answer. Call a phone number for your family member or friend that you know to be genuine. Check the story out with someone else in your family or circle of friends, even if you’ve been told to keep it a secret.
- Don't send cash, gift cards, or money transfers –– once the scammer gets the money, it's gone!
- Never open your door for anyone you don't know.
- Call the police immediately if you have reason to believe you’ve fallen victim to this scam.
If you have fallen victim to a scam, you can file a complaint online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call the Attorney General's Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392 and ask that a complaint form be mailed to you.
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