You can read our previous newsletters here.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Governor Brown announced this morning that vaccine eligibility has been expanded to include ALL Oregonians over age 16, starting on April 19.  This is very good news for Oregonians and I hope that you will consider getting a vaccine as soon as possible.  Please see the "Vaccine Updates" section below for more information.

We have been working very hard this week to pass meaningful legislation that addresses the multiple crises our state is facing.  Last night the House passed House Bill 2006, of which I am proud to be a sponsor.  This bill provides more flexibility for local governments to site emergency shelters. Today we passed House Bill 2009, which extends protections for homeowners by expanding the Eviction Moratorium until July 1, 2021.  And two of my bills, House Bill 2985 and House Bill 2953, are scheduled for votes on the House Floor this week.  HB 2985 addresses the issue of transportation accessibility for people with limited mobility, and HB2953 promotes the oversight of community-based structured housing programs. 

Committee Assignments 

Joint Committee On Ways and Means

Joint Committee On Transportation - Co-Chair

House Committee On Agriculture and Natural Resources

Joint Committee On the Interstate 5 Bridge - Co-Chair

Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Education - Co-Chair

2019-2020 Joint Emergency Board 

How to Participate

Watch all Oregon State Legislature Live-Streams and Meetings HERE

Track all 2021 Session Bills HERE

Instructions for how to testify:   English instructions here Aquí están las instrucciones

Bill Updates and Highlights

House Bill 2954 - Charter School Weighting 

This bill allows public charter schools to implement a weighted lottery that favors historically underserved students when the number of applications for enrollment exceeds the capacity of program, class, grade level or building. It allows public charter schools to give enrollment preferences to students who were enrolled in the public preschool or prekindergarten program operated by the public charter school and to students who are at risk because of economic or academic disadvantage that requires special services or assistance. 

Weighted lotteries benefit Oregon charter schools by helping charter schools increase the diversity of their student bodies. Historically underserved students will experience more equitable access to these rich educational opportunities and all students will experience a richer learning environment. And, according to the Century Foundation, such learning environments lead to stronger academic outcomes.

• This bill passed in a work session today in the House Committee on Education today and is headed to the House Floor for a vote.

House Bill 2935 - The Crown Act

This bill limits the authority of school districts to become members of voluntary organizations that administers interscholastic activities unless the organizations implements policy that prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin. This bill clarifies the meaning of race to include natural hair, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles for purposes of prohibited discrimination under antidiscrimination statutes. It clarifies that valid dress codes or policies may not have disproportionate adverse impacts on members of protected classes to the extent that is greater than the impact on persons generally.

The Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act prohibits discrimination based on hair style and texture. Similar legislation is in effect in California, New York, New Jersey, the City of Cincinnati, and Montgomery County, Maryland. Oregon currently prohibits school and workplace discrimination based on race, but the applicable definitions do not explicitly include hair type, texture, or style.

• This bill is currently in the House Committee on Judiciary.

News from Salem

House Democrats Vote to Protect Homeowners by Passing Foreclosure Moratorium

HB 2009 would reestablish a residential foreclosure moratorium and provide protections for homeowners during COVID-19 pandemic

SALEM, OR— As thousands of homeowners face the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oregon House of Representatives today passed House Bill 2009 to reestablish a temporary statewide moratorium on foreclosures.

The vote comes as Democrats push to provide financial relief for Oregonians most affected by the current housing crisis, economic recession and COVID-19 pandemic.

“Having a roof over your head is crucial to protecting the health and wellbeing of Oregonians,” said Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene), who carried the bill on the floor. “Providing homeowners with a safety net while they get back on their feet will give Oregonians the stability they need to move forward.”

HB 2009 provides several protections for homeowners, pausing foreclosure proceedings temporarily for qualifying borrowers, delaying payment requirements and lowering the exemption threshold. The bill reestablishes the moratorium through July 1, 2021 to small residential borrowers and gives the governor the ability to extend the moratorium for 90-day increments through the end of the year as the legislature anticipates federal relief distribution.

“Our ongoing recession has been the most unequal in modern American history,” said Rep. Julie Fahey (D-Eugene), the chair of the House Committee on Housing. “By advancing this residential foreclosure moratorium, we’re avoiding the mistakes of the Great Recession that caused generational harm for families, and we’re keeping Oregonians in their homes during the worst public health crisis of our lifetime.”

In 2020, there was a 250% increase in Americans who fell at least three months behind on their mortgage. The more than 2 million households in this situation nationally was at the highest point since the Great Recession in 2010.

The Legislature previously passed HB 4204 in June 2020 to place a moratorium on commercial and residential foreclosures through December 31, 2020.

Having passed the House 38 to 21, HB 2009 will move onto the Senate for consideration.

Oregon House Streamlines Path for Emergency Shelters

SALEM, OR— The COVID pandemic, recession, and devastating wildfires have worsened Oregon’s existing housing crisis over the past year, leaving thousands of Oregonians and their families with few places to turn. House Bill 2006, which passed the Oregon House this evening, will help local communities provide emergency shelter in a time of great need. 

“The Oregon Legislature has recognized that our housing crisis is an emergency, and we’ve taken bold steps to address it,” said House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), the bill’s chief sponsor. “Unfortunately, too many cities and towns still have had difficulty establishing locations for shelters due to complicated red tape. Those delays can cost people their lives, especially in the winter months. This bill will reduce many of these process barriers so we can get people into shelter quicker.”

On a temporary basis, House Bill 2006 will give local governments more flexibility in siting emergency shelters to assist unhoused Oregonians. Shelters would still have to comply with applicable building codes, have adequate transportation access, and not pose any identifiable public health or safety concerns for the people being served.

In 2019, the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department found that 64 percent of the nearly 16,000 people experiencing homelessness in Oregon were living in unsheltered locations, meaning more than 10,000 individuals are estimated to be sleeping outside on any given night. The agency also calculated a shortfall of 5,800 emergency shelter beds for individuals and families.

Bold action is required to address Oregon’s housing crisis, and House Bill 2006 is part of a broader agenda to increase affordable housing, address homelessness, and support homeownership.

Last week, the Oregon House unanimously passed House Bill 5042, which includes $18 million for low-barrier emergency shelters in Eugene, Salem, Bend, Medford, McMinnville, and Roseburg. These facilities, known as navigation centers, will be open seven days per week to connect homeless individuals and families with health care, housing, and public benefits.

House Bill 2006, which passed 54 to 4, now goes to the Oregon Senate for consideration.

Vaccine Updates

Governor Kate Brown Expands COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility to all Oregonians over 16, Effective April 19

(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today announced that all Oregonians over the age of 16 will be eligible to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine on April 19. The Governor issued the following statement:

“We are locked in a race between vaccine distribution and the rapid spread of COVID-19 variants. Today, Oregon will pass the threshold of 2 million vaccine doses administered. And yet, in communities across Oregon, COVID-19 is spreading at concerning rates. We must move as quickly as possible to get more shots in arms. Beginning April 19, all Oregonians over the age of 16 will be eligible to receive a vaccine.

“However, whether before April 19 or after, it’s critical that we continue to focus on equity in our vaccine distribution efforts. Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and communities of color have been disproportionately hard-hit by this disease. We must reach Oregonians where they are, including those who may not have easy access to health care or the ability to take time off from work.

“Over the next two weeks, we will dedicate all available resources to ensure Oregon’s frontline workers and people with underlying conditions have access to vaccines––two groups in which Oregonians from communities of color are predominantly represented.

“My office will work closely with the White House to ensure Oregon receives our fair share of federal vaccine supplies, so we can continue with a fast, fair, and equitable vaccine distribution process.”

Later today, the Governor’s Office and the Oregon Health Authority will announce county risk level movements based on the continued spread of COVID-19 in Oregon.

Getting the vaccine is safer than having COVID-19

How to find a COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon webpage available to help

COVID Updates

National Numbers: 

• Confirmed Cases: 30,213,759
• Deaths: 548,162
• These national numbers come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  You can view their national and state by state data here.
•  

Oregon Status Report: 

• Oregon now has 167,337 total cases (confirmed and presumptive) of COVID-19. 

• Today we have 1,115 new confirmed and presumptive cases, and 9 new deaths. 
• A total of 2,409 Oregonians have died from COVID-19 (previous daily case updates from OHA here)

• Washington County has 22,526 confirmed cases, including 226 deaths.  
• The Oregon Health Authority recently provided a Public Health Indicators Dashboard to enable communities across Oregon to monitor COVID-19 in the state. The dashboard, which will be updated weekly on Thursdays, provides a transparent report that presents complex epidemiological data in an interactive, easy-to-understand way on a state and county level

Latest COVID-19 forecast shows Oregon must stay vigilant

The latest COVID-19 forecast shows that the virus is spreading faster. There was a considerable increase in transmission through mid-March with an estimated reproduction rate of 1.12. That means that every person infected with the virus is spreading it to more than one additional person.

If this level of transmission continues, the state can expect to see new daily hospitalizations increase to 17 for the two-week period between April 7 and April 20.

If the more contagious variants take hold or if we relax our vigilance and transmission increases by 20% over the same period, daily hospitalizations will increase to 27.

But, if people in Oregon stay the course and do what we’ve done before – flatten the curve – then transmission will drop by 20%, and we will see a decline in new daily hospitalizations to 11.

Around Washington County

Hybrid Learning for students in grades 3-6 starts in Hillsboro this week!

April 5, 2021 - Our intermediate and upper-level elementary students return to the classroom this week! As a reminder, their weekly schedule is below. 

Grades 3-6 Hybrid (start date of April 5, 2021) 

Daily start time: 7:45 a.m., 8:15 a.m., or 8:45 a.m.; daily end time: 12 p.m., 12:30 p.m., or 1 p.m. (please see the Return-to-School Dashboard for information by school)

Breakfast and lunch available

Please remember that students should not be dropped off at school more than 15 minutes in advance of the daily start time. This is greatly appreciated and will ensure we have adequate supervision in place for their arrival. 

For information on school meals, please visit www.hsd.k12.or.us/nutrition, and for other return-to-school information, please visit the 2020-21 School Year page on our website. 

Special Shout-Out!  Century High School staff members Wayne   Bohm, Scott Thomas, and Mason Wright, along   with fellow staff and students, recently started a   food pantry to help community members in need.   They are currently seeking partnerships with   local  businesses and organizations, and are   always looking for more donors and sponsors so   they can expand their services to more families   in  the Century feeder area.  Requested food items include boxed meals   (macaroni and cheese), rice, dried beans, soups,   chili, pasta, pasta sauce, cooking oils, cereal, tortillas (corn or flour), bouillon powder (tomato and chicken), cooking stocks (beef, vegetable, chicken), peanut butter, etc. Contact Mason, Scott, or Wayne directly to arrange a drop-off time at the school. You can also make a direct donation to Century’s ASB account through their Web Store portal.  Way to go and thank you so much for spearheading this effort, Wayne, Scott, and Mason!

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Virginia Garcia receives major boost from American Rescue Plan

This is a summary of an article in the Forest Grove News-Times, which can be read here.

Among a group of 30 health centers in Oregon to receive aid from the federal government, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center received an award of $10 million from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan passed last month.

The money will be used for "expanding access to COVID-19 vaccines and testing, increasing CHC's ability to reach and serve at-risk populations, expanding health care workforce in order to ensure access to both COVID-19 services as well as primary care, making critically needed infrastructure updates and improvements and increasing community outreach and education activities," according to a release from the health center.

Over a year's time dealing with the pandemic, Virginia Garcia has focused on access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines for typically underserved communities, particularly the Latinx community. The health center formed a mobile COVID response team that allowed them to serve community members where they live, and also holds vaccination events twice a week at various locations throughout Yamhill and Washington counties.

The grant will go a long way in those efforts as the fight against the virus forges on.

Forest Grove offers further assistance for local small businesses

This article can be found here in the Forest Grove News-Times.

Forest Grove is continuing to offer financial assistance for local businesses.

The city recently announced a second round of its Marketing Design Services Assistance Program through the Washington County Business Recovery Center, hosted by Adelante Mujeres.

The Business Recovery Center is partnering with local designers to support re-entry to the local market through design services including the creation of menus, flyers, logos, brand identity and website development.

The latest round of aid is one of more than a handful of assistance programs offered by the organization since the onset of the pandemic, including but not limited to:

• Free legal services, which in addition to individual business legal counseling, offered — by way of the Small Business Legal Clinic — presentations on topics such as risk reduction and navigating COVID-19 regulations.

• Electronical mapping of local businesses so as to provide consumers necessary information about participating merchants' products and services in a centralized location.

• Small business outdoor expansion permits, which allowed small businesses to expand into one adjacent public parking stall for dining and retail sales.

• Free and discounted marketing services via Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, which allowed for existing or burgeoning businesses with a product or service to gain access to the type of valuable research for little or no cost, opposed to what might normally cost them a relatively significant amount.

The city recently announced a second round of its Marketing Design Services Assistance Program through the Washington County Business Recovery Center, hosted by Adelante Mujeres.

The Business Recovery Center is partnering with local designers to support re-entry to the local market through design services including the creation of menus, flyers, logos, brand identity and website development.

The latest round of aid is one of more than a handful of assistance programs offered by the organization since the onset of the pandemic, including but not limited to:

• Free legal services, which in addition to individual business legal counseling, offered — by way of the Small Business Legal Clinic — presentations on topics such as risk reduction and navigating COVID-19 regulations.

• Electronical mapping of local businesses so as to provide consumers necessary information about participating merchants' products and services in a centralized location.

• Small business outdoor expansion permits, which allowed small businesses to expand into one adjacent public parking stall for dining and retail sales.

• Free and discounted marketing services via Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, which allowed for existing or burgeoning businesses with a product or service to gain access to the type of valuable research for little or no cost, opposed to what might normally cost them a relatively significant amount.

The Marketing Design Services Assistance Program is a temporary program and the BRC has a total of $6,000 that will be invested to support various businesses.

Forest Grove economic development manager Jeff King spoke to the importance of the various programs late last year.

"Obviously, a lot of people are struggling to stay in business," King said. "So we want to help as much as we can. Is it enough? We don't know that, but it's helping people from closing their doors, and that's a good place to start."

Funding and capacity are limited, so interested business owners need to apply by completing the application form at forestgrove-or.gov.

Questions regarding the program should be directed to Jeff King at 503-992-3293 or by email at jking@forestgrove-or.gov.

Wildfire Recovery

Wildfire Recovery Resources:

OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:

• Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
• Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
• Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
• Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
• Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
• U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
• U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
• Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
• Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
• SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
• State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
• Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
• Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
• Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
• Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
• Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.

The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page.  It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees.  This website will be updated regularly.  

Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.

The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.  

FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.

• How to Appeal a FEMA Disaster Assistance Decision
• Oregonians Affected by Wildfires: Flood Risk and Insurance; Fraud Awareness
• FEMA Rental Assistance May Be A Valuable Housing Solution for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
• Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for FEMA Disaster Assistance
• What to Expect When Applying with FEMA
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
• Look Out for Disaster Fraud, Scams
• Understanding a FEMA Determination Letter, How to Appeal

• FEMA Approves Direct Housing Mission

• Apply with FEMA Even if You Have Insurance

Additional Resources

Employers and Employees

• Unemployment options at https://unemployment.oregon.gov/
• Apply Online: https://secure.emp.state.or.us/ocs4/index.cfm
• FAQs: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/frequently-asked-questions
• Contact Form: https://unemployment.oregon.gov/contact-us
• Work Share program at oregonworkshare.com
• The Oregon Labor and Industries Technical Assistance for Employers page at https://www.oregon.gov/BOLI/TA/pages/index.aspx  has information about employer obligations and responsibilities.
• Business Oregon has a robust list of financial resources including non-bank lenders at https://www.oregon4biz.com/Coronavirus-Information/ 
• The US Small Business Administration offers disaster assistance in the form of SBA loans to designated states. Information about these loans is available at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/Index 
• The latest COVID-19/Coronavirus information on resources for workers and business owners is available at https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/coronavirus2020.aspx 
• Oregon Secretary of State’s business resources can be found at www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness or you can email questions to business.sos@oregon.gov. 

Education Links

Hillsboro School District (en inglés y español) 

Forest Grove School District (en inglés y español) 

Oregon Department of Education

COVID-19 Resources for Oregon Higher Education Partners

Local Government

City of Hillsboro (en inglés, español y más idiomas) 

City of Cornelius (en inglés, español y más idiomas)

City of Forest Grove (Personal que habla español disponible en este número: (503) 992-3221)

Washington County

Utilities Assistance

Portland General Electric (en inglés y español) 

NW Natural

City of Hillsboro Utility Billing 

Comcast 

CenturyLink

AT&T 

City of Forest Grove

Food and Housing Assistance

Community Action.org

Oregon Food Bank

Meals on Wheels

Easter weekend at the beach with my daughter, Emily!  We are both fully vaccinated and enjoyed the Oregon Coast.

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain