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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you’ve been well over the few weeks since my last update. If you’re like me, time has felt distorted in the pandemic, and the ups and downs of the COVID news can be hard to track.
The bottom line of the news is this: Please get vaccinated. Ask you friends and family to get vaccinated. If we reach 70% of people vaccinated (fully or first shot), then almost all the pandemic restrictions will be lifted. This is re-entry time. Let’s get there!
Getting a vaccine has never been easier, and each Oregonian who makes this important public health decision is both saving lives and helping our economic recovery. It’s truly the fastest way to get back to life as we knew it before the pandemic given the positive research findings into vaccine effectiveness.
In Salem, this is a very busy time in the Legislature as we work toward our constitutional deadline of June 27. Policy committees are shutting down and the work mostly shifts to budgets and finishing out the session.
This week also marked the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. That horrible event has created an opportunity of transformational change that I work daily to support and seize for our collective future.
For example, the Oregon Legislature is on a path to pass at least 22 policing reform bills since Mr. Floyd’s death. This includes six bills signed into law last year, 12 bills already through one chamber this session, and another four bills awaiting budget consideration in Ways and Means. See here in a prior newsletter for details. The Oregonian also covered some of this significant work here.
I look forward to voting soon on House Bill 2002, a significant community-driven bill that would make much-needed public safety reforms and fund targeted investments to support work led by communities impacted by systemic racism in law enforcement. This bill takes a major step forward to reduce the unnecessary stops and arrests that have led to tragic consequences for people of color, like the ones that led to the deaths of Sandra Bland and Daunte Wright. The bill also helps people who have left prison to have a fairer chance to adjust to life back in the community.
More equitable systems and more justice are goals for this session, but that’s not only about public safety and policing.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 2001, which will require school districts make every reasonable effort to maintain proportion of teachers with cultural or linguistic expertise compared to teachers without cultural or linguistic expertise prior to making any layoff decisions relating to teaching staff
A common theme that many legislators have heard directly from students is the need to have teachers who reflect their own lived experiences. Nearly 40% of Oregon’s students identify as diverse. Those definitions only apply to 10% of educators.
House Bill 2001 is a contingency plan that allows districts to retain qualified, less senior teachers during a rare reduction in force. Seniority is an important protection for teachers. We also need a tool to ensure that we achieve a more culturally or linguistically qualified workforce.
You can watch the floor debate here (starting at 22:19). The bill is on its way to the Senate.
Governor Brown updated the statewide county risk metrics this week. Notably, Multnomah County has moved to “Lower Risk” today after the county reached a 65% adult vaccination rate and had their equity plan approved by the state.
Here is the full list of where each county stands:
Lower Risk (18): Baker (moved from High), Benton, Curry (moved from Moderate), Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant (moved from Moderate), Harney, Hood River, Lake, Lincoln, Morrow, Multnomah, (moved from High), Sherman, Tillamook (moved from Moderate), Union, Wallowa, Washington, Wheeler
Moderate Risk (3): Clatsop (moved from High), Coos, Wasco
High Risk (15): Clackamas, Columbia, Crook, Douglas, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Linn, Malheur, Marion, Polk, Umatilla, Yamhill
It’s a significant accomplishment that half of our 36 counties are now Lower Risk. For Multnomah County, the new risk level means the ability for restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters and other indoor venues to increase their capacity limits.
Most COVID-19 restrictions in the state will be lifted when 70% of Oregonians 16 and older receive at least their first vaccine dose. Counties are eligible for the option to move to “Lower Risk” when 65% of county residents 16 and older receive the first dose and submit a plan to close vaccination equity gaps.
As of today, 61.5% of the eligible population has been vaccinated statewide. Benton, Hood River, Washington, Multnomah, Lincoln and Deschutes counties have each reached the 65% threshold. You can view more details by clicking the image below. This page here has additional details on the Governor’s vaccine goals.
As the Multnomah County public health director said, continuing to mask until our vaccination rates rise will help ensure transmission goes down. There are still many Oregonians who have not gotten the vaccine, including medically vulnerable individuals, and reducing transmission will help prevent the proliferation of virus variants.
This is an equity issue. The Oregonian noted in this story that there are disparities in vaccination rates among Multnomah County residents, which is also a broader national trend. Continued masking can help ensure this trend doesn’t get worse while we collectively work to reduce these disparities.
Last week, state economists revealed the latest quarterly revenue forecast. This is the last forecast before the end of the session, meaning this latest analysis gives legislators the final roadmap for balancing the state budget.
The forecast brought welcome news of our strong economic recovery and puts us in a budget situation that is a world away from last year’s dire budget situation. Oregon Public Broadcasting covered this development here.
Here is my full statement on the latest forecast:
“Today’s forecast is stunning. A year ago, the world was in a free fall. Oregon’s decisions and investments in the face of converging crises have started an incredibly strong recovery.
“While Oregon’s economy is experiencing its strongest growth in decades, we must remember that too many Oregonians are struggling to pay rent or put food on the table. The legislature must seize this opportunity to deliver bold action and immediate relief for Oregon families. This forecast means we can make critical investments to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, advance racial equity, and address our housing and behavioral health needs.
“We must also recognize that the extended tax filing deadline and delayed information on the federal relief funds have created significant budget uncertainty. As we balance the state budget, we must maintain strong reserves to ensure we can adjust as needed.”
Governor Brown recently signed Senate Bill 282, which the Associated Press covered here. This is the extension of a grace period – from June 30, 2021 to February 28, 2022 – for Oregon tenants impacted by the pandemic to pay their back rent. Most Oregonians have been able to continue paying rent during the state of emergency. But despite the recent positive revenue forecast, we must recognize the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on low-income workers and this is a critical lifeline as the economic recovery continues.
Last week, the Senate approved an amended version of House Bill 2009 to reinstate the statewide foreclosure moratorium to protect thousands of homeowners impacted by the pandemic. The House concurred on those amendments, as The Oregonian reported here, sending the bill to Governor Brown’s desk.
Additionally, the House passed House Bill 2008 last week, which streamlines how religious organizations can use their property to build affordable housing. In my district, the faith community of Portsmouth Union started their journey in 2016 to develop their property to address the community’s need for affordable housing. They were only able to break ground in January 2021. I hope this bill, which is now in the Senate, will clear the path for religious organizations – many of whom own acres of land that can be converted to housing – to help provide more affordable housing in communities across the state.
Lastly, applications are now open for the Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program. The program will help eligible low-income households pay their rent and utilities. In most cases, approved applications will result in payments made directly to landlords and utility providers.
Check out the graphic below for instructions and go here if you wish to apply.
- The Oregon Health Authority announced 433 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the statewide total of new and presumptive cases to 200,210. The OHA also reported 21 more deaths, meaning 2,660 Oregonians have died of the coronavirus. As of today, nearly 1.8 million Oregonians have been fully vaccinated. There have been more than 3.8 million 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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