Budget discussions and Floor debates take center stage this week.

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

At this point in the Session, we are working hard to finish passing policy bills. We are holding 4 hours of Floor Sessions Mondays-Fridays this week.  Much of my focus has also moved to daily hearings and meetings on the Education Budget Committee. I continue to work to secure needed funding for our Pre-K, K-12, and Higher Education budgets. 

As you may have heard in the news, we will also be considering the serious issue of expelling one of our own lawmakers, something that has never happened in our State's history. As the video evidence shows, Representative Nearman colluded with, and then assisted armed white supremacist hate groups with entering the Capitol in December. This action put everyone’s safety and wellbeing at risk, especially the safety of our BIPOC staff and legislators. Just like the January 6th insurrection in D.C., we must hold leaders accountable when they break their oath of office and threaten our democratic institutions.  Representative Nearman must either resign or face expulsion. 

 

Rep. McLain

 

2021 Session Committee Assignments 

Joint Committee On Ways and Means

Joint Committee On Transportation - Co-Chair

House Committee On Agriculture and Natural Resources - Vice Chair

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 

committee hearing

 


How to Participate this Session

Watch all Oregon State Legislature Live-Streams and Meetings HERE

 

Track all 2021 Session Bills HERE

 

Cartoon of a bill  

Instructions for how to testify:

 

English instructions here

Aquí están las instrucciones


It's National Great Outdoors Month!

Crater Lake Poster

"America’s great outdoors, diverse landscapes, and pristine waterways are a limitless source of pride, inspiration, and sustenance of both body and soul — and an essential part of our national identity.  It is our shared responsibility as Americans to be good stewards of these irreplaceable treasures for our children and grandchildren, and for generations to come.  During Great Outdoors Month, we celebrate our Nation’s natural wonders, and rededicate ourselves to conserving nature’s splendor for all Americans and safeguarding our environment against the existential threat of climate change and other challenges.

Our Nation is blessed by an abundance of incredible outdoor spaces that provide opportunities for exploration, recreation, and rejuvenation.  From the Sierra Nevadas to the Ozark Trail to the Everglades — to local trails and parks in every part of the country — the outdoors inspire creativity, provide educational opportunities, and bring communities together.  This past year, so many of us have developed an even greater appreciation for the powerful role that outdoor spaces play in our physical and mental well-being — providing outlets for activity, solace, and connection in the midst of a devastating pandemic. 

Now more than ever, we must rise to meet the challenges of environmental degradation, climate change, and inequitable access to nature.  The natural world provides critical resources that sustain all life on Earth — from the air we breathe and the water we drink to the food we eat.  Ensuring that we maintain healthy ecosystems and a resilient planet is not just a matter of environmentalism.  It is also critical to our health, our safety, the security of our families, and the strength of our economy." - President Joseph R. Biden

*Oregon's a great place to celebrate the outdoors.  My children and grandchildren enjoy the mountains to the coast. - Susan


Bill Highlights and Updates

Senate Bill 562 A - Recognition of Tribal Adoptions

I was proud to join my colleagues in voting to codify provisions from the federal Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) into Oregon law. Senate Bill 562 A requires Oregon’s judicial system to recognize tribal customary adoptions, which ensure that Native children who are surrendered or placed for adoption can remain connected to their tribe. The bill is almost identical to House Bill 3182, which the House passed unanimously earlier this session, with the added clarification that it will not apply to juvenile case review hearings.

“The preservation of Indian families and communities is a top concern for our tribal communities,” said Rep. Tawna Sanchez (D- East Portland), who carried the bill on the House Floor. “For too many Native children in Oregon, the care that they are currently receiving while in state custody is not culturally appropriate and out of compliance with federal law. I am grateful that we were able to make this fix and preserve the years’ worth of work it took to get this bill right, so we can ensure Native children are getting the support they deserve.”

The legislation builds on work that was done during last June’s special session, with the passage of House Bill 4214, which passed unanimously in both chambers and, among other provisions, requires the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide biennial reports about American Indian and Alaska Native children in the child welfare system.

 “Adoption or the surrender of children is already an issue that can be traumatic for a child,” said Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley), who co-sponsored the legislation. “This legislation will ensure a greater degree of cultural competency during the proceedings, and allows children to remain in a place where their culture is not only recognized, but honored and celebrated.”

SB 562 A, which passed with unanimous support, now moves to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

 

Senate Bill 8 - Expansion of Affordable Housing

The Oregon Legislature approved a bill Tuesday aimed at increasing Oregon’s supply of affordable housing. Senate Bill 8, introduced by Senate President Peter Courtney, makes it easier for affordable housing to be built in cities across Oregon by removing barriers faced by developers, cities, and nonprofits.

The bill expands where affordable housing can be built by allowing developments to be sited on land zoned for commercial uses or that is owned by public or religious entities. It also increases the impact of housing investments by allowing affordable housing to be developed at greater densities on land already zoned for residential uses.

“The housing crisis isn’t just about the affordability of housing,” said Senate President Courtney (D-Salem). “If the only apartment you can afford is two towns over and a 70-minute car ride to your work, I don’t think we’ve solved the problem. SB 8 is about building affordable housing where people want to live.”

The bill passed the Senate on a 25-5 vote and now heads to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

 

Senate Bill 621- Community Police Oversight Boards

The Oregon House passed legislation allowing any Oregon city to establish a community police oversight board with authority to conduct investigations and discipline police officers for misconduct.

Senate Bill 621 will empower city governments across the state to amend their charters to create law enforcement community oversight boards, provided the measure was voted on after July 1, 2020, and was passed with a majority vote. The legislation provides agency to communities who wish to create a framework for how to govern their police departments.

“The state should not stand in the way of a city’s people to determine for itself the best path to support their public safety needs,” said Rep. Maxine Dexter (D- NW Portland) MD, who carried the bill on the House Floor. “Portland voters, myself included, overwhelmingly voted in support of local oversight for law enforcement. The city is in the process of building a culture of accountability that is long overdue, and this legislation provides a way to streamline that process.”

The board will be responsible for investigating deaths that occur in custody, complaints of force that result in injury, discrimination against protected classes, and violations of constitutional rights. An article published by OPB earlier this year reported that Black community members are arrested by Portland police at a per capita rate 4.3 times higher than white community members, the fifth worst in the country. Additionally, Black people are 3.9 times more likely to be killed by Portland police officers than white community members.

These disparities are seen across the state, with communities outside of Portland, like West Linn, also opting to convene a task force to oversee policy procedures and reforms in relation to law enforcement.

“Following a racially motivated wrongful arrest in our community, West Linn created a Police Oversight and Accountability Task Force,” said Rep. Rachel Prusak (D-West Linn). “I am grateful for the work the task force has done, and for its influence on other communities. I hope their work, combined with this legislation, inspires other cities to take up these important issues.”

In November of 2020, Portland passed Ballot Measure 26-217, which created such an oversight board. The measure passed with over 81% of voters in support of the measure. SB 621 will empower city governments statewide to create their own oversight boards for law enforcement.

“The creation of a community police oversight board allows our community to focus on creating racially equitable outcomes when the public interacts with police,” said Rep. Andrea Valderrama (D-East Portland), who co-sponsored the legislation. “Now is the time to address the Portland Police’s headline-grabbing mistreatment of both non-violent protesters and historically marginalized groups. This legislation additionally creates a system for addressing historic mistreatment Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) communities, as well as people with mental health disabilities. Under the current system, officer discipline and prosecution is virtually non-existent. It is time to make this change.”

SB 621, which passed 37-19, now moves to the Governor’s desk for consideration.

 

SCR 17 A - Equitable Environmental Justice Framework

The House voted to pass SCR 17 A, which would create an environmental justice framework to ensure greater public involvement in decisions made by the state’s natural resource agencies, as outlined under ORS 182.545. Today’s resolution, which passed unanimously out of the Senate and House Energy and Environment Committees, will support the full participation of communities most affected by environmental justice issues when approaching policy development and implementation, including vulnerable rural and urban communities, low-income, and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, as well as essential workers and youth.

“This resolution presents us with a set of values calling for the involvement of all people regardless of race, income, and national origin in decisions that will directly impact their lives. This framework will shape Oregon’s vision with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, policies, and decisions,” said Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland), a sponsor and carrier of the legislation.

In Oregon, rural communities, especially farmers and farmworkers, face increased economic repercussions due to a rise in natural disasters, from wildfires to ice storms. Moreover, policies that have targeted BIPOC communities, like redlining and segregation, show how environmental degradation excessively impacts our most vulnerable communities and is tied to economic opportunity. Today, BIPOC communities disproportionately reside on land contaminated by toxic waste or in hazardous areas, lowering property values.

“We all have a right to access clean air, clean water, and to live in a pollution-free environment,” said chief sponsor of the bill, Rep. Karin Power (D-Milwaukie). “Today’s resolution is a step in the right direction towards a more equitable future where all voices are heard.”

The resolution passed 46-11.

 

House Bill 2539A - Juror Privacy

The Oregon House passed legislation to protect the privacy of jurors in Oregon. House Bill 2539 A prohibits a juror from being identified by name in court proceedings open to the public. The bill, which had previously been passed unanimously in the House, was amended in the Senate to give courts the discretion to withhold juror names from parties in the proceedings as well, if necessary.

“The state asks jurors to preside over a number of controversial issues, and so the state has a responsibility to ensure the safety of these jurors, both in and out of the courtroom,” said Rep. Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro), one of the chief sponsors of the bill. “This is not a totally new concept; this happens already in some of our counties. This bill would just bring consistency to the process and make it uniform across all 36 counties.”

“Jury duty is one of our most important civic responsibilities, but those who accept that responsibility deserve to have their privacy respected,” said Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-Happy Valley), who carried HB 2539 A on the House floor. “We ask members of the public to weigh in on cases that can be divisive in their community. These protections reduce the chance for outside pressure to influence a verdict."

The amended version of HB 2539 was re-passed with unanimous support, and now moves to the Governor’s desk.

 

Capitol

Vaccination Information

Oregon will end mask requirements for even unvaccinated people when 70% of adults have at least one dose

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday that she’ll lift all capacity limits on restaurants, gyms, stadiums and other businesses and abolish mask requirements for even unvaccinated people in nearly all public settings when the state reaches 70% of its adults vaccinated against COVID-19 with at least one dose.

That’s a target the state could reach by June 21 -- the first full day of summer, according to Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen. An analysis of current daily vaccination rates by The Oregonian/OregonLive estimates the date as June 25. Allen said he expects it will be no later than June 30 in a worst-case scenario.

Fully reopening Oregon means “we will be able to return to the activities and traditions we have missed for more than a year,” Brown said during a live-streamed news conference. “Fourth of July barbecues. Eating popcorn and movie-theater day. Getting a beer after work at the local brewery with your friends.”

Brown continued: “Restaurants and bars will be able to welcome a full house. The Pendleton Round-Up? Yes, that, too.”

Although vaccinated and unvaccinated people won’t be required to wear masks in the vast majority of public settings, such as in grocery stores, the state will still follow federal guidance and mandate masks in airports, while on public transit and in health-care settings.

The governor and public health officials are still trying to decide whether students will be required to wear masks in K-12 schools during summer school or when the academic year starts up for five days a week of in-person instruction in the fall.

Children under 12 are still too young to be vaccinated. Some experts estimate the federal government might grant authorization for first shots of this group as early as September.

The governor said she also will lift all physical distancing requirements statewide -- although, again, it’s unclear if special rules will remain in place for schools.

“At the state level, we will be shifting our focus from an emergency response to pandemic recovery,” Brown said. “...We are able to reopen like this because of the efficacy of the vaccines.”

 

Progress on Vaccinations

Washington County Logo

Washington Co. Vaccine Information:

Every Oregonian age 12 and up is eligible for a vaccine. Twelve to 14 year-olds must be accompanied by either a parent, guardian or someone designated by the parent. If someone other than a parent or guardian accompanies the 12 to 14-year-old, they will need to provide proof of parental/guardian consent. 

Proof of consent is either:

  • A signed consent form (available in English and Spanish on the All4OR.org site) 
  • A written or typed note that includes the parent/guardians name, relationship to the young adult, their date of birth, a statement saying they consent to young adult being vaccinated and the parent/guardian signature.

Fifteen-year-olds do not need to be accompanied, and do not require parental consent in the state of Oregon.

You can now WALK IN to the Oregon Convention Center for a vaccination, or you can schedule your own first-dose COVID-19 vaccination appointment there via this new website. It works best using Chrome, Edge or Safari. From June 1-19, the OCC will offer the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Get Vaccinated Oregon Sign up here and you will be sent an invitation when a vaccine appointment is available to you. Appointments are for the Oregon Convention Center as well as other locations, including some in Washington County. 

OHSU drive-thru clinics at Hillsboro Stadium and PDX Airport Red Economy Lot: Schedule online via OHSU's tool. New appointments are released at 9 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays at the very least. Other days are often added at the last minute, so you might want to visit OHSU's page weekdays at 9 a.m. if you are looking for an appointment. 

  • PDX Airport: First doses ended on May 30. Second doses will be given at PDX through June 19.
  • Hillsboro Stadium: First and second doses will be given through June 25, then the site will close. Those who get first doses at the site in June will be scheduled for a second dose at a Hillsboro Medical Center location.

Washington County-sponsored community clinics open to public:  Appointments are preferred at our clinics, but you can walk in up to an hour before the clinic closes. Further details for the following clinics are available at the scheduling link

  • 6/8 Pfizer (12+) at Hillsboro Senior Center. Walk in from 4:30-7 p.m.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Centers: All vaccination events are open to the community, do not require an appointment, and do not require you to be a Virginia Garcia patient. You do not have to have insurance in order to receive a vaccine. If you have insurance, please bring your card with you. Remember, vaccines are free!

Local pharmacies: As of April 27, 2021, pharmacies are required to offer second/boost doses to people who received their first dose somewhere else.

How much does the vaccine cost?  Vaccines are provided free of charge to the recipient. If you have health insurance, you may be asked to provide that information so the vaccinator can bill your insurance an administration fee. 

National Vaccine Comparisons

Oregon Leads the way in vaccinations in May!

Oregon leads the way!

Oregon Counties

COVID-19 Updates

National Numbers: 

  • Confirmed Cases: 33,383,096
  • Deaths: 597,533
  • These national numbers come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  You can view their national and state by state data here.
Cases Nationally
Deaths nationally

 

Oregon Status Report: 

  • Oregon now has 203,411 total cases (confirmed and presumptive) of COVID-19.
  • Today we have 264 new confirmed and presumptive cases, and new deaths
  • A total of 2,724 Oregonians have died from COVID-19 (previous daily case updates from OHA here)
  • Washington County has 26,491 confirmed cases, including 245 deaths.  
  • The Oregon Health Authority provides 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
Oregon county risk levels
Cases per capita
Cases over time

 

OHA issues revised quarantine guidance

New guidance released by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) allows Local Public Health Authorities to consider a shortened quarantine period for a person with COVID-19.

OHA is now recommending a 10-day quarantine or a seven-day quarantine with a negative COVID-19 test as acceptable. The shortened quarantine option is not recommended in high-risk settings such as long-term care facilities and other residential care settings.

However, in all cases, a 14-day quarantine is the safest option to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to others. Revised guidance for this new recommendation is being finalized.

People who have been fully vaccinated are not required to quarantine even after exposure to a person with COVID-19. A person is considered fully vaccinated if it has been two weeks or longer since they received the final dose of their vaccine series. People who are fully vaccinated are still encouraged to isolate and seek testing if they develop symptoms of COVID-19.

This article first appeared in the June 7, 2021 issue of Oregon Coronavirus Update.

 

Things to know this week about Covid

Around Washington County

Hillsboro to open first managed homeless camping facility

PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Hillsboro officials are planning to open the city’s first-ever managed camping facility for homeless people on city-owned property.

The camp, located on an undeveloped grassy field south of Southwest Wood Street west of the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve, is expected to open in mid-June and last for about six months until winter sheltering becomes available, officials say.

Thirty campers will have access to sanitary resources such as portable bathrooms and handwashing stations, tents on raised, designated platforms and sleeping bags.

The facility will have 24/7 supervision by Project Homeless Connect, which managed a similar facility in Hillsboro created by Washington County last year.

map of homeless camp

Vaccines in Hillsboro

Hillsboro's oldest business helps pull community out of pandemic

Hillsboro News-Times - By Max Egener 

There's generally not a lot to do during the 15-minute observation period after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

But after getting a shot at the Hillsboro Pharmacy and Fountain, many people get a milkshake, and maybe a hot dog too.

Hillsboro's oldest business — a pharmacy, gift shop and restaurant serving ice cream to kids, and coffee and eggs to an aging group of regulars every morning — has been a community gathering place for decades.

Founded in 1873, Hillsboro Pharmacy was more than 40 years old when the last major airborne pandemic hit: the Spanish flu.

Now, it's helping pull the community out of this pandemic, having provided about 1,000 doses since first receiving vaccines two months ago.

And doing so is helping keep the iconic Hillsboro establishment afloat after a rough year for the restaurant business.

On Friday afternoon, May 28, pharmacist Evan Layton gave 30 shots.

Hillsboro Pharmacy owner Doug Johnson convinced Layton, who worked as the business' pharmacist for 30 years, to return from retirement specifically to be the designated shot-giver.

"I thought, 'Well, there goes my summer,'" Layton said with a laugh. "But I think it's very important that people get these shots."

One minute, manager Kathy Schmidlkofer was calling people to remind them they have their second dose coming up, and the next minute, she was taking sandwich orders from behind the counter.

"We're doing it the old-school way," Schmidlkofer said about the pharmacy's by-phone-only vaccine appointment scheduling.

The lack of online scheduling technology has been both anxiety-inducing — Schmidlkofer said she goes home and worries about whether she wrote down people's information correctly — and helpful in some ways.

Some people, including many of Hillsboro Pharmacy's elderly customers, found it difficult to make appointments for vaccines because they didn't have access to a computer, weren't tech-savvy enough or didn't have in-person help, Johnson said.

He has also taken shots directly to people who have mobility issues and don't live in care facilities where vaccines were already being provided, he said.

Donna Ford, who was back for her second Moderna dose Friday, said she was having trouble finding appointments online when her neighbor told her she could call Hillsboro Pharmacy and get on the list.

"They got me in within a week," Ford said. "It was like the most adorable thing, waiting at the soda fountain for my appointment. When I told my friends, they were like, 'What?'"

Intent on bolstering immunity in Hillsboro's downtown core and helping out service workers who were among the last to be eligible for the vaccine, Schmidlkofer created a list of people at nearby businesses who could come in on short notice if someone didn't show up for their second shot, Johnson said.

Providing vaccines has also been a critical financial boost for Hillsboro Pharmacy because, like many businesses, it saw sharp declines in revenue during the last year, he said.

"We knew that this was the best way to get us out this cloud we've been under for the past year," Johnson said, adding that sales at the soda fountain surged after starting to provide shots.

The hectic experience, as Johnson described it, of giving COVID-19 vaccines is somewhat of a last hurrah for him.

With earnest money placed by a buyer, Johnson, who took over Hillsboro Pharmacy in 1978, plans to sell the business soon.

"I've been here for 48 years, and so, it's like, I think it's time to do something else," he said. "I've been proud of that history that goes along with it."

While he can't tell the buyer what to do when the deal is finalized, Johnson said one of his goals was to find someone genuinely interested in preserving the business as a pharmacy and soda fountain.

Johnson is looking forward to being able to travel anywhere on a whim, he said, something he has never been able to do.

Once the U.S.-Canada border reopens, he and his wife plan to set out on a road trip across Canada, he said.

*My late husband's Aunt worked at the Hillsboro Pharmacy and Fountain for over 30 years.  It is a wonderful place to have lunch at the counter, or buy a card, or get your pharmacy needs filled. - Susan 

 

 

 

Ralph Brown is still missing - please be on the lookout.

Find Ralph Brown

Wildfire Recovery Updates

Wildfire Recovery Resources

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

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 ResourcesOregon 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 UpdatesFEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.


Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program (OERAP) helps eligible low-income households with their past due rent and utilities. This program uses funds from the federal Emergency Rental Assistance Program, which allocated a collective total of $280 million to Oregon, the City of Portland, and multiple counties in the state. In most cases, approved applications will result in payments made directly to landlords and utility providers.

Oregon Emergency Rental Relief Program

OHCS Rental Relief Chart

Tenant Assistance Information Session

Help is available for Oregon renters! The federal and state government are distributing millions of dollars in assistance to tenants who are struggling with rent or utility costs, and tenants will have more time to pay back rent after the eviction moratorium ends on June 30th. Join Senator Jama and Representative Fahey on Thursday, June 10th, to learn more about how to get help. Experts from Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Oregon Law Center will present information and answer questions.

RSVP here: bit.ly/OregonTenantAssistance 

tenant relief townhall flyer

Apply to the Landlord Compensation Fund

Round three of the Landlord Compensation Fund program will open June 1, 2021 and will include at least $60 million in assistance covering rent-owed by eligible tenants that was accrued from April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021.

The Oregon Legislature allocated a total of $150 million to the Landlord Compensation Fund (LCF), to be distributed in multiple rounds. “This is the final opportunity for landlords to apply to get assistance to cover rental debt for all tenants, regardless of income. We encourage landlords to apply by June 18. All funds must be awarded by June 30,” said Oregon Housing and Community Services Director Margaret Salazar.  

Oregon's Landlord Compensation Program is designed to provide relief to residential landlords who have been unable to collect rent due to tenant hardships. Participating landlords can receive up to 80% of rent owed from April 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 for qualifying residents. For the first time, landlords can apply for LCF funds to cover former renters.

Oregon Housing and Community Services’ website includes updated Declaration of Financial Hardship for former tenants. To be eligible for assistance for rent owed by a former tenant, the landlord must provide the Declaration of Financial Hardship and the current address of their former tenant.

As outlined in statute, landlords may be eligible to receive funding for an amount equal to 80% of the rental debt owed by qualified residents. Participating landlords must agree to forgive the remaining 20% of the tenant's debt as a condition of receiving payment.

Landlord Compensation Fund

Unemployment Department Updates

Unemployment Claims Progress

Since March 2020, the Employment Department has paid $9.4 billion to >591,000 people, covering 14 million weeks of benefits. This includes about $827 million in PUA benefits to 110,000 people.

Last week, across all benefit programs, we paid about $114 million to 143,000 people

 

Workforce Update

The analysis coming out of our research department continues to show that the pandemic recession is negatively impacting some Oregonians significantly more than others. As was the case before the pandemic, access to affordable childcare continues to prevent many from working—either part- or full-time—who would otherwise want to work.

We know that before the pandemic, there were about 350,000 Oregonians in the labor force with kids, who had jobs that required them to work in person, and at the same time, lived in a household in which every adult worked.

As of last week, two-thirds of Oregon’s K-12 schools were still partially or fully in remote learning: students are still learning at home for at least part of the week. This makes it difficult for many adults in households with children to continue to work, especially when four out of five job vacancies are for full-time positions, and the bulk of them require in-person work at the jobsite.

Access to childcare is likely to continue to create problems for Oregon’s labor market as the summer break from school fast approaches, because people who want to work will still need to arrange for the care of their children, or care for their children themselves.

Despite household constraints, the labor market is currently in what’s called a “job seekers’ market,” or: there are more employers offering positions than there are people available to fill those positions. As such, employers are competing with one another for labor from the same small pool of available workers and bidding up wages. We’ve also seen employers offering incentives such as signing bonuses.

This activity in the workforce is a good sign that our economy is recovering from the pandemic recession successfully; after the Great Recession it took five years to achieve this same level of activity we’ve seen in one.

 

Reinstating Unemployment Insurance Benefit Requirements

We’ve launched a “Return to Work” webpage to house the resources and information claimants will need to fulfill the reinstated work search requirements. There you will find more information about each of the requirements, a reinstatement timeline, a step-by-step guide, answers to frequent questions about the programs, contact information for WorkSource offices around the state, and links to many other helpful resources.

As detailed on our page, the work search requirements will be reinstated in phases, beginning with registration for our job-matching program: iMatchSkills.

This week we sent letters to about 40,000 UI claimants (the first wave of claimants in this first phase of requirements reinstatement), alerting them of the reinstated work search requirements and their upcoming deadline to register for iMatchSkills: June 19th. We are also directly reaching out to claimants who have requested services in languages other than English to provide language assistance as needed.

Our next webinar is scheduled for June 10th at 1pm, and will cover reinstated work search, related requirements, and the support we are offering claimants in concert with our partners at WorkSource Oregon. You can register and view past webinars at: unemployment.oregon.gov/webinars.

 


Additional Resources

Employers and Employees

The following list of resources is from Oregon’s Secretary of State’s Office. The fastest way to get in touch with the SOS team is by emailing business.sos@oregon.gov, using the “Need Help?” button found on most state agency websites or visiting www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness.

Education Links

Local Government

Utilities Assistance

Food and Housing Assistance


Governor

Emergency

Oregon Health Authority

CDC

flora

 

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain

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