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Hello Friends,
I want to start by extending my congratulations to all of our wonderful 2021 graduates celebrating the end of their undergraduate careers at Pacific University and all of our high school Seniors in the area! As a former teacher, I understand and appreciate all of the time, hard work, and dedication you all have put into your studies. This school year presented a novel and unpredictable set of challenges for students who were required to navigate the virtual world of learning, which is not always ideal and convenient. I am so impressed by your strong persistence and admirable ability to adapt and excel during these unprecedented times. This is a challenging goal, and I'm inspired to learn of your successful achievement.
This marks the end of a chapter and the start of new beginnings in education, the workforce and beyond. With this accomplishment, you have secured a bright future for yourself, and with that, a bright future for Oregon. I am very proud of you all and I am excited for your future contributions to Oregon’s educated workforce.
I would also like to congratulate all of my fellow Oregonians on almost reaching a new vaccination milestone- nearing 70% of all our state's adults being vaccinated! This is truly a light at the end of a tunnel, and it's one step closer to returning to doing what we love!
2021 Session 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
Watch all Oregon State Legislature Live-Streams and Meetings HERE
Track all 2021 Session Bills HERE
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Instructions for how to testify:
English instructions here
Aquí están las instrucciones
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House Bill 2958: The Oregon Senate passed this bill on Wednesday, and it will allow pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PreP and PEP are drugs used to prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection.
- Pharmacy prescriptions have increased access and utilization of medication. House Bill 2958 ensures pharmacists will be able to administer a 30-day supply of PreP or PeP medication and requires health insurers to reimburse the cost of the prescription, dispensation and administration – including the cost of the patient consultations.
- House Bill 2958 now goes to the House of Representatives for concurrence, and then will go to the Governor’s desk for approval.
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Senate Bill 572 passed yesterday in the Oregon House, which will allow vulnerable immigrant youths in Oregon to petition the court for a guardian.allows vulnerable youth to ask a court to appoint a trusted adult as their guardian after they turn 18.
- This legislation would apply to vulnerable youths ages 18-21 who are eligible for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, and who cannot be reunified with one or more of the person's parents due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment that occurred when the person was a minor. The bill would help protect an estimated 70-100 vulnerable youth in Oregon each year.
- With the passage of SB 572, Oregon becomes the fifth state in the nation to adopt these protections, joining California, Washington, Colorado, and New York. The youth must consent to the guardianship and it must be designed to encourage development of maximum self-reliance and independence of the youth.
- SB 572 passed with unanimous support and now heads to the Governor’s desk.
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Senate Bill 731 A passed in the Oregon House voted yesterday to affirm the right of tribal governments to set policy regarding tribal police. Senate Bill 731 A clarifies tribal sovereignty over tribal police on reservation and when acting within the sovereign authority of a tribal nation, allowing the Oregon legislature to set police accountability laws without inadvertently establishing policies for Oregon’s tribal governments.
- In a session marked by several high-profile bills looking at police reform, SB 731 A affirms the right of tribal governments to set policy for tribal police.
- SB 731 A clarifies that tribal officers will follow all Oregon laws when not on reservation, and will follow the Oregon laws specifically pertaining to tribal officers at all times, but ensures that the tribes otherwise have authority over their own police officers on reservation and when exercising their treaty rights off-reservation. It maintains Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) requirements for tribal police officers outside of Indian country, including making sure tribal police officers follow regulations required of them for DPSST certification, requiring tribes to follow background check and fitness standards, and requiring Tribes to relay to DPSST reasons for tribal officer termination.
- SB 371 A passed 50-8 and now heads to the Governor’s desk
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HB 3398: The Oregon House voted Tuesday to delay the rollout of the state’s new paid family leave program.
- Lawmakers narrowly approved the measure, which will postpone benefits paid through the program by eight months, until September 2023. The program will be administered by the Oregon Employment Department.
- Rep. Barbara Smith Warner, D-Portland, said that’s why the delay is needed. “As you may have heard, the Employment Department was extremely engaged over the course of the last year,” she said.
- Smith Warner was referring to the agency’s backlog of unemployment claims as a result of the pandemic. The agency told lawmakers last month that the current deadlines in the program that lawmakers approved in 2019 were not achievable.
- The bill that would delay the paid family leave program is now headed for the Oregon Senate.
Congratulations to the OMA 3rd-Place Winner!
Congratulations to Averi Gustafson, a fifth-grade student at Tom McCall Upper Elementary School in Forest Grove who was selected as the third-place winner in the Oregon Mayors Association's (OMA) "If I Were Mayor, I Would…" contest at the state level.
As a former teacher, I know that our students are the future and I am proud of Averi for her dedicate to her schoolwork and her interest in local politics. I am excited to see what the future has in store for her!
Speaker Kotek releases statement following the expulsion of Rep. Mike Nearman
- Tonight, the Oregon House of Representatives expelled Representative Mike Nearman from the Legislature with a bipartisan vote of 59-1 to pass House Resolution 3, which had been forwarded to the floor with a bipartisan unanimous vote from a special committee earlier in the day.
- In response, House Speaker Tina Kotek issued the following statement.
- “The Oregon House of Representatives has taken the unprecedented step of expelling one of its members. Elected leaders must be held to the highest possible standard. The facts are clear that Mr. Nearman unapologetically coordinated and planned a breach of the Oregon State Capitol. His actions were blatant and deliberate, and he has shown no remorse for jeopardizing the safety of every person in the Capitol that day. Given the extraordinary circumstances, this was the only reasonable path forward. Safety – for the public, building employees, legislators and their staff – continues to be my top priority in managing this extraordinary session.”
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Fewer than 100,000 people to go before reopening
*This article comes from the Oregon Health Authority Press Release. Click the link above to read more.
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According to Governor Kate Brown, 67.1% of Oregonians 18+ are now vaccinated with a first dose—which means we need 97,168 more people to get their shot.
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Once we cross 70% statewide, we can begin to more fully reopen our economy.
If you have lost or damaged your vaccination card, you can use your record of vaccination as proof. Here’s how to get your record (replacement CDC cards are not available).
• Check with your health care provider, or their website, for your immunization record.
• Follow the instructions on the OHA Immunization Resources page. It may take 5 days to get your record.
Call 211 for help in languages other than English.
Check out the graphic below for more information. Learn more about your vaccination card here.
Announcement from the Latino Network
- As you already know, the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our community in multiple ways. Today, Latino Network is proud to announce that we will be bringing additional relief to our families by launching a Latino Network-led hotline where Latinx community members can schedule their COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Spanish.
- Our highly skilled and trained staff will schedule vaccination appointments at community centered events, pharmacies, and clinics within the tri-county area. Walk-ins events will also be shared.
- All community members need to do is call our hotline number: 833-822-7828.
- The call will be answered in Spanish by one of our navigators, who will then assess when and where the best vaccination opportunities are and schedule the appointment on the spot.
As a reminder:
- The vaccine is FREE of charge
- You do NOT need a state-issued ID
- You do NOT need to show proof of medical insurance
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.
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PDX Airport: First doses ended on May 30. Second doses will be given at PDX through June 19.
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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.
- June 12: St. Anthony's Church, 12520 SW Grant St., Tigard. Walk in from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (18+).
- June 15: St. Anthony's Church, 12520 SW Grant St., Tigard. Walk in from 3:30-7 p.m. Pfizer (12+).
- June 19: Hillsboro Senior Center, 750 SE 8th Ave. Walk in from 10-11 a.m. Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (18+).
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 Numbers:
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Confirmed Cases: 33,246,578
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Deaths: 596,059
- 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 204,000 total cases (confirmed and presumptive) of COVID-19.
- Today we have 370 new confirmed and presumptive cases, and 10 new deaths.
- A total of 2,751 Oregonians have died from COVID-19 (previous daily case updates from OHA here)
- Washington County has 26,491 confirmed cases, including 245 deaths.
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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
Guidance for COVID-19 hospital visitations
*This article comes from the Oregon Health Authority Press Release. Click the link above to read more.
- Hospitals across the state have received questions from the public about the need to continue to manage and limit visitation policies for patients. Unlike other public settings, hospitals are subject to special visitation requirements.
- The COVID-19 policies for hospitals and medical centers are based on federal rule and state law. You can find visitation guidance here.
Forest Grove Viking House continues steep tradition
*This article comes from Forest Grove NewsTimes. Click the link above to read more.
- The Forest Grove Viking House has been around since 1974, but despite more than 40 years of experience, nothing could've prepared this year's instructors and students for what 2020-21 would bring.
- The work paid off, however. The group of 16 kids, five staff, and countless contributors completed the home on time and celebrated with a "non-open house" this past Thursday, June 3, that included pizza, a gathering of participating parties, and lots of smiles.
- In now its sixth decade, the Forest Grove Viking House has become a tradition. Since 1974, every year, Forest Grove High School advanced construction students — in conjunction with industry professionals — build a single-family home using profits from previous projects. While leaving some of the work to those noted professionals, students do the bulk of the carpentry work, including the framing, flooring, cabinetry and much more.
- The work is not for the weary, nor is it for the laymen. Prerequisites include woodworking and construction classes. Sometimes as many as 50 students apply, but in a typical year, the program only accepts 16 qualified applicants.
- And for the house itself? It will remain in the community with the other houses scattered throughout varying Forest Grove neighborhoods, a reminder to King, Buford and all of the other Viking House students of the things they learned and the work they did during this eventful year.
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Temporary Housing Site in Talent
- Wildfire survivors are seeking temporary housing options in their communities while long-term rebuilding is in progress. Unfortunately, due to limited vacancies and an already strained housing situation, too many households are still currently living in hotels or relying on the hospitality of friends and family. To help provide temporary housing for wildfire survivor families with children in the Phoenix-Talent School District, Oregon Housing & Community Services (OHCS) is a contributing partner for the Gateway Transitional to Permanent Housing project, providing 53 survivor families with RV’s on a 4.3-acre site within the community.
- Together, with a grant from the People’s Bank of Commerce Foundation, the Gateway Site will be the first site in Talent to house fire survivors — prioritizing those who might not be eligible for FEMA benefits.
- The site hosts a play structure area with close access to amenities including grocery and retail stores. The $1.7 million funding from OHCS will pay for installing infrastructure needed for this temporary site while allowing for future community development once survivors have established permanent housing. With site preparation and operations beginning next week, this effort supports temporary transitional housing with a long-term vision for developing permanent residential and commercial development.
Recovery efforts continue as Oregon prepares for and responds to new wildfires
- As work progresses to manage the thousands of fire-damaged trees lining state highways and recovery areas,crews and staff continue to coordinate closely with local, state, and federal forestry and fire officials to prepare for and respond to the 2021 wildfire season. The work is complex and the impacts vary depending on the fire-impacted area. Crews are working as quickly as possible to secure roadways and ensure safe access for responders.
- If you have questions on what to expect in the coming months or for more information about the hazard tree removal process, call the debris hotline at 503-934-1700 or fill out the online form to connect with an arborist regarding your property or work happening in your community.
Wildfire Recovery Resources
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
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Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
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Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
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Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
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Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
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Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
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U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
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U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
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Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
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Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
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SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
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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
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Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
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Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
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Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
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Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
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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.
WITH OREGON EVICTION MORATORIUM EXPIRING, LAWMAKER PUSHES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
*This article comes from KDRV News. Click the link above to read more.
- With Oregon's pandemic-induced moratorium on evictions set to expire at the end of June, state Representative Pam Marsh is getting the word out about two programs that can help both renters and landlords compensate for back-rent.
- The last day of Oregon's eviction moratorium is June 30, established by a law passed at the beginning of the year. All rent that was deferred between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 will enter a grace period before becoming due on February 28, 2022. Regardless of the grace period, failure to pay rent could still result in eviction once July begins.
- Oregon has two programs operating now that can help both tenants and landlords who missed rent over the last year. Though one is pitched to renters and the other to landlords, they each serve both sides of the equation.
- The Oregon Emergency Rental Assistance Program can grant funds to renters who are struggling to pay overdue rent and utilities due to the pandemic or wildfires. Eligible renters can request rent or utility assistance dating back to March 13 of 2020. The program covers up to 12 months of past-due rent and three months of future rent, once the past-due is paid.
- Meanwhile, a third round of funding opened up June 1 for the Landlord Compensation Fund, offering at least $60 million in assistance to cover rent owed to landlords between April 1 of 2020 and June 30 of this year. The fund provides relief to residential landlords who have been unable to collect rent due to tenant hardships. The fund now applies to former renters as well.
- Landlords who apply for the fund can receive up to 80 percent of rent owed over the qualifying period, but they must agree to forgive the remaining 20 percent of the tenant's debt. The fund wraps up on June 30.
Employers and Employees
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Flowers in full bloom to mark new beginnings!
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
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