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Greetings:
With less than 3 weeks until our June 27 end of session date, we are racing to the finish line to finalize our ambitious agenda that centers Oregonians who have been most impacted by the crises of the last year and invests in transformational budgets across the board. The final Revenue and Economic Forecast that establishes our upcoming two-year budget shows Oregon’s economy is rebounding strongly, which will allow us to invest in some long-needed areas while still establishing sensible reserves for future downturns. The Ways and Means Co-Chairs lead the allocation of those funds, but if there is a state-funded program or service that is important to you, please reach out to my office so that I can share my constituents’ priorities with the budget committee members. Keep reading for details an update on bills that I have sponsored this session that were recently signed into law, historic investments in K-12 education, and a few local budget priorities for this session.
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HB 2469: Expanding Access to Behavioral Health Services
I am happy to report that HB 2469, which I chief sponsored with Rep. Duane Stark, was signed into law by the Governor recently (on my birthday!). This important measure ensures coordinated care organizations offer and prioritize specific behavioral health services for their members, provide behavioral health assessments and medically necessary treatments for individuals in crisis, and extend mental health wellness appointments to the list of behavioral health services that must be offered. It’s a first step toward my goal of getting counseling services - specifically talk therapy - considered as preventive care, which will help to get them better covered by insurance and better reimbursed for providers.
HB 3010: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Oregon Film
Another bill that crossed the finish line is HB 3010, which I introduced at the request of the Oregon Film and Video Office. This new policy expands the requirements for a qualifying company to be reimbursed from the Oregon Production Investment Fund to include actions that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
SB 544: Safe Storage for Firearms
After years of advocacy and support from gun violence prevention activists, crucial safety measures will finally be enacted to address gun violence in Oregon. SB 544 requires safe storage of firearms in homes, prohibits guns from being brought into the Capitol, and allows public schools and college campuses to prohibit firearms on campus.
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The Legislature successfully passed SB 5514 A, which invests a remarkable $9.3 billion in the State School Fund. When I led the passage of the landmark Student Success Act in 2019, I did so because I knew we couldn’t continue with the status quo. At this moment we are facing one of the hardest economic recessions in our lifetimes, a pandemic, and many families and small businesses are still recovering from the wildfires. A $9.3 billion State School Fund budget will help Oregon’s nearly 200 school districts move forward with plans to support students, families, and teachers. |
I’m thrilled that Oregon’s economy is rebounding from the crises of the last year, and that we’ll be able to invest in some long-needed areas while still saving for future downturns. This crisis has shown us that investing in people works! By putting money directly into the hands of folks when they needed it most, state and federal lawmakers have helped keep people housed, fed, and healthy—all while supporting our local main street economies.
Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Oregon has approximately $2.6 billion in discretionary federal recovery funds. The co-chairs of Ways and Means released a budget framework for 2021-23 that relies on those funds to protect current state services from reductions and to provide $780 million in new, urgent investments to revitalize Oregon’s economy and provide workers and families the resources they need to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. Here’s a look at a few local projects that I have requested funding for:
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Central City Concern Recuperative Care Program
Funding to Central City Concern’s capital project will provide respite services for houseless patients who must be released from the hospital but don’t have an adequate recovery environment.
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NAYA Home Forward Workforce & Early Childhood Education Center
Home Forward, Portland Community College and the Native American Youth Association are collaborating to provide 84 units of affordable housing, job training and wrap-around services at PCC’s Metro Site in the Cully neighborhood.
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Mainspring Portland Community Services
Investments in Mainspring will support restorative justice programming, vocational training and crucial services that serve seniors and families with food insecurity throughout HD 45.
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Street Roots Project
As a vital resource to unhoused people in Portland, Street Roots will create a larger permanent base of operations to support the increased need for workforce development opportunities and services for houseless people.
These projects, along with many other great initiatives are in the House Ways & Means Committee right now. Submissions are in the process of being compiled and drafted into a budget bill that the Legislature will vote on. I am eager to help pass these vital investments to support the needs of our community.
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 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.
Please reach out to my office if you have any additional questions, or if there’s anything you think I could help with.
Sincerely,
 Representative Barbara Smith Warner
House District 45
email: Rep.BarbaraSmithWarner@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1445
address: 900 Court St NE, H-295, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithwarner
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