Hello Friends!
As you may have heard, last Friday I was appointed to serve as the State Representative for House District 25, Keizer, St. Paul and Newberg. On Monday, I was sworn into office and had my first opportunity to represent my communities by voting in a Special Session. To say the past week has been a whirlwind, would be an understatement.
I am truly honored to serve my constituency in this capacity and will do my best to keep you updated with all the important information!
Thank you so much for the overwhelming support!
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Sincerely,
 Jessica George
State Representative - HD 25
On December 13th the legislature was called into Special Session to address housing needs in Oregon along with a variety of other issues. Here's what you need to know:
Housing Extension
SB 891 extends the prohibition against landlords evicting tenants who have not paid their rent. Senate Bill 5561 includes a $215 million package to provide additional rental assistance, to speed up the process of applications, and ensure landlords are fully paid. I supported the funding portion, but opposed SB 891 because the delayed relief is caused by ongoing failures at the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department which have not been fixed.
Drought Relief
In response to the impact the recent heat dome, wildfire smoke and record drought have had on farming communities, SB 5561 includes a $100 million drought relief package to support farmers and irrigators across the state who have been impacted by drought, heat, or fire. SB 892 establishes a forgivable loan program to provide financial assistance for Oregon farmers and ranchers who lost gross income in 2021 due to a qualifying natural disaster. I supported this legislation as our farmers are in desperate need.
Illegal Cannabis Enforcement
SB 5561 approves $25 million to prevent illegal operations and address the humanitarian crisis impacting workers at these sites. SB 893 and SB 5561 will create financial assistance to local law enforcement agencies and community-based organizations as they work with a statewide plan to confront the cartels operating in Southern Oregon. Read more about the issue here. Anything I can do to support our law enforcement, I will support.
Afghan Refugee Support
Senate Bill 5561 includes $18 million to help Afghan refugees after President Biden’s chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan. This bill will help Afghans who risked their lives to help American troops fight terrorism that were left behind. Read more here.
In case you missed it, the Oregon Health Authority is considering adopting an Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) that would mandate masks indefinitely and require students to be fully vaccinated. Of course, I am extremely opposed to both of these proposed rules. I joined my colleagues in voicing my strong opposition, please read here.
Make sure your voice is heard! You too can submit your opinion:
- OHA Director Pat Allen: Patrick.Allen@state.or.us
- OHA Public Health Division Director Rachael Banks: Rachael.Banks@dhsoha.state.or.us
- OHA Community Engagement: community.covid19@dhsoha.state.or.us
- Governor Brown Office Phone: 503-378-4582 -Governor Brown’s Legislative Director: Jennifer.Baker@state.or.us
Directions for Testifying:
- Adoption of a rule requiring masks to be worn in indoor spaces in Oregon (OAR 333-019-1025): January 20, 2022 at 10:00 AM (Phone Conference ID: 389 374 45#)
- Masking requirements in Schools; Vaccination Requirements for Teachers and School Staff (OAR 333-019-1015 and 333-019-1030): January 24, 2022 at 9:00 AM (Phone Conference ID: 662 539 793#)
- Masking and vaccination requirements to control COVID-19 in health care settings (OAR 333-019-1010 and 333-019-1011): January 24, 2022 at 2:00 PM (Phone Conference ID: 191 715 671#)
To provide oral testimony during any of these hearings, please contact publichealth.rules@dhsoha.state.or.us to sign-up and receive the link for the Microsoft Teams video conference. Alternatively, for audio only, you may dial 971-277-2343 using the phone conference ID# as the password listed for each hearing above.
You may also file written comments on these proposed rules before 5:00 p.m. on January 24, 2022 to the Public Health Division Rules Coordinator at the following address:
OHA, Public Health Division
Administrative Rules Coordinator
800 NE Oregon Street, Suite 930
Portland, Oregon 97232
Email comments to: publichealth.rules@dhsoha.state.or.us. You may also send comments by fax to: (971) 673-1299.
Please indicate in your written comments which rule number(s) you are commenting on so they can be entered into the appropriate rulemaking record.
Lastly, as we approach the end of the year, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The holiday season is typically surrounded with joy and excitement, but I am frequently reminded that is not always the case. Maybe you are grieving the loss of a loved one, struggling financially, or just trying to find normalcy in the chaos created by our government’s poor Covid-19 policies. Whatever the case may be, please know you are not alone. There are many resources available, but this is a great place to start.
Please know, my office is always available to help with anything you may need.
Email: Rep.JessicaGeorge@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1425
Address: 900 Court St NE, H-479, Salem, OR 97301
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/george
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