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Dear Friends and Family,
February 1st was the start of the 2022 short legislative session, so we are two weeks in with three weeks to go. Bills are living and dying, and committees are preparing recommendations to address the most pertinent challenges that affect our communities. In addition to policy legislation, expect to see significant budget investments in critical areas for our continued pandemic response, including behavioral health care, workforce development, childcare, housing, and education.
I’ve outlined my priorities for this year in the information below. This year I am enjoying service on three committees:
- House Committee on Rules - Chair
- House Committee on Business and Labor
- House Committee on Education
If you have questions or would like more information about any of this work, please reach out to my office.
Racial Impact Statements - HB 4107
Many of our state's policies have disproportionately negative impacts on BIPOC communities. We’ve seen this in disparate outcomes in areas like criminal justice, education, housing, access to capital and much more.
HB 4107, which I introduced as my personal bill for this session, would allow us to identify those potential disparities before a bill is passed, or early enough for us to make the appropriate corrections.
If you would like to follow this bill and be notified about upcoming hearings please click here.
My Budget Requests - $30million for science-based reading training and tutoring
I have requested a total of $30 million to support critical literacy needs in our schools. These funds would provide Science of Reading teacher training for K-3 teachers in our highest need schools, as well as one-on-one high dose literacy tutoring for struggling readers in those schools.
Due to ongoing COVID pandemic and safety concerns, this session will look similar to the sessions during 2021. We will continue with virtual meetings and engagement that preserves public health, and empowers Oregonians around the state to participate in our legislative process without the burden of traveling to Salem. However, the Legislative Policy and Research Office (LPRO) has also staffed a testimony station in the Capitol for all policy, fiscal, and revenue committee meetings with a public testimony component. Anyone may come to Room 167 to testify in a committee hearing, to get help registering to testify, or to get help submitting written testimony.
The Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) has lots of information available for the public to stay up-to-date about what is happening in the Oregon State Legislature. You can view legislative committee meetings and agendas, find bills, submit testimony and information about the legislative process.
If you want to make your voice heard this session, please consult the links below:
!!! Written testimonies can be submitted up to 24 hours after the start time scheduled for a committee meeting !!!
By late March, health scientists expect that about 400 or fewer Oregonians will be hospitalized with COVID-19, the level of hospitalizations the state experienced before the Omicron variant began to spread. However, health officials cautioned that the state’s emergence from the Omicron surge depends on Oregonians sustaining effective prevention measures in coming weeks, especially vaccinations.
Oregon will remove general mask requirements for indoor public places no later than March 31
State health officials said they would consider lifting the general indoor mask requirement earlier than March 31, if hospitalizations decline to the levels projected by the end of March sooner than expected. For now, Oregon needs to keep mask requirements in place as COVID-19 hospitalizations crest and Oregon’s health care system strains to treat high numbers of severely ill patients.
In the meantime, health experts strongly recommend high-risk individuals continue wearing masks in indoor public settings after mask requirements are lifted, including people who are:
- Unvaccinated
- Immunocompromised
- At high risk of COVID-19 hospitalizations, including those with underlying health conditions and those 65 and older
- Living with people at high risk
Once requirements are lifted, employers and businesses may continue to establish their own mask requirements to protect employees and customers.
To give school districts time to prepare, over the coming weeks, state health officials will work with Oregon Department of Education (ODE) officials to revise guidance to ensure schools can continue operating safely and keep students in class once the school mask requirements are lifted.The mask requirements in schools will lift on March 31.
In the state’s formal rule-filing report, health officials responded to the concerns commenters expressed. They presented data on the effectiveness of masks in preventing COVID-19 transmission and described the impact masks and vaccinations have had in slowing infections, hospitalizations and deaths in Oregon.
The rule, as well as the hearing officer report for the public hearing and a written comment period, can be found here.
Oregon has been made immeasurably better by the cultural, economic, political, scientific, and artistic accomplishments of Black Oregonians. Black history is relevant year-round, but every year, we take the month of February to honor Black Oregonians’ contributions and ensure that future generations understand their importance to our current day.
When small businesses flourish, so do their communities. Supporting black-owned businesses can help build relationships and boost community morale. When you support Black restaurants, you're not just supporting someone's business–you're supporting the celebration of an important part of Black culture. Below you will find some locally Black-owned restaurants located in NE Portland. You can also find a directory of other Black-owned eateries in the city here.
Nacheaux
4765 NE Fremont St, Portland, OR 97213
Founded as a food cart in 2020, Mexican-Southern fusion restaurant Nacheaux went brick-and-mortar the very next year. Husband-and-wife owners Anthony and Stephanie Brown, hailing from Los Angeles and Louisiana, respectively, meld their backgrounds in the creative menu. Over-the-top menu items include Cajun fried chicken burrito, carnitas mac ‘n’ cheese and churro beignets.
Bole Ethiopian
915 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
Passersby are often lured into Northeast Alberta’s Bole Ethiopian after catching a whiff of their spicy lamb, beef and veggie wats (stews). Never experienced Ethiopian food before? Expect spoonfuls of several traditional dishes (including ample vegan options) served atop a large sourdough flatbread known as injera, made from gluten-free teff flour. It’s customary to use your right hand to eat your meal, and to end the evening with a cozy cup of cinnamon tea.
Kee’s Loaded Kitchen
5020 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
A silver trailer food cart parked on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Kee’s Loaded Kitchen has earned a loyal fan base for its full “loaded lunch”, which includes an entree, several home-cooked sides, a drink and a dessert. Whether it’s beef enchiladas, flank steak, shrimp salad, collard greens or a slice of New York cheesecake, Kee’s cooking always has a special touch. Check the cart’s Facebook page for the current menu, which changes daily, and make sure to arrive early; the cart always always sells out before closing time.
Remember that my office can connect constituents to services and help navigate state agency systems. Please don’t hesitate to call or email with any questions or problems you are experiencing. My office may be able to help, or connect you to someone who can.
Sincerely,
 Representative Barbara Smith Warner
House District 45
email: Rep.BarbaraSmithWarner@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1445
address: 900 Court St NE, H-487, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithwarner
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