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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I am down in Salem this week for Legislative Days! It is the first in-person Legislative Days and in-person committee hearings since the pandemic began. It is nice to be back in the building and meeting with colleagues, agencies, stakeholders, and citizens. I had forgotten what a busy place the Capitol can be. 

Legislative Days continue through Friday, and then on Monday I have a meeting of the Bi-State Legislative Committee to hear updates on planning for the I-5 Bridge, including new cost estimates. If you are interested in watching these meetings (live or recorded), you can access them at the links below:

Joint Committee on Transportation: 12/9/2022 8:30 AM

Joint Emergency Board: 12/9/2022 12:30 PM

Bi-State Bridge Committee meeting: 12/12/2022 9:00 AM

This last weekend, I attended the Democratic Caucus retreat in Independence with my fellow House Democrats. It was great to come together with new and returning Legislators to plan our priorities for the 2023 Session. There are so many important issues that we must address, from homelessness to support for students and teachers, to funding for important infrastructure projects, supporting our small businesses, and addressing issues regarding water resources, environmental protection, and wildfire prevention. I look forward to working with all members of the Legislature to ensure we prioritize solutions that benefit Oregonians across the state. You can follow our progress through this newsletter, as I will be providing weekly updates on important bills that support our major goals, as well as on my personal bills. 

UPCOMING TOWN HALL 

Please join me for my first Town Hall of 2023, which will also be the last before the start of the 2023 Legislative Session! Come hear about the new Session and the impactful issues we'll be taking up. I also want to hear what your priorities for the Legislature are and to share an update about my personal bills and committee work. I'll talk about the challenges we face with the state budget, and major topics we will be working hard to address, like Transportation and Infrastructure, Education and support for our teachers and students, homelessness, and water resources.  

Date: January 11, 2023

Time: 6:00-7:30 PM

Location: On Zoom

To Join: REGISTER HERE

2023 LEGISLATIVE SESSION PARTICIPATION

A positive thing to come out of the pandemic was that the Legislature had to find a way to ensure public participation in the process, despite the Capitol being closed. We turned to online committee hearings that allowed citizens to either call in or use Microsoft Teams to participate. The benefit was we heard the voices of Oregonians from every part of the state, who took advantage of the new format to engage in the policymaking process, often for the first time. Next Session we are returning to in-person hearings, but the ability to testify remotely will remain. Below are resources for how you can participate in 2023, and I hope that you will consider doing so.

Visit the Oregon Legislature's Citizen Engagement Page HERE

Watch House and Senate Floor Sessions and Committee Hearings HERE

Track all 2023 Session bills and votes on OLIS HERE

Video Instructions for tracking bills and votes through OLIS HERE

Instructions for how to testify remotely on a bill:

English instructions HERE AQUI están las instrucciones

I-5 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM UPDATE

Community Engagement on the Bridge Replacement Program

Interstate Bridge Program Centering Equity

In my role as Co-Chair of the Bi-State Bridge Committee, I have been able to observe the Interstate Bridge Program's commitment to equity in their processes and outcomes up close. They are engaging the community by elevating the voices of equity priority communities throughout the processes and ensuring these communities can access the program’s economic and transportation benefits. Read more about the program's equity commitment here or click on the video below: 

MEET ISHAAN SINHA

Glencoe Graduate Interns for Rep. McLain

By Ishaan Sinha

I interned for Representative Susan McLain because I wanted to give back to my community and refine my career interests. One of my favorite experiences was delivering a written statement on behalf of Representative McLain at a candidate forum held by Centro Cultural. The experience, alongside many others, showed me the interconnectedness between, local, county, House, and Senate forms of government. Through attending events and also responding to constituents, I'm making an impact by connecting with my community. Mentorship and guidance from Rep. McLain and staff has helped me understand how politics work and improve on skills I needed to work on. This week, I'm looking forward to traveling to Salem to see how legislators make decisions on bills. Interning has inspired me to pursue political science as I enter university, and hopefully hold public office myself one day. 

SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATES

Sherwood, Forest Grove, Hillsboro Area Netters Earn Honors Earning spots on the first team of the Pacific Conference were Glencoe junior setter/right side/outside hitter Elisabeth Levick and Forest Grove junior outside hitter Jadyn Punchocar. Punchocar led Forest Grove in kills and per her coach, Jeff Leo, was a consistent force on the outside, helping to lead a resurgent Vikings team to a 13-9 overall record and state playoff bid. Forest Grove's senior setter Jordan Ingram earned second team honors due to — amongst other things — her consistency, which made her invaluable to the Vikings. Leo also spoke affectionately for senior outside Hannah Carlson who was one of just six conference players who earned honorable mention, citing her commitment upon returning from a knee injury that forced her to miss her junior season.

Vikettes Off to a Good Start! The Forest Grove High School dance team — the Vikettes — competed in their first event of the season a week ago and took home medals both as a team and individually Saturday, Nov. 19, at David Douglas High School. The Vikettes placed first in the Pom category, while sophomore Eva Torres Bustamante earned a medal individually, finishing amongst the top 10 in the Novice Drill Down competition. The Vikettes were also the only team at David Douglas to have a Pom score qualifying them for the Category Championships in January. The team is next scheduled to compete Saturday, Dec. 10, at Rex Putnam High School, while the Category Championships are scheduled for Jan. 21, 2023.

Century High School Community Blood Draw Participate in Century High School’s Blood Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, December 19. Health Sciences students have coordinated with Bloodwooks Northwest to host the drive, and invite all eligible people to consider donating.  Sign up online for your appointment.

Forest Grove Pantry Serving Community  A storage facility outside Forest Grove High has been successfully converted into a food pantry, as the school community helps fight some of the hunger and food insecurity gripping communities across Oregon this holiday season. The Forest Grove High School food pantry is open on a first-come, first-serve basis Monday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.  Coping with high inflation and following the end of the child tax credit, the Oregon Food Bank estimates 1.5 million people will have visited the state's food banks and pantries by the end of the year, compared to 1.7 million people in 2020.

AROUND WASHINGTON COUNTY

Holiday Season Photos at Forest Grove Library

Centro Cultural Toy Drive Seeks Donations and Volunteers

Centro Cultural de Washington County is asking for games and volunteers to ensure all local children open gifts this holiday season. The organization's annual toy drive is open through Dec. 13. Then from Dec. 14 through Dec. 17, Centro Cultural is looking for volunteers to organize and distribute toy bags for families. Toys can be dropped off at Centro Cultural's headquarters in Cornelius as well as Centro de Prosperidad, Hillsboro Pediatric Clinic, Reser's Fine Foods in both Hillsboro and Beaverton and Phat Cart Cafe. An 'Amazon Wish List' offers examples of popular toys. Volunteers can sign up at CentroCultural.org/events.

Hawthorne to Accept Walk-In Patients Again The Hawthorn Walk-in Center, which had to pause all walk-in services in June due to staff shortages, says it will be moving back to accepting walk-ins during limited hours starting next week. Washington County says, beginning Monday, Dec. 12, the Hawthorn Walk-in Center will start accepting walk-ins again from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clinic is located at 5240 N.E. Elam Young Pkwy in Hillsboro. Even during walk-in hours, the county encourages community members who need help to call the Washington County Crisis Line at 503-291-9111 before going into the clinic.

REAL ID UPDATE 

DHS Announces Extension of REAL ID Full Enforcement Deadline

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its intent to extend the REAL ID full enforcement date by 24 months, from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025. Under the new regulations published to execute this change, states will now have additional time to ensure their residents have driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security standards established by the REAL ID Act. As required by the law, following the enforcement deadline, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will be prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards that do not meet these federal standards.  

The extension is necessary, in part, to address the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card. 

For more information on REAL ID, visit www.dhs.gov/real-id. 

PUBLIC HEALTH UPDATE 

Governor Brown Issues Executive Order in Response to RSV Surge

Governor Kate Brown today is exercising her executive authority under ORS Chapter 401 in response to a surge of adult and pediatric cases and hospitalizations of respiratory viruses––including Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), influenza, and COVID-19––across Oregon. The executive order will give Oregon hospitals additional flexibility to ensure there are enough health care workers to meet current needs, allow them to draw on a pool of medical volunteer nurses and doctors, and take other steps to provide care to patients. In addition to the Governor’s executive order, the Oregon Health Authority is pursuing supplemental nurse staffing contracts of up to $25 million to help address critical workforce shortages.

State health experts at the Oregon Health Authority encourage all individuals, particularly those at increased risk of severe disease (and their caregivers), to take steps to prevent RSV and other respiratory infections this flu season.

• Stay up to date on flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. (There is not currently a vaccine for RSV.)
• Stay home and avoid holiday gatherings and events when sick, and keep your child home when your child is sick, if possible.
• Cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, and regularly wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
• Consider wearing a mask indoors, especially during crowded indoor gatherings and events, particularly if you or a friend or family member are at risk for getting severely ill from RSV and other respiratory infections.

More information on how to protect yourself and loved ones from RSV, the flu, and COVID-19 are available on OHA’s website.

WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES

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

• Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
• Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
• Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
• Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
• Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
• U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
• U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
• Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
• Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
• SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
• 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
• Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
• Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
• Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
• Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
• 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.

• How to Appeal a FEMA Disaster Assistance Decision
• Oregonians Affected by Wildfires: Flood Risk and Insurance; Fraud Awareness
• FEMA Rental Assistance May Be A Valuable Housing Solution for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
• Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for FEMA Disaster Assistance
• What to Expect When Applying with FEMA
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
• Look Out for Disaster Fraud, Scams
• Understanding a FEMA Determination Letter, How to Appeal
• FEMA Approves Direct Housing Mission
• Apply with FEMA Even if You Have Insurance

RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS

Mental Health Services:

• Washington County Crisis Line | 503-291-9111
• Crisis Text Line | Text “Connect” to 741741
• Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255
• Trevor Lifeline | 1-866-488-7386

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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.

• Unemployment options 
• Information about employer obligations and responsibilities from Oregon Labor and Industries
• Business Oregon's list of financial resources (including non-bank lenders) 
• Information about US Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans 
• The latest COVID-19/Coronavirus information on resources for workers and business owners  

Education Links

• Hillsboro School District (en inglés y español)
• Forest Grove School District (en inglés y español) 
• Oregon Department of Education
• COVID-19 Resources for Oregon Higher Education Partners

Local Government

• City of Hillsboro (en inglés, español y más idiomas) 
• City of Cornelius (en inglés, español y más idiomas)
• City of Forest Grove
• Washington County

Utilities Assistance

• Portland General Electric (en inglés y español) 
• NW Natural
• City of Hillsboro Utility Billing 
• Comcast 
• CenturyLink
• AT&T 

Food and Housing Assistance

• Community Action.org
• Oregon Food Bank
• Meals on Wheels

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-477, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain