Earlier this week, I was sworn into my 5th term in office at my 9th Legislative Session, alongside our old and new members. Our new governor, Tina Kotek was sworn into office and pledged to get straight to work tackling the state’s affordable housing and homelessness crises. She plans to sign the following executive orders: one to set a state target of building 36,000 new, affordable homes a year, and the other declaring a homelessness state of emergency.
Next week, I will be attending my first committee meetings of the Session. Here is my committee schedule:
- Ways and Means Education Subcommittee (T, W, TH: 8-9:30am)
We are starting a heavy budget season with many challenges to help all levels of education, from early learning to higher education
- Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water (T, TH: 3-4:30pm)
- Joint Transportation (T, TH: 5-6:30pm)
Finishing up our conversation on tolling from Legislative Days
- Joint Ways and Means (F: (9:30-11:30am)
Be sure to track my legislative agenda on OLIS, where you can watch meetings on real time or watch them later once they've been posted. I am looking forward to convening with my colleagues on the House Floor on Tuesday, January 17th.
Left: Rep Sosa and I on the House Floor
Right: Steve Messinetti (President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity), Andrea Bell (Executive Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services), and I at the Century Commons GroundBreaking Affordable Housing Project in Hillsboro
Century Commons GroundBreaking Affordable Housing Project in Hillsboro
Thanks to the support of funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), donated land from the City of Hillsboro, financing through Oregon Housing + Community Services, and hundreds of individuals who have donated both money and time, Habitat for Humanity Portland Region is breaking ground on a new property located on Century Boulevard in Hillsboro and finishing the final homes on Denney Road in Beaverton. One-time ARPA funds are in response to the growing housing crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, and have helped expedite affordable home development. The 23 homes at Century Boulevard will be located near the Orenco Max Station, Orenco Nature Park, and other green spaces. The 16-home community on Denney Road includes a protected natural area as part of the development's western boundary that will be accessible to the public.
I had a great time speaking to this group of partners!
TOWN HALL RECAP
Last night, we had an excellent turnout at our first virtual Town Hall of 2023! We were so happy to welcome people from all across the district, coming together to discuss community issues. Here are some of the important topics that were covered last night:
DMV Staffing Levels and Privatization of DMV Services
Funding for Drivers' Education Courses
Kayden's Law - training for those making decisions on abuse cases ( requires court, judges, guardians, etc be educated on domestic violence if they are going to be making those decisions)
Options for smaller housing units on city in-fields
Safety on highways and on Maple and Fernhill in Forest Grove
Support for OReGO and Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee Program
Dale Feik, a frequent attendee at our legislative events, made a very generous compliment following last night's gathering and we appreciate his dedication to bettering our community!
"We are so fortunate to have such a skilled, experienced, passionate, knowledgeable, strategic, committed teacher representing us"
The Hillsboro City Council awarded $200,000 in community services grants to 14 local nonprofits for this fiscal year, according to an announcement by the city government.
The Hillsboro Finance Committee reviewed 36 applications from local nonprofits back in November, determining which programs would receive part of that money. The grants aim to support local agencies that “assist in improving the mental or physical condition of Hillsboro residents.”
The following local organizations received these grants:
• Boys & Girls Aid, a support network for children in foster care, received $20,000.
• CASA for Children Inc., the court-appointed special advocates network for children in Multnomah, Washington, Columbia and Tillamook counties, received $16,000.
• Cascade AIDS Project, providing housing and other support for HIV patients, received $12,462.
• Community Alliance of Tenants, an outreach organization and advocacy group for renters, received $5,093.
• Fora Health, providers of mental health and substance abuse treatments, received $20,000.
• Lifeworks NW, which provides mental health and addiction services, received $5,093.
• Meals on Wheels People, a nonprofit that prepares and delivers meals to elderly and homebound individuals, received $5,000.
• New Narrative, which provides integrative mental health services in the Portland area, received $16,528.
• Project Homeless Connect, which operates shelters and outreach services for the homeless, received $20,000.
• Saving Grace Maternity Home, providing housing for single homeless women in an unplanned pregnancy or parenting a young child, received $5,093.
• Sequoia Mental Health Services, providing mental and behavioral health support to adults, children and families, received $20,000.
• St. Vincent de Paul, St. Matthew Conference, the local branch of the international organization dedicated to helping the poor, received $20,000.
• Xpose Hope, which provides religious support services for employees in the adult entertainment industry, received $20,000.
• Youth Contact Inc., which provides family counseling, education and prevention for substance abuse disorders in children and youth, received $15,000.
The Forest Grove City Council approved up to $75,000 in upgrades for the Forest Grove Senior and Community Center at its Monday, Jan. 9 meeting.
The center, which hosts weekly and monthly meals, exercise classes and recreation, is operated by a nonprofit that leases the city-owned facility on Douglas Street off 21st Avenue at no cost.
The new funding for the senior and community center comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.
According to finance director Paul Downey, Forest Grove received two installments of around $2.8 million each from the federal stimulus package in August 2021 and August 2022. Most was incorporated into the yearly budgets, but each cycle, the city earmarked around $567,000 for "non-city" projects.
The first time around, the city distributed those leftovers to Habitat for Humanity, the Forest Grove Foundation for homeless services, and $300,000 in small business grants. The second time, the council voted to spend most of that on youth summer recreation programs, including hiring a new recreation director for the parks department.
Collaborative solutions to a lack of recreational opportunities for youth after school and over the summer was the main topic for discussion for Cornelius and Forest Grove school city officials during a joint public work session Monday Jan. 9.
Forest Grove School District Superintendent David Parker explained in the summer of 2021, the school district received $2.7 million from the state legislature to make up for academic and social opportunities lost during distance learning. Through partnerships with nonprofit such as Centro Cultural de Washington County and Adelante Mujeres as well as city libraries and parks, the money propped up a wide range of opportunities from STEM camps to swimming lessons that reached nearly 11,000 youth participants.
However that funding was not recurring, and last summer Parker said collaborative summer programming reached about a third of that number of kids.
The Forest Grove City Council voted in November to expedite the hiring process for a new recreation coordinator, with an eye on new and improved programs for youth that will double as child care. Within the city's park department, it will be the first full-time position dedicated to recreation.
The meeting had been a normal occurrence before the pandemic, and in the past Cornelius has also had similar meetings with the Hillsboro School Board. City officials said the way the Cornelius' students are split between both Forest Grove and Hillsboro schools adds an extra layer of challenges to establishing community opportunities. Smaller Washington County cities such as Banks or Gaston still have their own school districts.
Cornelius does have a few projects in the works to expand community spaces. A western wing of the Cornelius Public Library is still unfinished, and director Karen Hill said sometime by the end of 2023, the library plans to open a 'maker space' there.
Forest Grove School District is also currently reviewing architectural pitches for the new Cornelius Elementary School, whose funding was approved by voters as part of a $121 million bond in November. The district plans to open the new campus in time for the 2025-26 school year. Cornelius City Manager Peter Brandom also mentioned instituting a cultural district in downtown Cornelius to spur more community events.
If you need help and are unable to call 9-1-1, you can text within Washington County. Texting 9-1-1 will put you in touch with emergency responders, but it’s essential to know there are certain limitations:
📱 W.C.C.C.A. 9-1-1 can only support texts in English at this time. 📱 Send your message directly to 9-1-1. Including other contacts in your message thread will prevent your message from reaching 9-1-1. 📱 Plan to text your location—the dispatcher will not automatically know where you are. 📱 Text only numbers and letters; 9-1-1 cannot receive photos, videos, or emojis. 📱 Avoid texting abbreviations that may cause confusion. 📱 Call if you can; a voice call will convey vital information to 9-1-1 more quickly than text.
January is School Board Appreciation Month and we'd like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our seven elected School Board members for their voluntary service to the District and to the greater Hillsboro community: Chair Mark Watson, Vice Chair Nancy Thomas, and Directors Lisa Allen, See Eun Kim, Erika Lopez, Patrick Maguire, and Monique Ward. We would also like to recognize and thank our three student representatives to the Board: Ivette Alonso Garcia of Liberty High School, V Godoy of Century High School, and Cailey McGuire of Hillsboro Online Academy and Liberty High School.
Congratulations are in order for Danitza Saucedo Sosa, a senior at Glencoe High School who is Hillsboro Rotary Student of The Month. Danitza is also enrolled in the Oak Street Campus Early College Credit Program. She was accompanied by her proud parents, Maritza Sosa and Jaime Saucedo, and by school counselor Anya Hershberger. Danitza is the first in her family to graduate high school and attend college. When she isn’t studying or baking, she swims and is a lifeguard at the Shute Park Aquatic Center. She plans to study to be an optometrist and is currently choosing between University of Oregon, Southern Oregon, or Oregon State University for her undergraduate studies. We wish Ella much success in all her endeavors!
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released two reports showing the bivalent COVID-19 booster provides significant protection against COVID-19-related hospitalization, especially for people age 65 and older.
These new reports follow a recent study showing that symptomatic people who received the bivalent vaccine were less likely to test positive for COVID-19.
The bivalent booster, which targets the spike protein of both the original COVID-19 virus strain and the Omicron subvariants BA.5 and BA.4, was authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Aug. 31 and recommended by CDC soon thereafter. Since then, scientists and public health experts have been monitoring its effectiveness in the United States.
Results of the studies
One report tracked emergency department and urgent care visits (as well as hospitalizations) between Sept. 13 and Nov. 18. The study included 9,000 adults ages 18 or older, all of whom had symptoms and were tested for COVID-19 after arriving at the health care facility.
People who had received the bivalent booster were:
56% less likely to be visit the ER or urgent care than those who had not received any COVID-19 vaccines.
31% less likely to visit the ER or urgent care than those who had received only the monovalent (original) vaccine, with the most previous dose received two to four months earlier.
50% less likely to visit the ER or urgent care than those who had received only the monovalent vaccine, with the most previous dose received at least 11 months earlier.
The numbers were similar when looking at people who were hospitalized.
People who had received the bivalent booster were:
57% less likely to be hospitalized than those who had not received any COVID-19 vaccines.
38% less likely to be hospitalized than those who had received only the monovalent (original) vaccine, with the most previous dose received five to seven months earlier.
45% less likely to be hospitalized than those who had received only the monovalent vaccine, with the most previous dose received at least 11 months earlier.
The other report studied COVID-19-related hospitalizations for people 65 and older between Sept. 8 and Nov. 30 who tested for COVID-19 after arriving at the hospital. For the study’s 798 patients, the report showed even stronger evidence of the bivalent booster’s effectiveness.
People age 65 and older who had received the bivalent booster were:
84% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those 65+ who had not received any COVID-19 vaccinations.
73% less likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than those who had received two to four doses of the monovalent (original) vaccine, with the most previous dose received five to seven months earlier.
What’s next?
Currently, no further COVID-19 booster is being recommended. If you received the bivalent booster shortly after it was authorized on Aug. 31, you may be more susceptible now to infection, but the vaccines still help protect from severe disease, hospitalization and death.
If you’re not sure if you’ve received the bivalent booster, remember that when the bivalent booster became available for different age groups, the monovalent (original) booster was discontinued for those age groups. Therefore:
For those 12 and older who got a COVID-19 booster shot Sept. 2 or later would have received the bivalent booster.
Children ages 5 through 11 who got a booster shot Oct. 12 or later would have received the bivalent booster.
Children ages6 months through 5 years who got a booster shot Dec. 9 or later (and who received the Moderna primary series) would have received the bivalent booster. Children ages 6 months through 4 years who completed a Pfizer primary series are not eligible for a booster shot at this time.
With a new year comes new appointments to key positions, including the Oregon Health Authority.James Schroeder has officially stepped into the role, and is already taking aim at some of the biggest issues affecting Oregonians.
During his first day in the lead position Schroeder named his top issues: affordable health coverage, housing access and mental health care.
Schroeder began his career as a primary care doctor, but was most recently employed as the CEO of Health Share of Oregon, before being appointed to the role of OHA Director by Governor Tina Kotek.
Schroeder set the course for his time at the helm of the agency on Jan. 10, outlining what he sees as the state's main shortcomings: hospitals jammed with respiratory virus patients, and others unable to be discharged because of mental health needs or long-term care requirements. He also blamed elicit substances like methamphetamine and fentanyl for exacerbating mental health concerns, and causing death on the state's streets.
Schroeder also identified shortcomings with the Oregon Health Plan, the state's Medicaid insurance program. He made his concern known for people who are denied coverage because of small changes in their income. He also called on other agencies to fill the void as federal pandemic funds continue to dwindle.
The new director set the following goals for OHA under his leadership:
Maintain OHP coverage for those who have it, and as pandemic funds are exhausted, make sure vulnerable families have options.
Implement the state's updated Medicaid program.
Help communities statewide develop behavioral health care that can meet their communities specific needs.
Schroeder wants OHA to put a bigger emphasis on providing preventative medicine like checkups and vaccines to at-risk populations, and making these services more accessible to those enrolled in OHP. Part of this commitment to preventative health, he says, is eliminating health inequalities.
BENEFITS
Apply to cut your garbage and recycling bill costs
Community members in unincorporated Washington County who live at or below 185% of the federal poverty level – $51,338 per year for a household of four – can have their garbage and recycling bills cut by 75%. This brings the cost of the standard 32-gallon per week garbage and recycling service to just $7 per month, thanks to a new reduced rate program. Washington County Solid Waste & Recycling is partnering with Community Action Hillsboro, Oregon to make the application process easy for community members. Individuals can apply online, in person or request an application by mail. To learn more and access the application, visit https://www.washingtoncountyor.gov/swr/reduced-rate-program.
Join the Oregon Food Bank every second Tuesday of the month for a free food market in City of Hillsboro. See flyer for information and share with friends. No ID required.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, most Oregonians who receive benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-- or SNAP-- have also gotten monthly, emergency allotments. Now, that’s about to end.
Starting back in April, 2020, the extra benefits were provided to help qualifying individuals and families get enough healthy food during the COVID-19 emergency. On Tuesday, the Oregon Department of Human Services announced February will be the final month that the agency is allowed to provide the extra food dollars.
The change comes out of the recently passed Congressional Congressional Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023. Under the new legislation, SNAP households will receive their last emergency payment on March 2.
Regular SNAP benefits will continue to be added to recipients’ electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards between the first and the ninth of each month. Oregonians who receive SNAP are encouraged to prepare for the change in their food benefits.
Find out what your regular SNAP benefit amount is. Knowing your regular SNAP benefit can help you budget. You can check how much your regular benefits are by accessing your EBT account online at http://www.ebtEDGE.com or by logging into your ONE account at Benefits.oregon.gov.
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
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 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.
