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Hello Friends and Neighbors, 

On Wednesday, we celebrated International Women's Day- a time to recognize the monumental achievements made and systemic oppression faced by women around the world throughout history. I am very proud to serve alongside a diverse coalition of women who are spearheading strong legislation for equity and progress. I am also proud to be a mother and a grandmother of two strong women, Melissa and Emily, who have inspired me and many other women to keep fighting for what we believe in. 

Surrounded by a strong crew!

BILL UPDATES

I am so pleased to report that one of my priority personal bills, HB 2617, was voted out of the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care unanimously on Tuesday night. This bill will save lives by improving newborn screening services in Oregon and I will be advocating for a referral and hearing in Ways and Means, where the bill is currently located.  I was honored to speak on the House Floor in support of SCR 6, which honors the life and service of Ralph Davis Brown. Ralph was a friend and a colleague, and he meant so much to our entire community. Both the House and the Senate have passed this resolution and it is only fitting that his life of service be recognized and honored by the State Legislature.    Upcoming Bills on the House Floor:   House Bill 2669: Currently, children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind may qualify for specially designed instruction or accommodations under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, or under state law. House Bill 2669 declares that children who are deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind have the same rights as children who are not deaf, hard of hearing, or deaf-blind and establishes requirements for school districts to serve them.   House Bill 2905: Oregon requires the State Board of Education (SBE) to review and revise its Common Curriculum Goals, performance indicators, and diploma requirements to include rigorous academic content standards. Oregon law requires school districts and public charter schools to provide instruction that meets these standards. House Bill 2023, enacted in 2019, requires SBE to ensure that academic content standards include sufficient instruction on histories, contributions, and perspectives of certain classifications of individuals. It also directs school districts to offer instruction that meets the academic content standards; ODE to provide professional development to teachers and administrators related to the new requirements; and school districts, SBE, and textbook committees or officers to adopt textbooks and other materials that adequately address the roles in and contributions of certain classifications of individuals. The bill aligns the implementation dates for the new requirements with SBE's regular adoption cycle for standards, textbooks, and materials. House Bill 2905 adds individuals of Jewish descent to the required classifications of individuals enacted in 2019.   House Bill 2915: 440 United State localities, as well as the states of California, Washington, New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Maine have passed humane pet store laws that prohibit retail sales of dogs and cats at pet shops. The prohibition prevents retail pet stores from selling commercially raised puppies and kittens from breeding mills. In 2009, the Legislative Assembly passed House Bill 2420 to curtail puppy mills in Oregon. The measure specified standards of care for dealers, breeders, and pet store owners, and limiting the number of sexually intact dogs per commercial breeding operation. Prohibiting retail sales of dogs and cats at pet shops builds on the law passed in 2009. House Bill 2915 prohibits retail pet store from offering to sell or selling dogs or cats. The measure permits retail pet stores that sold dogs or cats prior to the measure being effective, to the continue to sell the animals provided the retail pet store: makes the offer to sell or sells at the physical address at which the retail pet store last sold a dog or cat before the effective date of the measure and ownership did not change between the effective date of the measure and any date that the retail pet store sells a dog or cat after the measures effective date.

STAFF OPINION - END PUPPY MILL PIPELINES

By Carolyn Lee, Chief of Staff to Representative McLain 

House Bill 2915 was voted out of the House Committee on Business and Labor this week and now heads to the House Floor for a vote. This important bill aims to stop the puppy mill pipeline in Oregon by banning the sale of puppies and kittens in new pet stores. Most dogs or cats sold in pet stores, that are not part of an adoption program, come from disreputable mills. By preventing their sale, it will mean that puppy and kitten mills have one less market to sell their exploited animals in. Oregon is currently the only market left open on the West Coast for pet stores that sell puppies. Both California and Washington have enacted laws prohibiting the sale of puppies and kittens in pet stores. That’s why passing HB 2915 is more important than ever, to help end the puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline and continue to drive the pet industry toward more humane sources, like shelters, rescues, and responsible breeders.

I am a fierce advocate for the elimination of puppy mills because I have adopted several puppy mill rescues, including my first dog, Kayla, who was born into a puppy mill in Southern Oregon. Kayla unfairly bore all the physical scars of the typical mill survivor. Before being rescued, the only identity she had was as breeder #10, which is easy for me to remember since the number was tattooed on her left ear. She spent her first five years living in a cage so small and dark that when she was rescued, she barely knew how to walk and was extremely sensitive to sunlight. She never barked, not because I'm a great dog trainer but because the mill owners cut her vocal cords. She had permanent hearing damage in one ear due to an untreated infection, and when she inevitably caught kennel cough, it developed into pneumonia and eventually pulmonary fibrosis. Despite earning thousands of dollars selling Kayla's puppies, the mill owners couldn't be bothered to spend even $20 on antibiotics, which could have prevented her fibrosis.

BIPARTISAN PACKAGE HIGHLIGHT

I am proud to have passed this crucial package with my Democrat and Republican colleagues in order to address and decrease our state's ongoing opioid crisis. It is a complex problem that requires multifaceted solutions, which I believe are encompassed by this bill package. 

Opioid Harm Reduction Package 

The fentanyl crisis is impacting communities across the state. This week, we responded by passing the Bipartisan Opioid Harm Reduction Package (HB 2395).

In 2021 over 745 Oregonians died from opioid overdoses, and nearly three Oregonians a day die from this tragic and growing epidemic across the entire state. It doesn’t have to be like this.

This bipartisan effort will save countless lives. It breaks down barriers to lifesaving emergency treatments, like naloxone kits, by making them more available in public buildings, such as restaurants, grocery stores, police departments, and schools.

• When administered, naloxone can restore breathing and reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids. 
• Naloxone is extremely safe and effective. Even if you do not have opioids in your body, there’s no side effect or danger.

Our responsibility as elected leaders is to ensure the health and safety of Oregonians. With this bill we are giving Oregonians struggling with addiction a chance to receive treatment.

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people struggling with addiction who have access to harm reduction tools are five times more likely to go into recovery.
• Throughout session, we will be looking at additional legislation that addresses the root causes of addiction, including expanding mental and behavioral health supports and resources.

The legislation is the result of a bipartisan coalition and has earned the support of harm reduction advocates, law enforcement, clinicians, students, educators, local governments, and stakeholders within the state’s public health system.

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday, Mar. 12 at 2 a.m. Please remember to move your clocks ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night.

ADVOCATE SPOTLIGHTS

Habitat for Humanity of Oregon

Featured with West Tuality Habitat for Humanity Advocates sporting their fabulous scarves!

On Wednesday, I met with a group of hardworking advocates with Habitat for Humanity of Oregon. West Tuality Habitat for Humanity is based in Forest Grove and serves Western Washington County, where they partner with families and donors to build homes with an affordable mortgage and do critical home repairs that allow vulnerable home owners to stay in their homes. We discussed the legislation they are backing this Session to expand new home production and sustain access to critical matched-savings programs that help create pathways toward homeownership. They also informed me about their program, Our Home Preservation, which serves low-income people, military veterans, seniors and people with disabilities who are homeowners in Western Washington County. These repair projects can range from yard work and painting, to building access ramps and installing grab bars, to major critical repairs regarding plumbing, electrical and structural issues. This program is essential in addressing the items needed to make homes safer, more secure and to enable homeowners to stay in their homes safely and securely, aging in place. I am grateful for the important work they are contributing to our district and I am looking forward to continued conversations with the West Tuality Habitat for Humanity team! 

Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA)

Featured are OSEA members and constituents: Tamra Frame (Pacific Academy), Melody Hansen (Hillsboro High School) and Margaret Bertucci (Brail Transcriber for Northwest Regional Education Service District)

On Monday, I met with OSEA members and constituents from my district for Legislative Education Day (LED) and we spoke about OSEA’s legislative priorities and education needs. OSEA is a labor union that represents over 22,000 educational employees working in school districts, colleges, education service districts, Head Start agencies, libraries and parks and recreation districts across our state.

This week, we are celebrating Classified School Employees Week, which is an important opportunity for communities across Oregon to recognize and thank the hardworking classified professionals who keep our schools running and help students learn. OSEA's theme for CEW this year is: Leadership, Effectiveness, Advocacy, Diplomacy/Liderazgo, Eficacia, Apoyo, Diplomacia. In both English and Spanish, the words make the acronym LEAD, recognizing classified as leaders in education.

As a former teacher and the Chair of the Education Budget Committee, I deeply admire and support the work OSEA does to represent and organize their members, offer members resources and training, and promote the interests of members through education, political action and lobbying at the state Capitol.

Beaver Caucus (Oregon State University)

OSU beaver mascot visiting our capitol building!

The Beaver Caucus is a statewide coalition of Oregon State University (OSU) alumni and supporters. In our district (HD 29), there are over 495 students currently attending OSU. Programs OSU offers in our district include the OSU Open Campus Extension, created to provide local access to education through community-based partnerships and unique programming. 

For the 2023 Session, OSU will be advocating for funding that will support student success through the Public University Support Fund, the economic and physical welfare of Oregonians through the Statewide Public Service Programs and the Sustainable Food Initiative, as well as the growth of our OSU-Cascades campus. 

I have always supported funding projects like these ones in the past and I am committed to ensuring that our education programs are invested in as much as possible given the state’s current financial environment.

AROUND WASHINGTON COUNTY

My heart is with the many refugees who have been displaced by the Ukrainian War. I am proud that Oregon is a Sanctuary State that offers a new and safe home for refugees and their families. We must continue to support them in every way we can. 

Story of Ukrainian Refugee Family Living in Hillsboro

Furniture maker Vasyl Rosokha came to Oregon last summer with his wife and two daughters. When the war started, Rosokha had just left Ukraine to work in Slovakia, where he could make three times his salary. Being outside the country meant Rosokha avoided the requirement that Ukrainian men between 18 and 65 remain as Russia invaded. The family met him in Slovakia, drove across Europe to Portugal, then flew to Oregon.

Speaking through an interpreter with Oregon’s Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, or IRCO, he said they left because he was worried something might happen to the family. They arrived in Portland with just $1,800 in cash. But they were also sponsored by Rosokha’s wife’s cousin, Nataliya Smith. Under the federal government’s Uniting for Ukraine program, people fleeing the war can stay in the United States on what is called immigration parole, for two years, so long as they have the financial support of a sponsoring family. In practical terms, that meant the Rosokhas moved into the Smith family home in North Plains. Smith arrived from Ukraine when she was 7. She said the first challenge for refugees is to find work and a place to live. The Rosokhas got jobs quickly as attendants at a North Plains gas station. But like many Oregonians in the midst of a housing crisis, securing a place to live seemed almost impossible.

They found an apartment in Hillsboro renting for $1,900 a month. But they didn’t make enough to qualify. In the end, Smith’s husband put his name on the lease. The Rosokhas were lucky. It’s very difficult for most refugees to find someone willing to sign their lease.

That’s why, as the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine passes, Oregon legislators are considering a bill to make it easier for Ukrainian refugees to settle. Senate Bill 935 would prohibit landlords from denying a rental application from a Ukrainian refugee for financial reasons.

In addition to waiving the requirement for a cosigner, the new bill would also waive the $40 fee for Ukrainian refugees when applying for a driving license so long as they already hold a valid Ukrainian license.

An estimated 6 million people are thought to have been displaced by the war in Ukraine. So far, 4,500 refugees have come to Oregon since the war began, effectively quadrupling the local Ukrainian population.

Proud of my fellow district leaders in taking this important step of official recognition for our communities with developmental and intellectual disabilities

WashCo Board of Commissioners: DD Awareness

One out of 10 families is directly affected by developmental disabilities, with an estimated 1-2% of the population having a developmental or intellectual disability.

This morning, the Washington County, Oregon Board of Commissioners proclaimed March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Everyone wins when people with developmental disabilities receive the supports and opportunities they need to be contributing members of their communities!

Local, accessible healthcare options are essential in ensuring the health and safety of our community members. I am grateful for our healthcare professionals and their dedication to serve the families that make up our county. 

New Forest Grove urgent care helping combat county healthcare drought

As Washington County’s population has boomed over the past few years, its cities have struggled to keep up with demands for health care services.

SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATES

If you attend or have children who attend a Hillsboro school, be sure to check out the recently approved calendar to find out about important events and meetings for this school year.

The 2023-24 school calendar was unanimously approved by the School Board at their meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 28. You can find PDF copies in English and Spanish at hsd.k12.or.us/calendar.

HOSA Future Health Professionals is an organization for student leaders pursuing careers in the healthcare industry. Congratulations to the 4 members selected to compete in the HOSA Bowl!

Congratulations to our FGHS Hosa Club members Liam Carter, Emma Duyck, Maddy Smith and Penelope Webber for being 1 of only 12 teams in the state who were selected to compete in the HOSA Bowl!

BENEFITS AND SUPPORT

The Empresas Small Business Program with Adelante Mujeres provides small business development services to new and beginning Latine entrepreneurs in rural and urban Washington County.

Empresas Small Business Development Program

Upcoming Classes:

Cocinemos Course:

The next Cocinemos Course begins on February 7th. This ten-week course will be on Tuesdays from 6 - 8 pm. For more information, contact Odalis Aguilera at oaguilera@adelantemujeres.org or (503) 716-6992.

Empresas Course:

This course is for the community and focused on any industry except food. It begins on the first Tuesday of May and October with a duration of 10 weeks, taught on Tuesdays from 6 to 8 pm. For more information, contact Mariana Beyer at mbeyer@adelantemujeres.org or (971) 371-0014.

Emprende con Empresas:

These workshops are held every third Thursday of the month from February to October of each year. The themes for 2023 are:

February 16: Business Marketing

March 16: How to set prices and accounting

April 20: Access to capital and taxes

May 18: How to handle invoices and contracts

June 15: Sustainability for business

July 20: Customer service and points of sale

August 17: How to overcome fears as an entrepreneur

September 21: Recruitment of personnel

October 19: Become a leading entrepreneur

Stay up to date with changes to health benefits, food benefits, medical benefits, support for seniors and people with disabilities.

Preparing Oregonians for benefit changes

During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE), the federal government extended health coverage, services and supports for people with disabilities and older adults, and provided extra food benefits, along with other regulatory flexibilities. The flexibilities and temporary programs will end as the federal COVID-19 PHE phases out. 

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and Oregon Health Authority (OHA) are working together to prepare for the unwinding of the COVID-19 PHE. Together the agencies provide benefits and services to 1 in 3 people in Oregon through the Oregon Eligibility (ONE) system. The joint agency effort focuses on the medical, services and supports for people with disabilities and older adults, and food benefits issued through the ONE system.

PUBLIC HEALTH

Recent COVID-19 Update from the Oregon Health Authority

Lift Mask Requirements

The federal Emergency Allotments food benefit program ended in February. In March people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will see a decrease in their monthly food benefits. 

We continue to encourage households to budget accordingly and reach out to their local resources. Visit needfood.oregon.gov to find food resources in your community.

The most important thing SNAP benefit recipients can do to get critical information about their food benefits is keep their contact information up to date. Options for updating contact information can be found at oregon.gov/or-benefit-changes.  You can find more information about SNAP Emergency Allotments on the ODHS website, including downloadable communication tools in multiple languages.

With respiratory virus positivity rates decreasing and expected to continue to drop, Oregon will lift the mask requirements in health care settings on April 3.

Everyone in Oregon should feel welcome to continue wearing a high-quality mask based on their personal choice and need, even if it is not required in a health care or other indoor setting.

Wearing a mask remains an effective way to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses. We encourage you to wear a mask in any setting, including health care settings, if you are sick, have a health condition that puts you at high risk for severe illness from a respiratory virus exposure , or at any time wearing a mask makes you feel more comfortable.

For more information, read our news release: https://content.govdelivery.com/.../ORDHS/bulletins/34c69c1

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

Picture of me testifying on the House Floor for the House Resolution honoring my late friend, former Cornelius Mayor, legislator and advocate, Ralph Brown  

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-489, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain