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Hello Friends,
The news has traveled quickly that the Senate is back in operation. Indeed the missing Senators have returned after an unbelievable 6+ weeks of not showing up. We are now working furiously to hear all of the bills that we can muster, at a breakneck pace, in order to complete our duty before the final Constitutional Sine Die deadline, June 25th.
Thank you to all who joined our virtual town hall last week. Unfortunately, due to uncertainty in scheduling related to the Senate, we had to schedule a virtual gathering. Apologies to those who were looking forward to meeting in-person, as I was! BUT we are already planning for our hybrid end-of-session townhall, which will allow for in-person as well as virtual participation.
Big thanks to our live Spanish and Vietnamese translators who attended. If you or someone you know needs translation or other accommodations to be able to participate in the future, be sure and reach out to our office and we can help get you connected.
Big thanks also to our moderator, Kate Kristansen, the Executive Director of Beaverton Pride, for joining us on short notice and for the lively discussion about our priorities in Beaverton and Aloha.
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Pro-Worker Values
This session my office put forward several bills to protect workers’ rights and signed on to others, such as HB 2697, the “Safe Staffing bill”, which requires hospitals to establish professional, technical staff and service staff committees, to develop safe staffing plans with appropriate nurse-to-patient ratios. This bill makes significant, historic advances towards safe hospital staffing and quality patient care throughout the state and puts Oregon at the forefront of safe staffing laws in the nation.
Below are some examples of why worker’s rights need to be protected, and what is on the line. With the UPS Teamster Strike, and unprecedented numbers of Oregon Nurses Association nurses on strike in Seaside, Portland across the state, I want to uplift the voices of workers who are demanding fair pay, safe work conditions and fair contract negotiations.
I stand with workers and it’s important to me to show up for workers in the struggle.
These values also extend to standing in solidarity with our legislative staffers here in the Oregon State Legislature in Salem who are still bargaining a contract after two years. I look forward to coming back next session with staff who have the protections they want.
As the quote from the late Paul Wellstone goes, “We all do better when we all do better!”
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UPS Teamsters
I am ready to support the UPS Teamsters on strike!
Drivers and warehouse workers at UPS have authorized a strike by a vote of 97%. Last year UPS made $13 billion, and the workers who created that profit (and delivered all our packages for us!) deserve respect, safe working conditions, and a fair wage.
If they strike on August 1st, it would have cascading effects around the world.
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ONA Providence Nurses
Oregon Nurses Association-represented nurses and clinicians at Providence Portland Medical Center, Providence Home Health & Hospice, and Providence Seaside Hospital started a 5-day strike on June 19, who I was honored to join at their picket line and rally.
Every day more and more Providence nurses leave the bedside and clinicians leave the field. They’re dealing with chronic understaffing, below market wages and benefits, and a lack of respect. This leads to problems recruiting and retaining enough nurses and health care workers to care for our community, resulting in delayed care, missed patient visits, and preventable harm to Providence patients.
 The Oregon Department of Transportation Driver and Motor Vehicles Division (DMV) had a data breach that included unauthorized access to up to 90% of Oregonians' data, including driver's license information. This hack is part of a global technology hack that affected more than 2,000 organizations worldwide who use the MOVEit transfer software tool. ODOT setup a webpage about the data breach for more information and updates.
Individuals who have an active credential (license, permit, ID card) should assume information related to that credential is part of the breach.
What you can do to protect yourself:
Check your credit report: Federal law allows individuals to receive a free credit report every 12 months. You can request one online at www.annualcreditreport.com or by phone at 1-877-322-8228. Check the reports for any activity you do not recognize. For more information you can also visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website on identity theft at https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft.
Be vigilant in monitoring your credit activity. A credit freeze is something I’ve done for years, it’s just an added layer of safety. If you wish to freeze your credit files, please contact one of the three credit monitoring agencies for assistance:
Contact ODOT if you have any questions at AskODOT@odot.oregon.gov or (503) 945-5000.
With the increasingly volatile political climate we are facing, I would like you to know that there are resources available for members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community. Please reach out to my office if you ever need help accessing these services.
Trevor Line: 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help/
The Trevor Project provides 24/7 crisis support services to LGBTQ young people. Text, chat, or call anytime to reach a trained counselor.
Oregon LGBTQ Resources and Supports https://oregonlgbtqresources.org/oregon-lgbtq-support/ Selected resources listed on this website focus on providing services and support to reduce mental health risks and promote well-being for LGBTQ young people.
Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860 https://translifeline.org/ Trans Lifeline provides trans peer support for our community that’s been divested from police since day one. They’re run by and for trans people.
SAGE LGBT Elder Hotline: 877-360-LGBT (5428) https://www.sageusa.org/what-we-do/sage-national-lgbt-elder-hotline/
They connect LGBTQ+ older people who want to talk with friendly responders who are ready to listen.
LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources https://namior.org/search-for-resources/ Click on “LGBTQ+ Specific” as the category.
Pride
Recently, the Beaverton City Council delivered a proclamation for Pride Month. Thank you to Pride Beaverton for your dedication, for helping to ensure Beaverton is welcoming and inclusive, and for putting on Pride every year. Our community would not be the same without it.
Beaverton Pride is coming up June 25th and I look forward to seeing you all there! Check online for more event information here.
Congratulations Graduates!!!
A special round of congratulations are due to all of the graduates in Beaverton and Aloha. I am so proud of you all and we cannot wait to see what you all do with your bright futures.
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This week I had the pleasure of welcoming wonderful young folks who have been taking a deep dive into civic engagement as interns in my office. It is a priority to me to uplift diverse voices from our communities across the state and create pathways to enable students to learn firsthand how our government functions.
Thank you Nikhil, a high school Senior at Sunset High School, and Cameron, a college senior at the University of Oregon for engaging in the democratic process to make positive changes.
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After this legislative session ends, there are two programs that are available for those who would like to get more involved in learning about the legislative process, both through the Oregon House Legislative Education and Outreach Office (OHLEOO). The Oregon House Legislative and Education Outreach Office has a specialized civics experience tailored for any and all Oregonians. The OLEO Office can produce a program for any age and size group from preschool to senior citizen and everyone in-between! Please feel free to contact their office with any educational and outreach requests. They are here to make civics education fun and accessible to everyone!
For more information on all of our educational offering, and/or to schedule any civics outreach or in building visits, please email the OHLEOO office at: Civics.Education@Oregonlegislature.gov
Citizen Education and Outreach (CEO)
The CEO program will be a tool for the legislative assembly to reach out to groups, organizations, elected bodies and or other various groups who might benefit from direct interaction with a staffer from the Legislative Assembly. The CEO program will be available to all Oregonians in any part of the state by request. The OHLEOO staffer can then plan a visit and or presentation on any topics related to civics, history, Oregon government or general information.
Experiential Learning Programs (ELP)
The ELP has been developed for Oregon classrooms or students that seek an in-depth exploration into the Oregon legislative processes as well as a hands-on civics experience. There are three options available for this outreach program:
1. Oregon legislative civics exploration and hands-on experience. This is a guided journey through the legislative processes of our unique Oregon system. A curriculum packet will be provided to participating classrooms or groups and the OHLEOO Director will be available for in classroom or Email support. The final experiential event will be a simulated House floor session at the capitol or at the participants location.
2. A general civics exploration and hands-on experience. Much like the Oregon specific experience, this option will be provided by the OLEO office as an interactive, experiential program culminating in a simulation-based exercise.
3. Various non-profit civics programs. Oregon has a myriad of civics programs that a student may participate in. The OLEO Office will be promoting and assisting in making these programs as successful in Oregon as possible, so stay tuned for updates.
Even on the longest days, I continue to be so very proud to represent our community. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me anytime.
Yours truly,
Representative Farrah Chaichi
House District 35
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1435
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-478, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.Farrah.Chaichi@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/chaichi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepresentativeFarrahChaichi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FarrahChaichi
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