 * “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.”
—Helen Keller
 Senator Golden chairs the Senate Natural Resources & Wildfire Committee.
Hello—
The pace in the Capitol is fast and furious in the second-to-last week of the short session, with too much going on for us to offer you a proper newsletter. I’ll host an online Town Hall this coming Monday to catch you up—see details below.
But one important upcoming vote to tell you about is HB 4002, the proposed revision to Measure 110 and by far the highest profile bill of this session. The joint committee of Senators and Representatives that has been working on it for months approved it last night on a vote of 10-2. A good summary of their thinking is here.
This has been one of the toughest public policy debates I can remember, and to say it’s not a perfect solution is probably an understatement. There simply is no perfect solution or anything close to it. And I’ll be voting for it.
I’ve heard from quite a few people in our District, some longtime friends, who are very concerned about this bill. They’ve heard that it will send us back to the War on Drugs, which in human and economic costs has to be one of the most damaging and least successful policies this country has ever followed.
Along with many of my colleagues, I’m determined to see that doesn’t happen. At its core, HB 4002 is about providing addicted Oregonians every available opportunity towards recovery and away from criminalization, and to make sure that the War-on-Drugs stigma that ruined countless lives doesn’t come into play. We can’t make that mistake again.
I want to share with you a column that House District 5 Representative Pam Marsh—the person who represents me in the House of Representatives—wrote for the Rogue Valley Times. It’s here.
This short essay is the clearest explanation I’ve seen of the important details and background considerations of HB 4002, and the reasons I’ll support it.
Hope to see you Monday evening!
Best,
 Senator Jeff Golden, Oregon Senate District 3
We hope you will join us here on Monday: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81264840728
OED is moving Unemployment Insurance Benefits to Frances Online, a modern, user-friendly online system. Customer service will be limited starting Wednesday, Feb. 28, and systems will be down until 8 a.m. on Monday, March 4. IMPORTANT: Current claimants need to file for the week of 2/18 - 2/24 BEFORE 5 P.M. ON 2/28 to avoid benefit delays.
Visit unemployment.oregon.gov/frances for more info.
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