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Hello Friends,
I hope you had a great holiday weekend – Labor Day is a day each year to honor the efforts of collective voices that protect worker rights. The labor movement in Oregon works tirelessly to uplift the voices that keep communities and our economy strong: our workers. I really enjoyed spending time with folks at the Lane County Labor chapter annual picnic in Springfield this year!
Read on to learn more about investments in technology manufacturing, an update on the statewide transportation sustainability and outreach tour, Oregon’s latest economic forecast, and some good news about programs supporting Oregonians.
HP Inc. in Corvallis recently signed a “non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms” (PMT) to receive up to $50 million from the CHIPS and Science Act from the US Department of Commerce. This federal investment will support the expansion and modernization of HP’s existing facility in Oregon and will create an estimated 250+ manufacturing and construction jobs.
This news comes after work the Oregon legislature has done to keep our state at the forefront of the semiconductor industry. In 2023, we passed The Oregon CHIPS Act that aimed to attract exactly this type of federal investment. Earlier this year, we also passed the CHIPS Childcare Infrastructure Fund to ensure that those entering the industry workforce have more affordable childcare options.
I’m thrilled to see this investment from the Biden-Harris Administration in Oregon, and I am proud of the role our state is playing as a world leader in advanced computer chip manufacturing. This is great news for the state of Oregon!
Thanks to this grant, HP plans to expand its Corvallis campus shown here. (Photo courtesy of KLCC)
In my July newsletter, I reflected on the Transportation Committee’s time in Eugene discussing our community’s needs for roads, sidewalks, bridges, transit, and other transportation issues. Since then, the committee has been traveling across our state – our goal next session is to modernize and improve the ways Oregonians get and stay on the move and the way we fund our system.
Oregon was the first state in the country to have a gas tax that pays for the roads and bridges in our state, over a century ago. But increases in fuel efficiency and the rise of electric vehicles means we need new ways to finance our future transportation system. The Transportation Committee and I remain committed to determine what our transportation funding system looks like in the future so Oregonians can get where they need to go safely.
I recently sat down with a reporter following this work and talked about how I plan to make Oregon’s system better: Capital Chatter: Now is the time for transportation planning.
More good news for Oregonians – the Oregon Health Authority recently announced that the federal government approved Oregon’s request to expand Oregon Project Independence (OPI). OPI is a program to help pay for services to seniors and people with disabilities who need a little help to continue living independently in their own homes. OPI is an innovative program – one of the few of its kind in the U.S.
Under the new expansion, individuals with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level will qualify. Applications for this expanded service may become available as early as spring 2025, so I’ll be sure to share more information about this program and the application when available. Stay tuned!
Oregon is a great place to live and age in part because of programs like OPI. I see this approval from the federal government as an acknowledgment of the great work that we are doing.
Last week, the state received its quarterly revenue forecast that indicated Oregon’s economy is stable and growing. It also showed that inflation continues to slow, which is good news for our working families.
A stable state budget will help us continue the critical investments we've made in Oregonians, like quality schools, affordable housing, and accessible health care. But we also need to remain prudent in how we use taxpayer dollars and stay focused on passing a transportation package next year that will keep our economy moving.
It’s back to school time, and I’ve been enjoying all of the first-day-of-school photos and posts from my friends and family. If your family is gearing up to go back to school, 211info can help you find resources in your area for school supplies, clothes, transportation, fee assistance, readiness programs, after-school programs, and more. Keep in mind that back-to-school programs can come and go quickly, so if you don’t find what you need at first, be sure to try again later.
Call 211, text your zip to 898211, email help@211info.org, or visit 211info.org to find resources closest to you.
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Access to child care means better opportunities for working families. But child care workers in Oregon and across the nation face low pay and heavy workloads, and we face a shortage of qualified workers for these positions. The legislature has made significant investments and policy changes in recent sessions to help address this challenge.
As part of these efforts, the Oregon Center for Career Development in Child Care & Education (OCCD) is launching Oregon’s Child Care Workforce Recognition Payment Program. The program will offer $500 Recognition Payments to eligible child care workers in 2024 and 2025 to acknowledge and support the essential role they play in our communities.
These payments are an important step in revitalizing the child care sector in Oregon. By providing Recognition Bonuses, we can help childcare providers attract and retain staff, increasing their capacity to care for more children and help move the dial on Oregon's child care system.
For more information about this program and eligibility, please visit the links below.
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Whether in session or out, my office and I are always here to help! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance navigating local or state government services or to share your thoughts and ideas on the issues facing our community and state.
Yours truly,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1414
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-271, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JulieFahey@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/fahey
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