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To contact me, please click here: Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Oregon on the National Stage
Oregon has been getting a lot of national attention due to President Trump’s attempts at sending in the national guard and threatening to pull federal aid. Oregon leadership is doing everything in their power to resist these actions.
This past weekend, a federal judge made a ruling barring National Guard troops from Portland. Governor Tina Kotek, Mayor Keith Wilson, & Attorney General Dan Rayfield held a press conference on Sunday, October 5th.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard the case this morning. You can learn more about the hearing from Oregon Public Broadcasting.
I went down to the protest to see for myself to see for myself what is happening and saw nothing close to a war zone. I saw about 75 folks peacefully protesting and Portland Police were nearby keeping an eye on the situation. I ask that anyone joining the demonstration remain peaceful and help us prove that President Trump’s administration is just trying to justify pulling funds from states that did not vote for him. You can read more of my comments and other elected official’s comments on threats from the president to pull federal funds in this KATU story.
We are in troubling times for our nation. I will continue to speak up for Portland and will continue to do my part to protect Oregonians from what is happening at the federal level. The legislature is looking at solutions to lessen the impacts on HR 1 and how we move forward. You can read about my committee hearings below but I would like to provide some resources first.
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Unemployment Resources for Federal Employees
The Oregon Employment Department (OED) can help impacted federal workers with Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits through their WorkShare program.
The following links can help you navigate how to apply for benefits or get help looking for a new job:
If you ever have issues with your unemployment claims, you can reach out to my office for assistance.
Immigration Resources
Oregon’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (OIRA) has several resources including legal services.
In Oregon, we have funded a universal representation program to help folks with their immigration cases. If you or someone you know needs help, the Enquiry Corps of Oregon can assist.
Legislative Days Focused on National Impacts to Oregon
During September legislative days, many committees focused on how HR 1 will impact Oregonians. Here is what I heard in my committees:
Joint Interim Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Services
We had a two-part presentation from the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Department of Human Services on the impacts to Medicaid (OHP) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). You can watch the entire presentation here. If you would like to read through their slides for information, you can find the links below:
House Interim Committee on Health Care
The House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care has been split into two committees. I remain on the Health Care Committee as the Vice-Chair. This committee meeting also focused on how cuts to Medicaid will impact the Oregon Health Plan (OHP).
We also heard about the West Coast Health Alliance and received a vaccine access update. You can watch that presentation here. There were several presentations given during this hearing. If you would like to look through these slides, you can find them on the Meeting Materials page.
House Interim Committee on Labor and Workforce Development
We learned about the Management-Labor Advisory Committee (MLAC) which is forum for business and labor to meet, explore, and resolve issues involving the workers' compensation system. You can watch their presentation here.
We also heard from the Legislative Policy and Research Office (LPRO) about the recent rule makings from the US Department of Labor (USDOL). You can watch that presentation here. If you would like to learn more about the 66 separate rulemaking efforts from USDOL, you find links to all of them from LPRO’s Summary of U.S. Dept. of Labor Rulemaking Activity presentation.
Ceremonial Bill Signings
I took some time during September Legislative Days to attend two ceremonial bill signings to celebrate a few legislative wins.
Freedom to Read
Senate Bill 1098 specified that a school employee cannot ban a book because it is by or about a member of a marginalized community.
Momnibus Package
The Momnibus package is a group of policies that focus on supports and resources for parents with babies to improve health outcomes and reduce maternal mortality and morbidity. Senate Bill 690 provides eviction protection for families with young children while they wait for health-related social needs housing support funds. Senate Bill 692 establishes a community-based perinatal services access program to expand access to culturally competent, community-based perinatal services.
We are in challenging times and my office is working with the BIPOC Caucus on creating resources on our websites. Please keep an eye out for those updates in the near future.
Best,
 Travis Nelson
State Representative
House District 44
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1444
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-275, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/nelson
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