Recently I was honored to speak at a Black Lives Matter event in West Linn for kids and families. I was thankful for the opportunity to honor the people who tragically brought us together: George Floyd, a father; Breonna Taylor, an EMT on our frontlines; Ahmaud Arbery, a son killed while jogging; and too many other names.

This violence against black and brown people is not new, but we gathered with our kids because we are grieving, and we yearned for change and community support to lift us up. With this grief we vowed to turn our momentary actions into working for true systemic change. Across HD 37 community members are showing us that racism can be a family conversation, and that gives me hope for a better future. To start having these conversations with your family, check out these resources for white parents to raise anti-racist children:

Books:

Where to find diverse children's books

Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners 

Podcasts:

Raising Free People

Integrated School

At the event I spoke to my support for The Oregon Legislative People of Color (POC) Caucus policy proposals. They are calling for three specific actions on police accountability.

First, the POC Caucus is requesting that a bill from the last two sessions regarding law enforcement disciplinary actions that go to arbitration be included in any proposed policy bills the legislature considers. The law would prohibit an arbitrator from lessening disciplinary action against a law enforcement officer if the arbitrator and the law enforcement agency determine that the officer has committed misconduct. 

Second, the POC Caucus is requesting consideration of a new legislative concept that would authorize and require the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute, if the evidence dictates, any death or serious physical injury resulting from the use of force by a law enforcement officer. 

Third, the POC Caucus is requesting the House Judiciary committee convene a bipartisan work group to recommend changes to the state’s laws regarding use of physical force or deadly physical force in making an arrest or in preventing an escape

Congratulations Graduates

I loved seeing the cars marked up with celebratory messages, and the pictures of creative graduation ceremonies. Congratulations to all of the graduates!  This last year didn't end the way you expected, but I’m inspired by your resilience and dedication despite the challenges. Investing in your education is one of the first steps to achieving your aspirations, whether you are heading to a university, going to technical school, or beginning a career in your local community. I’m eager to see what’s next for the Class of 2020 and to work alongside you to make our state the best it can be. I am one of the many Oregonians cheering you on. Congratulations on a job well done! 

• $75 million to support rental assistance, housing stabilization and mortgage assistance.
• $10 million in additional support to the Oregon Worker Relief Fund which supports Oregonians who are not otherwise eligible for unemployment benefits.
• $15 million to support individuals having difficulty paying their utility bills.
• $3.5 million to expand access to affordable telephone and broadband service for low-income households.
• $4 million to support survivors of domestic violence.
• $25.6 million to enhance behavioral health services for Oregonians impacted by COVID-19, with a focus on communities of color, Oregon’s federally recognized tribes, and vulnerable populations.
• $30 million in assistance to child care providers.
• $20 million to support the Rural Broadband Capacity Program to support safe distancing practices by connecting schools, health care providers and businesses.
• $50 million for rural hospital stabilization grants.
• $10 million to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) for small businesses.
• $3 million in technical assistance to minority and women-owned businesses.
• $1 million for 211 to maintain referral services during the pandemic.

Testing Updates 

Since the beginning of this pandemic, when we were just learning about It at informational hearings,  I advocated to protect the residents and staff of long-term care (LTC) facilities. My professional experience of caring for patients in LTC drives my advocacy for this vulnerable population. I am pleased to see the Governor Announced a Comprehensive Coronavirus Testing Plan for LTC and look forward to details from OHA & DHS. Read the full press release here.

Employment Department Update

I, along with fellow legislators, called on the Oregon Employment Department to get Oregonians the money they are owed because we know how hard this pandemic has been on Oregonians and the last thing they need is to be stuck in agency limbo. We know things have to be better and a crisis management, all-hands-on-deck approach is absolutely necessary. I’m happy to report that is exactly what is in process now. 

The Oregon Employment Department has called for volunteers from other agencies and departments to help clear the backlog and my team stepped up to help. One of my staff members will be working a few hours every day to help clear the backlog and everyone has focused our time on helping the people of Oregon and House District 37.

My team is staying on top of constituent inquiries, and we are working directly with the department to help resolve them. If you need help on a claim please email my team at [email protected] and include:

• Your name

• Phone number

• Employment department Customer ID or last four digits of your SS number

• Mailing address

• Initial filing date

• Your last contact with the employment department

If you have not received your unemployment money yet and are struggling with food- you may qualify for other benefits and I encourage you to look into food assistance. It has been confirmed that you will NOT need to pay anything back to SNAP once you get the money from the employment department. 

Other local food bank options serving HD37:

Tualatin Food Pantry
Rolling Hills Community Church
3550 SW Borland Rd, Tualatin.  503-783-0721
School House Pantry

West Linn Food Pantry
Willamette United Methodist Church.
1683 Willamette Falls Drive, West Linn. 503- 915-9446
West Linn Food Pantry

Packed With Pride
Tigard High Auditorium on the swim center side
9000 SW Durham Road, Tigard, OR 97224
Serving Tualatin, King City, Durham
Packed WIth Pride Tigard-Tualatin

• Driver licensing and ID cards – originals, renewals and replacements, including passenger car and commercial licenses, and instruction permits

• Driver knowledge tests

• Driving privilege reinstatements with a license issuance

• Disabled parking placards

• VIN inspections for new-to-Oregon vehicles previously titled elsewhere

• Farm endorsements

The DMV cannot do drive tests due to social distancing restrictions and is not sure when those tests can resume. ODOT reported to the transportation committee that DMV appointments are currently weeks out. I reached out to ODOT with my concerns about the wait time people are experiencing and hope the DMV will find solutions to catch up on the backlog.  

An update on the DMV operations was just one of the topics the Joint Transportation Committee heard at its meeting yesterday. They also heard testimony on a range of issues including safety conditions and ridership from transit districts around the state, an update on the rollout of the REAL ID Act, an update on the impact of COVID-19 on the Fuel Tax receipts, and finally an update on the future of our highway trust fund. To watch the committee, click here.

There was a spike in the daily coronavirus case count for a few days. The Oregon Health Authority says that wasn’t unexpected because things continue to open up, more testing is happening, and there have been a few workplace outbreaks to influence the numbers. That said, with many counties entering Phase 2 Reopening, it can be difficult to keep track of information on how best to protect yourself and others from coronavirus. The good news is the Oregon Health Authority has put together a new in-depth Q&A about face coverings.

I’ve posted the first two parts of the Q&A below, given its length. The entire document is available here.

1. Am I required to wear a face covering in public?

It depends on the place. When riding public transit, a person is required to wear a cloth, paper or disposable face covering unless that person:

Is under two years of age

Has a medical condition that makes it hard to breathe when wearing a face covering

Has a disability that prevents the individual from wearing a face covering

It is strongly recommended that people, including children 2 and 12 years old, wear a face covering at all times in places like grocery stores or pharmacies, where it might be hard to keep at least 6 feet apart from other people outside their family and where there are likely to be people at risk for getting sick.

Some businesses may require people to wear a face covering. If so, a business must have policies and procedures that make accommodations for people with disabilities and exceptions for children and people with medical conditions. If businesses require face coverings this does not replace the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

2. Will a face covering protect me from COVID-19?

Face coverings may reduce the spread of COVID-19. This includes spread from people who have the virus but no symptoms. As Oregon reopens businesses and public spaces, following the guidelines below is more important than ever:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• If you are at higher risk, stay home as much as possible even if you feel well.
• If you become sick while in public, return home, self-isolate, and call your health care provider.
• Wash your hands often.
• Clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces and objects.
• Cover coughs/sneezes with elbow or tissue.
• Do not touch your face.
• Keep physical distance - 6 feet between you and people who you do not live with.
• Avoid overnight trips and travel the minimum distance needed to obtain essential services.

HD 37 County & City Resources 

• Clackamas County
• West Linn
• Washington County
• Tualatin
• King City
• Durham
• TTSD school district
• WLWV school district

Please email me if you have questions, comments, or concerns - my office will do all we can to help you. 

To subscribe or read past newsletters

For up-to-date Covid 19 information from the Oregon Health Authority, please check this link 

Governor Brown’s COVID-19 Resource page. 

And if you want to follow up-to-date statistics from the Oregon Health Authority for case counts, testing counts, breakdowns by geography, demographic, and hospitalization information go here. Under the first dropdown, “COVID-19 Cases in Oregon'' there is a daily update with more information linked just below the total test results:

Thank you for reading! We will get through this together.       

Sincerely,

Rachel Prusak