The Oregon Senate has passed a bill which directs the Department of Revenue to establish and administer a program to provide one-time assistance payments to low-income households to address negative economic impacts of COVID-19 public health emergency. In addition to the relief, the Senate voted to spend $479,713 from the general fund to administer $147,000,000 as the maximum limit for payment of expenses for the administration of the relief.

The $147 million is from funding from the American Rescue Plan Act Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund moneys.

As a committee bill HB 4157 has no sponsors, but it is listed as “at the request of Representative Andrea Valderrama” (D-Portland). It concludes “This 2022 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 2022 Act takes effect on its passage,” even though these recipients needed some help in 2020, when the emergency actually did exist.

One person testified, “I suppose my biggest issue with this bill is that it is nearly worthless to the people who lost work in 2020. What happened during the pandemic is completely the fault and responsibility of the Federal and State governments in this country. COVID did not harm enough of the workforce with sheer numbers to have really any impact on the economy, but it was less than two months before myself and hundreds of others were laid off. The Oregon State government (specifically the governor) reacted with ridiculous measures to a pandemic that turned out to be rather mild. The Oregon State government was responsible for nearly all the hardship that low income workers in Oregon have experienced in the last two years.”

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

“As I understand it, anyone who claimed the EITC on state taxes will qualify for this handout. That is going to be a great many people as the threshold for the EITC is quite high, and is not truly "low income.

“An article I read on OPB mentions that the justification for this bill is partially that there is a higher cost of living. This is largely also the fault of the government because low income housing, rent caps, and the recent rent-free COVID measures have made it so that anyone who doesn't qualify for government handouts cannot afford to live in the city. That said, the rural areas that would benefit the most have some of the lowest cost of living in the state. Why would a one time $600 payment make a difference anyway? I suggest a bill to reduce tax liability of all Oregonians by $600 annually as an alternative. Now THAT would be a bipartisan bill that would tackle the subject of this bill, reduce unnecessary government spending, and would be rather easy to argue because even "low income" workers are responsible for paying thousands to the state government every year. A single $600 payment is nothing in comparison.

“Another concern I have for this bill is that it will give funds to people who do not possess a Social Security Number” a clear reference to illegal aliens. “I think that as it is currently described, this bill would allow for certain illegal immigrants or other non resident workers in Oregon to also receive this $600 payment.


--Virginia R. Hall

Post Date: 2022-03-04 10:16:03

Last Update: 2022-03-04 10:34:23