The Oregon State Treasury has announced that Jaime Alvarez is the new Director of Debt Management in Oregon. In his new role, Jaime will oversee the statewide program responsible for issuing all State of Oregon bonds and managing the state’s outstanding debt.

Jaime was promoted to the Director position after serving as the Deputy Director and Senior Debt Program Manager of Treasury’s Debt Management Division since 2021.

“Jaime has been a valuable member of our bonding program since joining Treasury and I am excited to announce his appointment as the new Director of the Debt Management Division,” said Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read. “I have confidence in Jaime’s ability to lead and advance the program’s efforts to build a better Oregon through bonds and careful management of our state’s debt.”

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In his new role, Jaime leads a team that works closely with partners from across state government, regional and local governments, nonprofits, and the financial industry to provide financing assistance. Put another way: when governing bodies across Oregon need to finance capital projects like affordable housing or retrofit a school facility with seismic upgrades, Jaime and his team make it happen.

He will also serve as Treasurer Read’s designee on the Oregon Private Activity Bond Committee and the Oregon Municipal Debt Advisory Committee.

Prior to joining Treasury, Jaime worked for the City of Houston, Texas, as the Division Manager of the Capital Management and Debt Management Division of the Finance Department. In his capacity as Division Manager for the City of Houston, Jaime worked on bond issuances for General Obligation, Combined Utility System, Airport and Convention and Entertainment credits. Jaime’s prior experience also includes financial positions at The Bank of New York and JP Morgan Chase Bank.

Jaime holds an M.B.A. in Energy Finance from Texas Southern University and a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Houston.

Appointed in mid-October, Jaime succeeds Jacqueline Knights, who accepted a senior position with the United States Department of Treasury.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-11-13 17:39:19

Last Update: 2023-11-13 20:17:33

One of Oregon's Republican state legislators, Representative Lily Morgan has now announced her resignation from her position as Representative for the people of House District 3. She has released the following statement:

"It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing that I am stepping down from my role as Representative for Oregon House District 3. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the community that I grew up in. I have thanked God every day for being blessed with this opportunity.

"I have truly loved being your voice in Salem and have appreciated getting to know the ins and outs of the issues we face as Oregonians from a broader perspective. The issues we face here at home when it comes to opioid addiction and homelessness are problems we are seeing across the whole state, and getting to work with my colleagues to try and find sound solutions to these problems over the last few years has been a pleasure."

"I have been given the opportunity to continue to serve Southern Oregon a little closer to home. This opportunity would allow me to spend more time with my family, and to continue that mission of service. I will truly miss being an advocate for my community and our values in Salem, but ultimately, I must do what is best for myself and my family."

"I thank the voters who elevated me to this position. I trust the Commissioners will appoint a replacement that exemplifies what the people voted for in November of 2022. I have had a long road in public services, and while it is taking me away from the Legislature for now, I would be remiss if I did not admit that I hope it one day will bring me back to Salem as your advocate."

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Representative Morgan steps away from the legislature having championed pressing issues in Southern Oregon, including cannabis, illicit drugs, addressing human trafficking and foster care.

She was a leading voice on the passage of HB 3000 (2021), which passed with broad bipartisan support and overhauled cannabis regulations in Oregon. More recently, she passed HB 2645 (2023), which gave law enforcement more tools to crack down on fentanyl use. HB 4074 and SB 1052 both addressed the human trafficking issues to create mandatory reporting on cannabis farms and increase penalties for trafficking across Oregon. In her three years in the State House, Representative Morgan was chief sponsor of 23 bills that passed into law.

Representative Morgan has taken a position with the City of Gold Hill as the city manager. Her resignation will be effective on December 3rd at 11:59pm.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-11-11 17:54:34

Last Update: 2023-11-11 18:09:17

Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that Klamath County Public Health and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have secured a combined $5.1 million in federal funds for air quality. This follows a $1 million grant received in August 2022 to Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls to monitor air quality and improve health outcomes in wildfire-prone Southern Oregon. Now the move is to align with the Green New Deal and electrify homes that are heating with free wood.

The $4.67 million from the Environmental Protection Agency will go to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to partner with Klamath County Public Health, allowing the two agencies to change out around 300 woodstoves and weatherize 100 houses in Klamath County, with a focus on improving services to underserved populations who rely on wood for heat. As part of the $4.67 million, $323,630 in utility assistance will be granted to low-income applicants who change out their woodstoves through the program.

An additional $451,250 in EPA funding will go to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation for air quality monitoring.

“This federal investment packs a one-two punch because it improves overall air quality and helps Oregonians get efficient heat sources to replace their wood-burning units,” Wyden said. “That adds up to a huge win for quality of life in Klamath County as well as for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.”

“These critical investments will be used to help ensure folks in Klamath County and on the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation have the support and innovation to better monitor and improve air quality,” said Senator Merkley. “Air pollution often goes unnoticed, but can contribute greatly to chronic health conditions. This funding will help improve health outcomes and quality of life for thousands of Oregonians."

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“Air quality is an area of public health that requires our constant attention and intention,” said Jennifer Little, director of Klamath County Public Health. “We’ve had two diligent partners in working toward better air for everyone in the DEQ and South Central Oregon Economic Development District. This grant also includes a new element with Klamath Lake Community Action Services, which is an exciting addition to the ongoing work. Our community is better for the work of each and our continued partnership.”

Removing woodburning stoves may contribute to air quality in the winter, but the greatest impact is summer wildfires and federal prescribed burns in the heat.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-11-08 23:41:11

Last Update: 2023-11-08 23:54:13

Several Republican legislators in Oregon are now blasting Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade for steps taken by the agency recently that enables to state of Oregon to constantly surveil, track, and attempt to suppress or manipulate the free speech of Oregon’s citizens. They have bicamerally penned a letter, it reads as follows:

We call on you and your office to immediately halt implementation of the "Misinformation, Disinformation, and Mal-information (MDM) Analysis Platform Services" Contract (IT Services Contract per Bid Solicitation S-16500-00007470). We have learned that the purpose of this system is to continually monitor and actively manipulate the free speech of Oregonians. We believe that this system as described in the Request for Proposal (RFP) violates Oregonians' First Amendment rights.

Logically (logically.ai), a UK-based company, was awarded the MDM contract last month. As detailed in the RFP (link here), the system will "…identify and mitigate harmful information online as it relates to elections (mis-, dis-, and mal- information, or “MDM”).” The Logically system will monitor Oregonians’ social media posts for MDM on a nonstop basis and use artificial intelligence to “identify perceived threats” and “recommend countermeasures”, including promoting an AI-generated counter-narrative to Oregonians’ speech. The system will also report anything it determines is a possible threat or constitutes speech that “violates community guidelines and/or policies” of different sites to those social media platforms. It will report "urgent information" to the FBI and State Police.

The problem is that the state will determine which content is labeled MDM. Also concerning is how such determinations will be made and by whom. These terms and processes are not defined either in the contract or in any Oregon statute. Instead of focusing on the primary role of ensuring confidence and transparency in Oregon’s elections, the Secretary of State’s Office has chosen to monitor and encourage the censoring of citizens who voice legitimate concerns, some of which may question government practices or policies, on public platforms such as social media.

We reject the idea that any elected official or agency has the authority to constantly surveil, track, and attempt to suppress or manipulate the free speech of Oregon’s citizens. We urge the Secretary of State’s Office to halt implementation now and we call on the Legislature to address this pressing Constitutional issue during the 2024 session. Oregonians deserve a transparent government that prioritizes service to its people. Our government should never use secretive processes and AI programs to tip the scales by suppressing some citizens and augmenting only those who voice consensus with the state. Using artificial intelligence in this manner does nothing to improve confidence or security in our elections; instead, it will deepen the ongoing divide we are all working to heal.

We look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

• Court Boice State Representative, District 1
• Shelly Boshart Davis State Representative, District 15
• Ed Diehl State Representative, District 17
• Tracy Cramer State Representative, District 22
• Lucetta Elmer State Representative, District 24
• Christine Goodwin State Representative, District 4
• Jeff Helfrich State Representative, District 52
• James Hieb State Representative, District 51
• Bobby Levy State Representative, District 58
• Rick Lewis State Representative, District 18
• Kevin Mannix State Representative, District 21
• Emily McIntire State Representative, District 22
• Lily Morgan State Representative, District 3
• Virgle Osborne State Representative, District 2
• Mark Owens State Representative, District 60
• E. Werner Reschke State Representative, District 55
• Anna Scharf State Representative, District 23
• Brian Stout State Representative, District 31
• Kim Wallan State Representative, District 6
• Boomer Wright State Representative, District 9
• Kim Thatcher State Senator, District 11
• Dennis Linthicum State Senator, District 28
• Suzanne Weber State Senator, District 16
• Cedric Hayden State Senator, District 6
• David Brock Smith State Senator, District 1
• Fred Girod State Senator, District 9
• Lynn Findley State Senator, District 30

--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-11-08 16:20:46

Last Update: 2023-11-08 18:10:37

The Oregon Republican Party has now released it's official platform, numerating the issue positions agreed upon within the party. You can read the ORP Platform , and find out how to get involved in the party on the ORP website.

The Preamble of the 2023 Platform reads as follows:

We, the Republican Party of Oregon, stand for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We seek to ensure justice, order, and domestic tranquility, as one nation under God, our Creator. Without restrictive government, as free people, all Oregonians have the opportunity, through hard work and perseverance, to build a more prosperous future for themselves, their families, and their communities. We believe each generation should teach, proclaim, promote, and defend the essential civic Virtues of our founding. We encourage all citizens to work with us to elect ethical and accountable candidates who align with our ideals. This platform outlines our guiding principles, and our vision of the role and scope of our Constitutional Republic, the protection of individual rights, and the responsibilities we have to ourselves, each other, and our Country. We are committed to securing these ideals for future generations.

The ORP is also announcing an incentive program designed to engage and challenge PCPs (Precinct-Committee-Persons) to help with canvassing, door knocking, phone banking, letter writing, voter registration drives and community engagement events.

Precinct Committee Persons (or PCPs) are the entry-level officials of the Oregon Republican Party (ORP.) They represent the people that live within their precinct to their county Republican Party. Each PCP is a voting member of the Central Committee in their county party. You can find out how to become a PCP on the Oregon Republican Party website.

The ORP says PCPs with the greatest number of verified volunteer hours win prizes. Hours will be sent to the ORP PCP chair at the end of each quarter by the designated county verifier.

Rewards may change from time to time. First quarter prizes are:

• Free admission to the ORP State Central Committee meeting
• A 90-minute private flight from the airport nearest to you with Brian Bishop
• $25 Gift certificates

The ORP says that the PCP who banks the most hours will select between the first two prizes. The PCP who banks the second most hours will receive the prize not selected by the winner. All other PCPs who have banked at least 5 verified hours will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $25 gift card.

"We’re thrilled to roll out the new PCP Initiative to help PCP’s engage in GOTV activities in their county and our state party", said PCP Organization Chair Jessica Davidson. "We have some wonderful prizes in store and hope you’re all excited to get to work helping get Republicans elected at every level."

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The ORP says eligible activities include: voter registration drives, ballot collection activities, canvassing, phone banking, volunteering in a county or ORP office, volunteering at a fair or community event that includes voter registration, writing pro-Republican letters to the editor (approved by the county chair/county PCP chair).

Activities that are NOT eligible for this initiative include: attending or volunteering at rallies or conferences, attending or volunteering at Central Committee meetings or other regular county or Republican events or meetings, signature gathering for petitions (unless the event also focuses on voter registration).

In May 1856, the first Republican meeting in Oregon was held in Jackson County to nominate county officers and adopt a strong platform declaring freedom throughout the United States, and the Oregon Republican Party was officially organized in Albany just three months later.

By December of that same year, the Oregonian newspaper stated that almost every county had held a Republican convention and adopted a ‘free state platform’, in favor of the admission of Oregon to the Union as a free state.

The first nominating convention of the Oregon Republican Party was held in Salem on April 21, 1859. Delegates supported William Seward, who was in favor of Oregon’s statehood, and was noted for his strong position against slavery.

The current Chairman of the Oregon Republican Party is businessman, Justin Hwang.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-11-07 15:19:41

Last Update: 2023-11-07 19:46:24

As people across America adjust to this past weekend’s switch from daylight saving time to standard time, Oregon Senator Kim Thatcher and Washington Senator Mike Padden are planning to introduce bills early next year to put their states on standard time year-round. This isn't the first time lawmakers have sought to end the switch.

"I introduced Senate Bill 320 in 2019 that would change Oregon to permanent daylight saving time,” said Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, who serves Oregon's District 11. “Even though the bill passed it was contingent on Washington and California passing a similar bill and then all the states seeking permission from the federal government. Washington passed a bill but California never did, though their people overwhelmingly passed a proposition in 2018 to ditch the switch."

In 2019, Sen. Mike Padden, who serves Washington’s 4th District, supported the passage of a state law in Washington calling for year-round daylight saving time, which will not take effect until the federal government approves the same change.

“If there is one issue most people agree on, it’s the dislike of moving their clocks from standard time to daylight saving time in the spring and then back to standard time in the fall,” said Padden, R-Spokane Valley, who will introduce his year-round standard-time bill when Washington’s 2024 session begins Jan. 8.

“It confuses and annoys many people, and it causes health problems for some. That’s why Senator Thatcher and I are working together to see if our respective legislatures can keep our clocks on standard time year-round,” added Padden.

In 2022, Padden co-sponsored Senate Bill 5511, a bipartisan measure that would have exempted Washington from observing daylight saving time until the state could move to Pacific Daylight Time year-round. SB 5511 was not approved by the Senate.

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During Oregon’s 2023 legislative session Thatcher introduced Senate Bill 1090, a bipartisan bill that would have kept Oregon on standard time year-round and halted the state’s annual switch from standard time to daylight saving time.

Thatcher and Padden said they have contacted legislators in California, Idaho and Nevada to see if they will introduce similar bills in those states.

Arizona and Hawaii are the only states on permanent standard time. Because Congress has already decided states may be on permanent standard time if they choose, Oregon and Washington would not need the federal government to pass a bill authorizing the two states to be on year-round standard time.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-11-07 12:37:39

Last Update: 2023-11-07 00:03:45

Governor Tina Kotek appointed nationally known Dr. Sejal Hathi as the director of the Oregon Health Authority as of January 16. Dr. Hathi brings over a decade of experience in medicine, health policy and education, and non-profit development. On the line is the implementation of universal health care with the passing of Measure 111, and obtain HIPPA exemption allowing health providers to register voters.

“The Oregon Health Authority has a critical role in ensuring equitable access to health care in Oregon and for stewarding our behavioral and public health systems in every part of the state,” Governor Kotek said. “This work must be carried out with transparency, accountability, urgency, and an infallible commitment to customer service. Dr. Hathi brings a rare combination of extraordinary qualifications to this role – from frontline experience as a physician, to shaping policy in the White House, to founding two non-profits focused on women and girls leadership. I am grateful she is bringing her experience and talent to serve Oregonians.”

Before joining the Oregon Health Authority, Dr. Hathi served as New Jersey's deputy health commissioner for public health services and designated state health officer. Prior to that, she served for two years as the White House’s Senior Policy Advisor for Public Health, where she led various Administration priorities for the Domestic Policy Council. A board-certified attending physician, she also held joint faculty appointments as an assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health.

“I’m both excited and humbled to be a part of the ground-breaking advances in health care access that are happening in Oregon," Dr. Hathi said. "At the national level, all eyes are on Oregon and the steps this state is taking to expand health coverage and tackle root cause issues, such as the social determinants of health. I look forward to continuing this proud tradition and working with the team to make every community in the state a healthier place to live.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic Dr. Hathi served as host and producer of CivicRx, a podcast on health equity and social justice. She interviewed doctors on subjects such as: climate change is a public health emergency; calling for federal action against gun violence; unvaccinated pulled us back into a war against the coronavirus; “vaccine passports” debate; and more.

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Dr. Hathi cared for COVID-19 patients as a resident physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and a clinical fellow on faculty at Harvard Medical School, where she also launched and led a voter education and mobilization initiative for providers and their patients. She has served on numerous national boards related to public service and public health. She served as a health policy advisor to Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign, and today, she maintains a role as a founding board member of Indiaspora. Dr. Hathi has spoken at TEDWomen, the World Health Assembly, and the United Nations, among other venues.

Early in her career, Dr. Hathi founded and led two, award-winning social enterprises, each building community and advancing women’s and girls’ leadership around the world. In 2013, Dr. Hathi was appointed as 1 of 9 public health leaders to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s expert advisory group on women’s & children’s health, charged with evaluating and reporting global progress against maternal and child mortality. Dr. Hathi holds a B.S. with honors from Yale University and an M.D./M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Interim Director Dave Baden will continue his work at OHA, and will serve in a deputy director role, overseeing major programs and policy initiatives. Kris Kautz will continue as a deputy director overseeing agency operations.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-11-06 19:24:20

Last Update: 2023-11-06 20:48:00

Charlie Conrad (R-Eastern Lane County) convened a summit of statewide experts at the University of Oregon to discuss opportunities and challenges for fixing the state's youth behavioral health system. Those in attendance included behavioral health leaders from the Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Health Sciences University, Oregon Department of Education, University of Oregon, and other state departments and programs along with behavioral health experts representing providers from all areas of the state.

Oregon has an estimated 24,000 youth suffering from substance youth disorders, one of the highest rates in the United States, and has one of the lowest rates of access to care for youth. According to a 2023 study by Mental Health America, Oregon ranks 51st among all states and the District of Columbia for providing access to behavioral health care to youth.

"Oregon's youth are in crisis, and we must do better. This is not a partisan issue: we need urgent action across parties and at all levels of the system," said Representative Conrad.

Those who attended the summit describe the current youth behavioral health system as "neglected", "morally unacceptable", and "a desert with a corn maze in the middle." The highest priorities identified by the group include:

• Simplifying the current system;
• Improving integration and communication; and
• Balancing local control with state support.

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While the summit dwelled on administrative and structural changes that would add government support and increase funding, Measure 110 remains the source behind substance disorders that Democrats don’t want to discuss repealing. Teenagers with substance disorders get more satisfaction from the substance and are more likely to become addicted says clinical expert Sarper Taskiran MD, at Child Mind Institute. Kids with negative thoughts will turn to a substance and half will end up with a substance use disorder making it harder to treat mental health issues.

At the close of the summit Conrad stated, "I will work closely with agency leaders, care providers, researchers, youth, and families across the state with the goal of introducing legislation in the 2025 session that will have a significant impact on our youth SUD prevention and treatment services."

Conrad is attempting to regain his credibility after the ORTL PAC asked him to step down and announced a campaign to defeat him due to his support for what ORTL says was dangerous abortion and assisted suicide legislation. Representative Conrad voted to pass House Bill 2002 seriously damaging children and weaken the parent-child relationship removing parental consent. They also objected to him voting for House Bill 2279 in the 2023 legislative session opening up assisted suicide to out-of-state access.


--Ritch Hanneman

Post Date: 2023-11-05 18:10:06

Last Update: 2023-11-07 15:00:28

Speaker of the house Dan Rayfield has appointed Representative James Hieb (R-Canby) as a non-voting advisor to the 11-member Willamette Falls Locks Authority.

In 2021, HB 2564 established the Willamette Falls Locks Authority as “a public corporation with the mission to establish ownership, oversight, and management of the Willamette Falls Locks project for the purposes of enhancing the economic vitality of Oregon through facilitating the resiliency and navigability of the Willamette River and repairing, maintaining, upgrading and operating the Willamette Falls Locks project…for commercial, transportation, recreational, cultural, history, heritage and tourism purposes.“ The 11-member Authority will assume ownership of the locks after the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completes necessary repairs.

USACE will continue to oversees the locks until seismic repairs are completed. The official transfer of ownership to the Willamette Falls Locks Authority is expected to be in 2026. This will allow time to perform geotechnical explorations involving drilling a series of holes to investigate the systems substructure and ensure seismic anchors installed throughout the repairs have been properly designed.

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The Willamette Falls Locks Authority will oversee the ongoing refurbishments and preserve the water table for renewable energy generation at PGE’s Sullivan Power Plant. Steelhead and salmon habitat upriver will also benefit from repairing the locks.


--Ritch Hanneman

Post Date: 2023-11-05 12:41:39

Last Update: 2023-11-07 15:19:41

The Growth Management Division at the City of Bend says that they want to hear from the community about where to locate areas where people can live, work, and play without requiring a car.

This concept is called a Climate Friendly Area. City staff are in the phase of analyzing locations throughout the city to designate as Climate Friendly Areas in a multi-year project driven by the state of Oregon.

As a part of this phase, the community is invited to the Climate Friendly Areas Community Open House on Nov. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. It will be held in the Audubon Room at the Environmental Center at 16 NW Kansas Ave. An online open house will also be available at the City of Bend: Climate Friendly Areas website.

Climate Friendly Areas are part of the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules required by the state of Oregon that intend to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by changing land use patterns. Bend says the end result will involve designating walkable, connected areas that provide a mix of businesses, housing and amenities such as parks and schools through code and policy amendments.

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The City of Bend says the process of adopting these changes is supportive of many Bend City Council goals, policies and plans already underway related to climate, equity, housing and transportation.

"It’s vital that we plan for a sustainable future", said Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler. "One where everyone in Bend has the chance to thrive, with a place to live that they can afford, a job that pays the bills, and a community where they feel welcome and safe."

Those interested can visit the City of Bend: Climate Friendly Areas website for an online open house and opportunity to comment.

The City of Bend says that the Environmental Center is not sponsoring this event.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-11-04 12:19:08

Last Update: 2023-11-04 13:10:14

The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Refugee Program has announced that it invites community agencies to apply for a portion of $2.25 million in funding that is available to provide services and support to certain individuals from Ukraine or those who entered through the Uniting for Ukraine program.

The application to apply for funding can be found online, the deadline to apply is Nov. 24. ODHS will be hosting an informational session for organizations who are interested in applying for this funding on Nov. 17. This session is to provide information on this funding and provide an opportunity for session attendees to ask questions before they apply for the funding. Details on how to join the learning session are available in the application that can be found online.

The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) is operated by the U.S. Department of State (DOS) through contracts with national non-profit organizations called Resettlement Agencies. These organizations have local affiliate offices throughout the nation.

The ODHS Refugee Program is responsible for some of the services that are outside of initial resettlement provided by Resettlement Agencies.

The ODHS Refugee Program administers refugee cash and refugee medical benefits. Additionally, the ODHS Refugee Program contracts with Community-Based Organizations and Resettlement Agencies to provide culturally responsive services for populations deemed eligible by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Since February 2022, it is estimated that upwards of 4,500 individuals from Ukraine have resettled in Oregon.

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The Department says that the purpose of this request is to ask for applications from culturally or linguistically responsive organizations who provide services to immigrants or refugees (and those eligible for refugee services) to increase services and supports. estimated that upwards of 4,500 individuals

ODHS says that funding is available to support:

• $1 million for housing assistance services
• $500,000 for employment services assistance
• $300,000 for health and mental health promotion services
• $300,000 for legal services
• $75,000 for senior services

ODHS says organizations may express interest in supporting more than one service area. The application for this funding, and additional information regarding the ODHS Refugee Program can be found on the Oregon Refugee Services website.

The Oregon Department of Human Services says that their mission is to help Oregonians in their own communities achieve wellbeing and independence through opportunities that protect, empower, respect choice and preserve dignity.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2023-11-03 11:16:59

Last Update: 2023-11-03 11:54:42

Eight Democrat Oregon Legislators travel to Washington DC to boost about why Oregon is one of the highest taxed states in the nation. They joined state leaders across the country at the White House to discuss how federal dollars are being put to good use. Because of historic legislation like the American Rescue Plan Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS & Science Act, Oregon legislators have been able to create more good paying jobs, strengthen the state’s infrastructure, support small businesses.

Representative David Gomberg (D-Lincoln & Western Benton/Lane Counties) gives credit to Oregon’s recovery to federal dollars “helping us build back better and stronger. Projects in rural and coastal Oregon like the replacement of the Newport Dam in my district are going to revitalize our infrastructure, create jobs, and keep our economy strong.”

Senator Wlnsvey Campos (D-Aloha, Beaverton & South Hillsboro) says partnering with the Biden-Harris Administration is “empowering Oregonians to be more competitive in the 21st Century economy with access to broadband, expansion in the semiconductor industry, opportunity in green energy, and support for our small businesses.”

Does Campos not remember passing HB 4092 (2022) costing Oregonians $200 million in order to receive $100 million in federal help from the American Rescue Plan Act? And, in a special session, SB 1603 (2020) transferred $5 million from the Oregon Business Development Department each year to develope rural broadband. It passed without a 2/3 vote adding a tax surcharge to cell phone bills after the Emergency Board allocated $20 million to broadband.

House Bill 3201 enabled Oregon to receive an award of over $156 million to expand broadband infrastructure across the state through the American Rescue Plan Act Capital Projects Fund. This will secure high-speed internet access to an estimated 17,000+ new locations in the state, helping to connect rural and low-income communities with critical services like telehealth, jobs, education, and more. Criticism of the bill exposed the lack of funds being distributed equitably to rural areas having conflicting maps. Representative Anna Scharf (R-Polk) says “federal maps are based on carrier information not independent research, and the State of Oregon map is based on a survey.” Some local counties have done their own mapping. “This bill excludes locally collected data, which is the most accurate data available.”

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The semiconductor bill, SB 4 Oregon CHIPS Act, allocated $210 million. The biggest share, $190 million, pays for grants and loans for semiconductor companies competing for $53 billion in federal funding to expand in Oregon. Added to that, Governor Kotek provided $1 million to help small and mid-size firms prepare applications for federal funding. Oregon already employs 40,000 in the semiconductor industry, third in the nation with 15% of the nation’s semiconductor workforce. Oregonians should anticipate more legislation for companies to conduct research and development.

The group also praised $500 million available to K-12 schools to upgrade their HVAC systems, assess ventilation systems, place carbon dioxide monitors in each classroom, and submit a report on ventilation and carbon dioxide levels to a mechanical engineer for review. Districts will then implement any improvements recommended by the engineer. However, the legislature passed HB 3031 despite disagreement with unions on making it a fair process for HVAC businesses. The requirement for trained agents in order to contract directs the business to metropolitan areas and makes it difficult, if not impossible, for rural contractors to bid on projects in their own area, said Representative Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville).

Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association’s PNWH2 Hub was selected as one of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs following a competitive nationwide process. The PNWH2 Hub will span across Oregon, Washington, and Montana, and will leverage the abundant clean power and innovative technology companies in the Pacific Northwest to accelerate the transition to clean hydrogen production and use. The hub’s projects will drive economic opportunity and are expected to create over 10,000 good paying jobs. No study has been made on the cost to residence to convert away from natural gas and fossil fuels. But if the federal government is providing fund, then surely it be good.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-11-02 17:29:31

Last Update: 2023-11-02 18:37:43