I hope you enjoyed the lovely weekend, happy Monday!
Events over the last several weeks have highlighted the importance of effectively addressing the root causes of racism and gun violence. The outwardly racist motivation for the mass shooting at a Buffalo, N.Y. grocery store is just one of the most recent examples of how hate is undermining our ability to address the challenges of our times. Gun violence and racism are public health threats that impact each of us and must be addressed at both a local and national level. The importance of your vote continues to be central to all of this – your voice is your vote and I hope many of you were able to participate in the recent primary election to make your voice heard. Participation in elections is critical to making sure our communities are effectively represented – if you were unable to vote last week I hope you will be sure to do so in November. I am deeply grateful to have been re-elected as the Democratic Nominee for State Representative for HD 33 and I look forward to continuing to hear from you, your family and your neighbors about how I can best represent your perspectives as we move forward toward the general election.
Read on for more about my activities, the dates of my next town hall, some upcoming community events, and more.
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I know many parents have been engaged in a struggle to find formula to feed their infants. The FDA is taking steps to increase the supply in the U.S. and in Oregon. In the meantime, members of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program can use their benefits to purchase brands other than those manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, the company that had to temporarily close a major formula facility. For more information, follow this link.
Disaster Assistance Program
On May 9, the Oregon Disaster Assistance Program (ODAP) made aid applications available for Oregon farmers and ranchers who suffered financial losses during one or more of the natural disasters that hit Oregon in 2021. ODAP applications are available through participating lenders until June 3, 2022. ODA may announce a second round of applications based on funding following the June 3 application period. For more information about ODAP, visit the webpage.
Non-Profit Offers Free Website Development and Training
Aspiring small business owners in Oregon will now have access to help market their products and services online. ONABEN has launched a program in partnership with GODaddy to provide website development training and web hosting to those interested in expanding their businesses. ONABEN is a non-profit providing curriculum, training and organizational capacity building focused on developing entrepreneurship in Native and Indigenous communities. This program is available to all small business owners. To connect with this program, you can share your information here.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Events
May is AANHPI Heritage Month, and Portland has been and will continue to hold many events to honor and celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to our communities. The Lan-Su Chinese Garden is offering a platform for those from AANHPI communities to share their stories through the Celebrate our Stories events, occurring throughout May. Everyone is welcome to stop by, engage, listen and share their stories. Friday May 6, 13, 20 & 27 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m
Vanport Mosaic Festival
The 7th Vanport Mosaic festival is taking place from May 20 - June 7, 2022. The festival provides opportunities to “REmember, REpair, REclaim, and RE-imagine” the collective story of those who lived in Vanport. This festival is a memory-activism platform, meant to bring light to the history through the telling of stories of those who lived in Vanport. To learn more, visit the Schedule of Events page to find one of many opportunities to learn through art, education, storytelling, and other means.
This summer I am hopeful we will be able to hold our first in-person town hall, but for now, we have kept to the virtual format due to the current increase in COVID-19 cases. If you have additional thoughts on how I can engage you and our community, please let me know.
Thank you to those of you who attended our last town hall on April 11, and especially to those who were able to pivot to a virtual only event when it snowed! We had a great discussion with Sen. Steiner Hayward and Rep. Helm, along with many community members.
I will be co-hosting a virtual town hall with Representative Reynolds and Senator Steiner Hayward on June 8 at 6:30 p.m. We are planning to discuss what we worked on during June legislative days and some of the policies we’re working on for 2023. We also look forward to hearing your questions and concerns. Please note this is a change in date and time from what was previously shared. We initially planned to hold this in person, but due to the rising Covid cases, have decided to keep this one virtual.
Some of the best ideas we get for policy come from my constituents and the people who care and think deeply about issues of concern to them. Thank you to all those who have submitted an idea! We look forward to following up with you if we have not done so already.
Please submit here if you have an idea for us to consider. No idea is too big or too small! We look forward to dreaming big together to help make sure we all have the ability to live healthy lives, in a healthy community, on a healthy planet.
I have continued to get out into the community to meet with constituents, learn about how my policy priorities can be realized, and work toward a more equitable Portland. I have also been able to focus on building my priorities for 2023 in a collaborative way. Some of the work is reflected below.
Yom Ha’Shoa (Holocaust Day of Rememberance)
Every year on Yom Ha’Shoa, communities remember victims of the Holocaust through the Reading of the Names, a public recitation of Holocaust victims’ names, ages, and birthplaces. The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education sponsored the Reading of the Names at Pioneer Courthouse Square this year on April 28. I joined other community members and elected officials in the reading of the names, which took place from 10-5 on that date. The experience was powerful, difficult, and important to help honor those whose lives were lost to the Holocaust.
Opioid Crisis
One of my priorities for the 2023 legislative session is to address the opioid and fentanyl overdose crisis in our state. The enormous increase in accidental fentanyl overdoses in our community is tragic and needs to be urgently addressed. Young lives have been tragically ended after experimenting with what appears to be prescription medication that are actually counterfeits laced with fentanyl. We also know street drugs are being laced with this incredibly powerful narcotic that stops a person’s drive to breathe and can lead to sudden death. This is an urgent crisis that needs to be addressed with public awareness and education, easy access to opioid reversal medications (naloxone) and community-wide access to substance use disorder treatment. As part of my learning process, I was able to talk with state firefighter leaders and spend a day with Portland firefighters at Station 7 to ride along in their day’s work and get their perspective on immediate needs for public safety in Portland. Their feedback was extremely helpful and I am working with numerous other stakeholders as well from the law enforcement, medical and education leaders in our state to help build a package of legislation that will address this crisis urgently and with a multi-faceted approach.
Environment
I was pleased to learn that OSHA finalized the rules proposed in HCR 203 on May 11, 2022 to regulate how outdoor workers are protected from wildfire smoke and excessive heat. The new legislation dictates that employers are required to provide the tools necessary to keep workers safe and healthy, like N95 masks, water, shade, and rest breaks. We know climate-fueled extreme weather events are only going to continue. Oregon now has some of the strongest heat and smoke regulations in the nation. This would not have happened without the tireless work of environmental and labor activists like PCUN, Renew Oregon, OEC, AFLCIO, and more. My office sponsored legislation in the 2021 session with Rep Alonso Leon that led to these rules being expedited and I am proud to have been able to testify to the importance of smoke and heat protections for all workers throughout this process.
I was also grateful to attend the Oregon League of Conservation Voters “Celebration for the Environment at the end of April, where I got to meet with system partners, advocates, and climate activists as well as the Youth Climate Strike on May 20th.
At the May 20th Youth Climate Strike with several of the youth organizers and Rep Khanh Pham.
On June 1, 2, and 3, we are holding Legislative Days, when House and Senate Committees hold hearings to learn about issues facing constituents and policy priorities for 2023. If you are interested in learning more, I encourage you to tune into the committee meetings on OLIS, by visiting this link. The agendas will be posted on approximately May 25.
I will be Chairing the Covid-19 Special committee again on June 3 from 8:30 a.m. -11:00 a.m. I will also be sitting on the Judiciary and Healthcare Committees again, which will occur on June 1 from 2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. and June 3 from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Finally, I will be leading a panel discussion in front of the Senate Healthcare Committee on June 2 on the opioid pandemic facing our state. These hearings will be livestreamed and they, too, are accessible at the link above.
Starting in 2023 House District 33 will look quite different. Below is an updated map that will be the new HD 33 in January 2023. I have also provided a link here. Voters should have received a postcard recently from the election’s office to let them know what districts and zones they will vote in based on the current address associated with their voter registration. If you are currently living in HD 33, it is possible your district number has changed. This will impact who you are eligible to vote for so please take a look.
Covid cases have been on the rise in Oregon again, and we must all take precautions to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and others in the community. Infections are on the rise, but, fortunately, hospitalizations remain lower than previous surges. Though we have opened up, it is still important to remember that vaccines, boosters, and masks are our best tool to stay as healthy as possible. OHA has also recently launched the electronic vaccine card to help keep track of your doses.
If you have questions about additional doses of the COVID 19 vaccine, you might find it helpful to watch the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Q & A here. You can visit this website to find a vaccination location near you, and many pharmacies are allowing walk-in vaccinations.
Oregon has a new Positive COVID Test website where people who test positive can find important information on isolation and other ways to keep themselves and those around them safe as they recover. In addition, reporting your positive test helps the Oregon Health Authority monitor the spread of COVID in our state. Positive COVID Test website and COVID-19 Case Support Hotline, 866-917-8881.
A Portland classic, Skyline Restaurant has been around since 1935 and serves up great burgers and shakes. Skyline is located in the hills of Portland at 1313 NW Skyline Blvd. and is open this summer from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Tuesday - Saturday (11-8 Sunday and Monday). As the summer weather starts, this is a great place to go and enjoy fun food in a fun setting.
If you own or know someone who owns a small business in House District 33, fill out this form to possibly be highlighted in a future newsletter and/or social media post from my office.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved Portland General Electric’s (PGE’s) program to offer income-qualifying residential customers an ongoing discount to their monthly electric bills, effective April 18, 2022. To qualify, customers must self-certify that their total household income is at or below 60% of the state median income level. This matrix will help you determine if you qualify. I was pleased to have sponsored HB 2475 in the 2021 session, which ultimately led to PGE offering this program. This is a first of its kind program that will allow customers to pay a smaller percentage of their income for energy. For more information, and to learn how to apply, visit this website.
The best way to stay informed and connect with my legislative work is through my Facebook page (State Representative Maxine Dexter), my Twitter account (@RepDexterOR), and my Instagram (@RepDexterOR). In addition, please feel free to reach out to my office at MaxineForOregon@gmail.com.
I am honored to represent you in Salem and look forward to continuing to serve you as we work towards healthy lives, in a healthy community, on a healthy planet.
Housing assistance: Family Promise of Beaverton is committed to helping children and their families affected by homelessness in the Beaverton area. (https://www.familypromiseofbeaverton.org/#homepage)
Housing assistance: Community Housing Fund focuses on providing affordable housing and works on community projects.
Housing assistance: Community Action helps pay rent and help to get people in need of housing.
Housing assistance, utility assistance, food assistance: United Way of the Columbia-Willamette provides access to critical services like housing assistance and utility assistance and access to food.
Utility assistance: Oregon Energy Fund is a 30-year-old nonprofit that provides energy bill assistance to low-income Oregonians in support of household stability.
Utility assistance: EnergyTrust helps people save money and energy.
Disability assistance: Plan For Work services help individuals with disabilities and provide different services to those in need.
Youth assistance: New Avenues for Youth provides meals, showers, laundry, respite from the streets, engagement activities, and legal counsel.
Community assistance: Oregon Solutions solves community problems using a problem-solving system.
Transportation assistance: Trimet has a reduced fare for low-income rider and seniors age 65+.
Food assistance, water bill assistance, and grants, utility assistance: Care To Share coordinates assistance to families and individuals who seek emergency food and other basic necessities.
Food assistance: Mercy Corps Northwest provides assistance for community members returning from prison.
Food assistance, housing assistance, utility assistance, disability assistance: Department of County Human Services ensures that everyone can reach their potential and contribute to communities.
Follow Representative Dexter on social media to stay connected!
