Most of this newsletter was finalized last night, before the Dobbs ruling came out, overturning Roe v. Wade. Before providing a more thorough analysis of what we can do in Oregon, I want to at least share some words. Though many of us knew this was coming, I was again devastated to see the headline “SUPREME COURT OVERTURNS ROE V. WADE”. This decision will have negative and dangerous implications for so many people in America. I ask you to join me in continuing to fight for the right of Americans to make their own decisions about their bodies. Please look for future messages from me with more concrete steps we can take to protect and expand this right. Please also know that abortion remains legal and accessible in Oregon. For now, I’m sharing some actionable steps I previously shared in May, when the leaked opinion came out.
Sign up and pass along this link to help your networks join the local coalition that will be leading actions all summer.
If you want to know who the pro-choice champions are in Oregon you can look here: Pro-Choice Oregon Voter’s Guide (64 state and local candidates)
Donate to Abortion Funds: A donation to the National Network of Abortion Funds works towards a future where all people have access to abortion without shame or stigma. (Donate to NW Abortion Access Fund)
Keep Our Clinics: Support independent community providers who provide the majority of abortion care in the US.
Share ideas, thoughts, and other action steps with me so that I can help spread the word.
Please read on below for the rest of the newsletter, and take care of yourselves today.
Now that summer has officially begun, I’m enjoying these long evenings and warmer weather and hope you are as well. As welcome as these warm and sunny days to come are, they also bring increased risk for heat-related threats to the health and safety of our community. Please see the section later in this newsletter about how to stay safe in the heat.
Life has been busy in the Dexter household as it is for most of you – I was thrilled to participate in events to celebrate Pride and Juneteenth while also welcoming our daughter back from college for the summer and rooting on our son and the Lincoln Cardinals baseball team. On the legislative side, I am deeply engaged in lots of policy work including how to improve the quality, accessibility and sustainability of our healthcare system, helping prevent more accidental opioid-related overdose deaths in Oregon, and preparing for my new role as the Chair of the House Interim Committee on Housing. I am honored to have been appointed to this position and am excited to start work on addressing this very urgent need in our communities.
Read on for more about my activities, the dates of my next town hall, some upcoming community events, and more.
Table of Contents
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With temperatures rising, it is important for us in Oregon to be aware of how the changing climate has impacted Oregonians. After the heat dome and other heat events of last summer, we must work to take care of ourselves and our community members. Visit this website to learn more about preventing heat-related illness. There have also been several grants and other funds released to support vulnerable populations with access to air conditioning and cooling spaces. Additional information can be found by following the links below:
On June 13, 2022, the Multnomah Safe Rest Village opened its first Village. The Multnomah SRV is a temporary outdoor shelter with case management, amenities, and mental and behavioral health services on site. The Village will have 30 sleeping units and a lot of built in support. Please follow the link above to learn more about how you can get involved or refer people for help.
State Boards and Commissions
If you are looking for a way to be a more active member of your community, please follow this link to learn about how you can apply to be a member of one of the many state Boards and Commissions. This is a wonderful way to get involved, share your perspective and expertise, and do some good.
Summer Resources
While students aren’t in school, questions about things like access to mental health support, food and clothing, medical care, and other necessities can arise. Lincoln High School has shared this list of resources you can refer to if you or someone you know needs support.
Cathedral Park Jazz Fest
The 42nd Annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival will be taking place July 15 -17, 2022. This free event takes place under the St. Johns Bridge in Cathedral Park. You can purchase food and drinks, supporting local vendors, while you enjoy the music.
Thank you to all who attended our joint Town Hall with Sen. Steiner Hayward and Rep. Reynolds on June 8th. We had a great discussion and it was really well attended. I do not currently have another Town Hall scheduled, due to a busy July, but I will reach out soon when I have finalized the next date(s).
If you have additional thoughts on how I can engage you and our community, please let me know. I have been meeting one on one with constituents and community partners to learn more about specific ideas, answer questions, and hear concerns. The best way to reach me and my staff is through my email: Rep.MaxineDexter@oregonlegislature.gov or MaxineForOregon@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
“There should be a law for that.”
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 am excited to welcome two summer interns and a new staff member to my team! Please read below to learn a bit about them all.
Elizabeth Braatz
Hello everyone! My name is Elizabeth Braatz and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I recently graduated from Western Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, and I will be heading to Portland State University this fall to begin their Master of Public Policy program. I have been involved in advocacy work since I was sixteen years old, and I have been involved with student leadership and advocacy for the past four years. In addition to working for Representative Dexter’s team, I am also a policy intern for the Oregon Student Association. My passion is to advocate and create sustainable and equitable policies for underserved and minority populations/communities. I often don’t feel like I am working because I love what I do every day. During my free time, I love to spend time with my partner and my friends, going for walks, visiting family, shopping, and cooking. I am so excited to spend the summer with this team and continue making positive and sustainable change in this community.
Aurora Dziadul
My name is Aurora Dziadul, and I am a second-year Master’s student at the University of Oregon studying public administration, economics, and regional and international conflict resolution. I am from New England originally and moved to Oregon to explore the West Coast. I am passionate about criminal justice reform and reproductive rights, and I’m excited to be working with Rep. Dexter’s office to develop legislation in the important areas that affect our communities. In my free time, I enjoy making music, playing softball, and hammocking by the river.
Enomfon Ntekepere
I am a Nigerian-American woman, entering my sophomore year at the University of Oregon. I belong to the university’s College of Design and I major in Planning, Public Policy, and Management. I am very proud that I made the Dean’s List two semesters in a row my first year. I also became an active member of both the Black Women of Achievement and the African Student Associations. I am currently working as an intern under Representative Maxine Dexter, hoping to learn and gain experience in local government. Additionally, I want to be a voice for Black communities, supporting their livelihoods and experiences as much as I can.
I have been active with legislative work over the last month, meeting constituents, visiting new businesses in the district, and learning more about the neighborhoods and people that will now be within HD 33 as a result of redistricting. I have also spent time during the interim as part of different task forces and work groups, to help ensure that previously passed legislation is implemented well. Some of the work is reflected below.
Make Oregon Safer from Gun Violence
We must do all we can to ensure that tragedies like occured in Uvalde, TX will not be repeated. I remain determined to pass meaningful legislation that decreases gun violence in Oregon. My children, like many of your grandchildren and children, have grown up understanding that school is not always a safe place. That cannot be the reality for our next generation. I was proud to participate in the Beaverton March for Our Lives event on June 11th, marching with students, parents, elected officials and educators to demand change. I am grateful to the leadership of Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety and the Lift Every Voice Coalition for their work in our communities. If you haven’t signed the IP17 petition yet to help reduce gun violence in Oregon, please go to https://www.lifteveryvoiceoregon.com/ and click on the link at the bottom to sign the petition from home. They have over 90,000 signatures but need many more in the next two weeks to get this on the November Ballot.
During the 2021 session, I was a proud sponsor of SB 554, which created limitations on where licensed gun owners can carry their firearms and how the arms must be stored. It’s a good bill, but nowhere near enough, and now it’s not clear whether it will be effective after this week the Supreme Court struck down a New York law that limits those who can carry concealed weapons in public spaces.
Task Force on Corrections Medical Care
One of the bills I sponsored during the 2021 legislative session, HB 3035, created a Task Force to identify and address disparities in the medical care provided to adults in custody in Oregon’s correctional system. I am proud to serve on this task force and am inspired by the other members who are also committed to our doing better, fulfilling our constitutional obligation and seeing the humanity and needs of these members of society. I have also strongly advocated for the Governor to appoint a Department of Corrections Ombudsperson, a position established in 1977 but long unfilled, to act as a liaison for adults in custody and their family members. We are discussing this role in our capacity as a Task Force and received an update from the Governor’s office who is actively interviewing candidates for the position. If interested, you may watch the recordings of our Meetings and please send me your thoughts on our work..
Port of Portland and OSU Food Innovation Center Tours
Earlier this month, I was able to tour the terminals at the Port of Portland contained within or near House District 33. I learned about their work, challenges they face, and ways I can partner with the Port to help create sustainable family-wage jobs in our community. I also was excited to tour the OSU Food innovation Center on Naito Parkway and learned about the fascinating work they do to help develop new products in partnership with Oregon agricultural producers.
Portland Pride Parade
Last weekend, along with other government officials and thousands of community members, I participated in the Pride Parade with Basic Rights Oregon and Kaiser Permanente Northwest. It was a joyous event and I was happy to be out on the streets of Portland with so many people advocating for and celebrating LGBTQIA+ rights.
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.
Please remember that vaccines, boosters, and masks are still our best tools 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.
Insomnia Coffee has just opened in HD 33. There have been five locations of this neighborly coffee shop in Oregon (Tanasbourne, Baseline, Cannon Beach, 3rd & Main, Murrayhill). Now there is a new location in Cedar Mill, off of Saltzman Road and Cornell Road, with a library right across the street! If you are looking for a new café to meet up with folks, have study sessions, or even reserve space for an event, head out and try Insomnia Coffee located in Cedar Hill.
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!
