Advocacy In Action
Every time an advocate emails, calls, meets with or testifies in front of a state legislator to advance the priorities that are important to the developmental disability community it makes a significant difference! In this issue of the GO! Bulletin we will begin to showcase advocates who have been making a difference, starting with Eric Thompson. Here is what Eric shared about his perspective as an advocate when he recently spoke with Ryley Newport from the Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities and a member of our GO! Advocacy Team:
What have you been advocating for during this legislative session?
Hi. My name is Eric Thompson and I have autism. I strongly support SB 2964 because DSP Professionals are important to support people with disabilities to live the life that they want.
Why are Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) important in your life?
I am the Leader of the Jackson County Self Advocates. I am supported by DSPs at home and at work, like many friends and other self-advocates. I work at Rogue Credit Union. I live alone in my home in Medford. I feel strongly about SB 2964 because staff support me with independence in my home and at work. DSPs support me by helping me learn new skills, learning to live on my own, having a meal plan, eating healthy foods, cleaning house, checking medications and learning to cook new recipes. They also help me to learn new skills in my work and help keep me on track.
Why is it important to raise DSP’s wages?
Because wages are low for DSP’s it means there is staff turnover often. When there’s staff turnover I don’t know what to expect. I have a lot of confusion and don’t know who I can trust. When I meet a new staff member, I often wonder if I’m going to see them again. It is hard for me to trust and bond with new people because I do not know how long they will stay and work with me. Staff turnover is extremely stressful and frustrating to me. I have to train new staff over and over again causing confusion which also means that I do not have time to work on my personal goals, which is disappointing.
What has been your message to legislators during your visits this legislative session?
I ask them to please support SB 2964. With their help, DSP workers will have an opportunity to meet individuals and help them live the life they want.
What is your advice to other self-advocates for meeting with legislators?
My best advice to give you is that legislators want to hear your story. You have an opportunity to share your needs and wants about your life and your supports. When I was meeting with legislators, I was a little nervous but I had a support person who helped me practice before and during the virtual meeting. It was a great experience that gave me a lot of confidence. I have learned that I can do hard things and you can too.
Thank you Eric!
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Advocacy Tools
Meeting with legislators to share your thoughts on what laws and budget items matter to you in your life is one of the most important things that each Oregonian can do. The GO! Project has put together a series of short videos to share information about advocacy. Right now, that video series can be found on YouTube.com. Find the videos by going to YouTube.com and searching for “Oregon DD Coalition.” It will take you to the Oregon DD Coalition YouTube page, which has lots of great offerings. Below is an overview of what you will find there. Click on the title of each video to watch it now:
The GO! Project is a product of the Oregon DD Coalition. Encouraging and supporting people to tell their own stories is one of the main works of the GO! Project. This video series is an example of how we empower people to do just that.
Every session, the GO! Project holds monthly Advocacy Days, generally held in person at the state Capitol Building. This year, the GO! Project has modified our Legislative Advocacy 101 training to be relevant to this virtual session and has put the training online for you to view any time you like. All four parts of this training video are linked above.
Legislative Advocacy is the process of educating legislative decision-makers about the policies and funding that are important to our community, and why they are important. Without the human context for the decisions about budget and law, our elected officials cannot know how best to serve the public. The clearer and more compelling our message, the more likely they are to understand and act on our recommendations. This video shares information via a conversation with a couple of our community advocates, Beth Kessler (Oregon Council on DD) and Emilie Wylde Turner (Oregon Council on DD).
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GO! ONLINE WITH US THIS WEDNESDAY!!!
2021 DD Advocacy Days
Second Wednesday of Each Month: May 12 & June 9
Join the Oregon DD Coalition’s GO! Project Advocacy Team online On Wednesday May 12 & June 9 from 10AM to Noon to learn about:
- Legislative Budget Priorities
- Advocacy Strategies
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JUNE REVENUE FORECAST
We are nearing the end of a long process that takes place each biennium to develop the state’s next budget. In order to create a two-year budget, it’s important for legislative leaders to know how much money our state is forecasted to bring in. The release of the June Revenue Forecast, in mid-May, is one of the last key milestones in the 2021-23 state budget process, as this is generally the final piece of information that is used to set the state’s budget for the next biennium. With the forecast numbers in hand, the budgeting process will then shift into high gear, funding decisions are locked in, and we will start to see big budget bills moving towards the finish line.
The hearing for legislators to receive this forecast has not officially posted yet, but the tentative schedule indicates that on Wednesday, May 19th, the State of Oregon Office of Economic Analysis will be presenting the June 2021 Revenue Forecast to the members of the House Committee on Revenue and Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue in a joint informational meeting. For those of you who might want to tune in, we will provide the hearing information in next week’s issue of the GO! Bulletin.
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Bills, Hearings and Deadlines
For those of you who enjoy keeping track, the following are some quick stats on the 2021 Legislative Session from your GO! Team:
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There have been 2479 bills introduced so far this session, all of which have been screened by your GO! Team to determine if they are of interest to, or might have an impact on, the developmental disability community.
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Of those bills, we identified 574 bills that we have been tracking for the last four months at varying levels of priority.
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Of those bills, 343 bills are still alive, and the majority of those 574 bills have also had at least one hearing scheduled since they were introduced.
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We are still tracking 72 bills as higher priority 1 or 2 bills.
We are entering the final sprint in the legislative session where committees are scrambling to get policy bills scheduled for public hearings and work sessions in the “second chamber” (meaning the one they were not introduced in) before policy committees close at the end of the month. At the end of this week, bills that are still alive have to have a work session scheduled in the second chamber by May 14th or they die.* Bills that stay alive beyond that date have to be passed out of committee in the second chamber by May 28th or they die in committee. At that point, policy committees will close, as they will have concluded their business for the 2021 Legislative Session.*
* Note: This bill deadline does not apply to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, other joint committees, the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue, the House Committee on Revenue, the Senate Committee on Rules, the House Committee on Rules, the Senate Committee on Redistricting and the House Committee on Redistricting.
MONDAY — May 10, 2021
8:30 am / Remote A: Senate Committee on Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation will be holding a public hearing on HB 2459A, a bill that Includes in definition of "conversation" communication occurring through video conferencing program for purposes of statutes regulating recording of communications.
3:15 pm / Remote B: Senate Committee on Education will be holding the following:
o Public hearing on HB 2105A, a bill that directs school districts to provide child with disability and child's parents with information regarding supported decision-making and strategies to remain engaged in child's secondary education and post-school outcomes.
o Work sessions on:
HB 2056: Expands high school diploma requirements related to completion of credits in English to allow completion of credits in language arts.
HB 2697A: Requires education provider to prohibit display of any symbols of hate on school property or in education program.
3:15 pm / Remote 174: House Committee on Judiciary, Subcommittee on Civil Law will be holding work sessions on the following bills:
o SB 578A: Relating to appointment of legal counsel for certain persons in protective proceedings.
o SB 190A: Modifies permissible methods of providing notice of appointment of guardian to protected person.
3:15 pm / Remote 170: House Committee on Healthcare, Subcommittee on COVID-19 will be holding the following informational meetings:
o (3:15) Long-term Care and COVID-19 with invited testimony only from Fred Steele, State Long-Term Care Ombudsman, Oregon Health Care Association.
o (4:00 pm) COVID-19 Vaccine Efficacy and Safety with invited testimony only from Dr. Dawn Nolt M.D., M.P.H, Professor of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Louis Picker, M.D., Professor, Oregon Health and Science University Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute.
TUESDAY — May 11, 2021
8:00 am / Remote D: House Committee on Housing will be holding a public hearing on SB 79A, a bill that authorizes the Housing and Community Services Department to provide grants and technical assistance to organizations increasing homeownership program access to persons of color.
8:30 am / Remote A: Senate Committee on Judiciary and Ballot Measure 110 Implementation will be holding public hearings on the following bills:
o HB 2936A: States legislative findings about racism and public safety.
o HB 2929A: Modifies police officer's duty to report misconduct.
1:00 pm / Remote A: House Committee on Revenue will be holding a public hearing on HB 3069A, a bill that establishes a statewide coordinated crisis services system including 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline.
1:00 pm / Remote 170: House Committee on Rules will be holding a work session on HB 2001, a bill that requires a school district that is making reductions in educator staff positions to retain teacher with less seniority if teacher has more merit and if retention of teacher is necessary to maintain school district's diversity ratio.
3:15 pm / Remote B: Senate Committee on Human Services, Mental Health and Recovery will be holding work sessions on the following bills:
o HB 2469A: Requires state medical assistance program to provide mental health wellness appointments as prescribed by Oregon Health Authority.
o HB 2119A: Transfers responsibility for 2-1-1 system from Office of Emergency Management to Department of Human Services.
3:15 pm / Remote F: House Committee on Health Care will be holding the following:
o Work session on SJR 12, a join resolution that proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution establishing obligation of state to ensure every resident of state access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care.
o Public hearing on SB 699, a bill that prohibits grandfathered health plan from imposing preexisting condition exclusion.
WEDNESDAY — May 12, 2021
1:00 pm / Remote E: Joint Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Education will be holding a work session on SB 5514, which is the Department of Education budget for the State School Fund.
3:15 pm / Remote F: House Committee on Human Services will be holding public hearings on the following bills:
o SB 85A: Modifies family-based group home placements to permit respite time for providers.
o SB 556A: Specifies that on-site inspections must be in person for health care facilities, home health agencies, residential care facilities, adult foster homes, hospice programs and qualified residential treatment programs.
3:15 pm / Remote B: Senate Committee on Education will be holding public hearings on the following bills:
o HB 2954: Allows public charter school to implement weighted lottery that favors historically underserved students when number of applications for enrollment exceeds capacity of program, class, grade level or building.
o HB 3183A: Requires parents of child who is deaf or deafblind or who is hard of hearing to be provided information about relevant services and placements offered by school district, education service district, regional programs and Oregon School for the Deaf whenever individualized family service plan or individualized education program is developed, revised or reviewed.
3:15 pm / Remote 170: House Committee on Healthcare, Subcommittee on COVID-19 will be holding the following informational meetings:
o (3:15 pm) OHA Weekly Update – Oregon COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout with invited testimony only from Patrick Allen, Director, Oregon Health Authority.
o (3:45 pm) COVID-19 Vaccinations and the Workplace with invited testimony only from Cristin Casey, Chief Prosecutor, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries; Dylan Morgan, Manager, Technical Assistance for Employers Program, Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries; Michael Wood, Administrator, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health; Paloma Sparks, Vice President, General Counsel, Oregon Business & Industry; and Oregon Small Business United – Invited.
THURSDAY — May 13, 2021
8:00 am / Remote F: Joint Committee on Transportation will be holding a public hearing on HB 3125, a bill that directs the Department of Transportation to create emergency contact information form and make form available for individuals to voluntarily provide emergency contact information for inclusion in individual's motor vehicle record for police officers to use, during or after emergency situations, to contact those listed.
1:00 pm / Remote E: House Committee on Education will be holding the following:
o Informational Meetings with invited testimony only on:
SB 513A: Requires students to complete at least one-half credit of civics in order to receive high school diploma.
SB 744A: Directs Department of Education to review state requirements for high school diploma and to make recommendations related to requirements.
o Followed by a public hearing on SB 744A (described above).
1:00 pm / Remote D: Senate Committee on Rules will be holding work sessions on the following bills:
o SB 225A: Modifies requirements for alternative education programs, including applicable laws, funding provisions, notice requirements, reporting requirements, oversight requirements and requirements related to special education and 504 Plans.
o SB 418A: Creates rebuttable presumption that statement made by person under 18 years of age, during custodial interview in connection with investigation into certain acts, is involuntary if peace officer intentionally used false information to elicit statement.
1:00 pm / Remote F: House Committee on Judiciary will be holding work sessions on the following bills:
o SB 578A: Requires court, under certain circumstances, to appoint legal counsel for respondent or protected person in protective proceeding.
o SB 190A: Modifies permissible methods of providing notice of appointment of guardian to protected person.
3:15 pm / Remote B: Senate Committee on Human Services, Mental Health and Recovery will be holding work sessions on the following bills:
o HB 2102A: Requires the Department of Human Services to report to interim committees of Legislative Assembly related to human services, by December 31, 2022, with a comprehensive proposal for department staffing that meets specified criteria.
o HB 2333A: Directs Department of Human Services to report information regarding prescription of psychotropic medications to children in foster care.
INTERESTED IN GIVING TESTIMONY AT A COMMITTEE HEARING?
In order to prevent COVID-19 from spreading, entry to the Oregon State Capitol is for authorized personnel only until further notice. The Oregon Legislative Assembly has established a process to accept remote verbal public testimony on bills by video or phone during this time, in addition to written public testimony. For more information, see the helpful information posted online.
INTERESTED IN TRACKING BILLS OR HEARINGS?
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Use the Oregon Legislature's Capitol e-Subscribe service to receive bill alerts for individual bills as they move through the legislative process, receive committee agendas, news from members of the legislative body and more.
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You can also watch or listen to live or archived video and audio of Senate and House chamber sessions and Committee hearings.
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2021 Legislative Session Budget Priorities
- Reinstate Regional Family to Family Networks ($1.3 million GF)
- Set DSP Wage at 150% of minimum wage (HB 2964)
- Fully Fund Case Management Entities
- Develop Statewide Data System
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GO! ONLINE: DD Advocacy Videos
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We created a series of training videos to support your preparation for remote legislative advocacy. Visit our You Tube Channel or Facebook Page to view them.
- Introduction to the GO! Project
- 2021 Legislative Advocacy
- Why Is Advocacy Important?
- How To Develop Your Message
- Making a Legislative Appointment
- Preparing For a Virtual Visit
- Expecting the Unexpected
- What to Do After a Legislative Visit
- Advocacy Via Email
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About the Oregon DD Coalition |
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The Oregon DD Coalition advocates for DD services on behalf of and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and support organizations in Oregon.
We influence DD service and community support systems and legislation by communicating with a common, consistent voice – creating better opportunities for Oregonians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Interested in signing up for the GO! Bulletin or
becoming a member of the Oregon DD Coalition?
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1775 32nd Place, Suite F, Salem OR 97301
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