2020 Legislative Session Review,
COVID-19 Updates & May 19 Ballot Measure
Dear friends,
The last few months have witnessed a flurry of activity for EMO's Public Policy Advocacy team! During the 2020 Oregon Legislative Session in February, EMO co-led efforts to expand services for houseless youth and organize the faith community in support of Creation Justice. Unfortunately, the session ended early due to multiple walkouts, and the many exciting policy proposals supported by EMO failed to pass into law.
Read on
for a Session Review and to see how EMO continues to advocate for:
- Centering Oregon's COVID-19 response around the needs of the most vulnerable.
- Legislation to support and house unaccompanied houseless youth.
- Funding for housing for houseless Portland metro area residents.
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In peace & solidarity,
Michael DeSantis
Public Policy Associate
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Rally at Climate Day of Action in Salem (from left): Peter Sergienko (Chair of EMO's Creation Justice Committee) and EMO staff members Cherice Bock, Michael DeSantis & Ethan Livermore.
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EMO's Advocacy Response to Pandemic
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Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon is working with our advocacy and legislative partners to ensure that Oregon's response to the Covid-19 pandemic focuses on supporting the ill, marginalized and disenfranchised.
EMO submitted a list of policy and investment recommendations to the Oregon Legislature.
Read our full statement
to see how EMO hopes to support:
- Low-income Oregonians
- Non-English speakers
- Immigrants and refugees
- Houseless youth and other housing-insecure Oregonians
- Food-insecure Oregonians and SNAP recipients
- Oregonians living with HIV/AIDS
- Schoolchildren
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Portland Metro Housing Ballot Measure (vote May 19)
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On May 19, voters in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties will vote on a
ballot measure
passed by the Metro Council that would
create a personal income and business profit tax to generate around $250 million a year for services meant to help reduce houselessness in the Metro region.
This ballot measure is the result of advocacy and organizing by
HereTogether
, a coalition in which EMO proudly participates. The measure would place a marginal income tax of one percent on households with income over $200,000 (over $125,000 for individual filers) and a business profits tax of one percent on all businesses with revenues over $5 million. The taxes would be in effect from 2021 to 2030.
EMO's Recommendation:
Vote "YES"
on Metro houseless and housing services measure.
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2020 Legislative Session Review & Next Steps
What Happened? ~~~ What's Next? ~~~ What Can I Do?
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Oregon's Youth Houselessness Crisis
- Unaccompanied Houseless Youth Bill (HB 4039): EMO partnered with Rep. Cheri Helt of Bend, Rep. Alissa Keny-Guyer of Portland, and the Oregon Alliance to draft and champion a bill to expand the continuum of services available to Oregon’s unaccompanied houseless youth (UHY). The bill would have invested $2.5 million to expand Oregon’s services for unaccompanied houseless youths including host home programs like EMO’s own Second Home program as well as existing UHY shelters, mental health and substance abuse services, street outreach, culturally specific services, and other transitional housing options.
- Youth Houselessness Advocacy Days: EMO hosted two advocacy days to show the widespread concern for Oregon's houseless youth. On February 14, over 30 faith leaders and laity joined us to meet with their legislators. On President's Day, students from Beaverton School District's Club Hope joined us to advocate on behalf of their peers experiencing houselessness.
- What's Next? Making an investment in UHY remains a top priority for EMO and we are working with Rep. Keny-Guyer, Rep. Helt, and our advocacy partners to advocate that HB 4039 be passed during a potential special session.
- What Can I Do? Call upon your legislators to take action to address Oregon's youth houselessness crisis before 2020 ends:
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Creation Justice
- Cap & Trade Bill (SB 1530): EMO led the Oregon faith community in demanding strong Creation Justice action. EMO’s Creation Justice Ministries Committee provided feedback on drafts of the Legislature's principle 2020 climate legislation, ensuring that the bill would have directed resources to communities most impacted by climate change. SB 1530 passed out of necessary policy and budget committees before Republican lawmakers in both chambers walked out to prevent floor votes on the bill.
- Gov. Brown's Executive Order: On March 10, EMO joined our partners in the RENEW Oregon coalition in Salem to watch Oregon Governor Kate Brown sign an executive order to reduce Oregon’s carbon footprint. Using the same targets as SB 1530, the executive order requires Oregon to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 45 percent below 1990 levels by 2035 and 80 percent by 2050 through a variety of approaches, including:
- Requiring caps on emissions (regulated by permit) from transportation fuels, natural gas, and industrial polluters.
- Reducing fuel emissions “per unit of fuel energy” to 20 percent below 2015 levels by 2030, and 25 percent by 2035.
- Reducing energy consumption in new buildings by 60 percent from 2006 building codes.
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Oregon Governor Kate Brown signs an executive order requiring the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
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Other Initiatives Supported by EMO
EMO supported the following 2020 bills, which were all championed by some of our advocacy partners. These bills did not pass due to the early adjournment of the session, but EMO hopes to see them passed by the end of 2020:
- Houselessness State of Emergency (HB 4001): EMO supported Speaker Tina Kotek’s bill to declare a statewide houselessness emergency and allow cities to more easily site houseless shelters. HB 4001 would have devoted $60 million to create new shelters and expand existing shelters’ capacity across the state.
- Read our testimony for HB 4001
- Foster Youth Transitions Program (HB 4120): EMO stood with our partners at Children First for Oregon in advocating for a bill that would have committed $2 million to stabilize and expand Oregon’s Independent Living Program (ILP). HB 4120 would have provided additional ILP mentors who work with youth to develop life skills necessary for a successful transition to adulthood.
- Tax Justice (HB 4010): EMO supported a bill that would have disconnected Oregon from federal Opportunity Zone tax breaks. HB 4010 would have ended an additional state tax break for investors already receiving the federal tax break, while also supporting research on how opportunity zones could be used to truly build low-cost housing or improve the lives of low-income Oregonians.
- Read our testimony for HB 4010
- Gun Safety (HB 4005): EMO also supported a gun storage safety law that would have required gun owners to securely store firearms using a trigger or cable lock, a locked container, or a gun room.
- Read our testimony for HB 4005
- What's Next? EMO hopes to see these bills—and all other 2020 bills brought forth through the legislative process—reintroduced during the potential upcoming special session.
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Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
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