OREGON
A8 — THE OBSERVER
State lawmakers revive proposal for
stimulus payments to essential workers
Oregon Capitol to remain open
during February legislative session
By JAMIE GOLDBERG
Committee meetings, public testimony continue in virtual format
By SAM STITES
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — The Oregon
Capitol will remain open
to the public when law-
makers convene Feb. 1 for
a monthlong session.
In a joint statement
Monday, Jan. 10, Senate
President Peter Courtney
and House Speaker Tina
Kotek announced while all
legislative committee meet-
ings during the upcoming
2022 session will take place
virtually, the public will be
allowed in the building.
Kotek and Courtney
issued a statement last
week expressing concern
over the omicron variant of
COVID-19 and troubling
projections by doctors
at Oregon Health & Sci-
ence University. The two
presiding offi cers of the
Oregon Legislature clari-
fi ed their stance Jan. 10.
“We are committed to
ensuring the legislative
process is accessible and
safe during the upcoming
session,” the statement
said. “The recent wave
of cases and hospitaliza-
tions due to the Omicron
variant is concerning.
After speaking directly
with OHSU infectious dis-
ease doctors and public
health offi cials, we decided
to move our committees to
a virtual format.”
Oregonians will be able
to enter the Capitol during
regular business hours and
may watch legislative pro-
ceedings from the galleries
of either chamber located
on the third fl oor.
Committee meetings
will be livestreamed on the
Legislature’s information
site, and public testimony
will be accepted in written
format and via video or
phone.
According to press
release, all Capitol visi-
tors will be required to
comply with public health
and safety guidance which
includes wearing masks
inside to reduce
it legislatively, it’ll
risk of COVID-19
be made by other
transmission.
people,” he said. “My
Capitol employees
preference would
who can work
certainly be that we
remotely have been
keep the building
Hansell
asked to do so during
open if we possibly
the session to help
can.”
curb the spread of
Rep. Greg Smith,
the virus which con-
R-Heppner, said leg-
tinues with the new
islative leaders have
omicron variant.
a lot to weigh in this
According to
situation.
Levy
Dr. Peter Graven,
“There’s got to be
director of OHSU’s
a balance between
Offi ce of Advanced
protection of the First
Analytics, Oregon
Amendment and the
could see as many
right to peaceably
1,650 hospitalizations
assemble and to be
due to the virus by
open and transparent
Smith
the end of January.
with public safety,”
On Jan. 7, 625
Smith said. “I would
patients were hospitalized
just ask our elected leaders
with COVID-19 across
to bring balance to that
the state, according to the
conversation and do every-
Oregon Health Authority.
thing they can do to allow
The state’s COVID
for open, transparent gov-
burden peaked in Sep-
ernment while protecting
tember with around 1,200
public safety. You know,
hospitalizations.
that’s a tall order, but that’s
The statehouse was
the balance that needs to be
closed to the public begin-
achieved.”
ning in March 2020 and
Rep. Bobby Levy,
remained closed throughout R-Echo, said in an email
the entire 2021 legislative
that she expects the 2022
session, with most staff
session to mirror the last
working remotely in sup-
year’s legislative process.
port of lawmakers who
“The information we’ve
were still in the building.
been given so far leads us
The concept of remote
to believe that this ses-
work and wearing masks
sion will look a lot like the
has been controversial
2021 session — except that
topic in Salem.
the public will be able to
Republicans have repeat- enter the building,” Levy
edly argued the public has
said. “I am a fi rm believer
a constitutionally protected that the People’s Building
right to attend legislative
is supposed to be open
proceedings in person.
to the people, and I sup-
Lawmakers also have
port opening those doors
framed it as an equity issue to the hardworking Orego-
for Oregonians who don’t
nians we are honored to be
have internet access.
representing.”
Sen. Bill Hansell,
She also urged anyone
R-Athena, said on the
who feel sick to stay home.
morning of Jan. 10 he
“I’m eagerly looking
hoped the Capitol would
forward to the days where
remain open.
we can trust and rely on
“I think it’s important
Oregonian’s common-sense
for our process that we
in relation to their personal
have accessibility. It can
health,” she said.
be done, the building has
been opened before, but at
— EO Media Group
the end of the day I won’t
reporter Alex Wittwer
have anything to say about
contributed to this report.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
The Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon
Democrats are reviving
a proposal to provide
essential workers who
stayed on the job through
the pandemic with a one-
time stimulus payment of
up to $1,000.
Workers in what the
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
classifi es as medium- to
very high-risk occupa-
tions would be eligible
for the bonus if they
worked an average of at
least 20 hours per week
in person from April to
December 2020, made
less than $22 an hour
or $42,900 per year,
and haven’t already
received a bonus or
hazard pay from the state
for working during the
pandemic.
Rep. Andrea Valder-
rama, D-Portland, who
is co-sponsoring the
proposal, said during
a House committee
meeting Tuesday, Jan.
ulus payments and
11, that lawmakers
a provide a $1,200
were still seeking
payment to unem-
clarifi cation
ployed Oregonians
from the Oregon
who returned to
Employment
work in frontline
Department on the
Valderrama jobs by last fall.
number of workers
Lawmakers
who could qualify,
but an initial analysis had were unable to push that
identifi ed at least 230,000 bill over the fi nish line
during a busy legisla-
eligible workers.
“In these circum-
tive session last year, but
stances where they were
Democrats vowed at the
asked to show up on the
time to take up the initia-
lines, where we called
tive again in 2022.
them heroes, our low-
Funding for the stim-
wage workers, the hardest ulus payments could
hit, did not receive addi-
come from federal Amer-
tional compensation or
ican Rescue Plan funds
hazard pay for showing
and state general fund
up to these jobs,” Valder-
money, Valderrama said.
rama said. “This bill
She told the committee
solves that by providing
Jan. 11 that that funding
a one-time appreciation
could support payments
payment to some of our
of up to $1,000.
lowest wage workers in
The payments would
the highest risk places.”
be distributed by the
The proposal is a
Oregon Worker Relief
Fund, which has provided
pared-down version of a
bill that Democratic law- roughly $100 million to
makers fl oated last spring Oregon’s immigrant com-
munities during the pan-
that would have set aside
demic through a combi-
federal stimulus money
nation of state and local
to pay essential workers
funding and donations.
up to $2,000 in stim-
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