Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2019)
8 in other words april4 2019 Bonamici Bulletin By Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici Six Spring Town Hall Meetings I will be holding six town hall meetings across the First Congres- sional District, which includes Wash- ington, Yamhill, Clatsop, and Columbia counties and part of Multnomah County. I will take questions from residents and provide an update about my work in Congress. The town hall meetings will be in McMinnville, Portland, Astoria, Gaston, Hillsboro, and Clatskanie. Town hall meetings are an im- portant part of my work, and I look for- ward to hearing directly from the people I’m honored to represent. Recently, Or- egonians have contacted me about many of the serious and urgent issues I am working on with my colleagues. Those topics include protecting the environ- ment, lowering health care costs, stand- ing up for workers, making higher edu- cation more affordable, and demanding the full and immediate release of Special Counsel Mueller’s report. Members of my staff will also be available at the town hall meetings to assist anyone experiencing problems with federal agencies such as the VA, Social Security Administration, or IRS. I hold more than a dozen town hall meetings every year, including at least one by telephone. My local schedule for town hall meetings is as follows: Gaston Thursday, April 18, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. Gaston Jr/Sr High School, Gymnasium 300 Park St Gaston, OR 97119 Hillsboro Tuesday, April 23, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. Century High School, Auditorium 2000 SE Century Blvd Hillsboro, OR 97123 Clatskanie Wednesday, April 24, 2019 - 6:00 p.m. Clatskanie Cultural Center, Birkenfeld Theater 75 S Nehalem St. Clatskanie, OR 97016 Making the Mueller Report Public The public deserves to see Special Coun- sel Mueller’s full report and the docu- ments underlying it. Despite the conclu- sions of Attorney General Barr, there are still many outstanding questions about the President’s actions and conflicts of interest. The U.S. House of Representa- tives will continue to fulfill its responsi- bility to independently investigate these issues and their repercussions on our de- mocracy. Sweeping Reforms to Restore Our De- mocracy and Expand Voting Rights Free and fair elections are the founda- tion of our democracy. Unfortunately, voter suppression and out-of-control campaign spending have prevented many people from accessing the ballot box and limited their voice in govern- ment. The House has taken action to restore our democracy and protect vot- ing rights by passing the historic For the People Act. The For the People Act will expand the voter protections Oregon has pioneered to the rest of the country, in- cluding our groundbreaking automatic voter registration system. This legisla- tion will also protect the integrity of our elections by requiring paper ballots na- tionwide. It will also end the influence of “dark money” by requiring any organi- zation involved in political activities to disclose its donors. The For the People Act is a step in restoring confidence in our elections and in government. Making Progress in Efforts to Ad- dress Climate Crisis The Select Committee on the Climate Crisis met for the first time this week to chart a path for how we will approach our important work. In an op-ed in The Oregonian, I called for action and out- lined my vision for what we must do to make a meaningful difference on this issue. Then, I spoke on the House Floor to remind my colleagues that our children and grandchildren’s futures depend on our actions today. Finally, I was proud to cosponsor the first bill on the climate crisis of this Congress. The Climate Action Now Act will make sure that we uphold our commit- ments under the Paris Climate Accord to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Standing Up for Workers My grandfather was a coal miner, and he lost his leg in the mines. In 2019, we should be able to keep worksites safe for workers. Shockingly, the U.S. still has not banned asbestos, and every year firefighters, construction workers, and even teachers and students are exposed to this known cancer-causing chemical. I’ve partnered with Senator Merkley to introduce the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act to finally ban asbestos once and for all. Additionally, gender- based wage discrimination continues to be an injustice to millions of working families. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support, will help achieve equal pay for equal work by eliminating loopholes and stepping up enforcement. With this bill, we can finally disrupt a national cycle of discriminatory pay that keeps too many women and families in poverty. Fairness and Equity in Education It is unconscionable that our country has yet to fulfill its commitment to edu- cate Native American students. After OPB uncovered very troubling condi- tions at the Chemawa Indian School in Oregon last year, I pressed the Director of the Bureau of Indian Education for answers about a list of problems at Che- mawa. The Bureau still hasn’t given us a satisfactory response―and now another student has died shortly after leaving the school. Robert Lee Tillman was just 15 years old. Along with several col- leagues in the Oregon delegation, I’ve called for Congressional hearings on this issue so we can get answers and find ways to support the school and its students before any more students are harmed. I’ve also been working on af- fordable higher education. Any qualified student should have the opportunity to benefit from higher education without being burdened by debt. As the college admissions scandal draws attention, we must recognize that this case highlights systemic inequities that have existed for decades. Students of color, first genera- tion students, and low-income students often have to overcome racism, lack of resources, and institutional barriers just to get in the door. That’s unaccept- able, and unjust. As I work with my col- leagues on the Committee on Education and Labor to reauthorize the Higher Ed- ucation Act, we will carefully consider inequity in college admissions and work to address it. Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursday. Look for our next issue on April 18. Need more room? NOTICE OF BUDGE COMMITTEE MEETING A public meeting of the 2019- 2020 Mist-Birkenfeld RFPD Budget Committee will be held Tuesday, April 30, 2019, at 7:00 PM at the Mist-Birkenfeld Main Station located at 12525 Highway 202. This is a meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may attend this meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee. BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED AT THIS MEETING WILL BE: - Election of Officers - Presentation of Budget Message - Presentation of Budget Document - Discussion of the Budget Document - Public Testimony - Scheduling of possible future meetings The proposed budget document will be available for inspection on April 23, 2019 at the Mist-Birkenfeld Main Station at 12525 Hwy 202, Mist, Oregon, during the hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Joe Kaczenski Budget Officer See us for the lowest prices GUARANTEED! Debit/Credit now accepted 5x10 $39 10x10 $69 10x20 $99 RV Storage $149 Outside storage available Totally fenced and gated Padlocks available 58605 Nehalem Hwy South • P.O. Box 292 Vernonia, Oregon 97064 (503) 429-7867 10-6 Tue-Sat 12-4 Sun