PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — With so many issues stemming from the pandemic and the unprecedented wildfire season this past year — lawmakers are heading back to the Salem Capitol to discuss getting aid to struggling Oregonians.
Governor Kate Brown is asking the legislature to allocate $800 million dollars in relief efforts for Oregonians, which could go to help tenants and landlords and providing funding for vaccine distribution, contact tracing and wildfire prevention and preparedness.
Of the $800 million, officials say lawmakers will consider allocating $150 million for the new Landlord Compensation Fund and $50 million for existing rental relief programs. Brown will also ask them to consider allocating the remaining $600 million to the Oregon legislature’s emergency board for fast COVID-19 and wildfire relief and recovery efforts.
While these price tags sound staggering, Senate President Peter Courtney tells KOIN 6 it’s needed, and needed now.
Other items being considered would go towards helping reopen schools and allowing cocktails-to-go for struggling restaurants.
Because of the pandemic, lawmakers are limiting their time in the capital together to a single day. They’ll start at 8 a.m. Monday morning, and then they’ll be off to the races. A long list of nearly two dozen proposals was dwindled down to only several bills left on the agenda.
When talking to Senate President Peter Courtney, he said some bills got left behind ultimately because they didn’t have enough votes — or enough time to debate on them in order to get them to a point that was passable in a single day.
“A special session is the hardest of all sessions,” Courtney said. “It’s particularly dangerous now — so you gotta keep that always in front of you and that controls how much to do and try to do.”
Other major issues Oregonians were wondering about but are no longer on the table include proposals for creating a stockpile of personal protective equipment, police accountability, protecting Oregonians from foreclosure by extending the moratorium and closing tax loopholes benefiting the wealthy and corporations.
Furthermore, there is still no relief on the table for the 70,000 Oregonians who are about to lose unemployment benefits.
House Speaker Tina Kotek’s office told KOIN 6 that members who advocated for the dropped bills will likely look to bring them back for consideration when the 2021 session begins in late January.
Until then — they’re limited to what they can get done today.