Oregon Unitarian Universalist Voices for Justice is a statewide advocacy network that mobilizes Unitarian Universalists and their congregations to work for public policies in the state of Oregon that embody our UU principles of justice, equity, compassion in human relations and global stewardship. 

Jan. 23, 2022


11th Annual Meeting (2020)
"Bridging the Economic Divide."

Materials from the 11th Annual Meeting are becoming available on the 2020 Presenters page including video, copies of talks and more information.  View that information here.

Who represents me in Oregon legislature and Congress

Find your Oregon Representative and Senator
Find your US Representative and Senators 

2020-21 OR Legislative Hearings/Other info on Oregon 2021 legislative session

Week of 12-7-20
Senate Committee Meetings This Week
Tomorrow marks the beginning of two weeks of “Leg Days,” where legislative committees meet (remotely for now) to hear updates on issues of concern and introduce the first round of bills for the next session.  This week is devoted to Senate hearings, and next week for House hearings.  On Wednesday the Senate Rules Committee will be considering Governor appointments to executive positions, boards, and commissions.
Here's the calendar for this week:  The links will take you to the agenda, meeting materials, and meeting video.
Monday, December 7
Senate Education,  9 a.m.
Senate Health Care,  9 a.m.
Senate Environment and Natural Resources,  1 p.m.
Tuesday, December 8
Senate Human Services,  9 a.m.
Senate Labor and Business, 1 p.m.
Wednesday, December 9
Senate Finance and Revenue,  9 a.m.
Senate Mental Health, 9 a.m.
Senate Rules and Executive Appointments, 1 p.m.
Senate Veterans and Emergency Preparedness, 1 p.m.
Thursday, December 10
Senate Government Accountability and Information Technology,  9 a.m.
Senate Judiciary (meeting jointly with House Judiciary), 9 a.m.
Senate Housing won’t be meeting this week. 

Week of 12-14-20
House Committee Meetings
Agriculture and Land Use Behavioral Health Business and Labor Economic Development Education Energy and Environment Health Care Housing Human Services Natural Resources Revenue Rules Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Joint Committee on the I-5 Bridge Task Force on Access to Quality Affordable Child Childcare


Special legislative session - 12-21-2020
This summary of what to expect and bills to be considered is from Sen. Michael Dembrow, D Portland
=========================================Special Session #3 Starts at 8 a.m. Tomorrow

The Special Session will begin on Monday morning at 8 a.m. on the Senate and House floors. You can watch the floor sessions via links at this site.
The first order of business will be to establish a quorum for the session, then approve the rules and procedures for the session, and then accept the first formal introductions of the legislative concepts.  The concepts have now been given bill numbers.  Here they are: 
SB 1801: This is the bill related to restaurants that temporarily allows cocktails to be sold for takeout or delivery and limits the fees that can be required for delivery.  You’ll see that the limit has been increased from 10% to 15% and the bill now allows for single servings of wine to be sold for takeout or delivery (currently wine is only available by the full bottle).  An additional amendment is being considered that will allow wine cocktails (e.g., mimosas) to be included.
SB 1803: This is the bill that temporarily limits liability for medical providers.  It provides limited protection for medical decision-makers when they follow the requirements of the state and federal emergency rules. The bill now is clearer on who is covered by whistle-blower protections and who is considered a medical decision-maker (e.g., Nurse Practitioners now included).
SB 5731: This is the budget bill.  It transfers $600 million from our expected ending fund balance to the Emergency Fund for the following purposes:
  • $400 million for COVID-response measures
  • $100 million for wildfire-response measures
  • $100 million for other interim emergency needs
SCR 231: This is the “Sine Die” bill, which allows us to adjourn when our work is through (hopefully tomorrow afternoon!).
HB 4401:  This is the extension of the moratorium on residential evictions and allocation of $200 million for landlord/tenant relief.  There are no changes from the original LC.
HB 4402: This is the bill that temporarily limits liability for K-12 schools, public charter schools, and community colleges.  I believe that House Republicans will be proposing amendments that would add private schools.
The Joint Special Session Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. (remotely) to hold work sessions to discuss/debate the measures and ultimately to vote on them. (Passage requires support from a majority of committee members from each chamber.)  Public testimony will no longer be taken, but experts may be called in to answer technical questions if need be. 
You can watch their deliberations via this website.
Floor sessions will then occur in the afternoon in order for all members to vote on the bills that come out of the Joint Special Session Committee.  Senate bills will begin in the Senate, and then go to the House.  House bills will start in the House.  Bills that have passed both chambers go to the Governor for her signature. 
Again, for those interested, here are the safety protocols that we’ll be following during the special session. 
At this point, it appears that we should be able to finish up in the afternoon.
Special Sessions results
SB 1801: This is the bill related to restaurants that temporarily allows cocktails to be sold for takeout or delivery and limits the fees that can be required for delivery. The amendments to raise the limit to 15%, add wine by the glass, and wine cocktails were approved.  It passed the committee 5-0 among House members and 4-1 among Senate members.  It then went on to pass the Senate 21-3 and the House 50-4.
SB 1803: This bill would have temporarily limited liability for medical providers.  However, it never made it to a vote.  I mentioned last night that the bill was going to be amended to extend whistle-blower protections for front-line employees of medical facilities.  Unfortunately, there were technical problems with the amendments that were drafted that would have been difficult to rectify quickly. Because of the time constraints of keeping the session to one day, the decision was made to move forward with the vote without the amendments, but in that form it was not able to pass. (It passed 5-0 among senators, but went down 3-2 in the House on a party-line vote.)  It will likely be taken up again in the session that begins next month. I’ll support it if the amendment problem can be worked out
SB 5731: This is the budget bill.  It transfers $600 million from our expected ending fund balance to the Emergency Fund for the following purposes:
  • $400 million for COVID-response measures
  • $100 million for wildfire-response measures
  • $100 million for other interim emergency needs
The bill passed 10-0 from the committee.  It passed the Senate 24-0 and the House 52-2.
SCR 231: This is the “Sine Die” bill, which allowed us to adjourn when our work is through (hopefully tomorrow afternoon!). Not surprisingly, it passed both chambers unanimously.
HB 4401:  This is the extension of the moratorium on residential evictions and allocation of $200 million for landlord/tenant relief.  Republican members of the committee did have some amendments drafted, and they were discussed briefly.  However, it was clear that they were not going to have enough votes to be adopted, so they were never formally moved.  The bill ended up coming out of committee on a party-line vote, 3-2 from each chamber.  Most of the objection was concern that the state would only compensate landlords for 80% of what was owed them.  It did pass each chamber with some bipartisanship in both chambers, earning 2/3 support in the House and 3/5 support in the Senate.   It passed the House 40-14 and the Senate 18-6.
HB 4402: This is the bill that temporarily limits liability for K-12 schools, public charter schools, and community colleges.  The committee passed an amendment to add private schools. It passed out of committee with Senators supporting on a 4-1 vote and House members supporting 5-0.  It passed the House 46-8 and the Senate 20-4.

Special Session result as reported by Sen. Dembrow

Legislative committee assignments for 2021

View 2020 legislation on OR legislative site

Click above button; then click on Bills in right-hand corner, then click either House Bills or Senate Bills.  Hover over the Bill number to see brief summary.

2019 UUA GA Statement of Conscience

Our logo designer Jaimie Weeks-Seufert is featured third from the right in the front row. Thank you, Jaimie!
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 Needed: New Board Members

Have a passion for social and environmental justice, human rights, and democracy?   
Have you thought of joining the Board of Oregon Voices for Justice?
Well, we are looking for new board members. 
Contact Board Chair: 
Kathleen McKenney
 

2020 OOUU Voices for Justice legislative action areas

Oregon UU Voices for Justice has four campaign areas -- Deepening Democracy, Human Rights, Economic Inequality, and Environmental Justice.  At our annual conference in October 2017, we identified specific action items within each of these campaigns and people who are taking the lead on each.   We have maintained those four campaigns since then.

​Some of these campaigns will stay in touch throughout the year and organize via Zoom to continue the work started during the Annual Conference. If you have an interest in these campaigns, please contact the lead.
Deepening Democracy - 
          Lead:  David Delk
  • Reforms to the Political Process: The group will meet again to focus the group on a specific issue. Under consideration:  establish limits on campaign contributions now that Oregon voters approved BM107 amending state constitution to allow such limits, amend the US Constitution to end corporate personhood and money equals speech, limits on campaign contributions/expenditures, public funding of candidates, ranked choice voting, gerrymandering, full voting rights for felons, full disclosure of political ad funders. 
  • Support for Public Banking: The Oregon Public Bank Alliance is active on this issue and meets via Zoom provided by the First Unitarian Church in Portland, focused principally on creating a public bank in Portland.  That effort has the support of David Delk, Michael Wade and Harriet Cooke, all members of the Economic Justice Action Group of 1st Unitarian of Portland.  
    • Suggested Action:  Click on this link: The Oregon Public Bank Alliance, and sign the petition indicating your support for public banking in Oregon.

Economic Inequality - 
          Lead: Josie Koehne
  • Issues of Housing - such as home/houselessness, affordable housing.  This campaign will work with the Oregon Housing Alliance and Interfaith Alliance on Poverty. Lead: John Elizalde (john_elizalde@hotmail.com)
  • Worker Justice -- Lead: 
  • Living Wages -- John Raymonda (raymonda@zianet.co

Environmental Justice - 
    Lead:  Claudia Keith
  • Clean Energy Jobs Bill, HB2020 - This carbon cap and invest bill is designed to reduce carbon emissions in Oregon.
  • Jordon Cove LNG Export Terminal - Track and support any action identified to oppose the project. Work with tribal leaders. Leads: Jean Townes and Sue Craig (sueacraig@gmail.com).
  • Single use straws - HB2800 - prohibits certain restaurants from offering single use straws
  • Prohibit fracking - HB2623 - prohibits use of fracking for oil, gas exploration and production
  • Single use checkout bags - HB2509/HB2653 - Prohibits use of single use checkout bags except in certain cases.
  • Polystyrene Containers - HB2883 - prohibits food vendors from using polystyrene containers in many cases
  • Small Nuclear Reactors - SB444 - Bill changes present approval requirements from vote by all Oregon voters to vote by voter of cities/counties in which Small Nuclear Reactors are being proposed for use in

Human RIghts -
           Lead: Kathleen McKinney
  • Corrections:  HB2631 - establishes pilot program to provide legal services for women who are incarcerated at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility
  • Immigrant Rights:
  • Health care:
    • Health Care for All: SB770 has been introduced to create a universal affordable health care system for all in Oregon..  2020:  This bill was enacted and the Committee has started to meet.
    • Importation of drugs: SB409/HB2682 - creates program to allow importation of prescription drugs from Canada
    • Funding of Medicaid: HB2010 - provides funding for Oregon's Medicaid program