Oregon legislators complete 2019 session

Session not a blueprint for the future

July 1, 2019 – The 2019 Oregon Legislative session ended on Sunday, June 30.

With the return of the Senate Republicans on Saturday morning, legislators moved quickly, passing nearly one hundred bills before adjourning Sunday evening, a few hours before the constitutional deadline.

We can safely say this is one of the most dramatic ends to a legislative session in recent memory.

We are exceptionally proud of what the Oregon Food Bank community around the state accomplished together. Thanks to all of you who took action, whether meeting with legislators on Oregon Hunger Response Day, making phone calls, sending emails, posting on social media, and/or galvanizing your community to show up for Oregon Food Bank’s policy priorities. You helped create the political will and momentum for these victories.

As a result of your hard work, Oregon now has:

• Increased or stable investments in anti-hunger programs including assistance to food banks, coupons for WIC (Women Infants and Children) participants and seniors to use at farmers markets, doubling of the SNAP Double Up Food Bucks dollars for use at farmers markets, increased access to free school meals for children and the continuation of the crop donation tax credit.
• Record investments in housing and homelessness programs including rent assistance, shelter, affordable housing, homelessness services and the continuation of the agricultural workforce housing tax credit.
• Increased investments in economic security for low-income Oregonians including the Earned Income Tax Credit which benefits hundreds of thousands of Oregonians, and payday lending reform.
• Policy changes resulting in more stable housing for Oregon renters
• Policy changes detaching Oregon drivers’ licenses from immigration status.

While we’re grateful the legislature completed their work, we don’t believe this past session should serve as a blueprint for the future. We can avoid this future if we continue to act together to ensure that all our elected leaders are working to end hunger.

Please join us by making a contribution to support our advocacy efforts, to celebrate our victories and to protect our future.