December 15, 2020 9:50 a.m.

Governor Kate Brown has called for a Special Session of the Oregon State Legislature to address what she calls, “…Oregonians most pressing needs given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which have only been compounded by Oregon’s horrific wildfires”.

The session will be held Monday starting at 8:00 a.m. A release said Brown is asking the legislature to consider both “critical policies” and $800 million in relief to support Oregonians.

Brown said, “Oregonians are making tremendous sacrifices to prevent the spread of COVID-19”. She said while risk reduction measures are working to slow the spread, many families in the state are struggling with unemployment, housing, food insecurity, and paying their bills. Brown said those most impacted “…are the same people who are often left behind, including rural, Black, Indigenous, Latino/Latina/Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, and Tribal communities”.

Brown said she is continuing to call on Congress to pass another robust coronavirus relief bill to bring support to the American people. She said those calls are not being heeded so it is clear that state’s must act on their own to provide a bridge until federal help arrives.

The release said included in the Governor’s budget priorities is aid for tenants and landlords, funding for vaccine distribution and contact tracing, wildfire prevention and community preparedness, and support for reopening schools.

To help ensure a healthy and safe environment for conducting the session, legislative officials are consulting the state epidemiologist, Dr. Dean Sidelinger, according to the release.