May 12, 2020 3:05 a.m.
Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod is urging Governor Kate Brown to distribute funds from the $1.63 billion federal CARES Act rescue package statewide.
In a letter, Girod said, “It can’t be just Portland, Multnomah and Washington counites that benefit from CARES Act funds, they must be equitably distributed”. He said the funding could be used by Oregon counties to meet the prerequisites to reopen such as hiring contact tracers, acquiring the needed 30-day PPE stockpile, hotel vouchers for quarantine facilities, testing strips, or to help rural hospitals that are going bankrupt.
Girod said the remaining 45 percent of CARES Act funds intended for cities and counties, after Portland, Multnomah and Washington counties are allocated funds, needs to go to all other cities and counties across the state.