Oregon faces legal challenges after establishing blacks-only COVID-19 relief fund
A COVID-19 relief fund set up by the state of Oregon has run into legal challenges after it became known that the fund was reserved exclusively for African American residents. The state’s doling out of inadequate financial aid to troubled businesses on race-based criteria reveals the politically bankrupt and deeply reactionary nature of racialist politics.
The Oregon Cares Fund was arranged by state Democratic Party officials in July 2020 and reserved $62 million out of the $200 million that was set aside by the Oregon legislature’s Emergency Board to provide relief to small businesses affected by the pandemic. The fund’s website declares it is intended for “Black people, Black-owned businesses, and Black community based organizations” and provides up to $3,000 per-family and $100,000 per-business. The relief funds were drawn from the $1.4 billion that the state of Oregon received from the f
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MONTPELIER â The state Emergency Board approved an upgrade in the stateâs revenue forecast for fiscal 2021, as the stateâs economists said the massive injection of federal spending during the COVID-19 pandemic had resulted in healthier than expected revenues through the first six months of the fiscal year.
The board unanimously approved revenue projections of $2.44 billion for fiscal 2021, $2.57 billion for fiscal 2022 and $2.62 billion in fiscal 2023.
The projection is based on what economist Tom Kavet called âa steady progression of above target performance on a number of key and very large tax sources,â as well as the change in administrations in Washington likely to result in additional coronavirus relief dollars.
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More than a few Vermonters have asked over the past four years: Why is Gov. Phil Scott still a Republican?
That question â and, between the lines, a bigger question about what it means to be part of the Grand Old Party in Vermont â was asked out loud on Friday.
Going back to the 2016 campaign, Scott has made no secret of his distaste for Republican President Donald Trump, criticizing him openly despite the potential ramifications.
Scott was among the first Republican governors to say after Trumpâs first impeachment that he should have been convicted and removed from office. He strongly condemned Trumpâs role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And, unlike many GOP members of Congress, and notably, some leaders within the Vermont GOP, Scott declared that Joe Biden had, indeed, won the presidential election and ought to resign or be removed.
Mind-blowing, she says, but congressional approval of $1.9 trillion proposal is a challenge.
Gov. Kate Brown has praised the proposal by Joe Biden for another round of federal aid to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, including direct aid to states and communities.
But she said there s one big catch: Congress, with tenuous Democratic majorities, still has to pass the $1.9 trillion requested by the incoming president. This is an extremely significant proposal I said mind-blowing, Brown said at a virtual legislative preview sponsored by the Associated Press. I think the real challenge is how we get it passed.
Brown said the plan contains not only direct aid for states, but also for specific programs for virus testing and contact tracing, personal protective equipment for health care and other essential workers, vaccine distribution, child care and reopening of schools.
The Oregon Legislature returned to the Capitol on Monday amid a raging pandemic that has the Salem-area under an extreme risk listing for COVID-19 infections.
The 60-member House and 30-member Senate wore face masks and maintained 6 feet of separation while meeting in the chambers in the 1938 art deco Capitol. The agenda was to swear in members, elect leaders and set rules for the session. The session won t officially get underway until Jan. 19.
The rules turned out to be the main sticking point.
With majorities in both the House and Senate, Democrats pushed to begin the session on time. They argued that the long list of crises â COVID-19, unemployment, recovery from the massive wildfires, police reform and equity issues â was too pressing to delay. Lawmakers would use a mix of virtual meetings and hearings, coming to Salem only for final votes on bills.