CAUSA invites Governor-Elect Kitzhaber to partner in Legislative Agenda

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2010

Contact: Francisco Lopez, Executive Director: (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director: (503) 488-0263

CAUSA invites Governor-Elect Kitzhaber to partner in Legislative Agenda

Salem, Ore -- It has been declared that John Kitzhaber is the winner of Oregon Gubernatorial Election. Kitzhaber will become Oregon's 37th Governor and the first Governor in Oregon history to win a third term.

"We congratulate Governor-Elect Kitzhaber on his victory," said Francisco Lopez, Executive Director of CAUSA. "And invite him to partner with us on our Legislative Agenda for the upcoming 2011 Oregon Legislative Session. There is much to be done this coming year and we look forward to working with him."

CAUSA has identified several key areas which to focus on in the upcoming session in Salem. These include Health, Public Safety, Education, Affordable Housing and Jobs and the Economy.

CAUSA's Legislative Agenda for 2011 is as follows:

Health:

• Healthy Kids Program: Allow all children in Oregon to have access to healthcare by eliminating barriers to enrollment.
• Capacity Building: Maintain and increase state funding for safety net clinics and community clinics, amplifying their ability to serve more uninsured families across Oregon.

Public Safety:

• Monitor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Law Enforcement collaboration: Raise awareness for the need of oversight of ICE activities in Oregon and work with State Legislators and state agencies to form an official group to serve in this capacity.
• Driver's License: Restore access to an Oregon state driver's license. CAUSA will advocate to eliminate unnecessary barriers for individuals to legally drive or purchase insurance and subsequent unintended consequences in our communities created by the Oregon Legislature in 2008.

Education:

• In-State Tuition: Create state policy that allows all students who have graduated from high school or received their GED in the State of Oregon the opportunity to pay in-state tuition to continue post-secondary education regardless of immigration status.

Affordable Housing:

• Increase farmworker housing funding: create a set-aside funding pool at the Department of Oregon Housing and Community Services for farm worker housing.

Jobs and the Economy:

• Economic Recovery Plan for Central Oregon: Help push for recovery programs such as economic development, job training, and job creation programs, and to ensure that these programs address the needs of the Latino community.

CAUSA and our allies have been holding assemblies in communities around the state in the run-up to the Legislative Session. We will continue to reach out to elected officials around Oregon and at the State Capitol to see that the needs are met in the Latino and Immigrant Communities in Oregon.

For more information or comment on CAUSA's Legislative Agenda, please contact Francisco Lopez at (503) 269-5694.

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CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition, is the largest Latino and Latina civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. For more information, visit http://www.causaoregon.org/

Posted in: Governor-Elect Kitzhaber;Oregon; Oregon 2011 Legislative Session;Release;