Annual Advocacy Day draws 100 constituents to Oregon State Capitol

Salem, Ore.-- On Monday, CAUSA held it’s Annual Advocacy Day at the Oregon State Capitol. Around 100 people met with 66 legislative offices throughout the day to discuss important issues affecting Oregonians.

The issues discussed during the individual meetings with legislators included driver's license access restoration, tuition equity & quality education, public safety, healthcare equity, affordable housing, and jobs & economic recovery.

Among the top issues, constituents urged state representatives to support and pass Oregon’s bi-partisan Tuition Equity Bill—SB 742. The legislation, which has broad support from both sides of the aisle, capitalizes on taxpayer investment in K-12 students, moves engaged young immigrants toward citizenship, helps them build productive futures in Oregon and will boost the education level of the workforce of Oregon.

A hearing is scheduled for next Wednesday, May 11th in the House Rules Committee at 3:00pm at the Oregon State Capitol. Those who support the bill are encouraged to attend.

To contact members of the House Rules Committee and your member of the Oregon House of Representatives to urge them to vote "YES" on SB742, please link here: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5535/t/4202/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1470

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1500 Rally at the State Capitol to Restore Driver’s License Access to ALL Oregonians

1500 Rally at the Oregon State Capitol to Restore Driver’s License Access to ALL Oregonians

Members of the immigrant, faith, labor and business communities call for passage of Senate Bill 845

Salem, Ore.. (April 18, 2011)-- Today, 1500 members of the immigrant, faith, labor and business communities rallied at the Oregon State Capitol. The rally took place preceding the Senate holding a legislative hearing on Senate Bill 845--Oregon's bipartisan Driver’s License Access Restoration Act.
Senate Bill 845 is a bipartisan solution to restore access to driver's licenses to all Oregonians, regardless of their citizenship status. Passage of this crucial piece of legislation corrects the error that the State Legislature made in 2008 and is important for Oregon's public safety and economic prosperity.

The Senate Transportation Committee hearing, which took place in Hearing Room B, was standing room only with all of the overflow rooms filled. Barbara Ghio, a local immigration attorney, testified on behalf of CAUSA. She was joined by members of the Latino, immigrant, faith, labor and business communities who testified during the two hour hearing. (Read Barbara Ghio's testimony on SB 845 here)

Supporters of Senate Bill 845 sent a loud and clear message to the members of the Senate Transportation Committee that their communities value public safety and want ALL Oregonians to have access to Driver’s Licenses.

CAUSA is urging people to continue to contact members of the Senate Transportation Committee and urge them to vote "Yes" on Senate Bill 845 when it come up for a vote. For details on how to contact legislators, please link here.

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OR Driver's License Access Bill Gets a Hearing

OR Driver's License Access Bill Gets a Hearing
April 18, 2011

Chris Thomas, Public News Service -OR
Audio

SALEM, Ore. - Oregon's immigrant community is driving home its point – that everyone should be allowed to drive, no matter what their immigration status. They'll rally this afternoon, just before a Senate committee hears testimony on a bill to restore driver's license access to non-citizens. It would change an Oregon law that's been in place since 2008.

Jose Gonzales plans to testify on behalf of Senate Bill 845. As a real-estate agent in Salem and a Latino Business Alliance member, he says the driver's license restriction has sent a chill through the Latino community, prompting some to think differently about putting down roots in Oregon.

"'This community might not be stable for myself, or my family.' And these are people that are documented, the people that have driver's licenses, but they're hearing, they're feeling, that this is not a future, that this place is not the best place to invest."

Gonzales says, in his business, instability translates into fewer home sales, and he has talked with merchants who also are concerned about it.

"We don't simply wait for the phone to ring; we're out there. And it's something we deal with every day. And it's at different levels - I'm talking about first-time buyers, investors, business owners - and even on the corporate level. We deal with people that have never even thought this would have affected them. It's an issue that really has gone the whole spectrum."

The bill has received bipartisan support from some lawmakers, who believe it's a way to ensure that all drivers on Oregon roads are registered and have insurance. Its critics say since licenses are used as identification, granting them to non-citizens creates security problems.

The rally is at 4:00 p.m. today on the State Capitol steps; the hearing is at 6:00 p.m. in the Senate Business, Transportation and Economic Development Committee.

Click here to view this story on the Public News Service RSS site and access an audio version of this and other stories: http://www.publicnewsservice.org/index.php?/content/article/19523-1

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Rally to Restore Driver’s License Access to ALL Oregonians

Salem, Ore.-- Last Friday, after several days of phone calls, faxes, visits, and negotiations, CAUSA was notified that the Oregon State Senate will hold a legislative hearing on Oregon's bipartisan Driver’s License Access Restoration Act (Senate Bill 845).

The hearing is scheduled for the afternoon on Monday, April 18th in the Senate Transportation Committee. We will hold a rally on the front steps of the Oregon State Capitol starting at 4:00pm. It is very important that supporters of Senate Bill 845 attend the rally and hearing to send a message to the members of the Senate Transportation Committee that our communities value public safety and want ALL Oregonians to have access to Driver’s Licenses

Rally to Restore Driver’s License Access to ALL Oregonians
Date: April 18, 2011
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Oregon State Capitol
900 Court St. NE, Salem, Oregon

In the meantime, please call the following State Senators who sit on the Senate Transportation Committee and urge them to vote “Yes” on Senate Bill 845 when it comes up for a vote.
• Senator Lee Beyer (D- District 6, Chair 503-986-1706
• Senator Jason Atkinson (R – District 2), Vice-Chair 503-986-1702
• Senator Ginny Burdick (D – District 18) 503-986-1718
• Senator Chris Edwards (D- District 7) 503-986-1707
• Senator Fred Girod ( R – District 9) 503-986-1709
• Senator Bruce Starr (R – District 15) 503-986-1715

Tell them:

“My name is _____ and I live in _____. I support Senate Bill 845 because it’s important for me to know that ALL Oregon Residents have access to a driver’s license and driver’s insurance. It’s a matter of public safety, fairness, and common sense. Please vote “Yes” on this important legislation when it comes up for a vote.”

Your phone calls are extremely important to help push this bill forward, however please feel free to also send a message via our system. After you send your message, please also add your name to our petition that will be delivered to legislators.

Thank you for taking action on this important issue for the safety and well-being of ALL Oregonians!

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