Final Push for Oregon's Tuition Equity -- Please Call NOW

Gresham, Ore.--Last night, students, teachers, community leaders and other supporters of Oregon’s bipartisan Tuition Equity Bill—Senate Bill 742-- gathered at Mt. Hood Community College. The gathering marked the final push to call on Oregon State Representatives to bring Senate Bill 742 to the House Floor for a vote.



The petition to bring Senate Bill 742 to the floor has by today (Tuesday) at 5:00pm to get the necessary signatures. There are already 24 State Representatives signed on.  That just leaves 7 more to go. The bill has gone farther than it has in the past with an 18-11 vote in the Oregon State Senate.  We need your help now more than ever to make Tuition Equity a reality in Oregon.



Please call the following Representatives as soon as possible, and let them know you support SB 742 and would like them to sign the petition and support it, too!


Rep. Jeff Barker 503.986.1428
Rep. Deborah Boone 503.986.1432
Rep. Brian Clem 503.986.1421
Rep. Greg Mathews 503.986.1450
Rep. Arnie Roblan 503.986.1300
Rep. Mike Schaufler 503.986.1448
Rep. Bob Jenson 503-986-1458

Tell them,


“I Support Senate Bill 742 because it’s important for me, for the future of Oregon students and for Oregon as a whole. Please sign the discharge petition to let SB 742 get a vote in the House and please vote yes on this important bill."


Thank you for your continued support to ensure all our youth have access to Higher education


More photos from last night:

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Over 1500 turn out to Leaders’ Assembly in Portland

Over 1500 turn out to Leaders’ Assembly in Portland

Portland, Ore.--Yesterday evening, it was standing room only as over 1500 people attended the Leaders’ Assembly at the Portland Lutheran School in Portland. The event was sponsored by Parish Health Promoter Program and CAUSA Oregon. Among those attending included Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz and Clackamas County Director of Social Services, Brenda Durbin.

Issues discussed during the evening included legislation affecting access to Oregon Driver’s Licenses (Senate Bill 845) and Tuition Equity (Senate Bill 742). Individuals gave personal testimony asking elected officials to support removing unnecessary barriers to obtaining an Oregon Driver's License and buying car insurance for the safety and well being of their communities. Likewise, they called for passage of Tuition Equity that will make access to affordable and quality higher education possible for all Oregon students, regardless of their status.

Those in attendance also committed to rent 6 buses and attend the May 1st March and Rally commemorating International Worker’s Day in Salem. In addition, those that attended donated over $800 to go toward work being done to pass Driver’s License Access Restoration and Tuition Equity Legislation.

Last week, Oregon's Tuition Equity Bill (SB742) cleared the Oregon State Senate Education Committee and is expected to be voted on by the full Senate as early as this Thursday. CAUSA is encouraging all constituents to continue calling their State Senator and urge them to vote "Yes". Contact information for State Senators can be found by linking here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ or by calling 1-800-332-2313 and asking for them by name.

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300 Supporters of Tuition Equity gather at Oregon State Capitol

Salem, Ore.--During a Senate Education Committee hearing, 300 students, teachers, faith leaders, business owners and community members gathered at the Oregon State Capitol today to testify and show support for passage of a bipartisan Tuition Equity Bill.

Senate Bill 742, which has support from both sides of the aisle, will ensure that every Oregon student has fair access to quality and affordable higher education and will make it possible for them to pay in-state tuition, regardless of their status.

"This Tuition Equity bill follows through on the investment in Oregon’s students beyond the high-school level, raises the level of education in Oregon and infuses our public universities with more tuition dollars," said Francisco Lopez, CAUSA's Executive Director. "SB 742 guarantees that Oregon’s workforce is well-educated and well-prepared to compete in our ever-changing global economy."

Cosponsors of Senate Bill 742 include Oregon State Senators David Nelson (R-Pendleton), Frank Morse (R-Albany), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Portland/Beaverton), Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland), Rod Monroe (D-Portland), Chris Edwards (D- Eugene, Santa Clara, and Junction City), Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River) and Chip Shields (D-Portland), and Oregon State Representatives Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), Mark Johnson (R-Hood River), Bob Jenson (R-Pendleton), Peter Buckley (D-Ashland), Sara Gelser (D-Corvallis), Betty Komp (D-Woodburn) and Chris Harker (D-Beaverton).

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Two Bipartisan Bills, Tuition Equity and Driver's License Access, introduced in OR State Legislature

NEWS RELEASE
February 18, 2011

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

Two Bipartisan Bills, Tuition Equity and Driver's License Access, introduced in OR State Legislature

Salem, Ore.--This week was a very busy one for CAUSA, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Coalition. Two important bipartisan bills were introduced in the Oregon State Legislature and we held our briefing at the Oregon State Capitol on our 2011 Latino Legislative Agenda.

On Monday, CAUSA participated in a Press Conference with the Oregon Student Association (OSA) and several other individuals and organizations, as Representative Michael Dembrow (D-Portland) and Senator Frank Morse (R-Albany) announced their co-sponsorship of the bipartisan Tuition Equity Bill, SB742.

The bill will ensure that every Oregon student has fair access to quality and affordable higher education and will make it possible for every student regardless of their status, to be able to pay in-state tuition. Besides capitalizing on the investment in Oregon's K-12 students, it would boost the education level of Oregon's workforce and bring in more tax dollars to the state's general fund.

Cosponsors of Senate Bill 742 include Oregon State Senators David Nelson (R-Pendleton), Frank Morse (R-Albany), Suzanne Bonamici (D-Portland/Beaverton), Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland), Rod Monroe (D-Portland), Chris Edwards (D- Eugene, Santa Clara, and Junction City), Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River) and Chip Shields (D-Portland), and Oregon State Representatives Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), Mark Johnson (R-Hood River), Bob Jenson (R-Pendleton), Peter Buckley (D-Ashland), Sara Gelser (D-Corvallis), Betty Komp (D-Woodburn) and Chris Harker (D-Beaverton).

On Tuesday, CAUSA presented it's 2011 Latino Legislative Agenda in a briefing at the Oregon State Capitol. Those attending and participating in the briefing included Oregon State legislators from both sides of the aisle, members of Oregon’s government, coalition partners and leaders from the community. Issues discussed included affordable housing, education, public safety, health, and jobs and the economy. For more information on the briefing, link here.

Yesterday, State Senator Chip Shields (D-Portland) joined with Representatives Bob Jenson (R-Pendleton), Ben Cannon (D-Portland) and Tina Kotek (D-Portland) to introduce Senate Bill 845 – the Oregon Driver License Access Act. The bipartisan bill will restore access to driver’s licenses to all Oregonian residents, regardless of their status.

Both of these important pieces of legislation--SB742 and SB845--are a good first step in ensuring that all Oregonians will be able to lead safe and productive lives while being the best contributors to Oregon and nation as they can be.

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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/

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