The 2022 legislative session is right around the corner, and the Coalition of Communities of Color is proud to release our priority legislative agenda. Every session, CCC engages throughout the legislative process to pass bills that increase opportunity and advance racial justice for communities of color.
As we continue respond to the pandemic, we also are looking to systemic change that will create a more equitable future for all. Our agenda is made up of legislation identified by our members, who work directly with communities to build solutions that will enable Black, Indigenous, and other Oregonians of color to thrive.
Our 2022 Priority Legislation
Community Safety
Transforming Justice
Advances safety, opportunity, and healing for Oregonians of color by reducing unnecessary interactions with law enforcement, helping people returning home from incarceration to improve economic and housing stability, and investing in services for people of color to rebuild their lives. (SB 1510)
Environmental Justice
Emergency Heat Relief for Oregonians
Removes barriers and incentivizes life-saving cooling technologies for vulnerable Oregonians as our state faces record heat waves. (HB 4058 and SB 1536)
Education Justice
Ethnic Studies Professional Development
Supports K-12 educators to implement the state’s new Ethnic Studies standards, ensuring that students have the opportunity to learn about the unique histories of Oregon’s diverse communities. (HB 4112)
Pacific Islander Student Success
Creates pathways to success for Pacific Islander students through a state success plan to meet their educational needs and end disparities in educational outcomes. (HB 4091)
Economic Justice
Equity Investment Act
Builds economic opportunities for the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx communities most affected by over-policing and discriminatory policies through an Equity Investment Fund allocating $50 million to support small business development, job training, and property ownership. (SB 1579)
Farmworker Overtime
Requires farmworkers are fairly paid for every hour worked by phasing in overtime pay, ending decades of racist exclusion from these labor laws. (HB 4002)
Racial and Ethnic Data on Income Tax Forms
Enables us to analyze and address racial inequities in our revenue system by collecting racial and ethnic data on income tax forms to inform policymaking. (SB 1569)
Oregon Individual Development Accounts Initiative
Allocates $35 million to the Oregon Individual Development Accounts Initiative, a matched savings program to help Oregonians gain financial security and work towards a specific savings goal. IDAs are a powerful tool for financial development and asset building in communities of color.
Strengthening Families
Child Care For Oregon
Supports working families by making child care more affordable, growing child care supply, stabilizing the workforce, and streamlining the state’s child care system.
Immigrant Rights
Universal Representation
Protects the legal rights of immigrants by connecting more immigrants with legal representation, helping prevent unjust deportations, and keeping families and communities together. (SB 1543)
Oregon Worker Relief Fund
Invests an additional $65 million to support workers who have lost their jobs during the pandemic but are ineligible for unemployment insurance based on their status, providing critical financial relief during the ongoing crisis.
Advancing Democracy
Restoration of Voting Rights Act
Establishes a right to vote for Oregonians in custody, supporting participation in our democracy and reintegration into communities. (HB 4147)
Learn more about specific legislative items on our full agenda webpage here, and you can also download a PDF of our agenda. We'll be adding updates and more information as the legislative session advances, as well as opportunities for community members to get involved.
Learn more about CCC’s endorsement process and what it means here. The positions on our agenda represent only the position of CCC as a coalition and not individual members. Please contact CCC's Deputy Director, Jenny Lee, at jenny@coalitioncommunitiescolor.org with questions.