Honorable Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon April 16, 2020 900 Court Street NE, Suite 254 Salem, OR 97301-4047 Dear Governor Br

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Honorable Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon April 16, 2020 900 Court Street NE, Suite 254 Salem, OR 97301-4047 Dear Governor Br Honorable Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon April 16, 2020 900 Court Street NE, Suite 254 Salem, OR 97301-4047 Dear Governor Brown, Thank you for working to develop a plan to reopen Oregon as we continue to follow CDC guidelines to slow the spread of COVID-19. We are writing today to encourage you to charge the Coronavirus Economic Advisory Committee (CEAC) with the task of shaping Oregon’s framework to reopen the economy. By its own charter, the CEAC, if reconstituted to more closely reflect the impacted business community, is the right entity to help shape a pathway to assist businesses in reopening. Oregon’s economy will not go back to “business as usual” when the executive orders are lifted. With unemployment at a record high and many small businesses shuttered permanently, the prospects for our state’s future are uncertain. Given the unprecedented nature of this crisis, membership in the CAEC must include additional private sector representatives to reflect our diverse state, including individuals representing Oregon’s manufacturing sector and our smallest entrepreneurs – beyond the Portland and I-5 corridor. Oregon employers should be part of the solution in getting the state back to work as they have been disproportionally devastated by the effects of coronavirus. With the collective experience of the proposed expanded-CEAC, we can lay the groundwork that will get Oregon back to work. Specifically, our recommendations are as follows: • Make all meetings public • Make all agency representatives non-voting members • Ensure statewide representation • At a minimum, add business representatives from: o NFIB, to ensure representation of the smallest of Main Street o Manufacturing o Timber and agriculture o Grocery and retail o Representatives from financial institutions o Representatives from impacted specialty health care providers o Telecommunications o Transportation o Construction Sincerely, Oregon House Republican Leader Christine Drazan .
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