national guardsmen currently on duty in washington d.c. nevada, we can do this. we arere determined, resilient d we are strong. speaker, thank you for hosting us in the. chambers today. thank you all, god bless you and let's get back to work. >> use our website, c-span.org/coronavirus to follow the federal response to the coronavirus outbreak. watch our searchable video anytime on demand and track the spread of interactive maps. c-span.org/coronavirus. >> in the state of the state address, kate brown defended her administration's response to the coronavirus. arguing the state defeated this year. she also talked about healthcare affordability, voting rights and ending racial disparity. >> good morning. thank you for joining me.

it's an honor to address you today. this year, and i suspect for the rest of my life, today january 21, will hold a very specific meaning. it was one year ago today on january 21, 2020 that i established a management team to prepare for the possibility of the coronavirus coming to oregon. we didn't know what lay ahead. whether the race would be short and steep or long and arduous. but we knew if covid reached oregon, we must be prepared. we know you are in it for the long haul. preparing to run a marathon. just five weeks later february 28, we had our first positive case of coronavirus in oregon. it was just a second person in

the entire country confirmed positive had not traveled abroad. the starting shot was fired into the air and began. most of us in a marathon, you're not racing against others, it's against yourself, against time and pushing your own limits. you must constantly monitor your performance, adjust your pace and keep your eyes on the finish line. the goal is not only to finish but to finish strong. three weeks after our first positive case, i closed school and issued oregon stay home, save lives order. some folks thought it was too rash. others said it was too late. it was the first adjustment we had to make. we were falling off our pace.

when i decided to close restaurants and entertainment venues, keep construction and manufacturing open, some said this action was too much. others said it was too little. by april, we were back on track. we were even able to send to leaders to parts of the country that needed them more than oregon. we were showing endurance early on in this marathon we were ready to take the next cautious step. in may, we began reopening businesses, taking a county by county approach. some said it was too cautious, others thought it was too risky. we pace ourselves again, adjusting reopening guidelines and establishing the watch list for counties. constantly monitoring our performance and adjusting as we ran. at the end of may and into june,

the untimely death of black and brown neighbors from across the country inspired oregonians to margin our street a long overdue call for racial justice. many of us were awakening to what's always been true. black, latino, pacific islander and other communities of color are disproportionately impacted by the crises that befall our nation. as the rest of the country saw dangerous summer surge, we did, too. our group was less severe. oregonians were holding strong. the overwhelming majority are wearing masks and limiting gatherings. then came september. fires suddenly and furiously swept through our state.

our friends and neighbors lost their homes, entire towns were wiped off the mask map. smoke filled hour guys for weeks. we lost nine oregonians. we lost more than 4000 homes. more than 1.2 million acres burned. just as we began to steady ourselves from the most devastating wildfires in organs history, the pandemic second wave hit us last fall. we have to take drastic measures again. this marathon, the marathon 2020 was proving relentless. yet, many still thought my orders were too restrictive, the virus isn't dangerous or that it's a hoax. all the while, cases were rising and deaths continue to mount. the truth is, those commenting

on the far end were missing the. like the 100-meter, you run as hard as you can for a short period of time. in a marathon, you have to play the long game. your eyes must remain fixed on the horizon. ....

>>. >> today oregon has one of the lowest covid-19 mortality rates in the country. and our daily case count is among the lowest in the nation.

i directed the oregon health authority to speed up our efforts and we are now administering at least 12000 vaccines per day. on some days we have administered twice that amount for healthcare fighters hospitals premises local public health partners, and our national guard have all stepped up and are working together to streamline the

distribution process to vaccinate oregonians more quickly i want to thank every oregonians every business every local elected official who sacrificed to us in this position to thank you for the sacrifices you have made and for the love you have shown your families, friends, neighbors and the entire state. as the finish line comes into view i know many of you are beginning to imagine what life might be like once we reach it. but yet we must recognize going back to the way things for will not move us forward. further exacerbating disparities for the black and indigenous, latino, latino, asic islander, native american and tribal communities. the first step to create opportunity is to recognize that racism is endemic to our system impacting every part of our culture and economy and am committed to ensuring will be held is a more equitable one.

we must go back better. and then to take stock of the more than 1600 oregon lives that were lost in the pandemic, with each life comes a story and over the last year each life lost tells the story of those who work so hard to save it. want to share with you one of those people. doctor chavez is a pediatrician at the children's hospital living through the pandemic for children's experiences. >> thank you for joining us today can you tell us how your work has

challenges with distance learning for a lot of families to provide more academic and usual to which the waiting for schools to you. for families to be anxious about. kids are smart and trickles down so there really good questions not just racial tension and political and having really really conversations so they tried really hard to make sure you know the vernacular and to

engage their kids and have this conversation. we talked about having an adverse childhood to overcome the anxiety the students become stronger we have a lot of ways that are excited and optimistic extreme family safe there is a lot of anxiety * reduced the pediatricians we feel confident that it safe for us and for the community and we trust the scientists and the researchers useful to create this vaccine family safe and medical versions also use it to ourselves to in

addition to treating patients every day i also volunteer your time on the racial justice counsel thank you for your help to build a more just and will oregon and also advisers will be a child's color of the disproportionately active and the reasons is vaccination of teachers is the students in the long-term solution to the

and to engage in understanding the language. it is just color that we are at significant risk more of education fragile and have resources and services actions

is a contraction research things seem and the mental skills and language skills to make achievement in there and here secures all so you should so understands is already clarity of our kiddos need to extend far beyond education. >> thank you doctor for walking on - - working to keep her cancer family safe. we appreciate your service oregonians. stacy out there. >> thank you so much and thank you for your time. >> i know oregon will recover

from these turbulent times but we cannot do this alone. my proposed budget just to our schools or make all of you as we need. it's a budget on and hard choices will stay the course is oregonians expect us to go far enough to feel the pain of 2020. is that everyone every oregonians serves access to affordable healthcare. i have a budget to expand access also i biden harris administration to help us financially. together we must ensure that every single oregonians has its human rights at the same time we must continue the pioneering work on is pleased

to sign senate bill 80 hospitals and insurers and worker representatives together to lower cost for oregonians. earlier this month the senate bill 88 and leslie and that would make or place people pay for the quality of care that they get rather it is the doctor's office was immediately is the scene pandemic, broadband internet access to the internet is an essential service just like electricity. our kids need to participate in class and business is needed to connect to customers in our communities rely on it

to provide services to our people. my budget is over $100 million and broadband expansion my focus on providing access to the communities disproportionately and ensuring your singles will cross oregon to the end of this year is to oregon and the and will i disparities strategist problem here is true. the necessary division especially in the west by providing federal funding for broadband expansion west was disproportionately impacted by one of the consequences of climate change, wildfire. with this historic event hot and dry wins brought on a

wildfire emergency or state has never seen before. was will ever forget the blood red sky. we will never forget what it's like to see thousands of homes. we will never forget thousands of lives lost and sacrifices made by firefighters and first responders and those who symbolize and risk their own. during the wildfires and even today, months later, i'm more grateful to the acts of compassion and support i'm seeing in every single community across the state. even in the darkest times oregonians or something to help one another in extraordinary ways. i want you to meet one of the inspiring oregonians. achieve of the volunteer fire

and rescue department. many of you know of the heroism protecting her community from fire even while her own home burned. please share your story with us about what happened the night of the fires and identifiers on —-dash the night of the fires went forecasted electricity had gone out in the mackenzie valley so no one have power. and it wasn't too long after the power went out that we were sent out for a small brushfire on the mckenzie highway and on the drive up to respond, got a lot of radio traffic from the first

responders things were moving quickly, the fire was spreading rapidly. so they started the evacuation process as i arrived on scene and one hour less we had multiple agencies responding from all over the county as well as law enforcement because evacuation had begun. it was pretty clear we could not start the fire a resources we had and then continued to present challenges as trees were across the road and the fire was moving faster than we could drive trucks is fairly sure my house would be fine because it was so far down the river. i think there were more

resources coming and i really didn't worry that much about my house for several days until i found out it was gone. and then it really hit home how big and widespread that disaster was. traveled 20 miles in a little bit of time. in my house did not withstand the fire. i was able to get anything out. my family got to work at and some of our belongings and we were able to get the things that we could. know a lot of the folks didn't have enough time to even grab anything but their shoes and hats and pets.

it was moving so quickly. that night i was so grateful for the people surrounding me and my volunteer department and all those that responded. many of them it was their first brush fire and have that be fire of that magnitude for the first time is pretty amazing that i was grateful that night for the support. it was really a night to remember. it was really a night to remember. >> oh my gosh chief raymond i am by your service thank you for everything you continue to do to help oregonians. i understand the community has stepped up in ways little and salt on another.

tell us about the tool lending library. >> there have been a lot of efforts to help each other and the lending library is a great example of that. it's on the honor system most folds lost everything including the tools they need to rebuild so everybody is coming together with tools and generators and fuel donations people can use those to rebuild a storage shed so there's something to start with our start cleaning up their property. shovels and rakes we have no longer so that's a great example of everyone coming together to share resources

everyone has a chance to equally refill regardless if they have insurance or pay have anything left their sharing those things and it's wonderful. >> what a great concept. i love it. thank you so much please tell your family i am so sorry for your losses and we are incredibly grateful for your extraordinary service. >> stories like that tell me no matter what we are resilient in the face of so much challenge. oregonians give me confidence will come out of this disaster and be stronger for it. for example, we removed 150 tons of household hazardous waste 2300

properties, open 240 miles of roads, and continue to shelter and feed over 1000 wild hire survivors transitioning these individuals and families to intermediate housing options. there is so much work left to do in order to have a full recovery but yet at the same time, we must prepare our communities and landscapes for the more challenging wildfire season. that starts fire adapted communities in the house as a live-in. you will invest in the office of emergency management to help create response plans and fire evacuation routes and bolster programs at the oregon health authority second, we must respond safely in the tractor fires cutting more

boots on the ground and investing in new technology like the next generation of caretakers we must work to prevent fire by creating landscapes coordinating planning and controls burning during wet season to increase the odds for firefighters. was population growth and record fuel labor —-dash compliant growing fire debt and the immediate response to mitigate risk is required. racial disparities in fact every single part of our culture and our economy until crisis of the pandemic it has only accelerated these disparities we now all oregonians feel the impacts they are not so equally

because the policies must be go on racial conclusion guiding the counsel for the network we have the most important issues that oregonians face a recognition that our lives are inextricably tied up in the direct history of racism. for far too long oregon, a black indigenous people of color and tribal members have had a seat at the table. desert congresswoman said if they don't you as you will, bring a folding chair. think in oregon we can do much. >> joining us today from the racial justice counsel

, working on the small business economic recovery subcommittee will serving on the criminal justice reform and police accountability committee. please share your experiences working on the racial justice committee use of the counsel is taken mantra you cannot just about it you have to be about it. taken mantra you cannot just about it you have to be about it. really means meeting moment leaning in toward use to ensure that words are not just words i have to be actions of people are counting on every feeling every single corner of the state and is looking into my own story of oregon and not

just talking about it but being about it and what are the things that were change things for me growing up in northeast salem that i have for my friends and family neighbors in the area i grew up in. >> thank you governor, we're at a unique moment in time across the nation are heightened awareness of injustices underpinning public safety practices. there is a societal unwillingness for something that is so ingrained that it can't be changed. it has been an honor to serve on the racial justice counsel to consider opportunities to reform a system that has actually long-standing injustices. criminal justice reform and

the justice counsel has been looking at a range of reforms and things like mandatory minimum sentencing, qualified immunity for police officers, immigration, please measures also prisoner reentry and restore justice. what we are addressing is generations and are making nevertheless license around the state are calling on us to make bold changes in adequate resources underserved communities. now is time to actually build a system of justice counsel on fairness and equity. >> you are working in economic development issues can you tell us why it's so important we support businesses both large and small? >> thank you for the question i want somebody is asking in the racial justice counsel asked that question because

especially this year hearing about ppe loans is one of the times we go back to community and say is this working for you? and have you have access to these in the past? unfortunately what we heard time and time again was no. we didn't get it and frankly calls for listening, courage, unity and to bring ourselves into the conversation. stories on the ground especially because we saw wildfires that affected people all across the state those that were already falling the communities down. so we started off the

conversation we started to get into the small business conversation and all those businesses are and i on - - on my next or immigrants that open up there are stores in communities and lost him. in communities and lost him. owner? the whole family chips and to make sure it is the sustained and it is an impetus of the economic development committee for me. and then to make sure people have access to capital to

being a part of getting a fair shot at covid contracts to make sure people all across the state and an opportunity to advance their life economically that has ripple effects on the entire community. and has been an honor and a privilege for those that are a being the way as a trailblazer and also the other perspective taking into account workers and that is something that is different and it's something that is tangible people. >> you are working on services for those released from custody why is this the importance and what we as oregonians can do to improve the lives of those reentering and being released from

custody? >> in order for us to talk about reentry we need context as to the conditions first understand the grand scope of the problem one out of three have a criminal history. the justice system is cast a very wide. what we know is almost every single person we have lots of will be released over 95 percent of the people we incarcerate every here in oregon approximate 6000 people are released from prison and what we know about the solstice far too many families homeless and indigent. you see many ways people struggle when they are released and i have witnessed us a supportive environment can get richer after i joined what is the difference we are

making employees in the people we serve to truly reenter society and working to get them that has been proven housing is the single most important predictor of a person successful reentry yet it is ten times more likely to be homeless. of housing options available so partnering with homes for the housing authority to provide housing two years since the project more than 115 individuals in the phenomenal 91 percent are still stably housed in the criminal justice system all these outcomes are incredible that it is quite simple if you have an affordable home they

have the opportunity not just to survive and thrive. we believe the believe in themselves. this is just one project and one organization we need to develop more affordable housing options what those susceptible to conviction is reason so barrier unfortunately comment as possible on with their lives alongside people to reclaim their lives they become shooting members to pay taxes and for labeling a person the stairs such future.

>> you great work of your service and commitment to just old. >> our state and nation's long history of racist policies can be deconstructed in one budget cycle. every step enters across the project i am ways to make over $280 million in investments prioritized by the racial justice counsel. this budget begins process of recognizing and doing systemic racism and oregon hello oregonians i have to be honest with. this is only the beginning we have to support every resource every tool in every creative idea to make progress toward reversing staying racism leftover state and start education that's why my attention is and will remain seamless education from cradle to career i've invested

$10 million in early childhood education and k-12 including investments ties career and technical education and access to wraparound services such as nutritional support and building and antiracist curriculum that is honest about the past we will continue to progress toward something out the opportunity by ensuring chance are available for early head start preschool of this note should be kept to their little. in oregon it was a legislature thank you for your ship one -

- leadership in congress for extension action moratorium and financial assistance for renters and homeowners struggling to make payments. is only a child advocates make sure working with more dry place to call home. continued $250 million investments of affordable housing homelessness prevention we have included more than $20 million to help provide a pathway to homeownership black, indigenous latino, latino, asian and pacific under and the american travel communities as well as co-op and land trust models to the system and has been learned we cannot continue to operate the two systems of justice so that endangers

lives of black people going out for a job or wearing a the and white supremacist warned the us capital and deterred. oregon is holding how society and help you and policies and practices are changing as we do more listening to those who have most of these are the steps we must take to begin the work of dismantling. sadly, not everyone in the country believe this using violence feeling of patriotism and also those activities here unless they are nation's capital the intense challenges

of 2020 have only reminded us the foundations of our democracy must remain strong. now more than ever we must fortify the institution and find us. voting is a basic tenet of democracy. with the fundamental right to itself very active voting to have a political tool to reapportion power in recent years both the federal government and many states and with so many reactionary policies in the name of security you don't have to strap scratch that they are very hard to reveal the fear racism and political ambition.

and to strengthen this country's democracy and it starts right here, right in this building. it's a very part of who we are in our dna. and then to establish automatic voter registration and today are remarkable 92 percent of oregonians are registered to vote. oregon voters showed up in record numbers to cast ballots in 2020 election. and overqualified in a pandemic 30 -year-old vote by mail systems is to turn on the national stage voting by mail and voting early safely and securely all oregon accomplishments are

significant the work is not finished we must continue to fortify that coding infrastructure we have that every voice is we must expand the voter registration program to include other state agencies that have the capacity to fully capture voters data safely and securely. why? were voter registration should be safe and easy with the dmv or another state service should also allow same day voter registration and balance to be counted as long as they have been postmarked by election day at a time when there has never been more scrutiny laid down to which we felt oregon sets the example to chart to more safe and secure and accessible and verifiable voting system.

and then to be implemented at the national level automatic voter registration and vote by mail should be available to every citizen in this country. right to vote is fundamental and secret your vote is your voice and as it should be everywhere, every vote matters policies for the final two years reflect, support and on the communities for the brunt of the devastation the past year. these are the same communities making war against the place we all love. i have been awestruck by oregonians were from the marathon, stepping up and returned to protect friends and families and neighbors. the undaunted and compassionate spirit of our state has truly shined.

i and this conversation. with the finish line insight and i.c.e. on the horizon. we have been through a lot together this year we have endured case and listed each other up because we are determined to rise and rebuild and reinvent a more just and equitable oregon. thank you