Jackson County Democrats

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

Our next budget hearing is Tuesday June 2nd.  Please contact Senator Margaret Carter, Representative Chip Shields,  Senator Joanne Verger, and Representative Peter Buckley and tell them why you support House Bill 5022, Attorney General’s Civil Rights Enforcement Unit.  

Even if you have already submitted a letter or sent an email, please send another!  Do you have friends who might be willing to write? Please forward this email to them! There are sample talking points below to give you some guidance.  However, speaking from your heart is FAR more powerful than using stock talking points.  

If you do write, please let me know. We also like to hear from you.

Please know that we are so grateful for your willingness to engage with our office and help us make Oregon an even better place to live. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Julie Rutherford

 julie.rutherford@doj.state.or.us
503-378-6002

TALKING POINTS:
 
Attorney General’s Civil Rights Enforcement Unit (House Bill 5022)

We need to act.  Right now, we do not have the legal resources we need to guarantee the civil rights and civil liberties of Oregonians. The Oregon Department of Justice used to have a civil rights enforcement unit, but in the 1980s the funding for this unit was eliminated.  As a result, there is not a single attorney at the Department devoted to civil rights and civil liberties enforcement work. This is unacceptable.

Each day, Oregonians face discrimination because of their race, their age, their gender, their disability, or their sexual orientation.  Illegal wiretapping robs our right to privacy.  Wanton disregard for the American’s with Disabilities Act leaves entire neighborhoods inaccessible to Oregonians who depend on that protection.  Servicemen and women are unlawfully denied their jobs when they return from serving our country. 

To fix this problem, the Oregon Department of Justice is requesting $660,166 for the biennium – about $330,000 per year  -- to fund the restoration of its civil rights enforcement unit. This unit will consist of one attorney and one investigator to combat discrimination based on age, race, gender, gender identity, disability or sexual orientation.  This unit will also fight to protect our state and federal constitutional rights, promote environmental justice, preserve reproductive freedom, and defend the employment rights of Oregon's veterans.    

This is a simple but powerful tool that can help Oregon become a more fair, equitable and just state.  We urge the State Legislature to create and fund a civil rights enforcement unit at the Oregon Department of Justice.

This unit will:
* expose discriminatory financial exploitation
* stand up for reproductive rights
* protect persons with disabilities
* preserve civil liberties
* promote environmental justice
* defend the employment rights of Oregon's veterans

Other things to know:
- There are currently no full-time civil rights attorneys at the Oregon Department of Justice
- Starting the unit would cost about $660,000 over two years – or about $330,000 per year.
- This would fund 1 attorney and 1 investigator