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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Get it done': Advocates push Oregon lawmakers to fund services for victims of abuse
Survivors, advocates and community leaders urge lawmakers to maintain funding to support domestic abuse, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking survivors at a rally at Willson Park in Salem on June 4, 2025. (Courtesy of Amanda Rain, Clackamas Women's Services) Nonprofits that help survivors of sexual assault, and other crimes are urging Oregon lawmakers to maintain state funding for their jobs and the services they provide. As the Oregon Legislature juggles lower-than-anticipated revenue and the possibility of further reductions from federal funding cuts and decreased tax revenue related to tariffs and economic instability, advocacy workers and abuse survivors rallied at a park next to the Oregon Capitol on Wednesday to urge lawmakers to keep funding services for children and adult victims. Anything short of current funding would result in fewer staff members, fewer shelter beds, longer wait times and less support for survivors facing a crisis, Melissa Erlbaum, the executive director of Clackamas Women's Services, told the crowd. 'The private sector can't make up the gap,' said Allison Kelly, the CEO of Liberty House, a children's advocacy group based in Marion and Polk counties. The Oregon Department of Justice receives state and federal funding to facilitate grants to nonprofits to help survivors find safety, shelter, clothing and other resources needed in an emergency situation. This funding also goes toward hiring advocates at Oregon's colleges and universities who help students experiencing abuse, stalking or other crimes. 'It funds our jobs and it funds the people we help whether it's emergency housing or transportation, clothing vouchers, gas vouchers or relocation support,' Zoey Reyes, an advocate working at Haven from Domestic and Sexual Violence based in The Dalles told the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Advocates want lawmakers to pass two bills and one budget proposal. The latter is the Oregon Department of Justice's Policy Option Package 327, which would provide $22 million to tribal and local programs providing emergency shelter and safety services to abuse victims. This is the funding needed to maintain these services as its current capacity. Additionally, House Bill 3196 would appropriate $18.5 million from the state's general fund to the Oregon Department of Justice to give grants to the hundreds of Oregon nonprofits helping abuse victims find safety. These grants are usually federally funded through the Victims of Crime Act, a federal law enacted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to provide federal support for direct services to crime victims. However, this federal funding is being reduced by 42%, according to the Oregon Law Center. The bill would also distribute $3 million from the general fund to the Oregon CASA Network to make up for cuts in federal CASA funds, which abruptly had funding cancelled in April. Lastly, advocates are urging the passage of House Bill 3070, which would appropriate $400,000 from the state's general fund to the Attorney General's Sexual Assault Task Force, a statewide agency that certifies sexual assault nurse examiners. Both bills have yet to receive a vote in either chamber. 'It is absolutely important that we recognize that our legislators have a very difficult task of balancing this budget,' said Libra Forde, the executive director of the Women's Foundation of Oregon. 'But you were put there to do that. Get it done.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Oregon advocates warn of cuts to vital services for domestic, sexual abuse survivors
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Local advocacy organizations are sounding the alarm over concerns of potential funding cuts to services which help survivors of domestic and sexual abuse in Oregon. In the current state legislative session, there are three bills currently put before lawmakers, the Oregon Department of Justice's POP (Policy Option Package) #327, House Bill 3196 and House Bill 3070, all of which pertain to funding for victim services. The DOJ's POP #327 bill would provide $22 million to stabilize funding for services such as emergency shelter, crisis intervention, safety planning, as well as legal and emotionaladvocacy for survivors. Cuts have eliminated more than a dozen US government health-tracking programs HB 3196 would provide a one-time investment for the federal VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) funding, which allows victims to apply to be reimbursed by the state for expenses they've received. If passed, HB 3070 would give funding to the Oregon DOJ to distribute to the Attorney General's Sexual Assault Task Force, responsible for working with law enforcement, hospitals and other community-based victim services organizations. Clackamas Women's Services (CWS), argues these bills could 'make or break' services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as the funding received from them could 'maintain services at current levels' when need for them is increasing annually. Ribbon cut on new $313M Clackamas County Courthouse According to CWS, service providers in Oregon saw an average increase of 30-50% in services to meet an increase in need during 2024. CWS added their organization saw an increase of 43% in advocacy services, 31% increase in crisis line calls, as well as a 25% increase in the number of survivors they served. 'These funds provide critical safety net services and support programs that maintain safety in our communities,' said Melissa Erlbaum, executive director of CWS. 'We cannot afford a decrease in funding at this critical time of need.' Other advocacy groups like CARES Northwest argue the services provided by Children's Advocacy Centers (CACs) would also be affected by these bills. CACs give medical exams, treat child abuse, provide family support services, as well as trauma therapy. Jenny Gilmore-Robinson, Executive Director of CARES Northwest, said a lacking of state funding for CACs would cause staffing shortages, increased wait times and fewer people receiving care. 'Consider what it's like to tell a terrified parent that their child will need to wait weeks for a child abuse evaluation appointment, or months to start counseling to begin to heal,' she said. 'This is the nightmare scenario that drives us every single day to try to do more with less. And it is impossible.' Oregon's current legislative session began on Jan. 21 and is scheduled to run through July 29. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
