Jan 9, 2017 - Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Eleanor Roosevelt â a chief architect of that document â was on
Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek’s Opening Day Remarks Before the 79th Legislative Assembly Remarks as prepared – January 9, 2017
Few of us can deny that we live in uncertain times. The families who elected us feel that uncertainty every day. Many people across Oregon – and across the country – are hoping for certainty and stability … looking for answers. Our constituents are looking to us to provide leadership in ways that improve their lives and give them hope for the future. As elected leaders, some of us will inevitably disagree over specific policies … and that’s ok – that’s how our democracy plays itself out in the arena of ideas. I believe, however, that underneath those disagreements, driving us forward and uniting us in this work, is the shared belief that every Oregonian deserves equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity.
In 1958, ten years after the United Nations General Assembly had adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Eleanor Roosevelt – a chief architect of that document – was once again addressing the international community at the United Nations. She took the opportunity to provide further insights on the topic of human rights. In her remarks she said: Page 1
“Where, after all, do universal rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person; the neighborhood he lives in; the school or college he attends; the factory, farm or office where he works. Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere.” Oregon is both a leader – and a work in progress – when it comes to ensuring equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity in our neighborhoods, our schools, and our places of work. In the coming year, the Oregon Legislature has the chance to make more progress in ensuring these fundamental rights.
Let’s start with equal justice. Justice, in its very basic sense, is the fair and equitable treatment of all individuals under the law. Because justice is so essential to how civil society operates, it is our obligation as lawmakers to do everything we can to guarantee justice is real for every Oregonian. We made progress two years ago when we declared that profiling by law enforcement solely on the basis of race, ethnicity or other characteristics is illegal. Page 2
This year we will consider the next steps down that road – setting up the data collection, policies, and training necessary to bring that prohibition to full reality. We will also be asked to consider reforms to how people are charged for certain drug offenses and how grand juries operate, and we will be asked to adequately fund public defense and increase support for legal assistance in civil cases. We have to do our best to address all of these. Oregon cannot be the place we want to be until everyone has equal justice.
What about equal opportunity? Over the past couple of years, Oregon has earned national recognition for advancing policies that level the playing field for working families, from expanding access to earned sick leave to improving retirement security to raising the minimum wage. Despite these successes, we have more work to do to build an economy that creates equal opportunity for all. We cannot leave our rural communities behind as the state’s economy grows. We need to ensure that women are paid an equal income for equal work. We need to support working families through affordable child care and enact policies that truly allow workers to care for family members. Page 3
This year’s House committees will allow members to dig deeper into economic development, workforce issues, and early childhood and family supports. Working together, we can make even more progress on the equal opportunity front.
And, finally, equal dignity. Dignity is a difficult thing to hold on to when you don’t have a place to live. All of us who were sworn in today know we have a safe, warm place to sleep tonight. That comfort should not – and must not – reduce the urgency with which we address Oregon’s housing crisis. Our neighborhoods – our state as a whole – is wounded by the reality that far too many Oregonians can’t afford a safe, decent place to call home. Vacancy rates in many parts of the state are incredibly low, and have been for several years. For a renter, that means an eviction or a substantial rent increase can turn their world upside down. The City of Portland recently released a report that revealed there are no neighborhoods anywhere in the city of Portland where the average Black household, Latino household, Native American household, or single-mother household can afford to rent. The possibility of home ownership is even bleaker.
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Ensuring equal dignity in the midst of a housing crisis will require more public support to increase the supply of housing, reasonable approaches to protecting renters, and expanded pathways to home ownership.
As legislators, we can never forget that our actions – or our inaction – will have a direct impact on people’s lives. In many ways, this session will be defined by how we manage the gap in our state budget. We must focus on protecting our current investments and challenge ourselves to find a way to build the equitable and inclusive Oregon we all want.
The challenges we face will test our capacity and our resolve. I believe there’s no crisis so big that it cannot be overcome by the things that unite us. Equality. It isn’t a partisan goal. It’s fundamental to our democracy. Each of us, in unique and individual ways, will have opportunities in the session ahead to help Oregonians who are seeking equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity in their everyday lives. We have to protect equality where it exists and foster it whenever we can – so we can all live up to the promise of our democracy.
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