Statement by OCPP communications director Juan Carlos Ordóñez

Today’s Census data underscores why Oregon lawmakers should prioritize investments in the public sector that strengthen the economy and policies that help working Oregonians make ends meet.

Oregon’s poverty rate remained statistically unchanged from 2012 to 2013, despite continuing economic growth. The state’s poverty rate in 2013, 16.7 percent, remains well above the 12.9 percent rate in 2007, right before the start of the Great Recession.

Oregon lawmakers can help strengthen the economy by investing in education, worker training and child care. They can also give working Oregonians a fair shot in getting ahead by strengthening the minimum wage and enacting laws that deter wage theft.