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Courage, dedication, and empowerment
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Hi everyone,
Happy spring! It was a busy March for City Council, and I'm excited to share with you some of what we accomplished, along with a few community highlights and engagement opportunities coming up in April.
March in review
Our Corners Protest
Resistance looks many different ways, and for a lot of our neighbors across the District, it looks like weekly gatherings that continue the work between the big protests and headline-grabbing events.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to join neighbors at the Our Corners Protest, held every Saturday (rain or shine) from 12 to 1 at the intersection of Multnomah and 16th. This event started with 25 Portlanders from Holladay Park Plaza, and over the last year has grown in size, now attracting up to 500 people who show up and raise their voices for our democracy! It was a privilege to meet David and Sheila (left-hand photo), who are both instrumental in making this happen each week, and to chat with other protesters about how we can fight for our democracy at the local level during this critical time. Special shoutout to the Hollywood Ukulele Group for keeping the vibes amazing and empowering throughout the afternoon!
This is just one of many corner protests occurring each week throughout our District — I was glad to also join a group in St. Johns recently, and I know the folks on N Williams and NE Killingsworth and 33rd hold regular events, as well. So keep your eye out, show your support, and attend when you can! We need all our voices, and all of our different ways of participating, in the fight against fascism.
Recognizing Women's History Month and Equal Pay Day
March is Women's History Month, when we recognize the often-overlooked contributions, achievements, and sacrifices of women in American history.
During Women's History Month this year, we reached Equal Pay Day, which marks the number of days into 2026 that U.S. women had to keep working just to earn what U.S. men had made in 2025 alone. This year, it was March 26.
We know that in the workplace, women continue to face gender discrimination, inequitable access to negotiation, and disproportionate caregiving responsibilities, along with many other subtle and often invisible forces that shape our pay. But we also know our rich, varied, and critical experiences bring fresh perspectives to the table.
This inequity is reflected in the data – according to the Economic Policy Institute, women with graduate degrees still earn less per hour than men with a bachelor's. Black and Hispanic women face pay gaps of 25% and 27% respectively in comparison to white men, even when qualifications are equal. And, as was reported by OPB, a new analysis tells us that Portland-area women are earning 92 cents or less for every dollar a man makes.
That's why I will always fight for economic development that supports high-paying, union jobs, and why I'm working on an industrial strategy that supports job density, wages that keep pace with the cost of living, and protections for workers who have been left out of our regulatory framework. Every step of the way, I am carrying my experiences as a working mom with me, thinking about how my policy work can uplift each woman bringing their talents to our city's workforce, and committing to utilizing my role as Councilor to shrink the wage gap here in Portland.
"Thinking Local" at Soulful Sips
It was wonderful to sit down with business connector Better Portland at Soulful Sips Café in District 2 to discuss the experience of running a business in Portland right now, and what has changed under our new government structure.
I come out of the labor movement, and spent a lot of my career advocating for good jobs. One of the first things I learned in that movement is that small business owners and working people have a lot more in common than people in power like to let us believe. I carry that lesson with me even now as an elected leader — caring both about the experience of working people and about our entrepreneurs and storefront owners that make up the heart of our neighborhoods.
At the dais
Funding immigration legal services
On March 4, City Council voted unanimously to allocate $150,000 from the City's Legal Priorities Reserve Fund to SOAR Immigration Legal Services, supporting immigrants whose legal protections were taken away by the Trump administration and who now sit in legal limbo.
I was glad to bring this ordinance forward at the request of our city's New Portlanders Policy Commission, and I am extremely grateful to the Portlanders from our immigrant community who were willing to share their stories with us, even in the face of direct attacks on their families and communities.
This action will support at least 75 Portland families, and while that will make a huge difference for our community, this is just one more step in our federal response work. I will continue to partner with my colleagues and our community as we move forward.
LGBTQIA2S+ Protections Package
On March 11, City Council unanimously passed a protections package that will deliver real, tangible wins for LGBTQIA2S+ Portlanders.
It ensures transgender community members can use public restrooms without fear of criminalization or second-guessing. It expands civil rights protections so that no family can be discriminated against in housing, employment, or healthcare. And it modernizes our definition of sexual orientation so our nondiscrimination code protects us as we understand ourselves — not as outdated code once described us.
Through this resolution, we made abundantly clear: Portland will never use City resources to help other states punish people for accessing lawful gender-affirming healthcare here in Oregon. That is a healthcare access win, a provider protection win, and a family security win.
At a moment when hundreds of anti-LGBTQIA2S+ bills are moving across the country, Portland is saying clearly: we are not neutral. We stand with individuals and families seeking safety, and we stand with providers delivering evidence-based care.
I was proud to co-sponsor this package with my fellow LGBT colleagues Councilors Angelita Morillo, Dan Ryan, and Eric Zimmerman, along with the package's introducer Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane. When I say I want Portland to be the best place to raise a family, I mean every family, not just some. This package is one step towards making this the best city to live for all of us.
NE MLK Boulevard Safety and Access to Transit Project
On March 4, Council passed an ordinance related to the NE MLK Boulevard Safety and Access to Transit Project, which will construct three new activated pedestrian crossings and two protected left turn lights in a part of MLK that has a lot of pedestrians, and hasn't had a lot of investment.
Back in February, when we considered this ordinance in our Finance Committee, I was glad to have constituent and long-time community leader Keith Edwards testify on his concerns for pedestrian safety in the area. NE MLK Jr. Boulevard is a major destination and business hub for Black Portlanders, and Keith reminded us that continued safety improvements in this area are still needed, and that the work to make areas ACROSS the city safer for his community and others must be ongoing. Thank you, Keith, for your testimony, for our many conversations on this corridor in particular and community safety in general, and for your years of dedication to our community.
Upcoming engagement opportunities
Joint Budget Listening Session w/ Councilor Loretta Smith
I'm honored to join my District 1 colleague Councilor Loretta Smith at House of Healing, a Black-led church in Northeast Portland, for a joint budget listening session on April 11 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Black Portlanders must have a seat at the table in our budget conversations, and I'm looking forward to hearing the feedback, priorities, and lived experiences that will directly inform our budget work this year.
Anyone from our districts is encouraged and more than welcome to join us for this session – RSVP at this link.
Stay tuned for an additional budget engagement opportunity with me in District 2 later this month.
Office Hours w/ Staff
My staff are once again making themselves available in-District to chat with you all about the issues you care about, the happenings you're excited for, and the actions we can take to make Portland a better place. This session will take place at Albina Vision Trust on Friday, April 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
These regular office hours are available to anyone in District 2 who'd like to connect with my office in a more casual setting, so please don't be shy – register for a 15-minute timeslot and make your voice heard. My team can't wait to connect with you!
District 2 Community Budget Survey
Portland is facing budget cuts. I want to know what services you rely on most and where you want us to make investments – knowing cuts are coming – so that we can balance our Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget while keeping in mind the programs you think are most important. Please fill out my District 2 community budget survey – I can't shape this work effectively without your voices.
Neighborhood association meetings
In April, I will attend the following neighborhood association meeting(s):
- April 23: Hollywood Neighborhood Association, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- April 27: Humboldt Neighborhood Association, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
That's all for now! I look forward to seeing many of you this April, whether that's in Council Chambers or at one of our community events. Thank you for staying engaged!
In solidarity,
Elana Pirtle-Guiney
District 2 City Councilor