Representative Lisa Fragala

As your State Representative, it is important to me to be as accessible as possible. I work hard to provide my district with regular updates and information about my work in the State Legislature. I enjoy giving you all a glimpse of what happens at the State Capitol.

That's why I want to make sure you know that this social media page will be on a short pause for the next two months due to the legislative blackout period.

The Oregon House of Representatives has rules that require state representatives to suspend outgoing mass communications from our state offices for two months before election day. This means, sadly, I won't be able to send you newsletters or post on my "legislative social media page".

You can still reach out to my office by email or by phone to share your input about the policy ideas you are passionate about. Hearing from constituents is something that is important to me.

Additionally, my office is always here to help if you need assistance with a state agency. I will still be able to respond to your individual calls and emails. I will also be able to share updates on other social media pages--please look for those.

You can reach my office by phone at (503) 986-1408 or email us at [email protected]

I look forward to sending you updates on this page starting again in May.

Yesterday I had scheduled a post for Women's History Month and for my first post decided to post about Dolores Huerta. Huerta has always been an inspiration to me and her leadership on both labor and women's social justice issues has greatly informed my own personal development.

In a twist of fate, that Women’s History Month post coincided with the news about Cesar Chavez's history of s*xually abusing women and girls. After reading the first news report of many, I sat staring at the screen for awhile completely thrown—to say the least I was shocked and outraged, but sadly not surprised.

I recognize it is important to remember the accomplishments of the national farmworkers union and the ways in which that work continues to be important. The movement is bigger than any individual and shouldn’t be diminished in the face of what has been revealed. However, even more critical is that we stand with the survivors of these confirmed allegations and remember that accountability should never be based on an individuals status or power.

After reading the NYT article and rereading Dolores Huerta’s post, I am inspired by here clarity of purpose, commitment to the social justice, and strength over many decades. It also strengthens my commitment to dismantling the institutions and social mechanisms that perpetuate s*xual violence against women and silence us.

Let’s remember to stand with survivors of s*xual assault and abuse--there is still a lot of work to be done.

March 18, 2026

Today, civil rights leader Dolores Huerta issued the following statement:

“I am nearly 96 years old, and for the last 60 years have kept a secret because I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.

I have encouraged people to always use their voice. Following the New York Times’ multi-year investigation into s*xual misconduct by Cesar Chavez, I can no longer stay silent and must share my own experiences.

As a young mother in the 1960s, I experienced two separate s*xual encounters with Cesar. The first time I was manipulated and pressured into having s*x with him, and I didn’t feel I could say no because he was someone that I admired, my boss and the leader of the movement I had already devoted years of my life to. The second time I was forced, against my will, and in an environment where I felt trapped.

I had experienced abuse and s*xual violence before, and I convinced myself these were incidents that I had to endure alone and in secret. Both s*xual encounters with Cesar led to pregnancies. I chose to keep my pregnancies secret and, after the children were born, I arranged for them to be raised by other families that could give them stable lives.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to develop a deep relationship with these children, who are now close to my other children, their siblings. But even then, no one knew the full truth about how they were conceived until just a few weeks ago.

I carried this secret for as long as I did because building the movement and securing farmworker rights was my life’s work. The formation of a union was the only vehicle to accomplish and secure those rights and I wasn’t going to let Cesar or anyone else get in the way. I channeled everything I had into advocating on behalf of millions of farmworkers and others who were suffering and deserved equal rights.

I have never identified myself as a victim, but I now understand that I am a survivor — of violence, of s*xual abuse, of domineering men who saw me, and other women, as property, or things to control.

I am telling my story because the New York Times has indicated that I was not the only one — there were others. Women are coming forward, sharing that they were s*xually abused and assaulted by Cesar when they were girls and teenagers.

The knowledge that he hurt young girls sickens me. My heart aches for everyone who suffered alone and in silence for years. There are no words strong enough to condemn those deplorable actions that he did. Cesar’s actions do not reflect the values of our community and our movement.

The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual. Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.

I will continue my commitments to workers, as well as my commitment to women’s rights, to make sure we have a voice and that our communities are treated with dignity and given the equity that they have so long been denied.

I have kept this secret long enough. My silence ends here."

If you are a survivor or if you have been impacted by any type of s*xual violence, please visit the Dolores Huerta Foundation website, where you will find a list of resources for support. https://doloreshuerta.org/s*xual_assault_resources/

Read the full statement and Spanish-language version here: https://medium.com/p/e74c20430555?postPublishedType=initial

MEDIA CONTACT

Fenton Chief of Issue Advocacy & Crisis Management Lead Erik Olvera | [email protected] | 415-994-3242

Lara Berthold | [email protected]

You are invited to a virtual Town Hall with Lane County legislators on April 9 at 6 PM. We will talk about our work in the 2026 short session and highlight some of the work we accomplished in the short session. There will also be time set aside to answer questions submitted by the public.

We look forward to seeing you on Zoom on April 9th.

Dolores Huerta, a legendary American labor leader and civil rights activist advocated relentlessly for immigrant, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. You probably know her best as the Co-founder of the United Farm Workers and for coining the famous slogan--“Si Se Puede”. She continues to fight for social justice and immigrant communities to this very day.

Latina and immigrant women have been central to social justice movements and holding communities together throughout history. It is important to remember, recognize, learn from, and celebrate their centrality in these efforts.

On Monday our local legislative delegation, plus other state legislators, sent a letter to Apollo MD and PeaceHealth Riverbend calling for them to participate in a transparent review process by the Oregon Health Authority's Health Care Market Oversight (HCMO) program. It is clear to many that decisions made by PeaceHealth to terminate their contract with Eugene Emergency Physicians (EEP) will have significant consequences for the access and delivery of healthcare in our region. This letter is a request for transparency so that Oregonians can have confidence that the transaction with ApolloMD complies with state law, including Senate Bill 951. We call on PeaceHealth to listen to Oregonians statewide, but most importantly to listen to our local community and do the right thing--extend EEP's contract and participate in the HCMO process.

The letter was signed by:
State Rep. Julie Fahey, Speaker
State Rep. Lisa Fragala
State Rep. Nancy Nathanson
State Sen. Floyd Prozanski
State Sen. James Manning
State Rep. Ben Bowman, Majority Leader
State Rep. Rob Noose, House Healthcare Committee Chair
Sen. Deb Patterson, Senate Healthcare Committee Chair

I'm glad I stopped by Eugene's "Day Without an Immigrant" event today at the Farmer's Market Pavilion.
--There was great music, by El Taller de Son Jarocho, a community-based group that plays and teaches the music of Veracruz, Mexico.
--Nancy Bray, Eugene Friends of the Farm Workers spoke about “From Grapes to Mushrooms: The Farm Workers' Rights Movement in Oregon", and
--Mimi Nolledo's “Our Stories: Immigrants of America” photo-essay exhibit was on display sharing the stories of immigrants in America.

"A Day Without Immigrants,” held in cities across Oregon today is one way to protest President Trump’s anti-immigrant policies and underscores an important reality about the United States: we are a nation dependent on immigrants with a long history of immigration. An underlying premise of the Day Without Immigrants is that many parts of the U.S. economy rely upon the labor of immigrants. In other words, to declare war on immigrants is to declare war on our economy as well.

Schools should be a safe place for students and families, and a place where all students can securely engage in learning. As part of the 2026 Immigrant Justice Package, we pushed back against federal overreach and strengthened protections for students and families. It is critical we protect our most vulnerable communities and everyone’s civil rights. This work was a priority for me in the 2026 legislative session.

Tell PeaceHealth management that we need them to keep Eugene Emergency Physicians at RiverBend Hospital. The Eugene-Springfield metro area needs our ER services to be run by a local physician run practice with knowledge of our community, not an out of state corporation. This is what our region needs for our community to be safe and healthy. We need PeaceHealth to reverse direction and listen to the local community. Save Eugene Emergency Physicians!

For decades, Oregon has been leading the nation in protecting the freedom and access to care that every Oregonian needs, including comprehensive reproductive healthcare. By passing legislation this past session to supporting Planned Parenthood, we are supporting access to affordable cervical cancer screenings, birth control, vaccines, STI treatment, and more. I was honored to support HB 4127-- a landmark piece of legislation nationwide.

Planned Parenthood clinics in Oregon get financial lifeline Oregon lawmakers have passed House Bill 4127 to ensure continued funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, with the bill now awaiting Governor Tina Kotek's signature to become law.