The PAC-12 Collapse, Strike Lines, & E-Bikes
Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 10/09/2023 12:00 PM PDT
Hello Friends,
Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. Here’s another update from “the interim” – in between legislative sessions. Thanks for staying up to date with my office!
Happenings of the September Legislative Days
The Legislature’s September Legislative Days were last week. Legislative Days are an opportunity between sessions for legislators to come together and meet as committees to monitor progress on important issues and to preview legislation ahead of the next session.
A couple of moments stick out to me. First, the House Committee on Higher Education, on which I serve, hosted the university presidents and athletics directors of Oregon State University and University of Oregon to talk about the disintegration of the PAC-12. Many of you have been following the conference change story and its financial implications for OSU. The loss of the PAC-12 could lead to a $42 million loss in revenue for Oregon State–which could potentially impact scholarships already promised to student athletes. It’s really important to me that we prevent this from happening. This article in The Oregonian summarizes the situation very well. My quote at the end is about how the state needs to create a better system of oversight for making sure the state’s interests, not just the institution’s interests, are served when such consequential decisions are made by universities.
Oregon State’s President Jayathi Y. Murthy, middle, testifying before the House Committee on Higher Education.
Second, the Senate Committee on Health Care invited me to speak on a bill I plan to introduce in the 2024 Session to address the alarming rate of corporatization in primary care. From 2010 to 2021, there was a 100,000% increase in the amount of private capital raised for massive deals in primary care, rising from just $15 million to over $16 billion in just over a decade. This alarming trend threatens both the quality and affordability of patient care without regulatory intervention. As Harvard Professor Zirui Song testified, when private equity companies and major corporations are running the show, patient outcomes fall as unnecessary costs rise.
Oregon has a long tradition of protecting patients from corporate interests that are not bound by the same ethical standards as licensed providers. However, the industry has changed faster than we’ve updated the protections, leaving our regulatory framework weakened or obsolete. In my testimony, I explained to the Committee how my bill would expand the existing regulatory framework to apply equally to all businesses practicing medicine, ensuring that we keep patient care decisions in doctors’ hands and out of corporate board rooms.
Testifying before the Senate Committee on Health Care.
Standing with Labor
You have likely seen news reports about labor activism across the country–it has been inspiring to watch the revitalization of labor unions in recent years. Just last week, I stood with the workers from four different unions fighting for fair contracts and labor practices, including SEIU 49, UFCW 555, Local Operating Engineers 701, and UAW. A powerful labor movement is vital to rebuilding the middle class in this country, and these workers are part of that movement. On the strike line, I heard egregious examples of companies putting profits for executives above the health and safety of their members–this is unacceptable. I will continue to stand with workers.
From top left to bottom right: UFCW 555 picket in Hillsboro, Local Operating Engineers 701 in Benton County, UAW in Beaverton, and SEIU 49 in Hillsboro.
Sign up for Office Hours on October 14th!
I will be hosting office hours in Tigard next Saturday and would love for you to stop by and chat! If you’re interested in scheduling a 15-minute meeting with me during office hours, please email rep.benbowman@oregonlegislature.gov and a member of my staff will find you an open time slot. Time slots not scheduled ahead of time will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tour of Cooper Mountain
A couple of weeks ago, I participated in a guided tour of Cooper Mountain Nature Park, including a large plot of land that the Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District is interested in using to expand the footprint of the park (which is a great idea). It is an incredibly popular park in the region that serves folks from Tigard, Beaverton, and Hillsboro. I look forward to monitoring the project as it develops.
THPRD Commissioner Miles Palacios, Senator Wlnsvey Campos, myself, and other local leaders on the tour.
The tour included local and state elected officials and leaders.
Asian and Pacific Islander Community Coalition of Oregon Gala
Big thanks to my friend and colleague, Representative Hai Pham, for inviting me to join him at the Asian Pacific Islander Community Coalition of Oregon (APICCO) 2023 Gala and Reception. It was great to meet the interns APICCO has sponsored to experience government service (and hear about what it meant to them). Opportunities like theirs build the talented workforce we need in public service, and we’re lucky to have such a strong Asian and Pacific Islander community that will support programs like these.
Rep. Hai Pham, Rep. Lisa Reynolds, Washington County Commissioner Nafisa Fai, Sen. Lew Frederick, myself, Sen. Michael Dembrow, and Jake Weigler.
Former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch visits WorldOregon
WorldOregon, a non-profit organization that seeks to connect our state to international events through speakers and programs, hosted Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (and key witness during the first Trump Impeachment). She spoke about Russia’s war against Ukraine, her career in the Foreign Service, how she encountered and overcame gender bias, and President Zelenskyy’s remarkable leadership. It was a great evening, and I am grateful to WorldOregon for hosting it.
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch with WorldOregon President Derrick Olsen.
E-Bike Ribbon Cutting at Greenburg Oaks Apartments
I joined the City of Tigard for the ribbon cutting event of a shared e-bike program at Greenburg Oaks Apartments. For those who don’t know, Greenburg Oaks is only affordable units, and this shared e-bike program provides a free, no emission mode of transportation for its residents. It was great to see a demo of the storage facility and check-out system. The City of Tigard continues to innovate for its residents, and I hope we can find a way to expand this low-cost program to other parts of our community.
Tigard Transportation Planner Dave Roth, Mayor Heidi Lueb, and I with one of Greenburg Oaks’s new e-bikes.
Constituent Tour and Discussion at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
Thanks to everyone who participated in the constituent tour and discussion at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. Thanks to the Museum’s Director of Education, Amanda Coven, for guiding us through the building and leading the discussion. We discussed not only Oregon’s mixed legacy of discrimination, persecution, and fight for inclusion but also the methods of excluding people and how we can fight against it. This was my second time touring the Museum, and I learned just as much the second time as I did on my first. I strongly recommend it.
Amanda Coven, the Director of Education at the Oregon Jewish Museum, explained the means of oppression to myself and a group of constituents.
Amanda showed us the Museum’s exhibit on how human rights are violated today, in Oregon and abroad.
Thanks for reading,
Ben Bowman
Oregon State Representative
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