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Hi Friends,
What a busy month! I hope that you had a relaxing time with your family last week, it’s always nice to have time to be together and reflect on our many blessings. We went to Portland to be with my family and my daughter was glued to her cousins the whole time!
First, I hope you will join myself and Mayor Kebler on December 13th at the Environmental Center for our Town Hall, Cocoa and Cookies! Information is listed below.
Additionally, we have received many emails, rightfully concerned, that the Oregon Department of Transportation was significantly reducing the amount of road safety maintenance, like plowing the roads. Our office is thankful to Governor Kotek, who listened to our many concerns in Central Oregon and announced this week that the ODOT budget will be backfilled for road maintenance.
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This month started out with an amazing opportunity to go to the White House with the Oregon and Washington Delegation. We had the great honor to meet Secretary Haaland and John Podesta, senior advisor to the President on clean energy. I am so excited about the Hydrogen Hub at the old Boardman facility, which will help us reach our climate goals and build good paying jobs.
After DC, I zipped back to Salem for Legislative Days, where I had the opportunity to present on updating our e-bike laws. I would link you to the forum, but I battled bronchitis for most of the month and sound like a frog, if I am being generous. Instead, check out the City Club Forum on E-Bikes here. In the short session (35 days in even numbered years), lawmakers get to bring two bills. My e-bike law is named after Trenton Burger who died on an e-bike this past summer, read the Bulletin’s beautiful story about him here.
For the second bill, I will be bringing forward policy that helps drive down the cost of prescription drugs, especially biologics and those drugs that are so expensive and life changing for those experiencing complex medical issues. Additionally, ADHD and ADD prescriptions have been hard to come by in central Oregon. I am really thankful that Senator Wyden has become the dominant watchdog, there is a federal hearing on December 5th if you would like to tune in.
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Lastly, the world has felt heavy. That heaviness has been particularly acute for a Bend family waiting for their nieces to be released to their mom in Israel. Ela and Dafna are home. You can watch the video here. I’ve cried so many happy tears.
I will leave you with words from their mother, before diplomacy secured their release:
“My bag is packed. I will take only a few items: chocolate milk that my daughters love, shoes that are good for running and a new bandage for Ela — the last photograph we have of her in captivity shows that she is injured. Take me to Gaza so I can change her bandage.
In my jeans pocket I will carry a photograph of Noam, their father, who we believe was killed in front of their eyes. Take me to Gaza in his memory.
When I reach them, however I reach them, I will hug them so hard that for a moment they might forget where they are..”
May the world soon know a collective peace.
Warm Regards,
Emerson
Representative Emerson Levy
House District 53
Index of Community Resources Below
Upcoming Town Hall
Next Legislative Session Updates
Positive Revenue Forecast
Open Enrollment Season
Oregon ONE Mobile APP
Town Hall Meeting!
Stay informed and have your voice heard in our community.
Family Friendly Event! Come have cookies and cocoa with us for an opportunity to connect and ask questions. Questions asked ahead of time will be prioritized.
Please fill out this form if you plan to attend: https://bit.ly/Dec13Bend
When: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Where: Environmental Center, 16 NW Kansas Ave. Bend, OR, 97703
Starts at: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
This event does not necessarily reflect the mission/opinion of The Environmental Center.
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Next Legislative Session Updates
The next legislative session begins on February 5, 2024, and lasts for 35 days. In even years we have what we call “Short Session”. During short sessions, each legislator gets to bring forward two bills. This is different from “Long Session”, which we have during odd years, during which there are no bill limits for legislators.
In February, I will be introducing two bills:
- Trentons Law
- Co-Pay Accumulator Ban
Here is an overview of the legislative concepts:
- Trentons Law- Currently, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 16 to be riding an e-bike. We know that the law isn't being followed, and is quite outdated. Definitions around e-bikes in Oregon statute haven't been updated since 1997. It's time to bring up our definitions to federal regulation and make it so that youth can ride e-bikes safely and responsibly.
- Co-Pay Accumulator Ban- This is a consumer protection bill that will help Oregonians get life-saving medication they need. Right now, some plans (not Medicaid/Medicare/OHP) don’t allow coupons or financial assistance programs to count towards their out-of-pocket maximum, which leads to people not being able to take life saving drugs. Here’s a good breakdown of how the coupons work towards your deductible.
Right now, these two legislative concepts are in the hands of Legislative Counsel, who are drafting the bill language. Please reach out with any questions, and we will be sharing updates as the process moves forward. There is *a lot* that goes into turning an idea into a law. Read more about Oregon’s process here!
Positive Revenue Forecast
The latest quarterly state economic and revenue forecast came out this month and put very simply the summary is: our economy is rebalancing. Our top state economists predict stable and consistent growth. This is promising news going into the 2024 short legislative session, where we will be investing in the issues that matter most: driving down the cost of living, addressing housing shortages, and ensuring Oregonians have access to affordable healthcare. If you are interested in reading more about the latest economic forecast, more information and details can be found here.
It's Healthcare Open Enrollment Season- Let’s get you covered!
It's open enrollment season for 2024 health insurance. People who do not have coverage through a job, OHP, or Medicare, may be able to enroll through the Marketplace with financial help. People who have recently lost OHP benefits can enroll anytime until July 31, 2024 or within 60 days of your benefits ending.
The Marketplace offers quality coverage from top insurers like BridgeSpan, Kaiser Permanente, Moda Health, PacificSource Health Plans, Providence Health Plan, and Regence. All plans include:
- A robust set of health benefits, even before deductibles are met.
- Services like preventive and wellness care, and little-known services like chiropractic, acupuncture, gender-affirming care and reproductive health care.
Marketplace coverage is often more affordable than people think thanks to the financial help available. Currently 80 percent of Oregonians enrolled through the Marketplace are getting financial help. See the image below for some examples of savings enrollees can find.
Oregon ONE Mobile App Helps with Medical Renewals
You can now securely manage medical, food, cash and child care benefits through the State of Oregon from the convenience of their mobile devices using the new Oregon ONE Mobile app.
The app is available for free in the Apple and Android app stores. It is an official State of Oregon app.
People will need to apply for benefits online, in person at a local office or over the phone. Once you apply for benefits online, in person or over the phone, the free Oregon ONE Mobile app is a convenient way to manage your current benefits, check for important notices and upload documents, all from your smartphone.
Most information and documents people need to submit to renew their medical benefits can be done through Oregon ONE Mobile, saving you time on the phone or at an office.
Learn all the ways to connect about your medical, food, cash, and child care benefits here.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1453
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-486, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.EmersonLevy@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/levye
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