|
This week began the 2024 session of the 82nd Legislative Assembly. We began on Monday at 8:00 am on the Senate Floor with the swearing in of our new Secretary of the Senate, Obadiah (Obie) Rutledge, and all Senate members in attendance. Former Poet Laureate Kim Stafford read two of his works, and an a cappella choir from PSU sang.
Committee meetings began later that day with informational sessions. In Senate Healthcare, we heard about alcohol abuse, which remains a serious health issue. We also heard from Professor Khanna from the OSU School of Nutrition and Public Health about the relationship between nutrition and health. Currently, the Oregon Food Bank has a request for $10 million in needed funds, which I strongly support, along with help for college students facing food insecurity and the Summer EBT program for school-aged children. We also heard from the Oregon Board of Pharmacy.
The rest of the week was taken up with more committee meetings, and certainly one of the most pressing was consideration of the Governor’s bill on housing development (SB 1537), which had attendees filling two hearing rooms, and many others joining online. We will continue the conversation with a work session in Senate Housing coming up soon. Please stay tuned for more information on OLIS about this bill.
I testified in support of several bills – divesting from coal (HB 4083), improved benefits for first responders, dispatchers, and forensic scientists (HB 4116), and funding for the arts (HB 4124). We had a number of visitors, discussing funding for higher education, support for housing development, firearm safety, shelter housing, adult foster homes, and support for behavioral health apprenticeships and safety, among others. It was also an honor to meet with legislators from Canada who are part of the Pacific Northwest Economic Conference, representatives from Women in Government, and to attend the Governor’s signing of the Proclamation for Black History Month, to which all the advocacy commissions were invited. (I was there as a member of the Oregon Women’s Commission).
This week, we also acted to confirm the new members of Boards and Commissions nominated by the Governor working on a wide range of issues across the state. I was particularly happy to see the expertise among the members selected by Governor Kotek to serve on the Governing Board for Universal Health Care. You can read the names of all those confirmed yesterday here: sencrs.pdf (oregonlegislature.gov).
Thank you to all who signed up to testify, who e-mailed or dropped off notes, who stopped by, and who are participating in so many ways in our democracy here in Oregon. We are working together for the common good!
All the best,
Deb
Our SD10 Team!
If you stopped by recently, you probably met our wonderful staff: Megan Wai (Chief of Staff), Cindy Kimball (Legislative Assistant), and Samy Reyes (Student Intern). We look forward to working together this legislative session!
Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast
The Office of Economic Analysis released its latest economic forecast on February 7, which indicated that Oregon’s economy is continuing to stabilize. The economy is headed towards a strong landing and inflation is cooling off, thanks to hardworking Oregonians.
In the 2024 Legislative Session, lawmakers must work just as hard to turn our urgent, shared challenges into shared solutions. This will involve smart and focused investments of Oregonians’ hard-earned tax dollars to deliver the results we need on our most urgent priorities. This includes targeted investments in homelessness, affordable housing, and fixes to the drug crisis. We must also continue to be responsible stewards of tax dollars to maintain stability. These steps will help us build a state that is the best place to live, work, and raise a family—an Oregon that works for everyone.
Responding to Homelessness in Salem
Thank you to the City of Salem which offers many services, including the Salem Outreach and Livability Services (SOS) Program.
The SOS Team continues direct outreach to those living unsheltered, to share resources and alternative options to assist property owners with those who may be trespassing on private property, and to pick up trash where it can be easily accessed. Working alongside outreach, specialized law enforcement teams, and other partners, residents should see a focused response to conditions in the following areas:
- Wallace Marine Park, Lansing Park, and near Bush Park and Pringle Park
- Railroad Trestle bridge space near Willamette River
Connecting people to housing and shelter. February 13 from 11 am to 2 pm: Salem Housing Authority Share the Love event at Wallace Marine Park. Salem Housing Authority Compassion Action Response Team will be on-site among other partners to offer refreshments, coordinated entry assessments, and other resources, etc.
Sheltering and homelessness in Salem: Partnerships and Progress will be the subject of a City Council Work Session February 20, beginning at 6 pm. These sessions may be live-streamed or available for play back anytime.
For more information click here!
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1710
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-411, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/patterson
| 
