|
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I’m pleased to tell you that the first bill passed off the Senate floor and over to the House was SB 1508, from the Senate Health Care Committee, which caps the cost of insulin at $35 for a one-month supply ($105 for 90 days) for people on OHP and private insurance, to match the cost for people on Medicare. This bill also removes the use of Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALY) metrics in order to ensure that people with disabilities and chronic illnesses are given equal access to needed healthcare services as those without these challenges. You can read more about that here: Oregon Senate passes bill to cap insulin cost at $35 - KTVZ
In addition, SB 1569 was heard this week, requiring the Oregon Health Plan to pay for comprehensive cognitive evaluation and care planning for people experiencing symptoms of early onset dementia. This was one of my two priority bills, and I’m pleased to say that this healthcare benefit is now available. Thank you to the Alzheimer’s Association for your leadership on this issue, along with many other supporting organizations. And thank you to the Oregon Health Authority for your work in getting the word out about this benefit to physicians and other healthcare providers.
I am also working hard on trying to get funding for a multi-sector service center in downtown Salem in partnership with the YMCA. Stay tuned for more information!
We had many different groups of visitors this week: high school students from Monmouth and Independence, primary care physicians from around the region, cattle ranchers from Eastern Oregon, college students from across the state, homecare workers and advocates for suicide prevention, the President of Chemeketa, with students, staff, and board members, members of 350 Salem, and more.
In Senate Housing, we heard final testimony on SB 1530 and SB 1537, bills which will move forward funding for needed housing across our State. While I voted for the funding in SB 1530, I am convinced we must do more to promote homeownership for Oregonians’ financial stability. And while I voted to move SB 1537 out of committee, we must continue to do all we can to protect farm and forest land for future generations. You can find out more about these bills from the Capitol Chronicle (click here).
The Senate is now meeting on the floor to consider bills to be sent to the House each weekday at 11:00 am, and next week in our committees we will begin to consider bills that have passed off the floor of the House. I am grateful for my staff, and my colleagues, and for you. Thanks for your advocacy on so many issues. We are glad to hear from you.
Best regards,
Deb
We want to congratulate Western Oregon University on being featured in The College Tour an award-winning TV series from Amazon Prime.
The series focuses on different colleges or universities in the United States in each episode and includes stories of multiple college students’ experiences. The Host and Executive Producer of the series is Alex Boylan.
You can meet the featured students through WOU's The College Tour website, which is available now. The episode will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime on May 28, 2024, in season 11.
February is American Heart Month, a time when all people especially women are encouraged to focus on their cardiovascular health. This Heart Month, the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) is encouraging women to listen to their hearts and speak up for their health.
For more information click here!
Share Your Thoughts About the MI Trolley
The cities of Monmouth and Independence are evaluating the MI Trolley transit service and would like to hear your opinion. The service started in April 2023 and has funding secured until June 2025. The cities are working on securing continued funding to sustain the trolley service operations beyond June 2025.
Take the survey by clicking here!
Ella Curran Food Book
The Ella Curran Food Bank has submitted initial building plans to the city of Independence for approval. The project will be "shovel-ready" in a couple of months, with construction starting once final fundraising is complete. The food bank has received two new grants: a $100,000 grant from the local Central Lions club and a $50,000 challenge grant from the Marcia H Randall Foundation. The New Building campaign has raised $2.3M of the $3.2M building campaign. The number of families served continues to grow, with over 200 family visits per week and over 3900 people per month. The food bank also hosted an emergency dental clinic, providing treatment for infections, teeth extractions, and fillings.
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
| 
