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To contact me, please click here: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We have just finished our seventh week of the start of the 83rd Legislative Session, and I’d like to invite you to a Town Hall on Friday, March 14th at 3:00 pm at Western Oregon University, in the Welcome Center (Room 136). There is a lot to share with you, and I would like to hear from you.
In this past week, three of the bills I have sponsored were heard in Senate Healthcare. SB 951 would keep control of medical decisions in the hands of doctors rather than corporate executives, by closing a loophole on a 1947 law that already requires this. SB 533 protects access to local pharmacies for patients and helps to support the work of safety net healthcare organizations like federally qualified health centers and critical access hospitals in Oregon. On another front, a number of local non-profits engage traditional health workers, like community health registered nurses, to help people navigate the health system and find needed resources. SB 529 would direct the Oregon Health Authority and coordinated care organizations to contract directly with the non-profits to provide reimbursement for this work in the community, which is often offered now on a volunteer basis.
In the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee, we heard bills supporting the Early Learning Hubs and Relief Nurseries, and we had a committee hearing on banning the sale of flavored tobacco (SB 702), products which are marketed to encourage youth to experiment with the use of nicotine. Nearly all who use tobacco products began before the age of 18.
In Senate Housing, three of my bills were heard, which seek to protect folks living in affordable housing by giving them more notice and assistance if their housing is set to move to market rate. We must preserve as much housing as possible, in addition to facilitating the building of more.
This week, I also had the honor of bringing Senate Concurrent Resolution 18, which honors the work of recently retired City of Independence Mayor John McArdle, who served in that capacity for 26 years. You can read this bill here. I am glad that John and his wife, Patty Nevue, who was recently honored by the Monmouth-Independence Chamber of Commerce with the Distinguished Service Award, were able to join me on the Senate floor for that occasion.
I also had the opportunity to meet with constituents and other advocates on a wide variety of issues this week, including housing, public transit, education, workplace safety, access to affordable healthcare, support for growing the primary care healthcare workforce, early learning hubs, childcare, and more.
It is a privilege to have been named as a delegate to PNWER (the Pacific Northwest Economic Region), a group of states and provinces in the Pacific NW which addresses issues of common concern, and this week I attended my first board meeting. Of course, tariffs and their effects on our economies was a top issue.
Finally, it’s important to stay connected to the community outside of the Capitol building, as well. I was pleased to attend Salem Mayor Julie Hoy’s State of the City Address this week, and to learn of the many housing starts taking place here. While these are the result of plans years in the making, it is great to see that work bearing fruit in such a great way. I also had a chance to attend a community meeting in West Salem on Thursday evening, I and hope to see you at my upcoming Town Hall!
Don’t forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour tonight, as Daylight Savings Time begins tonight at 2:00 am local time.
With thanks,
Deb
Proposed Bills Spotlight: Healthcare
We are excited to highlight a few of Senator Patterson's healthcare bills from this session—as they focus on ensuring that healthcare is a right for all Oregonians, rather than a privilege. If you are interested in learning more about Senator Patterson's legislative priorities this session, please see here.
Senator Patterson in the News
As the legislative session ramps up, we thought it would be a good time to shine a spotlight on the impactful work Senator Patterson has been doing, as she is committed to serving district 10 and addressing her legislative priorities. Below is a roundup of recent news in which she has been mentioned for her work this session. The articles will be linked below to their appropriate titles:
Oregon Lawmakers Propose Bill to Require Microfiber Filters in Washing Machines by 2030
16KMTR | Vasili Varlamos, KATU Staff | February 21, 2025
"I'm hearing from growing numbers of people who are concerned about microplastics in our food and in our water. They don't want plastics in their body. They don't want plastics in their kid's body. They don't want plastic in their salmon that they eat or any other part of our food and water supply system, said Sen. Deb Patterson, a chief sponsor of this bill."
Marion Polk Food Share Seeks $6m From State for Bigger Warehouse to Meet Growing Need
Salem Reporter | Rachel Alexander | February 24, 2025
"A bipartisan group of Salem-area legislators are backing a bill that would give the Food Share $6 million from Oregon taxpayers to purchase and renovate a new warehouse space [...] The state funding effort has bipartisan support, with state Sens. Deb Patterson, a Democrat, and Kim Thatcher, a Republican, among the chief sponsors. State Reps. Tom Andersen, Anna Scharf and Kevin Mannix are also chief sponsors."
States Revive Efforts to Restrict Private Equity Transactions
Modern Healthcare | Caroline Hudson | February 12, 2025
"Legislators in Oregon introduced Senate Bill 951 on Jan. 28. The bill, similar to House Bill 4130 in 2024, would generally prohibit an MSO from owning, serving as a director or otherwise directing management of a practice. Oregon Sen. Deb Patterson (D) said the legislation does not prohibit MSOs but rather ensures the organizations don’t hold a controlling interest in medical practices. She said there have been multiple instances in Oregon when for-profit entities were allowed to make care decisions and ultimately limited access. 'It would just require that healthcare decisions would be made by the healthcare providers, not corporate headquarters,' Patterson said. 'Healthcare dollars should be spent on caring for patients, not on boosting investor profits.'"
Salem-Area Homeless Deaths Declined in 2024, Preliminary State Data Shows
Salem Reporter | Ardeshir Tabrizian | February 24, 2025
"One of the tragedies that inspired Patterson to push for tracking homeless deaths was a woman who was discharged in January 2023 from Salem Hospital with nowhere to go, dropped off at a shelter that wasn’t open and died of pneumonia in the parking lot. Patterson serves on a task force focused on challenges related to hospital discharges."
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
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