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Hello Senate District 19 and beyond,
The 83rd Legislative Session is well under way and conversations are happening every day on important issues that impact Oregonians across the state. I know that it can be challenging to follow everything legislators are doing in Salem, so over the next few newsletters I will be highlighting bills moving through the legislative process.
Today, here are a handful of bills that have had or are nearing a vote on the Senate floor:
Senate Bill 548 - Raises the minimum legal age of marriage to 18 years old, which passed the Senate on Monday 28-1.
House Bill 2010 - Extends a key provider assessment to fund affordable health insurance for the 1.4 million Oregonians on the Oregon Health Plan (state-based Medicaid). It passed the House in late February 40-15 and will be up for a vote in the Senate soon.
Senate Bill 551 - Prohibits restaurants and retailers from providing single-use checkout bags, which passed the Senate on Tuesday 22-8.
Senate Bill 97 - Allows an increase in fees for marriages and domestic partnerships to a maximum for $35 to help pay for family court mediation services. It passed the Senate on Tuesday 19-11.
Senate Bill 91 - Bans the use of firefighting foams that contain cancer-causing chemicals known as PFAS, which passed the Senate 27-3.
Senate Bill 798 - Provides in-state tuition for out-of-state members of the Oregon National Guard, which passed the Senate 30-0.
Each of the Senate bills that passed still need to receive a vote in the House before moving to the governor's desk for her signature. As is typical for the Oregon Legislature, the vast majority of bills that pass do so with bipartisan support. In the 2023 session, 94% of bills had bipartisan support.
I am extremely proud of the work our Democratic committee chairs have done this session in proactively working with their Republican vice-chairs on bills introduced by Democrats and Republicans alike. Good ideas can come from everywhere and it is critical legislators take the time this session to examine all ideas that might help Oregonians.
Last week, the co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means announced the dates and six locations for the Legislature's 2025 community budget hearings. This is a great opportunity to speak directly with lawmakers crafting the state’s budget about what we should prioritize for the upcoming 2025-2027 biennium. The committee co-chairs will be releasing their budget framework sometime before the first meeting on March 22, which will serve as the legislative starting point for directing billions of dollars in investments.
As is the case every budget cycle, the state does not have enough money to support every worthy project or program. With significant needs across the state and a great amount of uncertainty nationally due to actions by the federal administration, it's all the more important for you to make your voices heard about your priorities.
Continuing my work engaging with all four corners of Oregon, I will be attending five of the hearings in-person. I'm looking forward to listening to all the testimony and meeting with as many of you as I can.
Here are the times, dates, and locations of each stop on the budget tour and links to where you can sign up to testify in-person:
Gresham | Saturday, March 22 (10:00am – 12:00pm)
Mt. Hood Community College, College Theater
26000 S.E. Stark Street, Gresham, OR 97030
Members of the public can register to testify here
Astoria | Friday, March 28 (5:00pm – 7:00pm)
Liberty Theatre Astoria
1203 Commercial Street, Astoria, OR 97103
Members of the public can register to testify here
Warm Springs | Friday, April 4 (5:00pm – 7:00pm)
Old Warm Springs Elementary School
1112 Wasco Street, Warm Springs, OR 97761
Members of the public can register to testify here
La Grande | Friday, April 11 (5:00pm – 7:00pm)
Eastern Oregon University, Hoke Union Building #339
1 University Boulevard, La Grande, OR 97850
Members of the public can register to testify here
Salem, Statewide Virtual Testimony Prioritized | Wednesday, April 16 (5:00pm – 7:00pm)
Oregon State Capitol Building, Hearing Room F
900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301
Members of the public can register to testify here
Klamath Falls | Friday, April 25 (5:00pm – 7:00pm)
Klamath Community College, Building 4 Commons
7390 South 6th Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97603
Members of the public can register to testify here
A lot goes on during the legislative session, and a big part of doing my due diligence on legislation is hearing directly from people in the community about bills that will impact their lives. I always enjoy chatting with passionate, engaged Oregonians on these issues, particularly when they make the trip from my district down to Salem.
I had the honor of meeting with my constituents on a number of issues over the past few weeks both in the Capitol and around the community.
Moms Demand Action
It was a pleasure to welcome a large coalition of Moms Demand Action advocates from Senate District 19 and across the state to my office. They discussed their legislative priorities and shared their personal experiences around advocating for gun tragedy prevention in their communities.
 It's always nice to see the Capitol filled with red shirts.
Chatting with the Kid Governor
My friend Rep. Daniel Nguyen and I had the opportunity to team up with Kid Governor Rosie Lanenga (who happens to be a constituent) and high schooler Sy Jones to host a town hall at Riverdale Grade School.
We had a great conversation with a group of 5th through 8th graders about everything from politics, to climate change, to street walkability, to the Trail Blazers. Rosie is a strong advocate for addressing climate change and I can't wait to continue raising this issue with her and my colleagues this year.
 The kids at Riverdale Grade School asked some great questions during our community conversation.
A Visit From a Mentor
In just about everyone's life, there is a moment when someone needs to give you your first opportunity. Shortly after I joined the Oregon Legislature as an unpaid intern 26 years ago, a contract lobbyist for nurses and firefighters hired me to basically be a human bill tracker, digging through pamphlets and schedules to identify bills he needed to know about.
Over the course of more than three decades, Brian Delashmutt had an unwavering dedication to hard-working Oregonians and advocating in the Capitol on their behalf.
I was thrilled to have Brian visit last week and to ask for courtesies of the Senate to be extended to him.
 I'm not sure where my career would have gone without Brian Delashmutt hiring me those many years ago and it was great to bring him onto the Senate floor.
Community College Student Artists
Throughout the 2025 session, the Senate President's Office has hosted artwork from student artists at Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College as part of our Emerging Perspectives gallery. It's been incredible to come into the Capitol every day and be surrounded by art, particularly art that demonstrates the talent and creativity of Oregon's community college students.
Five of the student artists were able to join us at the Capitol for a reception a few weeks ago. Legislators and staff listened as the artists described their work and their inspiration and their journeys as students. I want to thank them for loaning their artwork to us and for taking the time to tell us their stories.
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 Oregon's community colleges are filled with talented students, especially these amazing artists from Portland Community College and Clackamas Community College.
SCR 11: NCSL 50th Anniversary Commendation
I don't chief sponsor many bills during session, but I am proud to be signed onto SCR 11, which recognizes and honors the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) on its 50th anniversary this year.
NCSL is an amazing organization which every legislator and staffer is a member of and can leverage to access nonpartisan policy research, training resources, and opportunities to connect and collaborate. Several legislators in the building have an extensive history with NCSL and offices across the building have learned valuable skills while attending NCSL events.
I testified before the Senate Rules committee on the value of NCSL, and then again on the Senate floor before passage.
 Testifying in Senate Rules Committee on SCR 11 along with my colleagues Senator Bruce Starr and Senator Janeen Sollman.
Boosting Student Outcomes
This week, Gov. Tina Kotek announced her legislation to boost student outcomes and support schools through additional accountability measures within our public school system.
I was honored to testify alongside the governor before the Senate Committee on Education in strong support of Senate Bill 141.
Supporting students in their education has been my life's passion. I began my career as an advocate for educators, classified staff, faculty, and academic professionals. Both of my sisters are public school teachers, and my four children have attended public schools in Oregon. I've volunteered in schools, served on site councils, participated in school foundations, and been a member of a local school board.
There are real challenges facing our public schools and we must act with urgency.
Pairing additional funding with strong accountability measures will help support our schools as we all work together to improve educational outcomes for our students. To secure Oregon’s future economic strength, we must prioritize educating our students today.
Listen to Gov. Kotek's and my testimony below:
The federal deadline is just over two months away. A REAL ID is a state-issued driver’s license, instruction permit or ID card that meets federal security requirements set by the of 2005.
Starting May 7, anyone 18 years and older must present a – like a passport, passport card or military ID – to board a flight within the U.S. or access certain federal facilities.
As the deadline comes closer, we are seeing greater demand and longer lines at our DMV offices. If you plan on flying within the U.S. anytime in the future and you don't have a passport or other acceptable ID, consider upgrading to the REAL ID option. It takes about three weeks to get your REAL ID card in the mail, so build that into your timeline before booking any flights.
While DMV offers many services online, you must get a REAL ID at a DMV office. You can online or without an appointment. You need to bring original documents that prove your identity, date of birth, home address (two different documents) and lawful status in the U.S. DMV offers a to help you determine what to bring.
Learn more about REAL ID at .
KGW: Kotek, legislative leaders push for bill to overhaul Oregon education accountability system
Gov. Tina Kotek and leading state lawmakers introduced legislation Monday that would establish a broader oversight and accountability structure for Oregon school districts, taking aim at the apparent disconnect between the state's recent education funding boosts and its stubbornly low student outcomes.
The Oregonian: Foreign-trained physicians may have easier path to medical licensing under proposals in several states, including Oregon
A growing number of states have made it easier for doctors who trained in other countries to get medical licenses, a shift supporters say could ease physician shortages in rural areas.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon’s U.S. senators demand explanation for freeze on income-driven student loan repayment plans
More than 12 million Americans who took out loans from the U.S. Department of Education to attend college are now stuck in limbo about whether or not they’ll get to participate in income-driven repayment plans that have served millions of Americans before them.
OPB: Tariff threats could spook investment among Oregon companies
President Donald Trump’s back and forth on tariffs is escalating tensions between the U.S. and two of Oregon’s biggest trade partners, Canada and Mexico.
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
If you would like to contact the Senate President's Office, send an email or call and either myself or a staff member will assist you. If you are a constituent coming to Salem and want to arrange a meeting, I'm always happy to meet, so please let us know well in advance as my schedule fills up quickly.
email: Sen.RobWagner@OregonLegislature.gov
phone: 503-986-1600
address: 900 Court St NE, S-201, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wagner
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