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Hello Friends,
Since President Trump’s inauguration in January, it’s seemed like every time we turn to the news, there’s another story about unconstitutional or illegal attacks by the Trump Administration on services and programs that matter deeply to Oregon families, small businesses, and communities. Trump has slashed programs like food assistance for low-income families, education, access to health care and research, and federal employees who help keep us safe from things like wildfire, natural disasters, and even nuclear waste. His dangerous and destructive cuts will harm families in every corner of the state, especially in rural areas.
In the state legislature, we’re doing everything in our power to protect Oregonians by:
- Working with the Governor and Attorney General on swift legal responses, like multi-state lawsuits to block his harmful actions
- Building on the state-level protections we put in place during the first Trump Administration
- Crafting a budget that preserves state funding for our schools, health care, and community safety
- Focusing on the things that matter most — bringing down the cost of living, protecting access to health care, creating safer communities, and preserving the critical programs that Oregonians depend on
Read on for more updates about House Democrats’ work this session to continue making progress, in the face of relentless chaos from the federal administration.
We’re about halfway through the 2025 legislative session, and we’ve passed our first major milestone – the work session posting deadline! This deadline requires that bills be posted on a committee's schedule for a vote to remain under consideration during the session. The deadline was on March 21st, with a second deadline this Wednesday, April 9th – most bills must be voted out of their original policy committees by the 9th or they won’t move forward.
These deadlines can be difficult moments for legislators, advocates, and communities who have worked so hard to pass a bill into law. There were a record number of bills introduced during the 2025 session – while there were undoubtedly many good ideas that won’t become law this year, there were also dozens of bad bills targeting abortion rights, worker safety, and voting rights (including a proposal to end vote-by-mail). As Speaker, I have committed to not bringing these regressive bills to the House floor.
This session we’re focused on delivering on Oregonians’ shared priorities: schools, health care, homelessness, the housing crisis, and the safety of every community. Some priority bills that address those issues are moving through the legislative process:
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Safeguarding Access to Healthcare (HB 2010A), Chief Sponsor: Signed by the Governor!
- Over 1.4 million Oregonians—including half of all children—rely on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) for their health coverage. This bill extends insurance and hospital assessments – key funding mechanisms that help support OHP, ensure hospitals and providers have the resources they need, and stabilize the state’s insurance market.
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Supporting Safer Schools with Alyssa’s Law (HB 3083), Sponsor: Passed the House!
- Allows K-12 schools to use panic alarm devices that alert first responders in a life-threatening emergency as part of their school safety plan. This is an important tool in our toolbox to address school safety and to be able to respond quickly to emergencies, including everyday emergencies like allergic reactions, seizures, or heart conditions.
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Lowering the Cost of Healthcare (HB 2540), Sponsor: Passed the House!
- This bill would require some insurers to credit any amount a consumer pays directly to a healthcare provider toward their out-of-pocket expenses and deductibles.
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Relief for First-time Homebuyers (HB 3188): in the Joint Committee on Ways and Means
- For many Oregonians, the dream of owning a home feels further out of reach than ever before. HB 3188 would allow qualified applicants at or below 130% median household income levels to finance 100% of the home’s value and forgo costly down payments that would otherwise prevent them from homeownership.The bill creates the ‘Welcome Home Assistance Program Fund’ to provide financial backing to lenders who issue housing loans to eligible applicants.
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Cherry blossoms in full bloom in the Capitol Mall!
April 9th – Attorney General Dan Rayfield’s Safeguarding Oregon: Federal Oversight Forum at the University of Oregon
I’m excited to join Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield this Wednesday at the launch of his "Safeguarding Oregon: Federal Oversight Forums" at the University of Oregon. This is the first event in a statewide series in which AG Rayfield and other state leaders will hold public conversations about federal oversight issues and the office's work to hold the federal government accountable.
Date: Wednesday, April 9th, 2025:
Time: 6:30-8:00 PM
Location: University of Oregon Campus, Kincaid Street & 14th Ave, Prince Lucien Campbell Building, PLC 180
Oregonians should know that the legislature is working to protect their basic rights and freedoms and that when the Trump administration oversteps their legal authority, AG Dan Rayfield will be there to hold them accountable.
If you'd like to sign up to provide testimony or submit a question in advance, you can do so here. I hope to see you there!
April 17th – Protecting Progress: Oregon House Democrats Leadership Virtual Town Hall
Since President Trump took office in January, his agenda has caused nothing but chaos and confusion—destabilizing the economy with pointless trade wars, targeting immigrant communities, threatening health care and public education, and pushing illegal and dangerous policies through executive orders and DOGE.
But here in Oregon, we’re ready.
Oregon’s legislative leaders have been working to put safeguards in place to protect the progress we’ve made as a state. And while we can’t block every damaging policy or executive order, we’re doing everything in our power to challenge Trump’s illegal actions and defend Oregon values.
Join me, House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, Rep. Willy Chotzen, and Rep. Ricki Ruiz for a special virtual town hall on April 17th.
We’ll dive into how House Democrats, the Governor, and our Attorney General are defending Oregon—through legislative action and in the courts—on critical issues like health care, the state budget, mass firings, immigration rights, and public education. Register ahead to submit a question you’d like the Representatives to answer!
In a time of uncertainty, Oregon continues to lead strategically with clarity and courage. We hope you’ll join us. You can register to attend here.
In mid-March, the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means released their framework for the 2025-2027 budget, which stresses fiscal responsibility and protecting core services. Their framework also keeps our state ready to respond to changes in economic forecasts or continued chaos from the Trump administration.
The Legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced budget for our entire state every long session (which happens every odd-numbered year). The March revenue forecast indicates we’ll have the resources we need to fully fund our schools and maintain many essential services that Oregonians rely on. Compared to other states that are facing significant budget deficits, that’s a great spot for us to be in. But we’ll need to be judicious in where we make one-time investments in projects, new programs, or supports.
We are going to make sure that these investments are guided by Oregon values and directed toward the most pressing needs of our state, so it’s crucial that Oregonians are a part of that conversation!
This spring, the Joint Committee on Ways and Means (the legislature’s budget committee) is hosting six public hearings around the state to hear directly from Oregonians about which programs and projects the state should prioritize this budget cycle. They’ll be hosting a hearing in Salem on Wednesday, April 16th, that will accept testimony both in-person and virtually. If you’re interested in sharing your support for a specific bill, project, or issue, you can sign up to testify here.
Since becoming the House Speaker, I’ve missed serving on policy committees (especially the Housing Committee!). But I still have plenty of time to meet with my constituents and with organizations to hear about the legislation they’re advocating for. Check out the photos below for a few of the groups I’ve met with recently!
Top left: Meeting with members of the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association, Top right: Visiting with Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson, Bottom left: Hosting members of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters during their lobby day, Bottom right: Meeting with Oregon Realtors during their lobby day.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you need help navigating local or state government services or if you’d like to share feedback on any of the bills that have been introduced this session.
Yours truly,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1414
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-271, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JulieFahey@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/fahey
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