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To contact me, please click here: Rep.VirgleOsborne@oregonlegislature.gov
Hello Friends,
Here are some moments from the past couple of weeks and valuable community insights to help you stay informed.
~ Virgle
REPUBLICANS ANNOUNCE LEGISLATION THAT REDIRECTS FUNDING
KQEN
On Wednesday, House and Senate Republicans announced legislation that they say will stabilize the Oregon Department of Transportation without raising taxes, while preserving operations and maintenance that serves core functions, such as plowing roads and filling potholes. A release from the House Republican Caucus and the Senate Republican Caucus said the comprehensive proposal makes statutory changes to redirect money outside core mission back to paying for priority needs. The GOP claims the proposal services as an interim plan to rebuild Oregonians’ trust in ODOT.
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan said, “We reject the premise that if we don’t make life more expensive for Oregonians, we can’t fix potholes, plow the snow or keep rural roads safe”. Drazan said, “By reprioritizing funding, focusing on accountability, modernizing administration, and streamlining regulations, this legislation holds ODOT accountable to core mission and protects families from tax increases”.
GOP says Democrats hold repeal of wildfire map ‘hostage’
Elkhorn Media Group
“Speaker Fahey and Governor Kotek are weaponizing the democratic process and playing politics with Oregonians’ livelihoods so they can leverage stealing their kicker,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby). “SB 83 has overwhelming support to pass on the House Floor today without any amendments. This bill has been heavily vetted through an open public process that included multiple hearings, stakeholder input, and thousands of emails from Oregonians harmed by these flawed maps.”
During the work session, House Democrats declined to advance the bill to the House Floor following a motion made by Representative Bobby Levy (R-Echo), which failed on party lines. “Lawmakers on both sides overwhelmingly recognized that the heavy-handed mandates imposed by the wildfire hazard map unfairly punished responsible landowners without meaningful local input or transparency,” said Rep. Levy. Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Energy, and Environment. “Yet Democrat leadership blocked this opportunity to deliver relief, clarity, and justice for rural homeowners.”
“It saddens me to see a group of representatives, who are so beholden to their liberal bosses committed to stealing our kicker, not care at all about the will of the people they represent. We have had almost 40 years to reform wildfire funding and House Democrats are now using these flawed wildfire maps as leverage to take away money from the same people that voted for them,” said Rep. Virgle Osborne (R-Roseburg), the House Republican Whip. “These wildfire maps have cost people property values, insurance increases, and many heartaches. House Republicans stand ready to vote and pass SB 83 today.”
Oregon Legislature gears up for a showdown over the future of wildfire funding
KGW
From the beginning, Republicans have led the charge to do away with the wildfire risk map, but they've had allies in Democratic lawmakers from wildfire-prone areas, making the passage of SB 83 a seemingly simple prospect.
After passing the Senate, the bill went to the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment. There was a public hearing May 6, and submitted testimony overwhelmingly supported the bill's passage.
Even during Thursday's work session, it was clear that members of the committee broadly supported passing the bill. But a Democratic majority on the committee blocked it from being sent to the House floor for a vote, instead first sending it over to the House Rules Committee — where it will sit, presumably, until Democrats see fit to move it to the floor.
Republicans on the committee spoke against the move, some of them stridently.
"When I see a bill that made it through the Senate with unanimous consent, and it comes to this committee, and we kill it ... I know that everyone in this committee knows better," said Rep. Virgle Osborne, a Republican from Roseburg. "And I know why we're sending it to Rules. And I think it's a very sad day for the citizens of Oregon that we're more concerned with our agenda than we are for doing what's right for the people of Oregon."
Other Republicans were more conciliatory — opposing the move to table the bill, while voting in favor so that the bill would still have a chance of moving forward.
"I don't want this bill to die because we have enough support to get it passed today. And so, I would encourage that we work diligently to get the wildfire package done correctly so that we can have actual, real, 100% bipartisan, bicameral support for the wildfire funding," said Rep. Bobby Levy, a Republican from Echo. "The really important thing is that when the whole thing is said and done, the people that have been paying the price of wildfires ... if we don't get this wildfire package passed, they will continue to fund wildfires off of their backs, and it will put a lot of people out of business."
In a press release after the committee vote, House Republicans accused Democrats of trying to "hold Senate Bill 83 hostage." Both Osborne and House Republican Leader Christine Drazan were clear in saying that Democrats were leveraging the popular bill to raid the state's kicker rebate.
More than 300 Rite Aid pharmacies now slated for closure: Here’s the complete list
The Oregonian
The number of pharmacies Rite Aid intends to shutter continues to grow. Since filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month for a second time, the Philadelphia-based pharmacy and retail chain has announced a slew of store closures nationwide. The company previously shuttered hundreds of underperforming locations, leaving about 1,200 operating Rite Aid stores.
Now, Rite Aid intends to close 361 more stores, according to recent documents filed in bankruptcy court. The number includes 17 in Oregon and 13 in Washington. Some may have closed already. More closures are likely. The company said would sell the “assets,” including prescription files, of more than 1,000 locations nationwide to competitors. It announced at the same time it would sell 64 stores in Oregon, Washington and Idaho to rival chain CVS Pharmacy.
Join us for Oregon Citizens' Day at the Capitol
LISTEN: INSIDE DOUGLAS COUNTY 5.30.25 – KQEN News Radio
Live in studio, State Representative Virgle Osborne talks about the current hot issues facing the Oregon State Legislature.
Governor signed HB 2668
The governor signed my SAR bill, HB 2668 on May 28th. It requires certain private persons, before engaging in search and rescue efforts, to make specified disclosures to the family of the missing person and to notify county sheriffs.
See this measure in OLIS: HB2668 2025 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System
House vs Senate Tournament
The 2025 House vs Senate charity basketball & cornhole tournament was a resounding success. This nonpartisan event brings together elected officials, staff and lobbyists from across the aisle. Since 2018, this event has raised over $50,000 for Oregon Alliance Boys & Girls Club.
Truly,
 State Representative, House District 2
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1402
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-375, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.VirgleOsborne@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/osborne
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