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To contact me, please click here: Rep.LamarWise@oregonlegislature.gov
Hello Friends,
As we settle into the final stretch of the year, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as your new State Representative. Stepping into this role is both humbling and energizing, and I am committed to bringing our community’s values, priorities, and lived experience to the Capitol every single day. Whether it’s standing up for working families, investing in education, or ensuring our democracy works for everyone, I am ready to get to work.
This past month has been full of transition, learning, and reflection. From my first November Legislative Days as a member to connecting with advocates and community leaders, I’ve stepped into rooms where the commitment to Oregon’s future is clear and inspiring. I am already thinking ahead to the 2026 session and the long-term work needed to strengthen our neighborhoods in East Portland and North Clackamas.
As we look toward the holidays and the year ahead, I want to thank you for the trust you’ve placed in me. I’m here to listen, to advocate, and to ensure your voices are present in every conversation. I look forward to continuing to meet more of you, hear your stories, and build solutions together.
In Community,
Last week, our community gathered at Chop Chop Food Carts in House District 48 to celebrate the swearing-in of Representative Lamar Wise. In a warm and spirited ceremony, Justice A. Masih administered the Oath of Office, marking the official start of Rep. Wise’s service in the Oregon House.
Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos emceed the event, guiding the program with energy and heart. Lamar’s parents shared moving reflections about his path to public service, followed by remarks from House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, who spoke to Lamar’s leadership and dedication. Community voices also helped honor the moment: Huy Ong spoke on behalf of Representative Valderrama, Marchel Kaleikini from Family Forward lifted up Lamar’s advocacy for Oregon families, and Reyna Lopez from PCUN highlighted his commitment to frontline workers.
Guests enjoyed delicious catering from local favorite Ah Huevo Que Sí, making the celebration feel rooted in the neighborhood Rep. Wise is proud to represent. It was a meaningful evening for HD 48 and a strong beginning to Representative Wise’s work in Salem.
Representative Lamar Wise holding his freshly signed Oath of Office.
Representative Wise with his proud parents, Ken and Shannen Wise.
Last week, committees met for their November Legislative Days to review agency updates, hear public testimony, and preview bill concepts for the 2025 session. These meetings underscore how many pressing issues require long-term, coordinated action, from housing stability to behavioral health to supporting Oregon’s workforce. I spent the week connecting with stakeholders and preparing for the policy debates ahead.
The House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services received an important update from the Office of Aging and People with Disabilities on the agency’s ongoing safety and regulatory transformation. The presentation outlined key findings from the independent assessment by Alvarez & Marsal, which highlighted the need for clearer procedures, improved communication, and better workload alignment across units. APD also shared the substantial progress already underway, including strengthened Immediate Jeopardy protocols and deeper coordination on serious-incident response. While significant improvements have been made, the agency emphasized that major work remains, particularly in staffing, culture change, and integrating new legislative requirements like SB 739. These updates signal a critical period of modernization to better protect older adults and people with disabilities across Oregon.
In House District 48, thousands of families in outer Southeast Portland and North Clackamas rely on SNAP to keep food on the table, including many children, seniors, people with disabilities, and working parents who are already stretched thin by rising costs. During the recent federal government shutdown, uncertainty around SNAP funding created real anxiety in our community. I’m grateful that the Oregon Department of Human Services acted quickly to load full November benefits by November 7, preventing gaps in food access for the households who depend on it most. At the same time, new federal budget changes, including additional work requirements for some adults without dependents and adjustments to utility and immigrant eligibility rules, will require close monitoring to ensure our neighbors don’t fall through the cracks. As your state representative, I’m committed to advocating for stability in our food-assistance system and ensuring families in District 48 have consistent, dignified access to the nutrition they need.
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Representative Wise on his first committee, House Early Childhood and Human Services.
Chaos in Washington, D.C. continues to fuel uncertainty for Oregon’s economy. While our state economist offered a slightly improved outlook compared to last quarter, legislators were not given the complete data needed to fully understand the situation. For example, Slide 12 highlights that many of the “vital statistics” the economists rely upon, construction spending, jobless claims, factory orders, wholesale inventories, and more, were delayed because of the federal government shutdown. Slide 18 shows that Oregon’s demographic trends pose a major head-wind: the state’s population is expected to grow by only about 0.5 % annually through 2035, with almost all growth coming from migration rather than births, putting mounting pressure on job creation, tax revenue, and the ability to sustain key services.
We know too many Oregonians are still struggling to afford their homes and put food on the table. This budget crisis is the result of harmful decisions made in D.C. that put working families at risk. We will not stand for this. In the months ahead, I’ll be working with colleagues and stakeholders to close corporate tax loopholes and protect the vital services our communities rely on. I look forward to receiving a full and accurate picture from our state economist once the federal government provides the missing information following the shutdown.
This week, I joined advocates at a Planned Parenthood press conference to highlight the urgent need to protect reproductive freedom in Oregon, and especially here in House District 48, where many families rely on these clinics for essential, affordable care. With national uncertainty around access to services, our state must remain a leader in safeguarding the rights of patients and providers. This need is even more pressing given that every county in Oregon has been designated a primary care workforce shortage area by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Anyone in HD 48 who has tried to make a doctor’s appointment knows how difficult it already is to get on the schedule, which is why the state’s $7.5 million in emergency funding is so critical. This investment ensures Oregonians on the Oregon Health Plan can continue receiving care at Planned Parenthood at a time when President Trump and Republicans in Congress, through H.R. 1, are attempting to block Medicaid coverage for cancer screenings, birth control, STI testing and treatment, and other non-abortion services. Without this support, at least 70,000 Planned Parenthood patients, including many in our district, would be forced to seek new providers, further straining an already overburdened primary care system.
Representative Wise along with other legislators at the Planned Parenthood Press Conference.
This season has also been a time of deep reflection as we continue to honor the legacy of Representative Hòa Nguyễn. Her leadership, compassion, and commitment to children and families continue to guide so many of us in public service. I carry her lessons forward with gratitude and resolve.
You can rewatch the ceremony here.
The advertisement for the ceremony honoring the late Representative Hòa Nguyễn.
Here are a few upcoming events and opportunities happening locally:
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Trillium Creek Planting Party 🌱
Sat. 11/22, 10 AM - 12 PM | Trillium Creek Park (16803 SE Anderegg Pkwy)
Help improve forest resiliency in Damascus at this all-ages planting party!
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East Portland Community Center Art Bazaar 🎨
Sat. 12/6, 10 AM - 4 PM | East Portland Community Center (740 SE 106th Ave.)
Join EPCC to support local art vendors — a perfect place to shop for holiday gifts!
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Division Midway Alliance Holiday Bazaar🌲
Sat. 12/6, 1-5 PM | Gethsemane Lutheran Church (11560 Market St.)
A festive day filled with free kids’ activities, crafts, local vendors, a raffle and more!
If you have a community event you’d like featured in a future newsletter, please reach out, my office would love to uplift your work.
🐋 A young humpback whale beached itself in Yachats last weekend, but history will not repeat itself this time.
While most of the Capitol building is under construction, some parts of the building will be open to the public, including committee meetings and legislative offices. All committee meetings are available (as always) for virtual viewing on the Oregon Legislative Information Site (OLIS). Members of the public can make their voices heard by submitting written testimony or by signing up for virtual or in-person testimony. You can read more about opportunities for public engagement on the Oregon Legislative website.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1448
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-473, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.LamarWise@oregonlegislature.gov
Website and e-Subscribe: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wise
Facebook: State Representative Lamar Wise
Instagram: @rep_wise
LinkedIn: State Representative Lamar Wise | LinkedIn
TikTok: @state.rep.lamar.w
BlueSky: @repwise.bsky.social
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