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Hello Senate District 19 and beyond,
It's that time again; on Monday, the 30 senators and 60 representatives who make up the 83rd Oregon Legislative Assembly will come together in Salem to kick off the 2026 legislative session. This year we have our 35-day "short" session, and there are a lot of important topics that legislators are going to work to address over that limited timeframe.
We are coming into session with three big priorities: responding to federal overreach, improving affordability and prosperity for Oregonians, and rebalancing the state budget.
There is great work happening in both the House and the Senate putting a package of legislation together to address the cruel strategy and tactics from ICE agents and the fear we are hearing from our local communities, particularly after the tragedies in Minneapolis.
There will also be upcoming legislation on the cost of living, building on work we've done in recent sessions around prescription drug prices, utility costs, junk fees, affordable housing and zoning and permitting.
But the biggest conversation this year will be around the budget. The Legislature is required by the Oregon Constitution to have a balanced budget on a two-year cycle. Coming out of the 2025 legislative session, our budget writers gave us a tight budget with extra cushion and money set aside in anticipation of economic chaos from the federal government.
The impact was far greater than any state could have predicted. Just a few days after we ended the 2025 session, President Trump signed his budget and tax cuts bill into law, immediately punching a $900 million hole in Oregon's budget and sending us into the red. Additionally, this bill cut $15 billion in federal funds from Oregon over the next six years, largely from federal health care and food assistance programs.
Simply put, if that bill wasn't signed into law, Oregon would be in a positive fiscal position and would not need to be considering programmatic reductions or cuts.
As far as who benefits from the Trump cuts, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, overwhelmingly the richest Americans will pay less, while our neighbors who rely on Medicaid or SNAP are going to be harmed.
We are at the beginning of a period of time where Oregon will need to make some tough choices about what projects and programs the state can afford to support and how we spur economic growth in the long-term.
We are going to find out more about our current fiscal position next week during the quarterly economic outlook and revenue forecast.
Getting through this budget crisis will take a balanced approach of closing tax loopholes for out-of-state mega corporations and billionaires, cutting waste and inefficiencies, and making targeted investments to spur economic growth.
Importantly, in the spirit of Oregon, Democrats and Republicans have been working together on budget recommendations. I'm proud of the process the Ways and Means co-chairs Sen. Kate Lieber and Rep. Tawna Sanchez have led over the past few months. I've heard feedback from outside advocacy groups and legislators from both chambers and both parties that this is the most transparent and inclusive budget process they've ever seen.
The Ways and Means Committee will be holding a public hearing on February 3 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to receive feedback on budget reduction options proposed by state agencies. Members of the public can attend the hearing in-person or tune in virtually through the Oregon Legislative Information System.
Individuals interested in providing testimony on possible budget reductions can register to speak via the committee's webpage on OLIS. Written testimony can also be submitted and will be accepted for up to 48 hours following the hearing.
Legislators do better work when we are hearing from our constituents, so please reach out to my office about the issues you are passionate about. There will be a lot happening over the next 35 days, but I know when session is done, we will have done good things for Oregon.
The Oregon State Capitol building has undergone significant safety and accessibility improvements over the past 8 years, from improved ADA entrances, to upgraded internal infrastructure, to historical preservation. But by far the most significant aspect of the project was the overall seismic improvements, namely the demolition of the basement and foundation and the re-building of both from the bottom up.
Now that construction is largely complete, the Capitol has a beautiful concourse level to replace the old basement with spaces for Information Services, Legislative Facilities, hearing rooms and a café everyone can enjoy. There is also a brand new area for the Capitol press corps to work as they cover everything legislators get up to during the legislative session.
The new press offices presented House Speaker Julie Fahey and I with the opportunity to recognize one of the great individual institutions in the history of the Oregon Capitol — long-time legislative reporter Peter Wong. Peter, who is now retired, covered the Capitol for more than 40 years for multiple publications and was known for his dedication to consistency and fairness in his reporting. His encyclopedic recall of events and individuals from Oregon's political history was renowned.
Whenever Peter was interviewing someone in the Capitol, even if it was on a topic that we didn't really want to talk about, we knew that we were going to get a fair shake from Peter.
The Statesman Journal wrote about the dedication and published some amazing photos of the dedication ceremony. The Legislature also recorded the ceremony, which you can watch here.
 During the ceremony, I had the honor of presenting Peter Wong with a portrait created by Jack Ohman, former political cartoonist for The Oregonian. Photo by Abigail Dollins with the Statesman Journal.
Over the past few weeks I spent a lot of time meeting with people in the community because I know I'm going to be spending many, many hours in Salem over the next 35 days. One of the highlights was attending the Portland Community College Legislative Reception where I got to spend time talking with students and faculty about the issues facing higher education. I worked at PCC for many years and believe deeply in the promise of higher education and the role that community colleges in particular play in helping young people achieve their educational and career goals.
 In addition to chatting with some amazing students, it's always fun to reconnect with my friend, former state senator, and current HECC Director Michael Dembrow (left).
Legacy Emanuel Medical Center
Oregon's hospital care system is vitally important to the well-being of Oregonians all across the state and the system is experiencing some significant strain right now. Hearing directly from the dedicated professionals at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center about financial issues including charity care eligibility and the provider assessment was very enlightening.
While at Legacy Emanuel’s emergency room, I had the opportunity to learn from one of their trauma surgeons, Dr. Brian Beldowicz, a former US Army surgeon, about how Legacy Emanuel is one of just two Level 1 trauma centers in Oregon, the highest classification capable of caring for the most significant and complex injuries.
 Here with trauma surgeon Dr. Brian Beldowicz and Legacy Health System Jonathan Avery, I really appreciated hearing directly from medical professional and hospital administrators about the challenges facing our health care system.
New Bottle Drop Model in Lake Oswego
I had a lot of fun attending the recent ribbon-cutting at New Seasons Market in Lake Oswego for BottleDrop Dash, just the second location for this new bottle drop model in the entire state. This will be an eco-friendly addition to our community as we all work together to keep Oregon's outdoors clean and litter-free.
The Dash model is different because customers bring bags inside the store to a designated kiosk as opposed to using an exterior drop door into a bag room. A store employee will scan the customer tag and personally take the bag to a secure location for pickup.
Oregon is a national leader in recycling and continued innovations like the Dash model give me confidence that our state will continue to lean-in on this important issue.
 Always great to spend time with my friends Rep. Daniel Nguyen, Lake Oswego Mayor Joe Buck, and Whitney Wolfe from the Lake Oswego Schools Foundation.
University of Oregon Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health
At the Legislature, we know how important access to mental and behavioral health care is for people of all ages. The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the University of Oregon is on the cutting edge of training the next generation of mental health professionals. The institute created the first undergraduate degree in child behavioral health and has more than 100 students in the undergraduate program.
With this level of training, once in the workforce, these students will be able to provide crucial early interventions. It was great to meet many of these students during my recent visit.
 There is some amazing work happening at the Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health at the University of Oregon. It was great to chat with students and executive director of the institute, Katie McLaughlin.
The Oregonian: Immigration enforcement, budget cuts, taxes: Oregon lawmakers prepare for packed 2026 legislative session
Oregon lawmakers will return to Salem next week for a packed legislative session in which they hope to address a projected budget deficit, strengthen the state’s economy and challenge federal immigration enforcement policies.
OPB: Oregon Democratic lawmakers gear up to push back on federal immigration agenda
An exchange on Wednesday over immigration policies could offer a preview of friction for the upcoming legislative session as Oregon Democrats try to push back on aggressive federal actions.
Statesman Journal: 5 outdoor issues to watch in the 2026 Oregon legislative session
The 2026 Oregon legislative session is set to get underway Feb. 2, and there's a few bills that could have a big impact on Oregon’s outdoors.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon lawmakers can move transportation referendum date under conditions, SOS says
Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek have less than one month to pass a bill if they want to move a transportation funding referendum from November to May, according to Oregon’s top election officer.
Lake Oswego Review: Rob Wagner talks state budgeting challenges, transportation funding
State Sen. Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, provided a realistic picture of what the upcoming legislative session will be about.
KATU: Democrats push for May ballot on transportation funding referendum
House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) and Senate President Rob Wagner. (D-Lake Oswego) discuss their work on short-term transportation funding, addressing a significant state budget shortfall, and responding to increased immigration enforcement.
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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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