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To contact me, please click here: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We have just wrapped up the first week of the legislative session, and I’d like to share some of the highlights. I know many of you have been following the work of the Legislature closely, and some of you have come to testify and advocate for issues of importance to you. On Tuesday evening, I joined over two hundred and sixty others who shared their concerns with the Joint Ways and Means Committee, advocating for maintaining access to needed healthcare and other services in our State (see more on this below). Earlier that day, in the Joint Revenue and Finance Committee, we learned that Oregon has a higher-than-expected revenue projection for the balance of the biennium (nearly $200 million), but we still need to address a $750 million budget hole caused by HR 1, the Congressional bill passed last year. This will certainly need require closing some of the tax loopholes created by HR 1, particularly those loopholes that benefit multinational corporations and do nothing to help working families.
Meanwhile, other committees began their work. In the Senate Health Care Committee, we discussed bills to protect against hospice fraud and abuse, to bring down the cost of pharmaceuticals, and to require coverage for follow-up diagnostic testing for cervical cancer, a bill which passed out of the committee with unanimous support.
In the Senate Housing Committee, we heard testimony in support of a bill I am sponsoring which would increase access to housing for people with disabilities. We also considered bills about increasing housing affordability, including a bill to create a low-interest loan fund to help finance new homes. In the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee, we moved forward a bill to create a Bachelor’s level paraprofessional degree in behavioral health, and another to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence by minors to prevent suicide. We also heard several bills in the Senate Labor and Business Committee which will align payment for the Paid Family Leave Program with amended federal law, and which will secure funding for the Bureau of Labor and Industry to investigate wage theft claims.
In the next four weeks, we will be working to balance the budget while addressing the aforementioned HR 1 gap, as well as current transportation needs. And in the meantime, it was a pleasure to meet with so many stakeholders this week about issues like food insecurity, childcare, infrastructure development, workforce training, and more.
I’m grateful for my Chief of Staff, Megan Wai, and Legislative Aide, Antonio Martinez, for their assistance in the work of the Legislative Office for Senate District 10. I look forward to seeing you or hearing from you in the coming weeks ahead.
Best regards,
Deb
Closing Trump Tax Loopholes and Promoting Affordability
The Congressional budget bill (H.R. 1) is doing exactly what it was designed to do: delivering record profits to corporations, concentrating more wealth among billionaires, and leaving working families and vulnerable communities struggling to afford health care and put food on the table.
On Tuesday, I was the only legislator to testify before the budget committee about the urgent need to protect our communities from harmful federal corporate tax loopholes that are putting essential services and programs at risk. I will continue to show up, speak out, and fight for a budget that delivers fairness, opportunity, and dignity for every Oregonian.
You can read more about the hearing in this article from the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Protecting Dignity Package
This year, my priorities are focused on health care, housing, hunger, and human rights.
I have introduced two bills for the 2026 Legislative Session. The first is the Housing Accessibility Act, which aims to expand housing for people with disabilities and older adults. The second bill is the Protecting the Dying Act, which ensures people in hospice care get the high-quality, compassionate care they deserve. Together, these bills form the Protecting Dignity Package, which you can read more about here.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1710
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-411, Salem, OR, 97301
Email: Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/patterson
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