Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Rep.BenBowman@oregonlegislature.gov

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This will be my last newsletter until May 21st as the Legislature enters a required “blackout period.” During this time, legislators running for office are not allowed to send mass newsletters or post on official social media using state resources in the 60 days before an election.

That said, my office is still open and here to help. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance with a state agency, have an idea for legislation, or want to share what’s happening in your organization or community. I always appreciate hearing from you.

Town Hall Recap

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our town hall on Saturday! It was a great debrief of the highs and lows of the short session, and I enjoyed hearing questions from the community. A special thanks to Mayor Hu and the City of Tigard for hosting us, and thank you to everyone who came out to share questions and perspectives.

We had a thoughtful conversation about key issues facing our community, including the cost of living, housing affordability, immigration, education, and more. We also discussed Tigard’s proposed bond measure to replace aging public works and public safety facilities (some more than 60 years old!) and ensure city crews and first responders have modern space to serve the community. You can get more information about the election here. 

As soon as the town hall ended, I hit the road to go watch the 6A Basketball State Championship game at the Chiles Center. It was one of the most incredible finishes I’ve seen — Tualatin (my alma mater) was down by 7 with less than a minute left, and came back to win! Congrats to the student athletes and coaches.

If you have any questions we didn’t get to on Saturday, feel free to reach out any time to Rep.BenBowman@oregonlegislature.gov.

Tigard State of Our City Event

I also want to invite community members to attend the 2026 State of Our City event and hear about the progress, priorities, and future of Tigard. The event will be a great opportunity to learn more about the work happening in our city and the goals shaping the year ahead.

• DATE: Monday, April 13
• TIME: 6:00 PM
• LOCATION: Broadway Rose Theatre Company

I hope to see many of you there!

• ApolloMD responds to lawmakers' probes, raises 'more questions than answers'
  • KLCC  | Mar. 12
  • “Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, was lead author of Senate Bill 951, a 2025 law designed to prevent the corporate practice of medicine in Oregon. On Feb. 4, PeaceHealth announced its intention to end a 35-year emergency medicine contract with locally-owned Eugene Emergency Physicians and install ApolloMD, a healthcare staffing company that Bowman had never heard of. In late February, Bowman, along with Eugene Democratic Reps. Lisa Fragala and Nancy Nathanson, co-authored a letter to ApolloMD, in which they cited concerns about the potential impact of experienced emergency physicians being displaced and asked the company to provide proof of compliance with state laws.”

• What passed during 2026 Oregon legislative session? Takeaways
  • Statesman Journal | Mar. 7
  • “The Blazers are our team. They create jobs. They make our state more vibrant. They are an asset that we should fight to keep," said House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard.
  • "The work that we did this session has positioned Oregon as a national leader on standing up for our immigrant communities," [House Majority Leader Ben] Bowman said in a press conference after the session ended. "We also know that the federal government still has the capacity to do really horrific things to the people who live in this state ... we're going to have to continue to monitor what is happening in Oregon with the federal government so that we can protect Oregonians who are being unfairly victimized by the federal government."
  • "The premise of this bill is simple: Oregonians should not be competing with Wall Street to buy a home," [House Majority Leader Ben] Bowman said in a statement.
• Oregon Lawmakers Cut a Bipartisan Deal to Subsidize Moda Center
  • Willamette Week | Mar. 8
  • “Now is not a time that Portland can afford to lose the Portland Trail Blazers,” said House Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D-Tigard), who carried the bill to the House floor. “We can’t afford to watch jobs disappear and businesses close. We can’t afford to be Seattle in 2008, watching the SuperSonics head east to Oklahoma City. Eighteen years later, they are still waiting and hoping for another chance."
• Oregon lawmakers end 2026 legislative session by highlighting bipartisan victories\
  • KATU | Mar. 6
  • “We ended the practice of predatory lending by closing a loophole that allowed people to charge exorbitant interest rates to Oregonians. We cracked down on hidden fees and scams for ticket resale,” House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, a Democrat, said during a news conference.

• A treasured waterfall is up for sale. Oregon lawmakers propose a deal
  • OPB | Mar. 2
  • “The very low purchase price relative to the beauty of the asset makes it a pretty great deal for the state,” said House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, a Democrat from Tigard. “We’re setting ourselves up to own this in perpetuity and be a place that can attract visitors and be a place where Oregonians can spend time forever.”

Thanks for reading!

Representative Ben Bowman
House District 25

House Majority Leader

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1425
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-484, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.BenBowman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bowman​