An Update from Senator Deb Patterson

By Senator Deb Patterson, District 10

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

The weather is getting warmer and we are entering the summer season. Since the legislative session ended earlier this year, I have been getting out and about to meet with local leaders and community members.

Through these conversations, it’s clear that healthcare and affordability issues are top-of-mind for people in our community. These issues are also top priorities for me, and I was proud to pass bills this year to reduce costs and improve access to care for Oregonians. This includes bills that remove out-of-pocket costs for cervical cancer screenings (SB 1527), protect high quality of care in hospice facilities (SB 1575), and expand affordable housing for seniors and people with disabilities (SB 1576). I also fought to protect funding for critical services like healthcare and education, despite federal budget cuts.

Healthcare and affordability continue to be key priorities for me as I develop bill ideas for the 2027 Legislative Session. For example, I am working on ways to help patients when their doctor or hospital falls out of network with their insurance company. I am also looking at ways to reduce hospital waiting times and lower the costs of prescription drugs.

For those who want to learn more, there are some upcoming opportunities to keep track of this work. First, I am holding a legislative town hall on Thursday, June 4th, where I will share more about the issues I am working on. The event will be at Monmouth City Hall, beginning at 5:30pm. I hope you can join me.

Second, the Legislature will hold committee hearings at the Oregon State Capitol on June 15-17. These hearings will cover multiple policy areas and are all open to the public. Much of the focus will be on oversight and implementation of bills that recently passed. More information can be found online through the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS).

If you have comments or questions you want to share with me, please feel free to reach out. You can contact my office at Sen.DebPatterson@oregonlegislature.gov or (503) 986-1710. I look forward to hearing from you.