POLITICS

Salem legislators to prioritize housing, healthcare, city budget in 2025

Salem legislators intend to focus their efforts in the coming months on addressing housing and homelessness, food insecurity and access to medical and behavioral health treatment. Some are also working during the 2025 Legislature that started recently to secure state funds to address Salem’s budget deficit.

Here is how each legislator explained their priorities in response to questions from Salem Reporter.

Rep. Kevin Mannix, R-Salem

Rep. Kevin Mannix in the House Chambers on Janu. 13, 2025 (Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Mannix said he is focused on addressing homelessness and expanding housing. He has introduced HB 2316, to allow some non-agricultural land for home construction, especially directed towards low-income and first-time homeowners.

Mannix also wants to increase funding for local transportation and education. 

He was also involved in introducing HB 2531 with state Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem, and state Sen. Patterson, D-Salem, to appropriate $14 million from the state to the city of Salem for emergency and public safety services. The proposal seeks to address the city’s budget deficit, which some argue is caused by state lands not paying property tax but still getting city services. 

“We will see how the legislature responds,” Mannix said.

He is also introducing a bill to modify the state’s civil commitment procedure to make it easier for individuals with mental health conditions to access treatment. The bill, which would especially impact patients at the Oregon State Hospital, will be co-sponsored by Andersen and state Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Stayton.

Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem

Sen. Deb Patterson gives an attendee a hug at the MLK Peace Walk program held at the Seed of Faith Ministries in Salem on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025 (Laura Tesler/ Special to Salem Reporter)

Patterson will focus on expanding access to health and addressing food insecurity. 

She is the chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, and said she is working to expand access to long-term care through SB 296.

“There are too many patients who are ready to be discharged from a hospital but have nowhere to go. They have received treatment and don’t need to be in the hospital anymore, but face barriers in moving to other types of care, such as skilled nursing or long-term care,” she said in an email. 

Patterson has also introduced SB 452, which would appropriate $6 million in state funding to Marion Polk Food Share, a food pantry that serves over 9,000 families in the Salem-Keizer area, according to its website. Other sponsors are Andersen, Mannix, Rep. Anna Scharf, R-Dallas; and Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer.

“Oregonians are struggling with high food costs, and local food banks are reporting record high levels of need,” Patterson said. She noted the local food bank is constrained by outdated facilities.

Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem

Rep. Tom Andersen, D-Salem, in the House Chambers on Jan. 13, 2025 (Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle/Pool)

Andersen will continue pressing for state funding for Salem city services.

“State buildings and land comprise approximately 8% of Salem’s total taxable property valued at over $1.8 billion – this includes the State Capitol building and park grounds, the Oregon State Penitentiary, the Oregon State Hospital, and a variety of state agency headquarters and facilities,” he said. He noted the state benefits from local fire, EMS and police services.

Andersen seeks to revise the state’s civil commitment processes to make services to those with mental health conditions more humane and accessible. 

“Under our current system, we arrest our most vulnerable mentally ill individuals instead of treating them. Oregon should make a policy decision to re-prioritize civil commitment treatment at OSH. This is a bipartisan issue and I look forward to working with Rep. Mannix and Rep. Diehl to help address this challenge,” he said.

Andersen has also co-sponsored a joint resolution to enshrine environmental rights into the Oregon Constitution. If the resolution passes, Oregonians would vote on a constitutional amendment that establishes that “All people, including children and future generations, have the fundamental right to a clean, safe and healthy environment. The state shall protect and restore this right equitably for all people, giving the highest priority to the safety and health of children and future generations.”

He is also working to provide state funding to cultural and education organizations in the state through HB 3191. The bill would secure $175,000 for the Salem Arts Association, $350,000 for the Elsinore Theatre and $350,000 for the B-17 Alliance Foundation. 

He has also introduced a bill to fund a program to provide practical training to undergraduate students in local economic and environmental issues statewide.

Andersen also is proposing legislation to fund a history memorial to honor residents of the Fairview Training Center, study the implementation of a streetcar in Salem, expand protections for utility ratepayers, and ban reusable plastic bags.

Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer

State Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, in the Senate chambers in 2024. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter)

Thatcher didn’t respond to Salem Reporter questions, but other records show some of her sponsored legislation.

She is involved in HB 2393, which would mandate that schools provide parents with equitable access to instruction materials at least 48 hours before they will be used in schools.  

Thatcher introduced HB 2039, to increase the threshold for the state corporate activity tax from the current $1 million in revenue to $10 million. If passed, businesses with a yearly revenue below $10 million would be exempt from paying the tax.

Thatcher also introduced SB 11, directing law enforcement officers to inquire about citizenship when arresting a person while they possess a firearm.

She has also introduced legislation to increase criminal penalties for election offenses, such as voting when not legally entitled to vote, and to prohibit the state government or any individual from requiring proof of vaccination during a pandemic.

Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth

Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, speaks at an election night party for the Marion County Democrats. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter)

Evans supports the state funding to Salem to cover emergency response costs.  

He said that among his priorities are transportation safety and disaster preparedness and response. This includes the “rehabilitation of the Center Street Bridge, improved safety along Highway 22, and priority projects for Independence, Monmouth, and Salem,” Evans said in an email.

“The world is changing in ways we failed to predict, and the threat to our people and place is increasingly and exponentially more dangerous,” he said.

He also supports “rational, reasonable, and responsible investments in policies associated with mass care and health,” and said he will work towards “proven homeless-to-independence strategies.”

Rep. Lesly Muñoz, D-Salem

Rep. Lesly Muñoz, D-Woodburn, is the newest member of the Salem-area legislative delegation representing House District 22. (Photo provided by Lesly Muñoz’s campaign)

Muñoz didn’t respond to Salem Reporter questions but legislative records show some of her priorities.

Muñoz has introduced HB 2423 to set up a task force to review and make recommendations on the role and responsibilities of licensed healthcare providers in Oregon schools. 

She is also working to establish an Agricultural Workforce Labor Standards Board made up of members appointed by the governor who set “minimum standards for agricultural workers that are designed to ensure the health and welfare of such workers,” according to the bill

Muñoz has also sponsored legislation to increase insurance coverage of some fertility treatments and to direct the Oregon Health Authority and the state Department of Consumer and Business Services to study access to these treatments.

Contact reporter Alan Cohen: [email protected].

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Alan Cohen is an intern at the Salem Reporter and an undergraduate at Willamette University. Born and raised in Spain, he has also been involved in student journalism for three years, and is passionate about bringing a voice to underrepresented communities through ethical reporting.