Oregon’s unique legislative “short session” begins on February 2, giving each lawmaker only 35 days in which to introduce two new bills, and focus on technical fixes and housekeeping from last year’s session.
Speakers:
- State Senator Deb Patterson
- State Representative Kevin Mannix
Joining Salem City Club members on January 8 for a special preview of the upcoming session is Senator Deb Patterson (Dem), who represents District 10, which includes South and West Salem, Monmouth and Independence and Representative Kevin Mannix (Rep), representing District 21, which includes Keizer and North Salem.
Both will discuss the general atmosphere of the session and their expectations of what needs to be accomplished in such a short, fast-paced, time period.
Senator Patterson will sponsor two bills that she says will “protect the dignity of vulnerable Oregonians.”
- One bill is designed to ensure that hospice care is provided to the highest standards, as hospices are increasingly seen by private equity companies as a savvy investment, often crowding out non-profit hospices which have been providing high quality care for decades.
- The second is a bill which would address the growing need for accessible housing among the state-subsidized units being built.
- In addition, as Chair of the Senate Health Care Committee, Patterson will explain the three committee bills: one would require insurers to cover follow-up diagnostic testing following an abnormal Pap smear, one will address recommendations of the Drug Price Transparency Program recently released by the Department of Consumer and Business Services, and one is a placeholder bill to address healthcare access challenges created by recent federal actions.
Representative Mannix will discuss his two priority bills.
- One is Kristil’s Law, which will involve swiftly releasing communications records, where there is an immediate threat to the life of a victim.
- The other bill relates to requiring a vote of the people or of the legislative assembly for the Cherriots to impose their own
More About Our Speakers:
Senator Deb Patterson has served for over 20 years in healthcare administration, including serving as Executive Director of the International Parish Nurse Resource Center, which equipped RNs to provide health care advocacy and education around the world.
Deb also served as Executive Director of Northwest Parish Nurse Ministries, based in Portland, and was vice president of a children's health philanthropy. She has also been employed on the senior management team of a multi-hospital health system in the Midwest.
Deb holds bachelor's and master’s degrees in music from Yankton College and the University of South Dakota, a Master of Health Administration from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and master's and doctorate degrees from Eden Theological Seminary.
As ordained clergy for over 30 years in the United Church of Christ, she has served congregations in Missouri, Illinois, and Oregon. Most recently, she served for 8 years at Smyrna United Church of Christ in the Mid-Willamette Valley.
State Representative Mannix is a practicing business law attorney in Salem and owns the Mannix Law Firm which he established in 1986, representing individuals, non-profits, and businesses.
He has served in a broad variety of government positions including law clerk to the Oregon Court of Appeals, Assistant Attorney General for Oregon, Assistant Attorney General for the U. S. Territory of Guam, and an Administrative Law Judge for Oregon.
He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1989, representing House District 32 which included parts of North and South Salem. He served 10 years in the House of Representatives (1989-1997 and 1999-2001) and a partial term in the Senate (1998).
Stepping away from the political limelight, Representative Mannix took a 22-year gap to spend time investing in his family, supporting community organizations, and maintaining his private law practice.
In 2022, he chose to re-enter the political arena, and returned to the Capitol in 2023 as State Representative for House District 21. Though he continued living in the same home, redistricting shifted his constituency, adding Keizer to his district and removing South Salem.
