Notes From Laurie A District Update Serving Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village
May 2007
In This Newsletter: · Nursing Workforce Shortage · Casino Bill · Healthy Kids Bill · Health Policy and Public Affairs Senators Laurie Monnes Anderson, Kate Brown, and Governor Kulongoski discussing Health Care Reform The Senator testifying on the floor. Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson, on the Senate floor. State Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson 900 Court St. NE #S-310 Salem, OR 97301 Phone: 503-986-1725 Fax: 503-986-1080 Visit my website for additional information. Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/monnesanderson/ http://lauriemonnesanderson.com E-mail: sen.lauriemonnesanderson@state.or.us	Greetings, The 2007 Legislative Session is well under way and I am proud to say that it has been a good year for Oregonian families. I am continuing to strongly advocate for health care reform that is affordable and accessible. Every child in Oregon deserves proper medical care, and no parent should have to worry that paying for a child’s hospital visits or doctors’ appointments will push them to the brink of bankruptcy. Every hardworking Oregonian deserves a prescription drug plan that is affordable and not a windfall for pharmaceutical companies. I have been keeping busy here in Salem and I am sending this newsletter out to keep you abreast of the accomplishments we’ve had in the Health Policy and Public Affairs committee, which I chair. Yours truly, Laurie Monnes Anderson State Senator, District 25 Nursing Workforce Shortage I am proud to report that Senate Bill 4, The Nursing Workforce Shortage Bill, was passed out of committee by a unanimous vote on April 24, 2007. The WorkSource Oregon Employment Department estimates a need of 59,000 new healthcare workers by 2014. I sponsored Senate Bill 4 in order to address Oregon ’s nursing shortage crisis by integrating higher education with the workforce needs of our community. SB 4 specifically: · Allocates existing resources to educational institutions that train qualified nurses so that nursing programs can be expanded without compromising the quality of education. · Creates a grant fund with existing resources as an incentive for students who choose the nursing profession. I have over 25 years experience as a working public health nurse and have seen firsthand patient wait time increase for non-emergency care. We need to act now and address the problem so that Oregonians continue to get the healthcare they deserve. Casino Sighting Bill Senate Bill 1042 is a Casino Bill. I appreciate all the calls and letters of support in favor of Senate Bill 1042, the bill gives locals control over local decisions. We believe the voters of East County should have the final say on whether a Casino Mega Complex gets built in Wood Village, not the voters from across the state who will not feel the direct impacts of the development. I listened to concerns from a diverse group of stakeholders to determine the best possible solution for Oregon and the residents of Wood Village , Fairview , Troutdale, and Gresham . This solution allows our cities to grow in the best way—through a truly Democratic process. Healthy Kids As a legislator who has spent over twenty years as a nurse, I know we need comprehensive healthcare reform. In order to be effective, we need a healthcare system that is evidence based and addresses cost containment efficiencies. There are a number of health related bills in play this session, many of which are general building blocks for comprehensive reform. But first, we need to expand children’s access to care. During the 2006 interim, I worked on the Healthy Kid’s Plan. Senate Bill 31 is the Healthy Kids Plan. All children under 19 years of age have the option of a health care card that will help their families pay for children’s healthcare expenses. We are struggling to pass the bill out of the House, where five Republican votes are needed to fund the plan. I am hopeful that the House will persuade the Republicans to pass this important legislation. Health Policy and Public Affairs Committee 2007 has been a busy year for legislation in the health policy and public affairs committee which I chair. We have passed 61 Senate bills and 6 House bills out of my committee so far. A total of 67 bills altogether have been passed out of health policy and public affairs. I am very proud of my committee and the work we’ve done so far. Contact Us: Please feel free to contact me. It is important for me to know what concerns the people in my district have. My office is always open.