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Greetings!
Welcome to the first "House Calls" of the 2007
legislative session. We're hard at work on the first
bills of the session, including critical health care and
education legislation. In each issue, you'll find
details about the legislation we're working on, as well
as helpful tips for staying safe, healthy, and informed
about subjects that matter to southern Oregon.
Click on the links at the left to skip to your
interest areas, or feel free to read the entire
newsletter. As always, we value your input, so please
e-mail or call us if you'd like to share your opinion.
My staff and I are here to represent you, so do not
hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or
requests for assistance. Thanks for reading, and please
enjoy the newsletter.
In Health,
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The Oregon Health Fund
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Because Nobody Should Go
Without Health Care
This session, Senator Bates and Senator
Westlund are co-chairs for the Senate Special
Committee on Health Care Reform. This committee
will develop the blueprint for access to primary
and preventative health care for all Oregonians
and tackle the daunting task of reigning in health
care costs for individuals, businesses and the
state.
Over the interim, Senator Bates chaired the
Senate Commission on Health Care Access &
Affordability, which included other legislators,
health care advocates, industry representatives
and stakeholders. During the 16 months the
Commission met it heard extensive expert and
public testimony all reinforcing the commission's
initial value statement that “incremental changes
will not solve our state's health care crises...
Comprehensive reform is required.”
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New Committees |
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Sen. Bates' Committee
Assignments for the 2007 Session
Senator Bates holds one of the largest
committee assignments of any legislator (five). He
was appointed co-chair of the Special Committee on
Health Care Reform, charged with developing a plan
for universal health care before the end of the
session. Dr. Bates also serves on three
appropriations committees as well as Environment
and Natural Resources.
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The Oregon Channel |
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Watch the Legislature in
Action!
New this Session: the Oregon Channel! This
innovative TV station allows you to watch your
legislators in committees and on the floor. If the
channel is unavailable where you live, you can
view it at no cost online: www.OregonChannel.org.
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The Oregon Prescription Drug Program
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OPDP now helps more people
than ever
Prior to 2006, the OPDP helped elderly
Oregonians without health insurance purchase
prescription drugs. In November, Measure 44
expanded the OPDP to assist citizens of all ages
without prescription drug coverage. All Oregonians
are eligible to obtain a prescription drug card
that will offer substantial savings at
participating pharmacies.
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How a Bill Becomes a Law
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A Primer on the Legislative
Process
The Oregon legislative process can be
complicated, but we've provided information here
to hopefully make it a bit more understandable.
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GovDelivery: E-mail Updates
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Sign up for automatic updates
from your favorite committees
This new, easy-access system allows you to
receive agendas by e-mail for the committees you
care about, as well as other government news and
information. Sign up below!
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