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January 6, 2025
Hello Friends, Family, and Neighbors,
Welcome to my first newsletter of 2025! Since my office took a bit of time off to rest and recharge before what promises to be a busy 2025 legislative session, I decided we wouldn’t do a newsletter last week. Plus, it was the holidays. There frankly wasn’t too much to report. Since I didn’t do a year in review at the end of 2024, this newsletter will be a special newsletter highlighting all the big events of last year while looking ahead to the upcoming year. Be forewarned, it is a little long and text heavy.
Before I get started I was saddened to learn that former president Jimmy Carter died on December 29 though he did live to be 100 years old, making him the longest living president ever in our Nation’s history. As president, he championed human rights and the environment. While he only served one term, Carter set a lifelong example of why kindness and compassion are important traits in politicians and frankly living a life of service after serving in elected office. For what it is worth, he is also the first President I really remember. His election, many of the events of his presidency, and of course, his loss to Ronald Reagan are among my many first political memories.
Okay, on to the newsletter and a year in review.
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2024 stormed out of the gates with a fiery legislative “short” session that would have major political implications for the rest of the year (note: the Oregon constitution prescribes that legislative sessions in even-numbered years can only last 35 days, hence why they’re called short sessions; sessions in odd-numbered years are allowed to be 180 days, thus why we call them long sessions).
The main topic the legislature HAD to address was the ongoing challenges around Ballot Measure 110.
BM 110 passed in November, 2020, and decriminalized drug possession for all kinds of drugs in Oregon — including methamphetamine and heroin. As you may recall, a lot of other turbulent events were driving history that year, including criminal justice reform protests that sometimes turned violent in downtown Portland. Oh, and a once-in-a-century pandemic. I mention all this, because it is important context to how we get to 2024. I will try to be brief.
Both the pandemic, and to an extent the protests, shuttered downtown Portland. On top of that, the pandemic exploded Oregon’s already burgeoning housing crisis, which is also a west coast driven problem about under-production of affordable housing. Then, dangerous new drugs like fentanyl and P2P methamphetamine landed in Oregon at the worst possible time. The result? A very visible houseless population and LOTS of public drug use. There was also a national crime wave.
Okay, now we’re just about caught up to 2024. I promise.
Our state really struggled to implement all the changes that came with BM 110. The measure appropriated tax revenue from cannabis sales to fund addiction treatment programs, but the pandemic made it difficult for OHA to get those dollars to counties fast enough to address the crisis playing out on streets across Oregon. By summer of 2023, Portland was a national joke (I hate to say it) and businesses were leaving Portland, or at least threatening to do so.
Initial drafts were more appealing to the Keep BM 110 side. They made possession of drugs a Class C misdemeanor, which only came with a small fine and up to 30 days in jail. That didn’t fly with Republicans, who wanted much harsher penalties, like a year in jail. Even though I wanted some penalties for possession, I still felt like that was too far. In the end, a compromise measure was drafted. House Bill 4002 passed overwhelmingly in both chambers, although it drew “no” votes from Democrats and Republicans as well. Included in HB 4002 was the novel creation of an “unclassified” misdemeanor, meaning the penalties associated with breaking the new law weren’t lettered (as in, they weren’t a Class A or Class B misdemeanor). Penalties for being caught possessing drugs included some fines and up to 6 months in jail, BUT there’s a twist. If a defendant successfully completed a newly established deflection program, they could get their charges dropped from their record. Since deflection is county-based, it will look different depending on where you live. Deflection is designed to be a marriage between behavioral health programs and the criminal justice system. The thinking is that law enforcement often has the initial exposure to people using difficult and dangerous drugs in public, so the responsibility of quite literally getting drugs off our streets falls on them. Once a person has a law enforcement interaction, it’s up to the courts and county governments to guide a defendant through various programs to hopefully lead to long-term sobriety.
Ultimately, nobody ended up paying a political price for failing to address the most pressing problem facing Oregon at the time. Frankly, as someone who spends a lot of time driving all around our community I can think it is getting better. I know it doesn’t always feel that way, but what our state, county, and city governments are doing is making it better. We still have a deep hole to climb out of, but I believe we are starting to climb out of it. HB 4002 was part of that progress.
But wait, there’s more! If you thought one history-making piece of legislation was all we were going to do in 2024 then think again. In a historic agreement, then majority leader (and now House Speaker) Julie Fahey and then minority leader Jeff Helfrich brokered a major deal with business and labor to pass Oregon’s first real campaign finance reform law. Wow. Although this major bill was overshadowed by HB 4002, (even I did not really know the negotiations were happening) this bill will still go down in history as a major change to how campaigns work in Oregon. Much like HB 4002, Oregon’s campaign finance bill was caught in the middle of grassroots activists who wanted stricter limits and people who actually work around campaigns who wanted something more applicable to the reality of campaigning here in Oregon. I know we can all get tired of political ads, but it is really hard for state and local candidates to break through all the other noise we see in the form of commercials for car insurance, fast food, or even the higher profile campaigns for president or Congress. In short, the bill that passed, House Bill 4024, established donation limits for individuals at $3300, which is the same at the federal level. There are other limits for candidate organizations and political action committees. The bill also created new reporting requirements for PACs to disclose their donors, making it harder for wealthy individuals to mask their donations.
Lastly, I also had some personal victories in the 2024 legislative session. During short sessions, legislators are limited to introducing only two concepts. Both of mine passed! The first was a package to secure more arts funding. Ultimately, the seven anchor arts organizations in Oregon (they’re called the anchors because these are the largest arts and cultural venues in the state) received $6,000,000 while $7,800,000 went to capital constructions for various projects across the state.
My other bill, HB 4092, called for two important studies/work groups to address critical needs of our behavioral health system. The first was a full accounting of what it costs to fully fund community mental health programs (CMHPs). These are the vital programs that our counties run and our communities depend on to assist our most vulnerable Oregonians. These programs are also expensive to operate. We need a full roadmap to see just how much these programs actually need to be successful, and my bill creates that roadmap. The second component is a workgroup to delineate the responsibilities between CMHPs and coordinated care organizations (CCOs). CHMPs were established in the 1960s while CCOs were established as part of a major health care reform here in Oregon in 2012. Since then, the two entities have had dual, often competing responsibilities over a variety of similar programs. There’s some pretty redundant language within the two sections of law governing these two very important entities, so it was a big deal that we sort through all the ways our own laws can trip us up.
All in all, the 2024 session was at times messy, but sometimes democracy can be messy. We landed the plane. In a final honor, I got to deliver the final speech closing out the session on the House side. Here’s my speech which, if you asked me, is one of the better ones I have given over the years though, I might be biased.
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State, Federal, Multnomah County District Attorney Elections
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The political world rocketed out of the frying pan that ended up being a productive session and into the fire of competitive primaries in May. All six of Oregon’s Members of Congress were on the ballot. There were two Democratic primaries that ultimately changed the course of Oregon politics. There were also three statewide races, although those were ultimately decided in the November election. Some retirements, coupled with people running for higher offices, meant turnover in the state legislature. Then right here in Multnomah County, there were fiery races for District Attorney and Multnomah County Commission.
Here we go.
Real quick, a fluke of political circumstances created a situation where all three of Oregon’s statewide elected officials up in 2024 were running in open races. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum chose not to seek a fourth term, creating an open race there. The sitting Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade was appointed after her predecessor resigned in a scandal, and Griffin-Valade chose not to seek another term, creating an opening for that office. That prompted State Treasurer Tobias Read to run, creating an open seat there too! In the end, Speaker of the House Dan Rayfield became the Democratic nominee for AG, Tobias Read became the nominee for Secretary of State, and State Senator Elizabeth Steiner became the nominee for State Treasurer. Plot twist: they all won in November too. I know, shocking that a group of Democrats won statewide races in Oregon. I am not going to spend any more time on those elections, because they just aren’t as noteworthy as other races I am going to talk about.
Okay, there were two tense Democratic primaries for congressional seats right here in the Portland metro area. The first happened because longtime Congressman Earl Blumenauer, who has been my representative in Congress quite literally the entire time I’ve lived in Portland (seriously, I moved here in May, 1996, the exact same month and year he took office), made the decision to step down at the end of his term. There were three candidates to replace Congressman Blumenauer: State Representative Maxine Dexter, County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal, and Gresham councilor Eddie Morales. Eddie is an actual friend of mine of many years, so he’s who I endorsed in the primary. Since the district has such a strong Democratic tilt, it was all but assured that whoever won in the primary would win the seat in November. Eddie has spent several years of his life cultivating a strong grassroots following, and ran a great ground game. Still, that was not enough to compete between the fundraising juggernauts that Rep. Dexter and Commissioner Jayapal commanded. Commissioner Jayapal’s sister is Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who has a strong grassroots following among progressive activists nationwide of her own. Commissioner Jayapal tapped into this national network, which included Bernie Sanders. Yeah, that Bernie Sanders. Meanwhile, national donors who had concerns about Commissioner Jayapal’s stances on the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine sided with Rep. Dexter. Their dollars fueled Dexter’s victory. She ultimately won a decisive victory and has now taken office at Congresswoman Maxine Dexter. Congrats Congresswoman and good luck! Given the “practice” you got working in the Oregon Legislature I am confident you will do a very solid job.
A similarly hard fought campaign occurred in Oregon’s sprawling fifth Congressional District, which stretches all the way from Clackamas County to Bend. In 2022, attorney and progressive activist Jamie McLeod Skinner ousted incumbent Congressman Kurt Schrader in the Democratic Primary, before ultimately losing to Republican Lori Chavez Deremer. McLeod Skinner came back in 2024, but she would have to go through State Representative Janelle Bynum first. Rep. Bynum had been serving in the legislature since 2016, and even beat Congresswoman Chavez Deremer in a few races for the legislature. While McLeod Skinner had a small but mighty following among Democratic activists in Bend, Rep. Bynum was well known in the more populated Clackamas County. She had the backing of many prominent Democrats, including Governor Tina Kotek, members of Oregon’s congressional delegation, and even yours truly. Rep. Bynum ended up beating McLeod Skinner, setting up one of the most competitive congressional elections in the country. Oregon’s 5th Congressional District is Oregon’s most closely divided district in terms of political party representation. This means/meant that national Republican and Democratic groups had all eyes on Oregon, as control of the U.S. House of Representatives could quite literally come down to the OR-05. In the end, Rep. Bynum beat her old political opponent, flipping the seat back to Democratic hands. Unfortunately, this did not result in Democrats winning control of the chamber, but more on that below.
New House members are Republicans Christine Drazan (though she is not actually new, as she is returning to the legislature), Alek Skarlatos, Darcey Edwards, and Darin Harbick. Darin Harbick beat outgoing Rep. Charlie Conrad, who was the lone Republican to vote for HB 2002 in 2023, which was a major bill protecting abortion in our state. To say that Conrad caught flack as a Republican voting for a pro-choice bill would be an understatement. His house was protested, and major anti-abortion groups spent a lot against him. It took a ton of courage for Rep. Conrad to vote the way he did. He was also a solid legislator. Another Republican I will deeply miss is Christine Goodwin. Rep. Goodwin served as my Vice Chair on the Behavioral Health and Health Care committee, and ran for a State Senate seat. She unfortunately lost in the primary, and won’t be returning to the legislature this year. We didn’t always agree, but she was a wonderful help to me on dealing with the challenges that PBMs create for pharmacists, particularly rural pharmacists and pharmacies.
That summer, Schmidt came out the gate pledging not to aggressively prosecute some of the protesters engaging in property crimes during the George Floyd protests. As I described above, Portland became gripped in a nationwide crime wave and a flood of difficult and dangerous drugs. Property crime, thefts, gun violence, and murders all reached some of the highest rates in decades. When we’re in the middle of a crime wave, the blame gets laid at the feet of the top law enforcement of a county.
Mike Schmidt fell victim to the same political circumstances that DAs in cities like Philadelphia and San Francisco lost their own elections in. I strongly supported Mike Schmidt and his vision for a fairer justice system, and I also felt that Nathan Vasquez didn’t really run a compelling campaign. (It’s going to take a lot more than saying “I’m not Mike Schmidt” to convince me to vote for you). Still, that was enough for Portlanders fed up with rising crime and public drug use. Mike Schmidt lost in an expensive, bitter, election. I will miss Mike a lot. I consider him a friend, but he lost and so I am prepared to see what the new DA does/brings to the role, and work with him as best as I can.
I have some more thoughts about other elections below, but as you can tell there were supremely consequential elections that shaped the future of our state. We have three new statewide executives, two new members of Congress, a new District Attorney, and a whole host of new state legislators. In the next section, I will touch upon the other main elections we saw happen in our city and county.
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Trump, and new leaders at the City of Portland and Multnomah County Commission
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So let’s be honest, I think a lot of us (almost all of us who read this newsletters), myself included, were heartbroken about the results of the national election. Donald Trump's return to the White House signals a political shift that is difficult for many to accept, and downright terrifying for many more, especially those of us who care deeply about protecting civil rights, advancing equity, fixing immigration while protecting immigrant communities, and safeguarding democracy. This is a tough time in our history for sure. While federal leadership may not reflect our values, Oregonians can take pride in the meaningful steps we’re taking at the state level to protect our residents and uphold the principles we hold dear.
In recent years, Oregon has led the way on issues like reproductive rights, climate action, and housing. With the passage of laws that ensure access to abortion care, protect LGBTQ+ Oregonians, our state has shown that progress is still possible, even when federal politics seem to stall it.
Looking ahead, we have a lot of work to do. We are doubling down on efforts to expand behavioral health services, solve our homelessness crisis, tackle gun violence, ensure our schools are funded and thriving, and hell, just getting things to work. This editorial in the Oregonian yesterday reflects a lot of my priorities for the coming session. We’re also continuing the fight to protect Oregon’s natural beauty and address the growing impacts of climate change. These are the issues that touch our daily lives, and they’re where state leadership can make the biggest difference.
BUT! November’s results weren’t all bad, on the local level we had a number of major milestones. With a new mayor and a revamped City Council, we’re entering a fresh chapter for Portland. Keith Wilson is stepping into the role of Mayor, and he’s hitting the ground running with big ideas to tackle homelessness, improve public safety, and bring new energy to City Hall. His background as a business leader and nonprofit founder gives him a unique perspective, and I’m hopeful about the solutions he’s bringing to the table. I am not just saying that, as most of you I did not endorse him. Moving on. I am fully committed to giving the guy a chance.
Our City Council also just got a major upgrade with the move to district-based representation since we passed charter reform back in 2022. This change means every part of Portland will have a stronger voice, and we’re already seeing the benefits with the incredible diversity and fresh perspectives of our new councilors. I’m especially excited about the new councilors representing District 3. Tiffany Koyama-Lane, Steve Novick, and Angelita Morillo are going to bring experience, passion, and a variety of ideas to the Council and I’m excited to chat with them and the other councilors once everyone has settled in and figured out where the staplers and paper clips are kept. I even have a prior working relationship with the new City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney, who I worked with when she worked at the AFL-CIO and whom I worked with when she worked for now former Governor Kate Brown. We also saw some new folks elected to the Multnomah County Commission, including Meghan Moyer who I was proud to endorse during the campaign. I'm excited to see her work hard on behalf of Multnomah residents.
This new leadership team brings a ton of potential, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together. The road ahead won’t be without its challenges, but I know we’ve got the right people in place to make some big strides for our city.
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Looking Ahead to the 2025 Legislative Session
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We’ve got the 2025 legislative session starting soon, and I have a full plate of bills I plan on leading on that I want to share with you.
This year, we’re tackling some of the state’s biggest challenges with a focus on transportation, healthcare, and the arts—all while keeping education front and center.
Transportation is a cornerstone of this session’s priorities. ODOT has a HUGE budget shortfall, and shoring that up is a MUST-DO for the legislature this year. Without finding a way to make ODOT whole, our state is really going to struggle to take care of our most basic transportation needs. Oregon’s roads, bridges, and public transit need major investment, and we’re stepping up to meet that need. There are also major transportation projects that we have to figure out how to get funded. A key proposal I am paying attention to this year is funding to improve Powell Boulevard, a critical corridor in Portland’s infrastructure. Projects like this aren’t just about transportation—they’re about creating jobs, improving safety, and building a more resilient Oregon.
I’ll be joining the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee for Capital Construction as the Co-Chair as well, which means funding Oregon’s most important and critical infrastructure projects. There’s going to be a lot to cover on this topic as the session progresses, so stay tuned!
Education is also always a focus, though many of this session’s proposals are still being shaped. The historic first ever strike of Portland Public Schools teachers made it clear that properly funding schools remains a vexing public policy problem. I spent 2024 touring PTAs so I could hear firsthand from parents and educators in my district what their struggles are with our schools. As a parent and grandparent myself, I am personally invested in having the best schools possible. While we wait for details, I’m committed to ensuring our students, teachers, and schools receive the support they need to succeed. Our schools are in crisis, in K-12 education, higher-ed, and trade schools we are seeing drops in funding and enrollment, this has got to change. I’m going to be working closely with my colleagues to make sure we don’t fail our students. Stay tuned for updates as these conversations develop.
Most of you know that healthcare, and specifically Medicaid, is another major priority this year. The legislature did some health policy things in 2024, although HB 4002 was clearly the main health care/behavioral “health care” item of the session. The legislature just ended up leaving a lot of things on the table, namely Representative (and now Majority Leader) Ben Bowman’s bill to curb what’s known as the corporate practice of medicine. The killing of a health insurance CEO has also forced a conversation on insurance and access to care. On top of that, I led a discussion over the summer on CCOs, which resulted in over twenty pieces of legislation on that topic to address technical fixes to the CCO model. My office is also advancing several important bills to strengthen healthcare access and equity. HB 2270 focuses on enhancing Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment, while HB 2148 aims to improve Medicaid reimbursement for hospital stays and cap commercial rates for hospitals. We’re also addressing Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) practices through bills like HB 2149 and HB 3212, which regulate how PBMs operate to ensure fair reimbursement for pharmacists and better service for patients.
Oh, and in 2024 there was a special session to address wildfire funding. I admit that this is just not a topic I have spent a lot of time studying/working on, namely because my district isn't really at risk of burning down because of a wildfire. But there are a lot of districts that are and the lawmakers who represent those parts of Oregon have a lot of thoughts and feelings about how our state should properly pay for our state’s response to wildfires. As wildfires continue to become a harsh reality for Oregon, I suspect we will see several bills that will prompt a big discussion on wildfire funding.
And of course, we can’t forget the arts! Physical and mental health matters, but so does our cultural health. Oregon’s creative sector is a vital part of our state’s identity and economy, and this session we’re bringing forward key proposals to support it. HB 3191 focuses on increasing funding for the Oregon Arts Commission and Oregon Cultural Trust, which would be a huge win in supporting artists across the state. We also have HB 3190 which looks at protecting our state’s historic buildings and ensuring they are maintained responsibly. These bills and others are just a part of my never-ending fight to fund the arts in our state, something which is usually the first to be cut in budget conversations but which is so important to making this a place that people want to live in and visit.
There will be other bills and hot topics as well, but that is enough for now given the length of this update.
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| Highlighting Local Businesses
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In keeping with the spirit of looking back I wanted to include a little bit about cool businesses/places that did not make it to 2025. Yes, this part is a bit of a downer. It’s been a tough year for a lot of small businesses, and while Portland is recovering from the hit we took from COVID, many of our favorite spots are still struggling, including a number of restaurants right here in District 42. I’m sad to see these restaurants around the district close their doors, but just in case you missed the coverage, here’s the list:
1400 SE Morrison St.
This LGBTQ+ bar has been an eastside staple since it opened in 2001, but encountered a number of issues over the course of the last several years, and closed their doors on New Years Eve of 2024. As a gay man I am sorry to see this one close up for sure.
1429 SE 37th Ave.
This longstanding Italian restaurant was a center for the Hawthorne area, being open 30 years, it changed ownership in 2019, and in the last several months has gone quiet and folks have not seen it open in awhile. This was a family celebration and occasional date night staple in my home that I am sorry to see close.
510 NE 28th Ave.
Renowned Portland Chef Ryley Eckersley’s tasting menu restaurant ÄNIKS closed down on October 28 after it was only open for 5 months. In the closure announcement, the team shared that they are reworking their initial idea and will be reopening a new restaurant in the same space. Stay tuned.
2100 SE Clinton St.
Another hit to our local bar scene, the Blacklight closed its doors in early November due to ongoing financial struggles. Hopefully something cool will come to that space. Maybe the drag brunch will come back.
American Dream
This groundbreaking pizzeria, which served its first slices at 4620 N.E. Glisan St. 40 years ago, eventually spinning off a well-loved Corvallis pizzeria chain of the same name, closed unexpectedly in October. The space remains vacant. I used to go there for lunch or a snack when I worked at Oregon Nurses Association and represented the Providence Nurses at the hospital across the street.
Jaciva’s Bakery
This nearly 40-year-old Portland bakery known for its Swiss chocolates and elaborate wedding cakes closed its storefront at 4733 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. this fall. The name was a blend of the first names of owners Jack and Iva Elmer, a couple who met, married and combined their families after meeting at Heidi’s Swiss Village in Troutdale. Before opening Jaciva’s, Jack Elmer attended a finishing school for sweets in Switzerland, where he earned the title of “konditor,” or master pastry chef. This one is near my house. I miss it a lot.
There are more places I could list out, but I don’t want this section to be a total drag! Even with closures and challenges, we are still seeing a very active effort on the part of small businesses to drive foot traffic and make Portland a fun place to live again.
On that note, I also want to give a special shoutout to Kerns being named one of the top 5 neighborhoods in the world! How cool is this? Honestly, it’s no surprise if you’ve ever wandered through. Between the amazing food spots like Screen Door, the cozy coffee shops, and all the breweries, Kerns is a dream for anyone who loves good vibes and great eats. Add in its super walkable streets and the fact that it feels like a small town nestled into a major city, and it’s easy to see why it’s getting global love. Big congrats to Kerns—you’ve earned it! By the way, who gets to decide these things? I would like to make a few other House District 42 suggestions.
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Okay, I know that was a lot. This is easily one of the longest newsletters I have ever done. I apologize that there weren’t any action shots, but most of the things I highlighted didn’t really have exciting pictures to go along with them. Action shots of passing bills are not really that great as far as actual action shots go.
2024 was obviously a busy, sometimes hectic year. There were a lot of successes to be proud of though, and I look forward to continuing that trend in 2025. I will also highlight my SE Examiner column next week as well as I go into some detail about some of the bills I am introducing and hope to pass, though come to think of it I mentioned a few already.
Thanks for reading!
Representative Rob Nosse
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Friends of Rob Nosse PO BOX 42307 | Portland, OR 97242 US
This email was sent to ashley.kuenzi@oregonlegislature.gov.
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