Despite uncertainty around the impact of a new administration and Congress nationally, local lawmakers appeared generally upbeat about the legislative session ahead.
Their discussion at the Multnomah County’s 2025 State Legislative Breakfast opened with a presentation of policy priorities from Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and Commissioners Meghan Moyer, Shannon Singleton, Julia Brim-Edwards and Vince Jones-Dixon. The presentation then gave way to remarks from local legislators.
“I just want to give a shout out to the County,” District 45 House Rep. Thuy Tran said following the County delegation. “Especially Chair Vega Pederson for working with the City of Portland.”
Tran had held a regular monthly meeting with constituents in her district on Jan. 3, and said attendees “were very optimistic about our county and city because the Chair is working with the Mayor.”
“We don’t know how successful things will be,” Tran added. “But (a) little movement … increases the livability of our community. So I encourage the County to continue working with the City and the State to make this happen.”
The Jan. 8 morning gathering, an annual discussion held over breakfast ahead of the state’s legislative session, was hosted by Multnomah County’s Office of Government Relations at Midland Library. This year’s legislative session begins Tuesday, Jan. 21.
The Chair and board members were joined by County Auditor Jennifer McGuirk, Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, Multnomah County Tribal Relations Liaison JR Lilly, and several County department directors.
In addition to Rep. Tran, local legislators present included Sens. Lisa Reynolds, District 17, and Khanh Pham, District 23; and Reps. Mark Gamba, District 41; Rob Nosse, District 42; Tawna D. Sanchez, District 43; Travis Nelson, District 44; Willy Chotzen, District 46; Andrea Valderrama, District 47; Hoa Nguyen, District 48.
Chair Vega Pederson’s welcoming words commended the collaboration with and among legislators that has helped to build more housing to get people off the streets and provide critical healthcare.
“We just wanted to use this as an opportunity in this upcoming legislative session to build on that and to continue to do that really important work and that strong partnership,” the Chair said, stressing that the relationships with legislators will be especially important this session in the face of a federal administration that local officials worry will be less friendly to Oregon.
“We know we’re facing headwinds,’’ Vega Pederson said. “But I am feeling optimistic about what we can do here locally, what we are going to be able to do together — not just to stand strong about what changes might happen at the federal level, but also to really be working together with our own resources.”
Policy priorities cited by the Chair and board members included affordable housing; behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment and services; full funding for community corrections; and a sobering and crisis stabilization center.
Each legislator who attended the breakfast is a committee chair, co-chair or vice-chair:
- Chairs – Sen. Lisa Reynolds, Senate Committee On Early Childhood and Behavioral Health; Sen. Khanh Pham, Senate Committee On Housing and Development; Rep. Rob Nosse, House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care; Rep. Tran, House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans
- Co-chairs – Rep. Nosse, Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Capital Construction; Rep. Tawna Sanchez, Joint Committee On Legislative Audits, and Joint Committee On Ways and Means; Rep. Andrea Valderrama, Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Human Services
- Vice-chairs – Rep. Mark Gamba, House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment; Rep. Travis Nelson, House Committee On Behavioral Health and Health Care; Rep. Willy Chotzen, House Committee On Judiciary; Rep. Hoa Nguyen, House Committee On Early Childhood and Human Services.
Remarks from Rep. Valderrama, co-chair of the Legislature’s Ways and Means subcommittee on human services, summed up the tone of the meeting.
“[T]hey are very much values aligned as we look at this upcoming session in prioritizing essential services for our communities in most need,’’ she said. “Whether they are addiction treatment services, whether they are for our elders and aging population, whether they are for our child welfare program, it’s so important to me.”
