A changing, better Oregon Way

A new and better Oregon Way led by diverse leaders is not only possible but essential to the future of our great state of Oregon.

Alberto Moreno successfully led campaigns to make prenatal care a human right as well as health care for all children. Alberto served as the columnist for El Hispanic News and as the Governor appointed board member on the Oregon Humanities Council.

"Oregon Capitol 4" by Modern Relics is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The way Oregon does business is changing. For a century and a half Oregon has conducted business in its own unique way.  This is especially true of how policy architects have historically made policy in Oregon; traditionally this business has been the exclusive domain of a privileged few. 

But as Oregon’s demographics change, this Oregon Way is also changing. People of all backgrounds, for instance, are upending the idea that only a small group of individuals are capable of shaping the future of Oregon. One example: we have the first concurrently seated female LGBTQ Speaker of the House and Governor. 

Change is occurring at the top ranks as well as throughout the state government. The Oregon legislature is becoming less insular and monolithic. Thanks to organized efforts by community advocates, Oregon now has one of the most diverse legislatures in the state’s history. According to the NCSL, the percentage of “White/Caucasian” members of the Oregon Legislative Assembly decreased from 94 percent in 2015 to 84 percent in 2020. Racial diversity, of course, is just one metric for assessing the variety of viewpoints in the legislature, but it’s an especially important metric for a state with a century-plus long history of overt racial discrimination. 

And, it’s a metric that is especially important for people of color in Oregon; communities that in earlier eras had few elected leaders with their background. Now Oregonians of color enjoy more racially-diverse representation in this historically-exclusive governing body. In fact there is now a Black, Indigenous and People of Color caucus. 

As the Legislature becomes more representative of the changing demographics in Oregon, so too does its policy. In an era where light is being shone on long-standing systemic inequities, there is a renewed focus on passing policies which create a more equitable, inclusive Oregon—an Oregon that works for all. 

An example of this new policy focus is a recent bill passed in 2021 by the Oregon Legislature and soon to be signed by the Governor. HB 3352 seeks to extend health care to Oregon’s vital immigrant workforce. HB 3352, cosponsored by Rep. Santos and Sen. Hayward builds on work I helped start alongside the Oregon Latino Health Coalition with the passage of Cover All Kids in 2017. HB 3352 or Cover All People represents the efforts of a robust community coalition and health care providers and is supported by Governor Brown. “All Oregonians must have quality, affordable health care, regardless of who they are or where they live,” said Governor Brown.

HB 3352 expands eligibility for children from up to 19 years of age to age 26 or younger and includes parents of children enrolled in the program who would qualify for medical assistance but for their immigration status. With this bill, we are acting on the vital role immigrant communities in our state and the economic contributions made by this essential workforce, which total more than five billion each and every year.

The passage of HB 3352 is not just a sign of a long overdue focus on racial inequities but also suggests that as young and emergent policymakers are being included in policy making bodies, a new and better Oregon Way is not only possible but essential to the future of our great state of Oregon.