Oregon Senate President gives update as legislative session nears finish line
From homeless funding to potential Medicaid cuts to talk of changing Oregon's kicker and more.
Oregon Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) brought an update on this week's Eye on Northwest Politics, detailing how the legislature intends to navigate a shrinking general fund, trade uncertainty, school districts needing help and other issues.
Watch the full interview in the video above.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
People abuse Medicaid. That's why Trump's Big Beautiful Bill makes it stronger.
My Democratic colleagues in Congress have spread misinformation about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, claiming that it is a disaster for families. That's simply untrue. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump tasked Congress with developing a bill that enacts his domestic policy agenda and kickstarts the American economy. This piece of legislation, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was signed into law by the president on July 4. It accomplished its goal of providing tax relief for Kentucky families, securing our border, investing in our military readiness, unleashing American energy and strengthening Medicaid for our most vulnerable Americans. In Congress, I am honored to serve as the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. At the onset of the work on the One Big Beautiful Bill, we were tasked with finding $880 billion in savings from our committee's jurisdiction. The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill includes over $1 trillion in savings from my committee's jurisdiction. To accomplish this, we worked to eliminate reckless Green New Deal environmental regulations, promote American energy dominance and eliminate waste, fraud and abuse within the Medicaid program. As you may have seen in the news over the past few weeks, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have spread misinformation about this bill, claiming that it is a disaster for Kentucky families. That's simply untrue. Let's take a moment to address a few of the false narratives that have been spread to scare the American people. Opinion: Trump isn't gutting Medicaid and food stamps. He's fixing our broken welfare system. Truth and lies about the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and Medicaid Allegation: Single mothers, children, seniors and people with disabilities will lose access to health care. Truth: The Medicaid provisions included in the One Big Beautiful Bill ensure our most vulnerable Americans continue receiving the support they need. It strengthens the program by removing deceased recipients from the Medicaid rolls, requiring states to conduct more frequent eligibility checks for the expansion population, ensuring that individuals are not enrolled in multiple states and enacting commonsense work requirements for able-bodied Americans who choose not to work. Additionally, our bill expands access to home and community based services for low-income seniors and individuals living with a disability. Allegation: Work requirements are a 'ruse' to force people off Medicaid. Truth: According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, there are 4.8 million able-bodied adults currently on Medicaid who don't work. A survey showed this population spends roughly 184 hours a month watching television and socializing – that's 50% higher than employed beneficiaries. Your Turn: Medicaid handouts only create dependency. Able-bodied adults should work. | Opinion Forum Our bill enacts basic work requirements to require individuals to be employed, participate in job training, go to school or volunteer in their communities for just 20 hours per week to receive Medicaid. Notably, the One Big Beautiful Bill exempts people ages under 19 or over 65, pregnant women, tribal members, caregivers of children and seniors with disabilities and parents with dependents under 15. I believe most people would agree it's appropriate to expect able-bodied, unemployed adults on Medicaid to work or give back to their communities to receive fully subsidized health insurance. Kentuckians' support for these policies is strong, as this year, the Kentucky General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to overturn Gov. Andy Beshear's veto and institute a similar state-level work requirement. Allegation: Over 35 Kentucky hospitals are at risk of closing as a direct result of this bill. Truth: The allegation that 35 rural hospitals will close is a blatant mischaracterization at best. This number stems from a list of hospitals that generally receive high levels of Medicaid funding or experienced three consecutive years of negative total profit margin. This claim fails to mention the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program created by the bill to support rural health providers care for their patients. This will bolster funding for our most vulnerable hospitals and allow them to keep serving their communities. Trump's bill refocuses Medicaid to cover the most vulnerable Our legislation eliminates restrictive Biden-Harris era state requirements, forcing ineligible individuals to remain enrolled, and lifts Americans out of poverty by encouraging reentry into the workforce. By cutting top-down mandates, we refocus Medicaid dollars to cover the most vulnerable and give states' budgets the ability to further invest in hospitals. Spending in the Medicaid program continues to chart an unsustainable path, growing at twice the rate of inflation between 2018 and 2023. If not addressed, the program will no longer have the capacity to serve its intended purpose. In order to preserve this safety net for generations to come, Republicans have committed to policies that empower states to care for our most vulnerable Americans – pregnant women, children, individuals living with a disability and low-income seniors. The One Big Beautiful Bill is a commonsense win that strengthens Medicaid for Kentucky's most vulnerable, and I'm proud to have supported its passage. Congressman Brett Guthrie has served the people of Kentucky's Second District in Congress since 2009. He currently serves as chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. This column originally appeared in the Courier Journal.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Early voting starts in Newton County for August election
NEWTON COUNTY, Mo. — The August election is just days away. That means early voting is underway in Newton County. It's a short ballot, a countywide use tax question for all residents of Newton County as well as a city use tax for those living in Neosho. The county clerk's office is open tomorrow, August 2, to cast a ballot; that's from 8:00 a.m. until noon. You can also vote on Monday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Tuesday is election day, with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Voting hours summary: Friday, August 2, Newton County Clerk's Office — 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Monday, August 5, Newton County Clerk's Office — 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 6, ELECTION DAY — 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. We'll have the latest election results that night on KODE Action 12 News at 10 and online right here at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
14 hours ago
- CBS News
Minnesota DHS moves to terminate housing stability program amid fraud investigation
The Minnesota Department of Human Services says it's making moves to terminate the Housing Stabilization Services program as federal authorities investigate fraud tied to the program. DHS' Temporary Commissioner Shireen Gandhi wrote a letter Friday to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requesting to end the program. Housing Stabilization Services is a newer Minnesota Medical Assistance benefit meant to help find and maintain homes for people with disabilities or the elderly. But a search warrant filed earlier this month in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota details a "massive scheme to defraud" the program. "DHS is rooting out fraud wherever we find it. We cannot allow one more cent of taxpayer money going out the door to providers who claim to serve Minnesotans in need of stable housing while lining their pockets for personal gain," said DHS Temporary Commissioner Shireen Gandhi. "As I made clear in my letter to CMS, our own data analysis has shown that this program does not have the necessary controls to stop bad actors, and we are urging CMS to approve our request to end this program as swiftly as possible." What was originally estimated in 2020 to cost taxpayers about $2.5 million a year ended up costing $104 million in 2024. The FBI in the warrant called the housing program "extremely vulnerable to fraud." Earlier this week, Gov. Tim Walz said he'd stopped payments to 50 program recipients. DHS said it has since issued 11 payment withholds to HSS providers. DHS Inspector General James Clark said a data analysis revealed "too many fraudulent, unqualified bad actors have likely stolen money from our state's taxpayers, and also cheated Minnesotans who need housing services." The human services department added that it intends to redesign and relaunch the benefit, working with the legislature and providers to create a robust program.
