Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility

Oregon’s 2022 short legislative session ended with a number of bills that passed amidst challenging global and local circumstances. With the ongoing pandemic and last summer’s deadly heat waves taking a disproportionate toll on marginalized communities, it was heartening that Oregon’s legislature took action on so many important issues. 

On February 24th, 2022, Oregon PSR and our partners at Southern Oregon Climate Action Now (SOCAN) presented an online webinar exploring the health impacts of gas appliances.

Farmworkers are critical to Oregon’s economy and society. In a year of pandemic, catastrophic fires, and dangerous levels of air quality, farmworkers continued to work, despite serious risks to their health, to make sure that we have food available. It is time that we demonstrate our commitment to economic security for all of our workers by extending overtime pay to farmworkers through House Bill 4002.

In the summer of 2021, Oregon experienced a record heat wave in which at least 96 Oregonians died and countless others suffered due to lack of access to life-saving cooling devices. Over the past few years, Oregonians have faced months of unhealthy air quality from wildfire smoke, along with dangerous ice storms and other extreme weather events worsened by climate change.

As the Oregon legislature engages in a short session, Oregon PSR is once again weighing in on bills that affect the health of Oregonians. One silver lining of another session of remote testimony is that it’s easier to testify from the comfort of home rather than driving to Salem to be heard. Continue reading to see what bills we have been supporting during this legislative session and how you can make an impact.

Oregon PSR recently received the following request for training medical professionals in asylum evaluations from Aryan Sarparast, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University:

"There are currently approximately 60+ Afghans resettled in Oregon, and that number is expected to rise in the coming months. We estimate 300 by September 2022, and 1,200 or more by the end of 2022.

Racism is a public health crisis. Last year, the Oregon legislature declared it to be so by passing House Resolution 6. But we need more than declarations in a crisis – we need action. That’s why during this legislative session Oregon PSR is supporting House Bill 4052, the Racism is a Public Health Crisis Bill, which takes steps to address the health disparities in our state that stem from the long history and current realities of systemic racism. The bill is moving through the Joint Ways and Means committee this week and expected to reach the House and Senate floors for a vote soon.

Over the last few years, one of the many injustices that the COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted is how prisons fail to protect the health of adults in custody. Crowded prisons with insufficient access to masks and hygiene infrastructure have caused Oregonians in prison to become sick and die from COVID-19 at rates that would have been lower had Governor Brown released more prisoners who were deemed safe to leave prison and shelter in homes to avoid the virus.

Major policy change is being voted on by the Portland City Council during the waning days of 2021, when so many people are not paying close attention. Last week, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler introduced an agenda item at a City Council meeting that would once again allow the City of Portland to invest in corporate securities with very few restrictions.

I am devastated to share the news that Oregon PSR Board Member, David Chatfield, has passed away. David was a mentor and a friend for nearly my whole adult life. He joined the Oregon PSR board when he moved to Portland in 2016 and brought an impressive lifetime of activism for justice and career in nonprofit management to strengthen our organization.