Protecting consumers, seniors, and vulnerable Oregonians
Whenever I find out that someone has been taken advantage of, I get angry. And when I find out there’s a way we could have done better, or helped prevent it, I take action.
Consumers, seniors, college students, people in fragile health, and others: in these four examples you’ll recognize news stories that spurred my action to pass bills. This gives you an idea of my values, and where I’ll keep working.
College students were paying outrageous fees on debit cards, and couldn’t get out of it because the card was linked to their student loan. I passed a bill to stop it.
Three seniors died in a residential care facility of an entirely preventable skin disease. No one took the appropriate action to help them, and the workers who do recognize these situations have been afraid to report it, threatened with their jobs. I passed a bill requiring training, reporting, and kitchen inspections.
A senior who was appointed a guardian was forbidden from going out with her own children to the grocery store, even going to visit her husband’s grave, without also being accompanied by the guardian’s appointed caretaker. Meanwhile the money was draining. I passed a bill that enables judicial review whenever a guardian wants to take away someone’s right to visit with their family or close friends.
Health insurance companies were sending information to the state to request increases in rates, but it was “behind the scenes.” I passed a bill to require that it be posted, immediately, on the web, so consumer watchdogs could go to work reviewing it.