Salem, OR — Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced her priorities for the 2025 legislative session. Her priorities focus on staying the course on addressing homelessness and housing supply, mental health and addiction care, and improving outcomes for Oregon K-12 students.
Governor Kotek supports investments aligned with her recommended budget and looks forward to continued engagement with legislators on additional topics such as a comprehensive transportation package, stable funding for the Oregon Health Plan, child welfare outcomes, addressing the public defense crisis, and wildfire suppression and community resilience funding.
“This legislative session carries a clear charge for all of us: to tackle problems with purpose and embrace opportunities for change together,” Governor Kotek said. “As we talk today about big ideas, we can’t forget why we’re here: Oregonians who don’t know where they’ll sleep tonight. The person in our lives who wants mental health care and can’t get it. Children who are brimming with promise and who rely on us to get their education right. Hard working Oregonians who are wondering how they’re going to make ends meet. We’re here because we have the opportunity to make their lives better, now and in the future.”
Building on Progress to Address Homelessness and Housing Supply
Governor Kotek’s housing and homelessness agenda this session will build on her successful track record of getting people off the streets and increasing housing production. Her priorities include legislation that supports increased production of “middle housing” housing options, stronger pathways to home ownership, and the establishment of a Tribal housing grant program. She will also support setting up statewide shelter program standards and establishing a program that funds water, wastewater, stormwater, and transportation infrastructure needed for new housing production.
Strengthening Mental Health and Addiction Care
Governor Kotek’s vision is to make mental health and addiction care accessible no matter where you live and what you can afford. Her behavioral health agenda will close gaps in the current system and expand access to the types of care that Oregonians need.
To meet the growing need, Oregon needs a vibrant workforce. Organizations are not operating at full capacity because they do not have an adequate workforce to meet current demand, particularly for individuals with the highest level of acuity. The Governor is prioritizing investments in Oregon’s workforce and increasing capacity, concurrently. She has directed her team to develop a new model of permanent supportive housing that can more effectively serve people with serious mental health needs who can live independently with enhanced on-site services.
Improving Outcomes for Oregon Students
The Governor’s education agenda will better resource our schools and hold them accountable for the outcomes that Oregon students and families deserve.
To create as much fiscal certainty for school districts as possible, the Governor worked last year to increase the current service level for the State School Fund by $600 million, leading to a historic total investment of $11.36 billion in the Governor’s Recommended Budget. Her proposal will codify an updated process for calculating the State School Fund to provide more accurate and predictable funding for K-12 public education across Oregon.
Increased investment must come with better outcomes for Oregon students. The focal point of the Governor’s 2025 education agenda is deeper accountability for districts, schools, and the state. When a district’s numbers show failure for their students, direct assistance should be deployed toward better student outcomes. The Governor will introduce a plan in the coming weeks to create a clear continuum of support for districts and schools. The legislation will run in tandem with a set of administrative actions to better support schools and districts.
Staying the Course
This session, the Oregon Legislature will pass budgets for the next two years. The Governor will support the recommended budget she released in December that builds on the progress from her first two years in office.
Additional Priorities
Other legislative priorities include stable funding for wildfire mitigation and suppression, and a transportation package that fully funds the operations and maintenance of Oregon’s transportation system.
Governor Kotek will also support legislation that advances Oregon’s climate resilience, improves state government operations, and reduces consumer costs.