Recently, Oregon State Senator Lisa Reynolds, MD (D-Portland), was appointed as Chair of the newly formed Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health. This committee will focus on upstream solutions to some of Oregon’s toughest challenges with substance use disorder, behavioral health treatment, childcare, early learning, and more. Senator Reynolds is also a practicing pediatrician and the only physician in the state legislature.
“I am incredibly honored to lead this committee and to ensure that Oregon’s youngest residents aren’t forgotten about in our policymaking process,” said Reynolds. “Focusing on kids, especially our youngest kids, is the right thing to do – and it’s also the right investment to make. These upstream solutions have an enormous positive effect throughout the lifespan.”
Senator Reynolds will also serve as a member of the Senate Committee on Healthcare and the Senate Committee on Human Services. She previously chaired the House Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services during her service in the Oregon House of Representatives. These policy portfolios pair well with Reynolds’ stated priority for the 2025 legislative session of passing “Momnibus” — a package of policies focused on social determinants of health for families in pregnancy and the first year of life. The package includes proposals on housing stability, financial support, doula and traditional health worker coverage, substance use, and behavioral health treatment access for mothers, parents, and babies.
“This session, this committee, and this package of policies is our chance to really make a difference. It’s not enough to say we support kids and we support behavioral health — we need to make these areas a real priority,” said Reynolds. “As the saying goes, it’s far cheaper to put a fence at the top of the cliff than to keep sending an ambulance to the bottom of the cliff. This committee will help us do just that.”
About Senator Reynolds:
Senator Lisa Reynolds, MD, is an Oregon state senator, a mom, and a pediatrician serving children and families in Washington & Multnomah Counties. She was first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2020, was re-elected in 2022, and was then appointed to the Oregon State Senate in 2024. She serves Senate District 17, which spans from Portland’s Cathedral Park neighborhood through Downtown and Northwest Portland to parts of Beaverton, Hillsboro, Bethany, Cedar Mill, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Senator Reynolds is laser-focused on making Oregon the best place to grow up by reducing child poverty, improving infant and maternal health outcomes, combating gun violence, and securing housing and health for every Oregonian child. She serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health, where she is committed to directing the state towards upstream solutions to socioeconomic inequities. Her pediatric practice grounds her work and informs everything she does in the legislature.
