Senate Rules Committee returns SB 818 for referral and advances dozens of gubernatorial appointments to the Senate floor

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Senate Rules Committee on Monday, Feb. 10, 2025, voted to return Senate Bill 818 to the Senate president’s desk for referral to another committee and approved two en‑bloc motions sending dozens of governor‑nominated appointees to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation.

Senate Bill 818, described by staff as a bill that “modifies provisions regarding the duties and discretion of the Oregon Youth Authority to enter into contracts and award grants,” was presented in a brief work session. Leslie, staff for the committee, told members the fiscal and revenue impact statements had been issued to allow the bill to be returned to the president’s desk for referral. “Senate bill 818 modifies provisions regarding the duties and discretion of the Oregon Youth Authority to enter into contracts and award grants,” Leslie said during the summary.

The committee voted on a motion to return the bill “without recommendation as to passage” so it could be referred to another committee. The roll call recorded Senators Bolden, Manning, Patrick, Vice Chair Bonham and Chair Johnson voting aye; the motion passed.

Why it matters: SB 818 would change how the Oregon Youth Authority may contract and disburse grant funds; the committee’s action returns the bill to the president’s desk for referral rather than making a committee recommendation on passage. That procedural step keeps the bill moving through the Senate’s referral process but does not itself approve or reject underlying policy changes.

Public hearing and nominees: The committee then opened an executive‑appointments hearing. Chair JAMA told the room that 60 people had been nominated and that the committee planned to hear from roughly 44 nominees who were present. Nominees were allotted two minutes each, with committee staff warning speakers to wrap up when an on‑screen timer appeared.

Nominees represented a wide range of state boards and commissions. Examples of candidates who testified: Tonia Hoskins (formerly Tanya Clark), nominated to the Long Term Care Administrators Board, described nearly 10 years in long‑term care and her experience overseeing multiple facilities for a provider; Helen Edwards, seeking reappointment to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), said she focuses on the human experience of artificial intelligence and supports HECC goals on accessibility; Jamie Miller and Dr. Mark Shatsky introduced themselves as nominees to the Oregon Patient Safety Commission board, citing clinical and safety leadership experience; Melanie Parrish and Dr. Seth Gunderson appeared as nominees for positions on the Oregon Medical Board, each outlining clinical backgrounds in primary and specialty care.

Committee members asked few follow‑up questions during the hearing; many nominees offered brief personal and professional summaries and left after their testimony. The chair emphasized the limited testimony time and an organizational order of appearance based on the agenda.

En‑bloc motions and votes: After testimony, the committee considered two large en‑bloc motions moving nominees to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation. - First en‑bloc motion (mover: Senator Manning) grouped a long list of nominees across boards (including the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs; the Columbia River Gorge Commission; the Oregon Board of Dentistry; the Board of Forestry; and others). The roll call showed Senators Bolden, Manning and Thatcher voting aye, Vice Chair Bauman voting no, and Chair Johnson voting aye. The motion passed. - Second en‑bloc motion (mover: Senator Manning) advanced additional nominees (including seats on the Health Evidence Review Commission, Oregon Medical Board, and the Oregon State Board of Nursing, and the Universal Health Plan Governing Board). The recorded roll call showed Senators Golden and Manning voting aye, Senator Bassett and Vice Chair Bonham voting no, and Chair Johnson voting aye. That motion also passed.

Dissent and process concerns: Vice Chair Bonham explained on the record that his opposition to portions of the proceedings reflected a procedural concern about the nomination process more broadly — specifically, limited committee visibility into the full candidate pools from the governor’s office before names are presented. He said the complaint was about process, not about the qualifications of individual nominees.

Votes at a glance

- SB 818: Motion to return “without recommendation as to passage” to the Senate president’s desk for referral — Vote recorded: Bolden (Aye), Manning (Aye), Patrick (Aye), Vice Chair Bonham (Aye), Chair Johnson (Aye). Outcome: approved (motion passes).

- First en‑bloc nominations motion (mover: Senator Manning; list included nominees such as Hong Chung, Mason Williams, Scott Wall, Alex Johnson, Keishawn Lewis, Lawrence Arnbrister, Ben O'Glasser, Britta Scott, Jennifer Underhill, Peter Werner, Alexi Lavecchio, Anne Mettler, Joanne Zumbrunnen, Fred Wilson, Todd Basham, Aaron Green, Adrianna Ger, Tara Herr, Tonia Clark, Jennifer Geller, Peter Johnson, Felipe Nesta, Rachel Mittsell, Rachel Dennis, Justin Hurley Braswell, Charles Sams, Margaret Hoffman, Jamie Miller, Mark Shatsky, Chris Namakousi, Kara Kearns, Karen Power, Alan Roth, Mario Louera, Ryan Goodrich, Jackie Wiris, Moises Seha, Roger Uzi, Emily Reavis, and others): Recorded roll call — Bolden (Aye), Manning (Aye), Thatcher (Aye), Vice Chair Bauman (No), Chair Johnson (Aye). Outcome: approved (motion passes).

- Second en‑bloc nominations motion (mover: Senator Manning; included Krista Penzong, Joanne Zumbrunnen, Melanie Parrish, Seth Gunderson, Felipe Nesta, Rachel Mittsell, Rachel Dennis, Mary Lou Henrich, among others): Recorded roll call — Golden (Aye), Manning (Aye), Bassett (No), Vice Chair Bonham (No), Chair Johnson (Aye). Outcome: approved (motion passes).

Background and next steps: Passage of the motions does not itself confirm nominees; it forwards the nominations to the full Senate with a committee recommendation for confirmation. Returning SB 818 to the president’s desk sends the bill back into the Senate referral process; the committee took no final position on passage. Additional committee or floor action will determine confirmation of nominees and next steps for the bill.

Committee members closed the public hearing and the work session after the roll calls. The chair said staff will continue discussions with the governor’s office about nominee information flow and other process issues raised during the hearing.— Ending