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April 21, 2009 |
Vol 19, Issue
14 |
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Legislative
Report
 League of Women Voters of Oregon
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The
"Ways and Means Public Hearings Tour" is featured in today's Report. The committee is making
important funding decisions during these tough economic times and needs
your input. Read Public Access Coordinator Paula Krane's article
below for locations, dates and times plus League "talking
points."
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Cuts to Public Safety Have Drastic Implications |
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 As the Ways and Means Public Safety subcommittee reviews
agency budgets, it becomes apparent that cuts in one agency will affect
the operation of others. For example, the Oregon Judicial
Department (OJD) is dependent on the Department of Corrections and the
Oregon Youth Authority to carry out its orders for sentences in
institutions and for community supervision. The OJD had received
additional funding in this biennium to enhance staff and
salaries. But the 30% reductions for the next biennium could
knock the system out of balance again. Proposed reductions in DOC
and OYA will have drastic implications such as:
- Delays for furnishing and
staffing units at the Madras correctional facility,
- Release of up to 5,533
adult prisoners and closure of smaller rural facilities,
- Fewer beds in
correctional facilities and residential programs for juvenile
offenders, which will lead to greater numbers on the streets, and
fewer parole staff for supervision, which could lead to recidivism
or entry to the adult system.
Read more about how these
proposed reductions will affect Oregonians.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator |
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Corporate Taxes Considered this Week |
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 The House Revenue Committee has scheduled hearings on
several corporate tax measures for the purpose of both raising revenue
as well as increasing the percentage of tax support given to the
General Fund.
- HB 2913 increases the
corporate excise tax rate using income brackets for tax years 2009
to 2013 to provide an average of 10% to 13% of all Oregon tax
revenue.
- HB 2119 increases the
minimum tax that applies to C corporations and transfers this
revenue to the Oregon Rainy Day Fund.
- HB 3405 establishes
five tiers of corporate minimum tax on corporations that are not S
corporations, with the tax based on Oregon sales. It would
begin after January 1, 2010.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator |
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Minor Measure 49 "Fixes" |
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 The Legislature is
considering either SB 945 or HB 3225 to address some
potential Measure 49 claims. The League has been supportive of
getting claims processed in order to keep faith with voters. These
changes seem to meet that goal as well. Read the
Statesman-Journal article "Bill allows some land-use claims
to be considered."
Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator
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Election Laws Expected to Move |
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 The House Rules Committee has held work sessions on
several election measures, and they may go to go the House for action
as early as this week. Proposals include changes such as:
- County elections
officials may scan but not tally ballots starting seven days
before election day (HB 2451).
- Electronic
voter registration could be in place by 2010 (HB 2386).
- A
candidate may be nominated by more than one party (HB 2580).
- Long-term
absentee voters can receive ballots by email and return by fax
with signature, but no secrecy (HB 2511).
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator |
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Clean Air, Clean
Water, Clean Land |
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 The League testified on the Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) budget (SB 5521). We
encouraged legislative policy action to guide DEQ's budget, such as
cleaning up toxics, administering a new bottle bill and addressing
greenhouse gases. We cannot afford to stop protecting our
clean air, water and land for future generations. Again, our
water study report, Water in Oregon, Not a Drop to
Waste, Part 1, was helpful in explaining the issues before this
agency. (Read League testimony on SB 5521.)
Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator
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Ways and Means Public Hearings Tour |
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 Starting this week the Ways and Means Committee of the
Oregon State Legislature is holding public hearings around the
state. The economic picture is not improving, so it is important
that legislators hear from us to determine the state's priorities and
direction. Legislators have some very important decisions to make
on our behalf.
The LWVOR Action Committee will be delivering League testimony at some
of the hearings. We encourage you to attend the hearings in your
areas and observe the process. Two previous Legislative
Reports (#12 and #13) have included
some background information.
Link here to read the talking
points for our testimony.
The schedule for this week's hearings:
Tuesday, April 21 - Portland
Saturday, April 25 - Pendleton
Portland Community College -Cascade
Campus
Oregon National Guard Armory
Auditorium, Moriarty
Building
2100 N.W. 56th Drive
705 N. Killingsworth
Street
10:00 a.m. to 12 p.m.
6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 23 - Salem
Saturday, April 25 - Ontario
Oregon State Capitol Hearing Room
F
Treasure Valley Community College
900 Court Street
NE
650 College Boulevard
5:30 to 8
p.m.
3 to 5 p.m.
Thursday, April 23 - Hood River
Oregon Department of Human Services
1610 9th Court
5:30 to 8 p.m.
Via video link to Salem
Click here to view a schedule of
next week's hearings.
Paula Krane, Public Access Coordinator |
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Ethics Revisions Ready for Governor's Signature |
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 SB 30-Enrolled has been
signed by the Senate President and Speaker of the House and will become
law when signed by the Governor. The amended proposal, enlarged from
one page to 20, makes changes that limit who must file the Statements
of Economic Interest, taking care of the problem for many local
appointed officials. It also adds candidates to the list of
persons who must adhere to ethics rules and clarifies what is meant by
administrative and legislative interests and gifts. The reporting
threshold of $50 was not changed, but honoraria and other recognitions
for officials were defined to avoid misunderstandings. The date
for an electronic filing system of reports with the Ethics Commission
was extended from 2010 to 2012. The League supports this
legislation.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator |
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House Rules Committee Hears Campaign Finance Reform Bill |
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 The League testified before the
House Rules Committee last week in support of HB 3009, which would limit
campaign contributions. The Democracy Reform Oregon, AAUW and The Bus Project also
supported the bill. These same four organizations held a press
conference on the bill that resulted in an Oregonian article.
The committee would also have to pass a referral of a constitution
amendment (HJR 26) to allow the bill to
go into effect. The Legislature has a good opportunity in these bills
to continue the reform progress made in previous sessions with campaign
finance disclosure and ethics reform. Voters have always supported
campaign contribution limits in various opinion polls by 70 to 80
percent. We await positive action on this bill by the House Rules
Committee.
Norman Turrill, Campaign Finance Portfolio Chair |
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Worldwide Cap-and-Trade Lessons |
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 As the E.P.A. has recently declared that greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions are a threat to public health and welfare, Oregon,
along with several other states in the Western Climate Initiative
(WCI), are determined to stay one step ahead of the curve. This
session Oregon is considering legislation (SB 80) to regulate
greenhouse gas emissions through a cap-and-trade system. (For
background information on cap-and-trade, read the article in Legislative Report #11.)
But how do we know a cap-and-trade system will work? What efforts
are other countries taking and what tools have been successful in the
past? Read more here.
Jonathan Goldberg, Legislative Intern |
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Budgets and Forecasts and Websites, Oh My |
We erred last week when we reported that the Ways and
Means Co-chairs' Budget would be posted on the Office of Economic
Analysis' website. These budgets will be posted instead on the Legislative Fiscal Office's
website on May 17. The budgets reflect the latest data from
the May 15 Revenue Forecast completed by the Office of Economic
Analysis. We will keep you informed as the
information is released as well as report on what it all means from the
League's perspective.
View the Legislative Fiscal Office presentation of Oregon's Budget Process
(pdf) that provides information on policy, process, budget cycle,
legislative paths (including the role of the Ways and Means Committee)
and more.
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Speaking the Language of the Legislature |
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 Declaring an emergency: A phrase that is
included in a bill's Relating-to Clause when the bill has an
emergency clause.
Relating-to
Clause: The clause found just underneath the title of a bill
identifying its subject matter: for example, HB 2000, relating
to charter schools. In Oregon, a bill may only address one
subject, and for this reason the relating-to clause becomes an
important element of the bill. Relating-to clauses may be broad
or narrow.
Emergency
Clause: A statement added to the end of a measure which
causes the act to become effective before the accustomed date (January
1 of the year after passage). An emergency clause either sets a
specific date or is effective immediately, which means that the measure
will take effect on the date of its signature into law.
NOTE: emergency clauses may not be attached to bills which
would raise revenue.
For more definitions, see the Legislature's glossary of terms.
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May 1 (Friday) - Global Warming Commission
meeting, 9 am to 1 pm, Oregon State Library, Rm. 102-103. Public welcome.
Legislature Action Dates
April 22 (Wednesday) Earth Day
April 28 (Tuesday) Deadline for consideration of changes in
chamber of origin*
May 4-16 Joint Committee on Ways and Means: public hearings on
policy bills with budgetary impacts
May 17 (Friday) Ways and Means Co-chairs' budgets released
May 20 (Wednesday) Deadline to schedule work sessions in second
chamber*
May 28 (Thursday) Committees close*
June 30 or before (Tuesday) Sine Die
*Except Joint Ways and Means, Senate Finance and Revenue,
House Revenue, Senate and House Rules Committees
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