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May 14, 2009 |
Vol 19, Issue
17 |
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Legislative
Report
 League of Women Voters of Oregon
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Ending
Homelessness |
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 Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) does a yearly
homeless shelter count on a single day early in the year. In
January 2008 there were 12,529 homeless people in Oregon living in
cars, camps, shelters or with other families. At that time,
3,084 people were in emergency shelters, 4,052 were in transitional
housing and 5,393 were on the streets or not served. The staff
reports that the numbers have increased 35% so far this year. The
majority of homeless are single adults or young families with
children. Only 263 were unaccompanied youth (see related story, Runaway and Homeless
Youth).
The goal of the OHCS programs is permanent, supportive housing for the
long term. SB 200, if passed,
establishes state policy on homelessness. This bill requires the
Department of Human Services (DHS) and OHCS to collaborate on housing
programs. Currently the OHCS funds 17 regional community action
agencies for rental assistance, transition housing and shelters as well
as food banks, energy assistance and weatherization programs.
The OHCS budget (HB 5019) for 2009-11 will
phase out home buyer assistance programs but continue homeless
programs, shelters, case management, and rental assistance. The
document recording fee (see the 5-Minute Activist on
Affordable Housing in LR #8), which passed earlier this session,
will provide backfill for the loss of General Funds.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator
Note: See "Mark the
Date" for information on the Oregon's Alliance of Children's
Program's "Runaway and Homeless
Youth Day" at the Capitol. |
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May 15: Day of Reckoning |
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 Will the deficit for the 2009-11 budget be $3.5 billion,
$5 billion or even as Senate President Courtney fears, $7
billion? The May economic forecast, upon which the biennial
budget revenue forecast will be made, has been hanging like a black
cloud over the Capitol since before the session began. Read more about proposals and
strategies.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator |
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5-Minute Activist |
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 Seventy-eight percent of workers eligible for leave under
family or medical leave laws report that they do not do so because they
cannot afford the loss of income. SB 966 would help alleviate
the problem by creating a worker-funded program that would cost only 2
cents per hour per worker.
The bill has now been passed to the Ways and Means Committee.
Your help is needed to make sure that the bill moves forward.
Please contact your senator. Click here for the message to
send to your senator.
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Bottle Bill Spinning |
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 After a lot of hard work by the interim Bottle Bill Task
Force, an expanded bottle bill was proposed to the Legislature in the
form of HB 2184. After hearings and a series of votes, HB 2184B now sits in House
Revenue. In the meantime, HB 3465 proposes to return to the state
the sizable pot of funds (an estimated $20-$30 million) accumulated
from containers that consumers have paid a deposit on but haven't
returned for refund. This bill is also in House Revenue. Read the article in the Statesman
Journal for more details on this bill.
Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator. |
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Prescription
Drug Program Helps Uninsured |
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 The Prescription Drug Repository Program has been proposed
as a way to donate unused sealed prescription drugs to people in need,
such as the uninsured. HB 2535 would create this
program under the State Board of Pharmacy by January 2010.
Advocates have been enthusiastic, since it would reduce waste and would
provide medications to those who can not afford them. It's a
win-win program. The bill passed the Senate Human Services Committee
Monday, and it is on its way to the Senate floor.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator |
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 RUNAWAY AND HOMELESS YOUTH
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 The Oregon
Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) received $1 million last
session for runaway and homeless youth projects. OCCF retained
$100,000 for administration and a little less than $900,000 was
allocated to eight projects throughout the state. The OCCF has
had to submit priority cuts up to 30% of its budget, and the most
recent initiatives for Runaway and Homeless Youth and Community Schools
are among the cuts. The local county agencies have found the
runaway and homeless grants to be helpful in serving that population
and would like to retain these programs, as well as others. The
possibility of block grants to counties has been suggested. The
Human Services Ways and Means subommittee will be making the reduction
recommendations.
The shelter and outreach programs for runaway and homeless youth also
receive federal pass-through funds from Oregon Housing and Community
Services and the regional community action agencies. One of the
funds pays reimbursements to shelters based on the number of residents
and the number of nights stayed. These shelter programs are also
eligible for federal block grant funds that go to cities and counties.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator
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2009 Water Investment Package - Huh? |
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 One of the many bills passing committee at the last minute
on April 28th was HB 3369A, called the 2009
Water Investment Package. Representatives Bob Jenson and
Jefferson Smith had worked with others behind the scenes, originally to
address the needs of the Umatilla basin, but they ended up expanding
that effort. The bill is now sitting in Ways and Means. Read more about the different
proposals embedded in HB 3369A.
Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator. |
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Making Oregon
Efficient and Energy Independent |
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Many bills that take steps to combat global warming are in
various stages in the legislative process. HB 2186A, which lowers
greenhouse gas emissions from trucks and commercial vehicles to improve
air quality, achieve efficiency and energy independence, passed on the
floor of the House last Friday (link to the Healthy Climate
Partnership for the AP article). This week HB 2626A moved from Revenue
to Ways and Means to make loans available to consumers for small scale
energy projects. SB 201A was heard in the
Senate subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development to
provide low income housing residents with energy efficiency
options. Read details on these and other
energy bills.
Elizabeth Rathbun, Action Committee Member
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Elections Are A-Changin', but No Holiday |
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 Establishing Election Day as an Oregon holiday got short
shrift at the House Rules hearing May 6. Nice idea, but way too
costly. The committee finally has been moving election bills, so
we will be following them soon in Senate Rules. These include:
- HB 2511 - Allows
electronic ballots for long-time absentee voters with a return by
fax with a signature.
- SB 330A - Requires an
explanation of the election fraud complaint process to be included
in the Voters' Pamphlet.
- SB 775 - All elections
except May and November must have the caption stating a
requirement of 50% voter turnout to pass. This has already
passed the Senate.
- HB 2667 - Requires the
Secretary of State to verify the residence of each candidate for
state office.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator |
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Initiative Reform: Settling for Something Less |
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 here were high
expectations that serious problems with the initiative process would be
dealt with this session, following the strong recommendations from the
interim Task Force on Revenue Restructuring. Although not enough
legislators are supporting several bills (read more), HB 2005 and HB
2041 are moving forward.
HB 2005 is Secretary of
State Kate Brown's omnibus initiative reform bill, and is moving after
being amended extensively and then passing in House Rules last week.
For the most part, it clarifies the changes implemented on January 1,
2008, and tightens up the process to eliminate fraud. Penalties
have been increased, with the highest now put at $10,000 (from $5000).
Volunteer petition passers are not affected by the new law.
HB 2941 would require the
Attorney General to give the same ballot title when there is more than
one initiative with "substantially identical" content.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator |
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Ethics End-Run
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The ethics overhaul in 2007, coupled with the
clarification and tightening in SB 30 (which has been
enrolled and signed by the Governor) this session, has made great
strides in improving the public perception of public official's
actions, which was at a low ebb in 2006. Now comes SB 803, which would allow
legislators to use campaign funds to cover expenses for staff members.
The League opposes this proposal as it would start down the slippery
slope of broadening how contributions could be used. While we can
understand the need for legislators to have additional funding for
staff positions and duties, getting the dollars from contributors is
the wrong way to go.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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Enter the Matrix
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Track the bills, read the testimony . . . enter the Action Matrix! |
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Don't forget to vote!
May 15 (Friday) Last Day to mail
in ballot.
May 19 (Tuesday) Last day to drop off ballot at a drop-site location.
Legislature Action Days
May 4-16 Joint Committee
on Ways and Means: public hearings on policy bills with budgetary
impacts
May 15 (Friday) Revenue Forecast released
May 18 (Monday)(approximately) Ways and Means Co-chairs'
budgets released
May 19 (Tuesday)
"Runaway and Homeless Youth Day," 9:30 am to 11:00 am,
Room 350 at the Capitol. For more information contact Martin
Rafferty at 541-606-1514 or Jennifer Chamberlin 503-399-9076 with any
questions.
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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