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For more information about taking action, please email lwvor@lwvor.org.

Action Alerts for Oregon

LWVOR ACTION ALERT #5

June 9, 2009

TO:  All League Members

FROM:  Marge Easley, LWVOR President
Karen Nibler , LWVOR Action Committee Social Policy Coordinator

ACTION NEEDED:  Contact your state representative (http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/) and ask him/her to support passage of HB 2290B and HB 2335B, which are two important public safety bills that are priorities for the Promise of 57 Coalition, of which the League is a member.  These bills are currently sitting in the Public Safety Ways and Means Subcommittee until there are enough votes of support on the House floor.

DEADLINE FOR ACTION:  IMMEDIATE, URGENT PRIORITY

SUGGESTED MESSAGE TO CONVEY to your REPRESENTATIVE:
Your support is urgently needed for public safety bills HB 2290B and HB 2335B.  These bills will save money in the Public Safety system by making sensible adjustments to Measure 57 that will reduce demand on the Department of Corrections’ institutional capacity. 

This vote is critical to the Public Safety Budget process as $77 million is currently slated to be cut from the Oregon Youth Authority, the Courts and other Public Safety agencies if these bills are not passed. 

BACKGROUND:
Measure 57 took effect in January 1, 2009, and 300 cases have already been sentenced under the measure.  Under the new proposals, serious cases would continue to be sentenced under M 57, but less serious drug possession or property charges would not be sentenced under a suspended section of Measure 57.  This action would require a 2/3 majority vote or 40 / 20 vote in the House.

HB 2335B proposes to phase in Measure 57 over 2 ½ yrs, increases earned time for non-violent prisoners, allows earned time for probationers in the community and reduces technical parole violation prison time. 

HB 2290B includes the implementation of Measure 57 in statute and other cost saving measures, such as denial of repeated parole hearings and release of prisoners after half of sentence is served if they are to be deported.  The Measure 57 provision for drug treatment and drug court funding is included in this bill. 

The Department of Corrections Budget has been increasing by 20% a year.  Construction on a new facility in Junction City was slated to start early in the new biennium, but this will likely be put on hold for 2009-11.

For more information, contact:  Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator, niblerk@comcast.net, (541) 752-8567

LWVOR ACTION ALERT #4
June 4 , 2009

TO:  All League Members

FROM:  Alice Bartelt, LWVOR Action Chair
Marge Easley, LWVOR President

ACTION NEEDED:  Contact your state representative and deliver the message below. 
Contact information:  http://www.leg.state.or.us/house/  

DEADLINE FOR ACTION:  Early Monday, June 8

SUGGESTED MESSAGE TO CONVEY to your REPRESENTATIVE:
We all know that health care costs too much for Oregon families and small businesses. Regence just received approval of more than a 14% increase in premiums, after raising rates 26% last year. That’s an increase of 40% in the last two years. Something has to be done. Oregonians need accountability for rising health insurance rates. HB 2009B stands up to skyrocketing health insurance premiums and establishes fair rules to protect Oregon families and businesses from excessive rate hikes. It is critical to take steps to boost accountability on health insurance costs as part of health reform this session.  Please support HB 2116C and HB 2009B as part of the health reform package.

BACKGROUND:
Now more than ever, Oregon families and businesses are struggling under the weight of rising health care costs. Premiums in Oregon have risen nearly five times faster than wages in just eight years. Regence just received approval of more than a 14% increase in premiums, after raising rates 26% last year. That’s an increase of 40% in the last two years. Something has to be done. Oregonians can’t wait any longer. We need to make an investment now to enact real health reform and deliver direct cost savings to Oregonians.

We all know that health care costs too much for Oregon families and small businesses. We can’t wait any longer. The Oregon Health Fund Board recommendations need to be passed and funded this session. We need to make an investment now to enact real health reform and deliver direct cost savings to Oregonians.

The Health Fund Board has calculated that the investment of approximately $6 million this session to fund the reform package will save hundreds of millions of dollars over three years. It is time for the legislature to act and pass health reform. Please support the health reform package of recommendations from the Oregon Health Fund Board.

Read the bills: http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measures/hb3100.dir/hb3145.a.html

For more information, contact:  Alice Bartelt, Action Chair, alicebartelt@comcast.net; 503-522-5061

LWVOR ACTION ALERT #3
April 24, 2009

TO:  All League Members and Oregonians

FROM:  Marge Easley, LWVOR President

ACTION NEEDED:  Contact your state legislators (Senate) (House) and deliver the message below.  It is also important to contact your legislators if they are members of the Joint Ways & Means Committee or the House or Senate Revenue Committees. Their names are listed at the end of this alert. 

DEADLINE FOR ACTION:  IMMEDIATE, URGENT PRIORITY

MESSAGE TO CONVEY to your LEGISLATOR:
Protect Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens and maintain basic infrastructure needs. Although some cuts are inevitable, I would like you to put party ideologies aside and increase revenue. 

I support: [choose one or two of the following to emphasize]

• Increasing the income taxes paid by corporations; be as equitable as possible in protecting small businesses and returning fairness and equity to the system.
• Adding a 4th bracket to the individual income tax or place a surcharge on incomes above $250,000 with a sunset date.            
• Increasing certain taxes, such as cigarette and beer, to be used to fund specific programs.
• Using Rainy Day and Educational Stability Reserve Funds.
• Using the federal stimulus funds and account for them in preserving services and providing jobs.
• Taking advantage of matching federal funds where possible.

BACKGROUND: During this critical period of public hearings and decision-making about drastic budget cuts, many constituents are aware that legislators are faced with the very difficult task of balancing the provision of essential state services with the funding of these services.  It is vitally important for the Ways and Means Committee and the Revenue Committees of the House and Senate to work hand in hand to find practical funding solutions to protect Oregon’s most vulnerable citizens and maintain basic infrastructure needs.

Although it is valuable to conduct hearings around the state, it is already abundantly clear that there are more needs, wants and obligations than money available now.  Legislators must put party ideologies aside to find solutions that do not rely solely on cuts.  Some cuts are inevitable, but 30% across the board cuts are unacceptable.  WE ALSO NEED INCREASED REVENUE TO COVER STATE NEEDS.  Many revenue possibilities are available that do not place undue hardship on taxpaying citizens or do not compromise our commitment for clean water and clear air.

Lastly, the state’s longer term economic stability requires a restructuring of our revenue system.  Unfunded initiatives and kicker returns have made good budgeting nearly impossible. 

Here are practical budgetary suggestions that were included in League testimony provided to the Ways and Means Committee on April 21.

• Avoid across the board agency/program cuts unless consequences are carefully weighed to ensure that today’s savings do not result in greater long-term costs.
• Assign priorities when considering education, social services, public safety, natural resources, and transportation services cuts in order to protect essential services and programs.
• Use Rainy Day and Educational Stability Reserve Funds.
• Use the federal stimulus funds and account for them in preserving services and providing jobs.
• Act to repeal and/or reduce tax expenditures that cannot be justified for continuation; keep those that are still essential/critical for citizens and businesses.
• Act to increase, by some means, the income taxes paid by corporations; be as equitable as possible in protecting small businesses and returning fairness and equity to the system.
• Consider actions similar to those used by the 1981 Legislature when the state faced an economic crisis:
  • Add a 4th bracket to the individual income tax or place a surcharge on incomes above $250,000 with a sunset date.            
  • Increase certain taxes, such as cigarette and beer, to be used to fund specific programs.

State Budget Information: http://www.oregonbudget.gov

For more information, contact:  Marge Easley, lwvor@lwvor.org; 503-581-5722

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