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Follow
Key Bills
The
League's bill matrix,
which lists key bills that we are following this session, is updated
weekly. The matrix includes legislative action taken, League action
taken, and links to our testimony.
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LWVOR Action Committee
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Chair:
Norman Turrill
Vice Chair:
Marge Easley
Citizen Access Coordinator:
Paula Krane
Governance Coordinator: Kappy Eaton
Natural Resources Coordinator:
Liz Frenkel
Social Policy Coordinator:
Karen Nibler
Legislative Coordinator:
Brena Lopez
Portfolio members and committee representatives:
Bob Adams
Debbie Aiona
Jane Baumgarten
Diana Bodtker
Anna Braun
Barbara Browning
Sarah Chaplen
Anita Francis
Barbara Fredericks
Norma Jean Germond
Gail Holmes
Peggy Lynch
Ellen Maddex
Janet Markee
Erin Miller
Margaret Noel
Barbara Ross
Nancy Stevens
Pam Vavra
Intern:
Terra Ashford
Legislative Report Editor:
Rebecca Smith
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Initiative Reform
HB 2082B has been battered along
the way as it seeks to improve the Oregon initiative process.
Opponents claim it will stifle and destroy the petition system, but the
League and many other supporters believe it will save the 100-year-old
direct democracy institution by correcting several problems. Still
in the bill are registration and ID photos required by the Secretary of
State for all paid petition passers, a requirement for training about the
process, payroll records review by the Secretary of State, Attorney General
and Bureau of Labor and Industry, as well as the 1000 signature threshold
before an initiative petition can get a ballot title. While all petitions
must gather the 1000 initial signatures, volunteer petition passers do
not have to register with the Secretary of State or carry ID. A new
electronic single signature petition sheet will be created that can be
used by individuals. We expect it to pass this week.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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Ethics Reform
The House Elections, Ethics and Rules Committee this session has seen
only a few bills it liked without adding amendments. SB 10C was almost smothered with
hearings in Senate Rules, was debated at length in the Ways and Means
Subcommittee on General Government, and was finally passed in the Senate
with 28 amendments. Not to be outdone, the House committee added
amendments 32 and 34, passed it out on June 25 after Saturday and Sunday
hearings, only to have a Minority Report attached and the House vote
delayed until June 27, when the minority report failed, and the Senate
amendments were accepted. Already passed are the other two pieces
of the three-package ethics reform legislation.
HB 5025A is the budget package for
the Government Standards and Practices Commission (now the Ethics
Commission). It allows for added staff that upgrades the work of
the Commission, as outlined in HB 2595B, a product of the Oregon
Law Commission and its work groups during the interim. SB 10C adds
additional funding for creation of an electronic reporting system about
lobbying activities for both lobbyists and members of the Legislature, a
training component for local government officials, and limits on the
gifts that lobbyists can give and legislators can receive, with more
frequent reports required. If the House adopts the proposed
amendments, the Senate will have to vote to concur. This reform
effort is a victory for more transparent and accountable government.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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Fiscal Policy
The tobacco tax increase, SJR 4, will be in the Constitution
if voters pass the referral, because five House Republicans refused to
vote for it as a statute, which would have also been referred for a
vote. Apparently no other taxes, such as the beer and gas tax
increases to fund state police or human services, will be passed.
HB 2530 has passed both houses. It
creates a 30-member Task Force on Comprehensive Revenue Restructuring
which will provide advice to the Governor and the Legislature regarding
comprehensive revenue restructuring for local and state government.
An Oregon Revenue Advisory Council will provide technical analysis for
the task force and make recommendations to it. The Legislative Revenue
office staff will provide staff support. Among the Task Force
members will be four from the public and eight from the
Legislature. The League will monitor this group.
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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June
28, 2007
Welcome to issue
19 of the Legislative Report. We will have one more issue on
July 5, and then will send a final, Sine Die report in
mid-August reviewing all bills of the session that we followed or
worked on.
Link here to our printer-friendly version.
Sincerely,
Norman Turrill, Action
Chair
Marge Easley, President
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The End of the Session
Never doubt that the tapestry woven around sine die for the 2007
Oregon Assembly will be colorful, contain a blend of tangled threads,
display some frayed edges, feature a Christmas tree design,
resemble a patchwork of patterns, and be displayed in the Capitol with
great pageantry. The Governor has already participated in
significant bill signings; there will be more and a veto or two.
Although the final gavel has not been pounded as this is written, a
number of important bills have passed in the past few days.
Following is an update on what has happened so far this week.
Kappy
Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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 Natural
Resources Bill Summary
Two
important bills have been active this week. Please refer to the bill
matrix for more details.
SB 235 - Relating to air
quality; declaring an emergency.
Directs Environmental Quality Commission and State Department of
Agriculture to enter into memorandum of understanding that addresses
department administration and enforcement of air quality laws
applicable to agricultural operations or equipment. Passed House and
Senate.
SB 5530
- Relating to financial administration of the State Parks and
Recreation Department; and declaring an emergency.
Limits certain biennial expenditures from fees, moneys or other
revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds
and federal funds, collected or received by State Parks and Recreation
Department. Passed Senate.
Brena Lopez, Legislative Coordinator
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 Social Policy Bills Summary
Many bills have
been active this week. Please refer to the bill matrix and accompanying
articles for more details.
Healthy Kids bills, SB 3B and SJR 4C, were passed by the House
on June 23 and the Senate concurred with amendments and repassed the
bills with a majority vote on June 25. The referral to the voters
on the constitutional amendment on the tobacco tax in SJR 4C will be in
the November election.
SB 364C came out of the Rules
committee and was passed by the House June 22 and Senate repassed it
June 25. SB 364C requires mental health committees to include 20
% consumers to represent self-determination. HB 3088 that was sent to the
Rules committee was stuck there. HB 3088 concerned hospital
billing of the uninsured.
SB 461C set a small increase in
a utility fee to fund the energy assistance program. In past few
years $10 million was distributed to seniors and low-income families
through this program administered by community action agencies.
An additional $5 million would be available with this increase.
This bill repassed the Senate on June 27 with the approval of the
majority.
HB 2575B, which creates a new
family leave benefit, was passed by the House on June 25 in spite of
objections by the minority party. The Senate considered the bill
on June 27 and this time the bill failed. The objections were to
the lack of planning for an insurance benefit, which usually requires
actuarial tables, a reserve fund, and implementation funds.
HB 3551A, which was intended to
fund a low income housing package, was defeated in the House on June
25. The bill set additional fees for documents filed in county
clerks offices. It required a 3/5 majority vote and was opposed
by the minority party. HB 2269B, which raised revenue
for transportation, was also defeated in same manner.
The Department of Human Services Budget, HB 5031, was approved by Human
Services Ways and Means on June 19 with additional funds for child
welfare staff and placement, physically disabled children, durable
medical services, mental health and drug treatment, senior
nutrition and partial restoration of senior services. The DHS bill
passed the House on June 25 and passed the Senate on June 27.
HB 2469B followed DHS on the
agenda in both houses on the same days. This bill changes the
financial welfare system in Oregon to provide for assessment, referral
for disability certification, transition child care and medical care
for newly employed parents, retention of part of child support
payments, emphasis on parenting classes and education, and changes in
lifetime limits. This bill was supported by a large majority in
the house and all but one in the senate. The changes will be
phased in over two years.
Child Welfare Bills, SB 282 and SB 414B were passed in the House
on June 27. SB 282 includes relatives in the foster home
definition and reimburses relatives at 150% of FPL for foster home
care. This bill had great support except for the means
test. SB 414B gives priority to placement of children with
relatives. This bill was part of a series of child welfare bills
which passed earlier in the session. This one had fiscal impact.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator
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 Governance Bills Summary
Several bills have been active this week. Please refer to the bill
matrix and accompanying articles for more details.
SJR 4 - Proposing amendment to
Oregon Constitution relating to taxes on tobacco products.
Proposes amendment to Oregon Constitution to impose additional taxes on
tobacco products. Passed House and Senate. See article: Fiscal
Policy.
HJR 31 - Proposing amendment to
Oregon Constitution relating to redistricting. Proposes amendment to
Oregon Constitution to change operative date of state legislative
reapportionment plan to second Monday in January of next odd-numbered
year after deadline for making plan. Filed with Secretary of State.
SB 10C - Relating to government
ethics, declaring and emergency. Passed Senate and House. See
article: Ethics Reform.
SB 125 - Allowing a challenge to
a certified ballot title if the title does not comply with the law
because of a change in statutory law after the title was
certified. It also sets deadlines and procedures for revision of
ballot titles and for review by the Supreme Court. Passed
Senate. Being heard in House Rules today or tomorrow.
SB 700B - Re-establishing the
Public Officials Compensation Board, has passed both houses, but the
Senate has to concur in the House amendments, which delay the board's
report until 2009. The League worked with the Public Affairs
Counsel to change the date to 2008, but to no avail.
SB 5518 - Relating to financial
administration of the Judicial Department; appropriating money; and
declaring an emergency.
Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Judicial Department for
biennial expenses. Passed House and Senate. See article: Bills
Impact Oregon Judicial Department.
SB 5522 - Funding the Legislature
and the Legislative Administrative Committee. Passed both houses.
LWV worked to get additional expense monies for legislators to help
them avoid personal use of campaign funds, but we haven't gotten the
figures to show comparisons with the past.
HB 2060 - Establishing a
Campaign Finance Commission. Passed the House but was referred by the
Senate President to Ways and Means to die.
HB 2080 - Establishing
procedures for a ballot deadline extension of seven days when an
emergency occurs during the election period. The provisions of
the hand count under this bill do not apply if the Secretary of State
determines that the requirements of a new federal law regarding hand
counts are at least as stringent as the adopted statute. Signed by the
Governor.
HB 2082B - Relating to election
petitions; creating new provisions. See article: Initiative
Reform.
HB 2530 - Creating a 30-member
Task Force on Comprehensive Revenue Restructuring. Passed both
houses. See article: Fiscal Policy.
HB 3201 - Omnibus bill dealing
with tax expenditures (added tax credits) and providing the revenue to
cover the credits by removing the personal income tax credits for
individuals and couples with incomes over $134,000 and $254,000
respectively. Passed both houses.
Brena Lopez, Legislative Coordinator
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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 Voters Should Prepare for Several Measures This Fall
HB 2640 was gutted and stuffed
to provide for the bills that the Legislature is referring to voters,
starting in November 6, 2007 with a Special Election. On that ballot
will be the "fix" for Measure 37 (HB 3540) and the Healthy Kids
constitutional amendment (SJR 4) that would initiate both
the program and the tobacco tax increase of 84.5 cents.
The following proposals will be placed on either the May or November
2008 ballots: (1) constitutional amendment: Civil forfeitures related
to crimes (HJR 18); (2) constitutional
amendment: Standardizes Eligibility for School Board Elections (HJR 4); constitutional
amendment: Double majority (HJR 15); constitutional
amendment: Changes operational date of redistricting plans (HJR 31); and (5) and (6)
constitutional amendments: Enables crime victims to enforce existing
constitutional rights for participation in prosecutions/juvenile
delinquency proceedings (HJR 49) and Enables crime
victims to enforce existing constitutional rights regarding protection
from offenders (HJR 50).
Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator
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Bills Impact Oregon Judicial Department
The LWV's study on the Oregon Judiciary pointed out many needs within
the OJD. In response, the Action Committee monitored the progress of
bills affecting the judicial system. SB 456 included the judicial
salary increases along with legislative salaries, but the bill was
amended to delete and disconnect the judicial salaries from this bill.
Two additional bills surfaced in the last two weeks which will assist
the Oregon Judicial Department. Both of these bills have passed
the house and senate chambers.
SB 994, one of the last budget
bills passed by the Ways and Means Committee, includes the Judicial
salaries. The bill raises the Chief Justice of OJD's salary to
$124,812. on July 1, 2007 and sets the increase to $128, 556. after one
year. The Appeals Court Chief Justice and Supreme Court Judges will
receive $122,028 this year and $125,688 after 1 year. Appeals
Court Justices will receive $119,244. this year and $122,820. after 1
year. The Tax Court Judge will get $114,720 this year and
$118,164 after 1 year. Circuit Court Judges will get a salary
increase to $111,132. this year and $114,468 after 1 year.
These salaries are above the salary adjustment in SB 5518, the Oregon Judicial
Department Budget. On June 13 the Public Safety Subcommittee passed
this OJD budget with a "do pass" recommendation to the full
Ways and Means Committee. The budget provides for $314,845,653
from the General Fund as compared to the $373,797,023 from the General
Fund requested by the Chief Justice. Committee members voiced
strong disappointment with the budget, objecting to the meager judicial
salary increase, further study of drug courts rather than stable
funding for them, and failure to fund a new computer system to replace
the outdated OJIN. Eight of the ten members acknowledged the need
for funding for the judicial branch in excess of what has been
budgeted. A final comment from Sen. Westlund (D), quoting State
Court Administrator Kingsley Click: "Do not take for granted
justice."
There were no additional judicial positions added to the
department. The OJD budget bill passed the Senate on June 22 and
the House on June 25.
HB 2331B relating to courts was
heard in the Public Safety Subcommittee of Ways and Means on June 19
and 22. The bill adds to and increases legal aid filing fees for
certain court filings and collects surcharges on plantiffs or
appellants and defendants or respondents. The bill creates a Court
Facilities Planning Commission and dedicates the surcharge funds for the
commission. The CFPC shall study and make recommendations on
minimum standards for state court facilities. The physical condition of
each county court facility will be assessed, and costs will be
identified to comply with the state standards. The Commission
will report to the 75th Legislative Assembly.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator
Barbara Fredericks, Oregon Judiciary Study Chair
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