Welcome to the LWVOR Legislative Report! The Action Team plans to publish these reports about every two weeks throughout the 2007 session. We promise to give you up-to-date information and our perspective on issues of concern to the League and other reform-minded citizens.

The Legislative Report explains the background behind decisions facing legislators, the human impact of bills being considered and the reasons the LWV supports or opposes these bills. We also highlight the progress of bills that are of particular significance. In addition, we tell you how you can find more information on these issues and how to communicate your views to your elected representatives. Also, don't forget to check our website at www.lwvor.org. for additional information and to get access to past issues of the Legislative Report.

How do you subscribe? Just click on the "Subscribe" button at left. You can unsubscribe at any time.

The email version of the Legislative Report is free. If you prefer to print your report, use our printer-friendly version. A paper version is also published, and we ask $50 for paper, postage and handling for the session. To subscribe to the paper version, call our office at 503-581-5722, or send us a check noting that it's for the Legislative Report. Our address is a the bottom of this newsletter.

Sincerely,

Norman Turrill, Action Chair
Marge Easley, Action Vice-Chair

Priorities for LWVOR Action - 2007

LWVOR Action Committee's attempt to designate which areas of advocacy we will likely focus on for the upcoming 2007 Legislative Session. However, the items on this document are not set in stone, since it is always possible that other issues may suddenly take center stage. We will carefully monitor all issues on which we have positions and continually re-evaluate our priorities as the session progresses.

Link here to read the priorities for:
Citizen Access
Governance
Natural Resources
Social Policy

Legislature - Stay Connected at Home

Several developments at the Legislature make it even easier for you to follow bills and hearings from your home by computer and television.

Oregon Channel provides gavel-to-gavel, unedited television coverage 24/7. This will include floor sessions, committee hearings, news conferences and other activities of our state government.

This is being broadcast over the airwaves on a digital television channel.
Detailed information about how and where to watch the Oregon Channel in your area can be found at www.oregonchannel.org
The Oregon Channel website also gives you real-time streaming video of House and Senate floor action and other hearings and events in the Capitol.

Use the Internet. The home page for the Oregon State Legislature (http://www.leg.state.or.us) is your computer access to the committee hearing agendas, the bill texts and the streaming video or audio archives of hearings

For those wanting to visit the Capitol, but are concerned about access, there are many ADA resources available, from audio tapes and hearing assistance devices to close-in parking, wheelchair ramps and gallery access. For more information on these services and more, contact Legislative Administration at 503-986-1848.
Paula Krane, Citizen Access Coordinator

The Legislature Is Coming to Your Community

The 2007 Legislature will again be having hearings around the state and the first meeting has already been held, today, in Reedsport. We will include the field trip hearing schedule in the Legislative Report, so watch for one in your community. As in the past I hope local Leagues and local members will monitor all of these hearings and testify when asked on a bill that is on the League priority list. Go observe a hearing. This is the best way to observe the process without going to Salem.
Paula Krane, Citizen Access Coordinator

Social Policy Issues at Forefront

This session there is major emphasis on specific social policy issues:

Health care bills that have been proposed include Governor Kulongoski's plan for Healthy Kids, Kitzhaber's We Can Do Better initiative, and the Senate Commission on Health Care Access and Affordability bill. The Governor's Budget for Mental Health follows up on the siting of new regional mental health hospitals and a reinvestment in community mental health services. Funding for addiction services is also a priority for the League, and the Governor's budget restores substance abuse treatment funds which were decreased last session.

The Department of Human Services will be requesting additional staff for Child Welfare to cover the increased caseloads. The Commission on Children and Families will be requesting funding for homeless youth services, as well as other prevention services. Affordable housing advocates have been putting together a revenue plan to fund expanded low income housing availability.

In the area of adult corrections, prison construction has been completed, which may allow the expansion of prison education and drug treatment programs. In juvenile justice, the plan is to restore funding for closed correctional beds and to increase staffing levels and flexible funds. Finally, K-12 education continues to present the greatest demand on the state budget. The Governor's Budget commits a minimum 61% of the general fund revenue to education. This session may find increases in community college and higher education budgets.
Karen Nibler, Social Policy Coordinator

Drowning in Claims

With the State of Oregon having received over 6,500 claims for waivers of state regulation and our county staff also receiving an overwhelming number, the 2007 Legislature has created a Joint Committee on Land Use Fairness. It will meet in Salem at 5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Look for a temporary delay in the 180-day claims processing deadline with work on how to make Measure 37 fair to both applicants and neighbors and to try to preserve the best of our Oregon statewide land use system.
Peggy Lynch, Action Committee Member

Oregon Housing Alliance Lobby Day: February 6, 2007

LWVOR is a member or the Oregon Housing Alliance and encourages League members and anyone interested in promoting affordable housing to attend.

Tuesday, February 6, 11 am - 3 pm
Oregon State Capitol, Salem, Oregon
Printable Flyer

We need hundreds of people coming together on Tuesday, February 6 to show the Legislature that Oregonians believe that hardworking people should be able to afford housing and still have enough money for food and other basic necessities. Besides meeting with your legislator, there will be speakers, food and fun! We need to know who is coming. Please follow steps 1-3 below and RSVP as soon as possible!

1. Think about who you want to visit for Lobby Day! You can visit the Legislator that represents you where you live, or even where you work!

2. Find out who your state legislator is by clicking here: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/

3. Email your RSVP and the names of the legislator(s) you would like to visit to: Alison via email or 503.226.3001, x106 as soon as possible. The Housing Alliance will schedule the meeting(s) for you.

If you have questions, please contact Debbie Aiona at mdjaiona@aracnet.com or 503-234-4651.
Debbie Aiona, Housing Alliance Liaison

Help Us Get This Information to You

The Legislative Report costs money to produce, yet we don't want to limit who can receive it by charging a subscription fee. Please support the volunteer Action Team's efforts to share the happenings at the Capitol with you and others. You can send a donation, marked "Legislative Report" to the LWV address below.

Thank you, Rebecca Smith, Editor