League of Women Voters Testimony

	LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS^® OF OREGON
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	Testimony 2008 Supplemental Legislative Session testimony and other written lobbying by LWV of Oregon Citizen Access Governance Natural Resources Social Policy 2007 Legislative Session testimony and written lobbying by LWV of Oregon Citizen Access 2007 Governance 2007 Natural Resources 2007 Social Policy 2007 2008 Supplemental Legislative Session and other written lobbying by LWV of Oregon Citizen Access No testimony has been presented yet for 2008 on Citizen Access issues. Back to top Governance February 12, 2008 To: Senate Elections and Ethics Committee Senator Kate Brown, Chair Re: SB 1083 The League of Women Voters is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. After discussion of the Dash-1 amendments to SB 1083, the League is supporting the bill with those amendments. We support a limitation on the length of time that the Supreme Court should have for deciding challenges to ballot titles. We also support the efforts Senator Walker is making to accommodate the Court’s concerns. We support the reinstatement of the signature verification process and a more thorough verification of specific signatures. We support extending the time period for addressing election complaints from 90 days to 12 months. There also must be recognition of a fiscal impact for additional investigators in the Elections Division. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this legislation. Marge Easley President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 16, 2008 Senator Kurt Schrader Joint Ways and Means Co-Chair Oregon State Legislature 900 Court Street NE Salem, OR 97301 Re: Budgetary Considerations The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. As always, we will be closely monitoring the progress of the upcoming legislative session. Before you convene, we wanted to share our one overriding concern. We applaud your pre-session efforts to keep new budgetary requests at a minimum and to limit the number of bills. We are well aware that there are a number of pressing needs that deserve your attention, and we will be commenting on many of these issues during the hearing process. Foremost in our mind, however, is the realization that an economic downturn is very likely. We are concerned about the inadequacy of the Rainy Day Fund and the fact that it is not currently available should we see a genuine recession in 2008. We strongly urge you to be as conservative as possible with these additional budget requests so that current programs are not decimated as they were in 2001-2003. We ask that you first consider emergency issues and those programs that will bring in considerable matching funds to cover costs. Thank you for laying such careful groundwork for this session as it paves the way for future annual sessions. Sincerely yours, Marge Easley President Norman Turrill Action Chair Also sent to: Representative Mary Nolan, Joint Ways and Means Co-Chair Senator Peter Courtney, Senate President Senator Ted Ferrioli, Senate Republican Leader Representative Jeff Merkley, Speaker of the House Representative Bruce Hanna, House Republican Leader Back to top Natural Resources February 19, 2008 To: House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Representative Arnie Roblan, Chair Re: Aggregate/Farmland Issues The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. Using our strong land use positions based on study and consensus, we have long been vocal in support of the management of land as a finite resource and of the need to regulate areas of critical concern. We believe that the League has a unique perspective to offer today, since two of our members (Liz Frenkel and I) represented the public in lengthy sessions of the Aggregate/Farmland Consensus Group between 2004 and 2006. The League believes that both the aggregate and farming industries supply a public need, now and in the future. It is our goal to keep viable the concept of “public good” in this discussion. We offer the following comments: Although aggregate has been given “protected resource” status under Goal 5, we believe that special consideration should be given to preservation of the Class 1 and 2 soils in the Willamette Valley. We are fortunate to have some of the most fertile farmland in the nation, and once gone it can never be regained. Reclamation efforts may be an option in many situations, but we have seen no evidence that reclamation can return Class 1 and 2 soils to their former productivity. We strongly support statutory amendments to address surface mining reclamation plans that impact these high-value soils. We believe it is vital to keep Oregon’s long term economic and environmental health in the forefront of decision-making. It is not in the state’s best interest to pit one valuable industry against another. We must look for feasible aggregate mine sites that are not located on the rich alluvial farmland of the Willamette Valley. In some cases this may mean that we must also look for alternate economical methods of transporting that aggregate. We strongly support the establishment of a work group that will use the best information available to create legislation on this issue for the 2009 session. Thank you for this opportunity to present our views. Marge Easley President --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 12, 2008 Columbia River Gorge Commission PO Box 730 White Salmon, WA 98672 Re: Broughton Mill Site The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. We have followed Columbia River Gorge issues for many years and have issued comments in support of the Gorge’s protected status under the National Scenic Area Act. We would like to take this opportunity to comment about the Broughton Mill Site and the proposed amendment to the Management Plan. The League appreciates the complexity of the environmental and economic considerations at Broughton Mill. However, we are very concerned about two issues that we feel are in violation of the established guidelines of the National Scenic Area Act. First, the proposed private destination resort is not located within an existing urban area, yet its size and density of development appear to fall within urban standards. Secondly, the lack of public access in the proposal is not in keeping with the public use facilities that are mandated by the National Scenic Act. We support the promotion of public recreation and economic development in the Gorge as long as that can be accomplished within the parameters of the National Scenic Act. The League cannot support the proposed large-scale private development, and we strongly urge you to reject the Commission staff proposal. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the proposed amendment. Sincerely, Marge Easley President Back to top Social Policy February 5, 2008 To: Representative Mitch Greenlick, Chair House Committee on Health Care Re: HB 3614 Maximize OMAP The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League of Women Voters has a national position to promote a health care system that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all residents and controls health care costs. The League is in favor of universal health care and HB 3614 is a step in that direction. Oregon has an unacceptable number of uninsured children. An outreach program can enroll children who qualify for the existing state medical assistance program. The federal matching funds are an incentive to expand the number of children covered. The League supports maximizing the enrollment of children in the medical assistance program. The League supports efforts to streamline the application process and assistance to families in maintaining enrollment in OMAP. The League also supports outreach to connect adults and families without medical insurance to the Private Health Partnership Office including the Family Health Insurance Assistance Program. There are too many parents who are unemployed or employed without insurance coverage. The League encourages legislators to consider the expansion of OMAP to cover additional children and families as a high funding priority in this special session. This is not a partisan issue. Each legislator has constituents in his or her district who need this insurance coverage. The League also supports the grant program to improve the access to and effectiveness of health care delivery for families. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss this legislation. Marge Easley President Karen Nibler Social Policy Chair --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 5, 2008 Oregon Health Fund Board 1225 Ferry St. SE Salem, OR 97301 Re: OHFB Meeting Notice Oregon Health Fund Board Staff: The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League of Women Voters has a national position to promote a health care system that provides access to a basic level of quality care for all residents and controls health care costs. As a result, League members are interested in attending the meetings of the board and subcommittees. LWVOR receives the e-mail notice of the meetings, but the notice timeframe is not sufficient for member volunteers to get to the meetings. LWVOR is aware of the public meetings laws that require 24 hours notice, which is met by the agency. However, it is not sufficient notice to get volunteers to the meetings. I have referred members to the website for upcoming meetings. It would be helpful for our League to have earlier prior notice of the meetings by e-mail, such as 3 to 5 days at a minimum. These meetings are undoubtedly scheduled ahead at regular times. If the advance schedule could be sent out much earlier, it would help our members appear at these meetings. Thank you for your attention to this issue. Sincerely yours, Marge Easley President Karen Nibler Social Policy Coordinator Back to top 2007 Legislative Session and other testimony by LWV of Oregon Citizen Access 2007 May 13, 2007 To: House Judiciary Committee Rep. Greg Macpherson, Chair Re: SB 554, Access to public records The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Throughout our history we have advocated on behalf of citizen access, and thus we strongly support the concepts included in SB 554. The League strongly believes that one of the ways that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know is by making public records accessible. SB 554 will strengthen the ability of the citizen to be a part of the governmental process. It will allow citizens to request information from the public record in a timely matter and know ahead of time what they must do in order to request the information and what the cost will be. The League of Women Voters of Oregon supports SB 554 and urges that this bill be passed out of committee and passed by the Assembly. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Norman Turrill LWVOR First Vice President --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 21, 2007 To: Senate Judiciary Committee Senator Burdick, Chair Re: SB 554, Access to public records The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Throughout our history we have advocated on behalf of citizen access, and thus we strongly support the concepts included in SB 554. The League strongly believes that one of the ways that governmental bodies protect the citizen’s right to know is by making public records accessible. SB 554 will strengthen the ability of the citizen to be a part of the governmental process. It will allow citizens to request information from the public record in a timely matter and know ahead of time what they must do in order to request the information and what the cost will be. The League of Women Voters of Oregon supports SB 554 and urges that this bill be passed out of committee and passed by the assembly. Margaret Noel President Paula Krane Citizen Access Chair Back to top Governance 2007 December 17, 2007 Interim Committee on Court Facilities Senator Vicki Walker, Co-Chair Representative Nancy Nathanson, Co-Chair Oregon State Assembly 900 Court Street NE Salem, OR 97301 Re: State Court Facilities in Oregon The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. Last year, as League members interviewed the Presiding Judge and Trial Court Administrator of the circuit courts in each of Oregon’s 27 judicial districts, we visited 28 courthouses. In only four judicial districts did presiding judges and trial court administrators tell us that their courthouse facilities were adequate for their current needs. A summary of what we learned about courthouse facilities in those interviews appears at pages 5-8 of our study report (The Oregon Judiciary Part II, Challenges for the 21st Century) which we submit with this letter. Some striking examples of the problems in the courthouses of Oregon’s circuit courts include: The 90-year-old courthouse in Multnomah County is so vulnerable to earthquake that it is considered life-threatening. Grant County has a single courtroom located on the second floor of the county building. There is no elevator to the second floor. In summer the courtroom is cooled with a swamp cooler on the roof. Presiding Judge William Cramer observes that jurors cannot concentrate in the hot, stagnant air of the courtroom. The sole elevator in the Clackamas County Courthouse cannot accommodate the gurney used to transport a person in a medical emergency. Emergency medical technicians must strap the patient to a board rigged to a pulley system and slide the board down the stairway to the first floor. In Tillamook County the second courtroom has a six-person jury box to which the court must add six chairs to accommodate a 12-person jury. That arrangement places one of the jurors “elbow-to-elbow” with the defendant in a criminal trial. (A picture of that courtroom appears at page 6 of the League’s report.) In Union County the circuit court is housed in an old hospital building. Along with pillars in the center of each courtroom, the building is not properly designed to handle the day-to-day business of the court. It appears that persistent revenue problems experienced by county governments have interfered with the ability of counties to provide “suitable and sufficient” facilities for the circuit courts. The League believes that the state should ensure that counties are able to provide adequate court facilities, maintenance of those facilities, and security systems and services. Thank you for the opportunity to address this issue. Marge Easley President Barbara Fredericks Judiciary Study Committee Chair --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 11, 2007 To: Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Floyd Prozanski, Chair House Judiciary Committee, Representative Greg Macpherson, Chair Re: Implementing Unfunded Initiatives The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. We thank you for the opportunity to address the issue of initiatives that are adopted by the voters, require General Fund expenditures, but provide no revenue source. The League of Women Voters of Oregon has long supported direct democracy through our initiative process, but initiatives requiring state resources can cause significant problems as they create competition among state programs for limited tax dollars. A classic case in point is the public education costs resulting from the passage of Measure 5 in 1990. Without any new revenue source, the initiative capped K-12 school funding from local property taxes at $5 per $1000 of assessed value, placing the burden on the state to make up the difference in money needed to educate Oregon's children. At the time of passage the General Fund provided about 29% of the cost of public elementary and secondary education, with local property taxes and other funds making up the difference. The state now covers more than 60% of local school costs. In the meantime the state's population has grown significantly, and the General Fund is consistently pinched trying to cover education, human services, public safety and transportation. Another key example is Measure 11, which passed in 1994. Mandatory sentences took away judicial discretion and added a prison population not eligible for parole. With no new revenue source specified, Measure 11 caused a doubling of the prison population, with a need for prison construction to house the growing population. In analyzing this increase as well as the cost effectiveness of mandatory sentencing, the League believes that we must take politics out of the equation and examine carefully the findings recorded in the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s report to the 2007 Legislature. This excellent report was written to help policymakers understand the costs and benefits of our current criminal justice plan, with the goal being to punish criminals and reduce crime. According to the report, during the past 20 years “state general fund dollars spent per household on criminal justice have increased by more than 79 per cent”. The Department of Corrections, which operates the prisons, cost taxpayers $1,130 per household in the past biennium. Has this been the best use of tax dollars? While violent crime in Oregon has fallen by 45% since 1995, statistics indicate that a 10% increase in Oregon’s incarceration rate has lead to only a 2.6% decline in the crime rate. Further analysis shows that while it was most cost-effective to incarcerate violent offenders, it breaks even for property criminals and does not pay to incarcerate drug offenders. The League believes that sentencing policy should be based on data and analysis as provided in this report. For the first time in several sessions, the 2007 Legislature passed a comprehensive revision of the initiative process, addressing several issues that have clouded its use in the past. Now is the time to seriously consider what to do about initiatives calling for state spending without funding sources. The League suggests discussions of the following options: A return to voters, with funding options identified, of any initiative that requires General Fund expenditures. A requirement that an initiative without a funding source not be allowed to move forward. Use of an indirect initiative process for unfunded initiatives, which would refer the initiative to the next session of the Legislature. The initiative could either be passed outright or sent to the voters with the funding source specified. The League urges you to move the discussion of this issue forward, and we look forward to participating in it. Thank you. Marge Easley LWVOR President --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 26, 2007 VOTE YES ON SB 10B The League of Women Voters of Oregon considers SB 10B one of the most important proposals to be voted upon by the Oregon Legislature. It is the third and final piece of the ethics reform legislation debated during 2007 and necessary to complete the revision of Oregon’s ethics laws. It provides alternative, independent funding for the Oregon Ethics Commission that will allow more comprehensive and transparent oversight of the many public officials under its jurisdiction. It strictly limits gift amounts and provides for regular reporting by lobbyists and legislators. It will allow public officials to establish legal defense funds and to be pro-active with their use. THE OREGON LEGISLATURE NEEDS TO RE-ESTABLISH PUBLIC TRUST VOTE YES ON SB 10B Marge Easley President Norman Turrill Action Committee Chair --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 13, 2007 To: Ways and Means Public Safety Subcommittee Representative Chip Shields, Chair Re: SB 5518, Oregon Judicial Department Budget The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, nonpartisan political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. As you consider the budget of the Oregon Judicial Department, we urge you to remember that, as the third branch of our state government, the Oregon Judicial Department must perform core governmental functions essential to our form of government. The people of Oregon depend upon the courts for resolution of disputes affecting their lives, property, safety, and welfare. Oregon’s state courts do not control their workload; the courts must handle the work that comes to them with the resources the Legislature gives to them. Last year, as League members visited and interviewed the Presiding Judge and Trial Court Administrator in each of Oregon’s 27 judicial districts, we learned that our state courts are struggling to perform their core governmental functions with the resources available to them. Findings from our interviews are detailed in our report, The Oregon Judiciary: Challenges for the 21st Century, which we have given to Committee members. Most urgent of the problems we observed are the need for more judges and staff members, increased judicial compensation, adequate court facilities, and increased funding to support the work of the courts in the 21st century. Fair and impartial administration of justice in Oregon must be of the highest priority. To that end, the League supports adequate and stable funding for the Oregon Judicial Department to perform its core functions and critical services. The League urges the Committee and the Legislature to provide such adequate and stable funding. Thank you for this opportunity to provide our viewpoint on this budget issue. Sincerely yours, Marge Easley President Barbara Fredericks Judiciary Chair --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 4, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics ad Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: SB 700A Public Officials Compensation Commission The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League supports SB 700A, which reactivates the Public Officials Compensation Commission. We believe that legislators should not have the unenviable task of providing their own compensation. The Commission would bring more transparency to state government, which is in the public interest. An important inclusion in this legislation is the compensation for legislators for expenses, as outlined in Section 8. Both the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature and the Oregon Law Commission discussed the need for additional expense funds for legislators, particularly to avoid personal use of campaign funds and to provide more accountability in expenditures. There has been additional discussion of these issues during the consideration of several ethics bills this session. The League supports the inclusion of judicial salaries within the scope of the Public Officials Compensation Commission. We applaud the inclusion, as well, of the Commission’s timeline to provide the 2008 Special Session with its salary recommendations for the remainder of the 2007-09 biennium. SB 700A is a positive step forward, and the League of Women Voters urges the committee to move the bill to the floor. Thank you. Marge Easley LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 4, 2007 To: House Committee on Revenue Representative Phil Barnhart, Chair Re: HB 2001 Tax Accountability Commission The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. For some time we have expressed our concerns regarding the huge burden of tax expenditures which affect the ability of the state to fund education, human services and public safety as well as the continuing enactment of tax credits. HB 2001, with the dash 2 amendments, presents a workable proposal to start the critical process of evaluation and accountability for tax expenditures. The reasons why the current situation merits more transparency and legislative action are well stated in the new language. The League supports the amendments to HB 2001. Several specific charges to the 14-member Commission are of particular importance and especially address the current problems: The Commission shall review and audit a list of tax expenditures, which include the top most expensive expenditures in the corporate tax credits, the personal income tax credits and others that meet the criteria adopted by the Commission and report on this Review List to the 75th Legislative Assembly. Criteria shall be adopted for use in conducting a thorough review, including measuring the specific economic, employment or other outcomes by which the goals and purposes of these expenditures can be objectively measured. Specific measures for each of those tax expenditures on the Review List shall be adopted that can be used by the Legislature in considering an extension of the repeal date. A regular schedule for review of tax expenditures having no repeal date shall be developed for use by the Revenue Committee and the Legislative Revenue Office. The Commission shall examine and make recommendations on adopting statutory requirements for tax expenditures as well as objective criteria for measuring whether a proposed tax expenditure is likely to accomplish its stated objectives. The Commission will discuss and make recommendations regarding effects from loss of revenue from tax expenditures and the appropriate duration of existing and future tax expenditures. The League believes that an amended HB 2001 will start the critical assessment of Oregon’s tax expenditures, which is so desperately needed. We also recommend an open hearings process for the Commission much like that for the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature. Please give your careful consideration to HB 2001 and move it to the floor. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this legislation. Marge Easley LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: May 31, 2007 To: Honorable members of the Oregon Senate From: Janice Thompson, Executive Director, Democracy Reform Oregon Margaret Noel, President, League of Women Votes of Oregon Re: “Yes” on HB 2910 We urge your support for HB 2910, which simplifies current law regarding voter pre-registration by 17 year-olds. HB 2910 is not a new policy direction, since 17 year-olds can already pre-register to vote if they will turn 18 in the 60 day window before an election day. What it does is simplify the mechanics of this process for county elections offices and young people. Implementation of current law requires tracking the four official election dates each year, not just the more familiar primary and general elections. The result is a confusing patchwork of time periods when pre-registration may occur. This complicates the processing by county clerks of those cards that don’t arrive during the pertinent 60-day period. Some clerks return these pre-registration cards, while others keep them in storage and process them into the centralized voter database during the appropriate 60-day window. Under HB 2910, the trigger for allowing 17-year-olds to register is more straightforward for the young person and eliminates storage and return mail costs currently incurred by county clerks. In addition, the workload of processing pre-registration cards can be more easily managed by county clerks. Security measures are already in place to ensure that ballots are not sent to ineligible young voters, and HB 2910 does not add any new security concerns since 17 year-old pre-registration is already a feature of the centralized voter database. No fiscal impacts are anticipated, because the Secretary of State’s contract with the vendor who designed the centralized voter registration database requires making adjustments mandated by changes in state law. Most important, HB 2910 deserves your support because of the increased opportunity for civic engagement by young people. Vote yes on HB 2910. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 31, 2007 To: Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue Senator Ryan Deckert, Chair Re: Support for HJR 14, double majority revision The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots non-partisan political organization that encourages informed participation in government. We appreciate this opportunity to express support for HJR 14. Since the passage of the "double majority" law, the ability of voters to pass measures to provide needed educational and social services has been severely limited. No matter how large the majority vote, services are not implemented because less than 50 percent of registered voters participated. The law is clearly undemocratic and needs to be amended. It is time to give their voting rights back to Oregon citizens. In our form of government, the majority wins and that right is being thwarted. Many communities can cite the loss of school levies or library levies or public safety services with ballot majorities but not enough voters. Non-voters are making critical decisions not supported by those casting ballots. It is time to stop rewarding non-voters. The League urges you to support allowing Oregonians to take back control of ballot outcomes. Please move HJR 14 to the Senate floor. Thank you. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 23, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HB 2060 Campaign Finance Commission The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League has supported campaign finance reform for more than 30 years. We believe in measures to improve methods of financing political campaigns in order to ensure the public’s right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office and promote citizen participation in the political process. In the 1970s after the Watergate scandals, Oregon gave up campaign contribution limits that had been in effect since the 1910s to try an experiment in newly popular campaign expenditure limits. When the federal courts struck down campaign expenditure limits as unconstitutional, Oregon voters tried to return to campaign contribution limits by passing an initiative in 1994. Then the Oregon courts struck them down as unconstitutional, leaving Oregon with only disclosure laws and some of the weakest campaign finance laws in the country. In the 2005 Legislative Session, the League supported the passage of some of the strongest and best campaign disclosure laws in the country, resulting in the web-based ORESTAR system that is now online and improving constantly. However, Oregon politics is still dominated and awash in special interest money that overshadows much of what happens in Salem. Anyone can be convinced of this by just looking at almost any campaign finance report to see tens of thousands of dollars of campaign contributions from special interest PACs, lobbyists, corporations and unions, followed by a few hundred dollars of campaign contributions from individuals. Oregon voters understand this and in 2006 passed Measure 47 in the hope of controlling the problem. But the voters failed to pass the Measure 46 constitutional amendment that was necessary (according to the Oregon Supreme Court) to implement Measure 47. Why was that? The League believes it was because Measure 46 contained in its one sentence a second feature, requiring 75% vote of both houses of the Oregon Legislature to pass any change in campaign finance laws. Such a vote is virtually impossible for substantive changes, so any change would have to be passed by the voters by initiative. Without this feature, the League believes that Measure 46 would have passed. So we come to the current proposal for a campaign finance commission, HB 2060, proposed by the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature. The League is skeptical but believes that this proposal has a small chance of helping with Oregon's campaign finance problems. It is perhaps a last chance for the Legislature to work on this issue, because the voters will surely pass a simple constitutional amendment (like SJR 5 that the League supported in the 2005 session) the next time they have the chance. The League supports HB 2060, but believes that to be successful, the commission must include all the stakeholders necessary to ensure passage by the Legislature and ultimately by the voters. HB 2060 proposes an 11 member Commission to review and to make recommendations to the 2009 Legislature. The League would suggest that instead of four legislators on the Commission, there be eight – four from each chamber – and three public members. A shorter timeline would hopefully produce a proposal for the 2008 session. It would then be possible to refer any constitutional amendment to citizens for the November 2008 general election. If we appear impatient, it is because we are! Voters passed campaign finance reform in 1994 by 70 percent. That law produced lower campaign costs for the 1996 election cycle, but the Oregon Supreme Court struck it down. And we have endured 10 more years of ever increasing campaign expenditures, limiting who can run for office and turning voters off with constant appeals for votes. We want the issue addressed quickly, efficiently and effectively. With the proper charge and motivated commission members, the League believes there is time to develop a proposal by the end of this year. There is no shortage of background information; however, in the past there has been a shortage of political will. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this legislation. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 21, 2007 To: House Elections, Ethics and Rules Committee Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HB 2595-1 GSPC ethics legislation The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss House Bill 2595-1, legislation about the Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC). The League has long supported the Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC) since its establishment by the voters by initiative in the 1970s. The League has been following the discussion of ethics and the GSPC since the 2005 Legislature forwarded the issue to the Oregon Law Commission (OLC). We commend the Law Commission and its two workgroups for their year-long consideration of the matter and for the recommendations that they adopted—some of which are now contained in HB 2595-1. The League has long held the position that government should be open, responsive and accountable to the citizens whom it represents. We believe that the HB 2595-1 legislation will help public officials focus on being accountable, responsible and responsive to all the citizens of Oregon. This bill is derived from two bills proposed by the OLC and excludes provisions that this committee will consider separately in SB 10 A, which the League also supports. Because of the technical nature of the provisions of this bill, we will not comment directly on the details, but want you to know that the League generally supports all of this legislation with one exception. In Sections 23 and 24, we prefer the original draft of these special "opt-out" provisions that was written by the OLC work group. The original provision allowed the GSPC to retain control of a contested case if it decided to do so, with a respondent allowed to later appeal to Marion County Circuit Court after a GSPC decision. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this legislation. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 21, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: SB 78A The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League supports SB 78 as amended by the Senate. During the 2005 session, the League participated in the discussions regarding electronic reporting of campaign contributions and the establishment of the ORESTAR program. It is designed to make C & E reporting more efficient and accurate. Because of more frequent report filing deadlines, we support the addition of an additional campaign member to assist with the filing of reports. It also makes sense to extend the filing deadline from 5 p.m. to midnight. ORESTAR is still in the testing stage, and we encourage campaign treasurers, candidates and other assistants to take the training offered by the Secretary of State’s office. The League recognizes that election procedures are critical elements in providing transparency in the elections process, and the availability of current and accurate campaign finance information is part of the voter education process. We urge the committee to move SB 78A forward with a do pass recommendation. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 16, 2007 To: Senate Committee on Rules Senator Kate Brown, Chair Re: HB 2082A, Initiative reform The League of Women Voters is a grassroots non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. Thank you for the opportunity to address one of the critical issues facing the Oregon initiative process: protection from fraud. HB 2082A would put in place important procedures dealing with the petition signature sheets, and the proposed amendments include requirements for registration of petition passers, an Attorney General’s summary of the measure before circulation, an increased threshold of signatures before granting a ballot title, and the maintenance of payroll records for paid petitioners, among others. These rules would give the Secretary of State much more control over the way in which signatures are gathered – which is needed. The League’s position on direct democracy stems from its research study, initially adopted in 1988, with revisions and updates in 1996 and 2001. We support the constitutional right of Oregon citizens to propose or revise statutes through the direct initiative process. Part of our position also states that, “Paid petitioners must be required to identify themselves as such, personally and on signature sheets.” The League also believes in the necessity of protecting the public’s right to know and combating corruption in political campaigns. HB 2082A will better ensure that citizens are protected from petition passers who are falsely filling out sheets and threatening the whole process. We have been assured that these new rules will not interfere with rights of volunteer petitioners. The League applauds the concept of an electronic petition sheet to enable single signatures without necessitating a separate witness. The reimbursement oversight of the Secretary of State, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries provides protection both for paid petition passers and the initiative process. The League supports HB 2082A as an important revision to Oregon’s 105 year-old initiative system and urges you to join the House with your recommendation for passage by the Senate. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 16, 2007 To: Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government Representative Bob Jenson, Chair Re: HB 5025, Government Standards and Practices Commission Budget The League of Women Voters is a grassroots non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. We have long supported the Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC) and have lamented the fiscal starvation of this agency by the Legislature, almost from its inception 30 years ago. We monitored, with interest, the discussions about GSPC funding and operations during the meetings of the Public Commission on the Oregon Legislature and the Oregon Law Commission. During hearings about improving ethics during the session, we have commented on the need for more adequate funding of the GSPC so that it can better perform its mission of oversight of Oregon’s public officials. The Governor’s proposed budget increases funding for the Commission, and the League supports HB 5025 in that regard. During the prolonged discussion of SB 10A in the Senate, we agreed with the concept of a more independent and stable source of revenue for the GCPC than the General Fund. Our major concern is that there be better financial support for the important work of this agency than in the past. The GSPC has been the people’s watchdog since voters enacted the Ethics Commission law in 1974. We urge the Legislature to provide the resources necessary for this agency to live up to the citizens' expectations. Thank you. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 10, 2007 To: Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government Representative Bob Jenson, Chair From: League of Women Voters of Oregon Margaret Noel, President Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator Re: Support for SB 10-A Ethics legislation The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. We appreciate this opportunity to comment on SB 10-A, which the League supports. We followed closely the discussions of the Public Commission on the Legislature and the Oregon Law Commission relating to the Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC), its funding and mission, lobbying regulations and reporting, personal use of campaign funds by legislators, gifts and honoraria, among others. The following statements represent the League’s position: The GSPC was put in place through the initiative process, and the public continues to expect that public officials committing ethics violations will be held accountable. Adequate funding that allows the GSPC to carry out its mission is critical, and it is appropriate that the bodies for which it has oversight pay for that activity. Inadequate funding by the Legislature over the past 30 years has deprived the agency of the ability to carry out its function. SB 10-A provides a reasonable increase in penalties for ethics violations, and the proposed gift limits, with exemptions, also provide accountability. The League believes that quarterly electronic reporting by lobbyists and public officials to disclose gifts improves the transparency of influence The difficult issue of legislators leaving office and becoming lobbyists has been well addressed in the proposed timeline. The original name, Ethics Commission, is being restored, and the League supports SB 10-A, which puts important improvements in place. We urge you to approve and move the bill forward. Thank you. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 27, 2007 To: Senate Rules Committee Senator Kate Brown, Chair Re: SB 494 conflict of interest legislation for all public officials The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League has long supported a government that is responsible, responsive and accountable to its citizens. Conflict of interest legislation is an important component of such a government. The Oregon Law Commission has proposed SB 494 with a package of other bills as part of a project requested by the previous Legislature. The Law Commission should be commended for their work on this and other bills. The League is generally supportive of most of this entire package of bills. SB 494 proposes important improvements to Oregon's conflict of interest statutes for all public officials and would be enforced by the Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC). Section 1 contains most of the improvements of this bill. We note that much of the rest of the bill is in conflict with SB 10A that this committee debated effectively and at length. Where there are conflicts, the League prefers the provisions of SB 10A and assumes that these conflicts will be resolved before SB 494 moves forward. In any case the League supports the improvements in conflict of interest legislation in Section 1 and urges you to pass them in some form. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss this legislation. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 26, 2007 To: House Government Accountability and Information Technology Rep. Chuck Riley, Chair, and Members From: League of Women Voters of Oregon Re: HB 2001 (Performance & Program audits on tax expenditures) – NON SUPPORT The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots non-partisan, statewide political organization, which encourages informed citizen participation in government. The League has been long concerned about the impact of tax expenditures on state revenue. The League strongly supports a state government which is adequately financed in order to provide essential services to its citizens. Currently, Oregon’s fiscal stability suffers from the non-receipt of billions of dollars which are given away as tax expenditures. We believe that the public benefits and public costs should be evaluated for ALL tax expenditures at the same time and using the same criteria. We also believe that all tax expenditure programs should be audited for accountability. In the interest of fairness, accountability and rational choice, all categories of tax expenditures should be considered at one time using consistent criteria. Without commenting on the merits of this or other proposals, at this time, the League recommends a broader review of the state’s entire tax expenditure program. Thank you for your attention. Margaret Noel President Liz Frenkel Natural Resources Action Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 19, 2007 To: Ways and Means Public Safety Subcommittee Rep. Chip Shields, Chair Re: SB 5518 Oregon Judicial Department The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The LWVOR recently completed a study of The Oregon Judiciary, which was distributed to members of the Public Safety Subcommittee. The LWVOR members visited each judicial district in the state, interviewed the presiding judge and trial court administrators, and toured the courthouses. During these visits, the conditions of the courthouses were observed and many were found to be inadequate in size or in need of renovation. One would not survive an earthquake. Technology did not easily fit in the courtroom, and security was an issue in many older courthouses. Additional judges and court staff were needed in fast growing districts. In all judicial district judges balance time deadlines mandated in criminal cases and in juvenile dependency cases with delayed civil cases which also have deadlines. Many family court litigants are not represented by an attorney, placing a greater burden on judges. More than half of the judges and administrators reported that their courts were understaffed. Competitive salaries were an issue in larger cities where courts had difficulty in retaining court staff. Judicial salaries have been stagnant and have become an impediment in enticing attorneys to a judicial career. Specialty courts have developed into a promising tool for the court system, but they require additional judicial and staff time. The Chief Justice set a maintenance budget of $311.9 million from the General Fund, but the Co-Chairs have set aside only $304.6 million for the Oregon Judicial Department for the next biennium. No enhancements have been considered for the above needs. Thank you for the opportunity to speak regarding this budget. Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair Karen Nibler Social Policy Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 18, 2007 To: House Revenue Committee Rep. Phil Barnhart, Chair Re: HB 2347, HB 2535, HB 2731, HB 3255, HB 3370 and HB 3421 The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The LWVOR has a position on Evaluating Taxes with the following criteria: a tax system that is based on ability to pay, that is equitable, adequate, stable and simple as possible, that takes into account taxes levied by all levels of government, that is flexible enough to adjust to social and economic changes, and that recognizes the individual’s responsibility for government services by providing for broad sharing of the tax burden. The League supports the proposed taxes on beer, wine or alcoholic beverage as an equitable tax on producers and/or purchasers of these products. We endorse the dedication of the tax revenue from these sources for alcohol and drug treatment and mental health treatment through county health departments and circuit court programs. This tax recognizes the individual’s responsibility for the payment of government services as those citizens who use the most also pay the most for the services. Those who purchase the most alcohol are likely to be those who are most in need of alcohol and drug or mental health treatment. The League also has a position on Adult Mental Health that says the mental health delivery system should include mental and emotional illness; alcohol and drug addiction and developmental disabilities. The proposed legislative budget has not fully funded the community mental health system and this revenue stream would fill the gap. We encourage the use of this revenue source to meet the community mental health and alcohol and drug treatment needs throughout the state. Thank you for the opportunity to provide our input. Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair Karen Nibler Social Policy Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This testimony is being presented by local Leagues at the traveling Ways and Means hearings throughout the month of April. April 2007 To: Joint Ways and Means Committee Sen. Kurt Schrader, Co-Chair Rep. Mary Nolan, Co-Chair Re: State Budget The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We appreciate this opportunity to address the issue of the state budget and we commend you for bringing this committee hearing into the community to allow citizens to more conveniently share their thoughts and opinions with you. The League strongly believes that it is the obligation of the legislature to sufficiently fund state services. These services include those that provide for the protection, safety, and education of us all. The state must also provide adequate funds to responsibly protect our natural resources for the public good. The League of Women Voters, through a consensus method, has developed positions which relate to the state’s budget. Our Action Committee has developed Legislative Priorities for the 2007 session which relate to these positions. We commend the following budget priorities to you and ask that you provide adequate funding for them in the budget. Natural resource agency budgets should be adequately funded in order for agencies to be able to provide park maintenance, acquire new park land, ensure safe and clean drinking water, and provide the state with accurate information regarding state lands and state water resources. Affordable quality childcare should be available to Oregon families in order to increase employment and reduce poverty. Early intervention and prevention programs should be supported through the Commission on Children and Families, including parent support, youth development, juvenile crime prevention and shelter programs. Adequate funding should be provided for not only K-12 education programs, but also for community colleges and our colleges and universities. Post secondary education should be funded at a level which does not over-burden students though unfair tuition rates. Housing for low- and moderate-income families should be provided as a part of all planned neighborhoods and communities. Additional state financial support devoted to proven programs will help prevent the loss of existing affordable housing, develop additional units, and increase homeownership. Health care coverage should be provided for all children, and coverage for adults should be expanded under the Oregon Health Plan. Prescription drug coverage should be a fundamental component of any health care reform. Regional care facilities, local crisis services, and housing programs should be adequately funded for adults with mental health issues, and children with mental illness should have adequately funded services in the home, day treatment facilities, and residential treatment programs. Funding for drug courts and an adequate budget for substance abuse treatment in the Oregon Health Plan should be provided in order to assist those who struggle with drug and alcohol dependency. Community intervention programs and treatment options should be funded for juvenile offenders, and money for mental health treatment should be provided for youth correctional facilities. Alternatives to incarceration should be funded for adult criminal offenders, such as community based programs and effective treatment of the mentally ill both in prison and in hospitals. In order to pay for these and other important state services, we strongly urge you to look at all funding sources. We believe the state can collect more revenue by taking a careful look at the many tax exemptions given to special interests, especially the pollution tax credits. We commend you for establishing a rainy day reserve fund, and encourage you to consider other reliable sources of funding for this new reserve to ensure adequate future budgets in the event of an economic downturn. We also hope you follow your current path and ultimately vote to permanently eliminate the corporate as well as the personal “kickers”. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify before this committee in a community setting. We know that crafting a budget which seeks the common good is achievable, and we ask that you consider the needs of all Oregonians as you work toward this goal. Sincerely Margaret Noel LWVOR President ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 9, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HB 2007 Civil Unions The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We commend the committee for this hearing on HB 2007, and we appreciate the opportunity to support the proposal. The League believes that every person should have equal opportunities and that no person or group should suffer legal, economic or administrative discrimination. Currently, there are prohibitions against some Oregonians who are in committed relationships. They are often unable to provide health care support, jointly raise children, or have joint control over legal matters. HB 2007 reiterates the state constitution’s protection of the right to equal privileges and immunities under law for all its citizens and the right to be free of discrimination. It establishes the Certificate of Civil Union and the Declaration of Civil Union, which then legally entitles persons of the same sex, who so desire, to make the commitment to equal protection under the law. The same rights and responsibilities accorded to persons licensed to be married are accorded to those licensed with the Certificate of Civil Union. The League believes HB 2007 is one of the steps necessary to removing discrimination against some of Oregon’s citizens. During the campaign to amend the Oregon constitution to allow marriage only between a man and a woman, the proponents vigorously pointed out that civil unions would be acceptable. It is now time to enact that legislation. Thank you. Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 2, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: Comments on HJR 31 and HJR 33 The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We appreciate this opportunity to address the issue of Oregon redistricting and commend the Legislature for beginning the discussion of this important governmental activity. It is important to begin this discussion now, because the closer we get to 2011, the harder it will be to reform the redistricting process. The League has just completed a year-long research study of redistricting, and our members have reached a new position regarding the critical elements that should be considered during the redistricting process. We are taking no positions on HJR 31 and HJR 33 at this time. However, we believe that the committee has an excellent opportunity to seek background information about the current Oregon redistricting process and to investigate recommendations about possible revisions for the next redistricting after the 2010 federal census. We have provided you with a copy of the League's Redistricting in Oregon publication, which reflects our research into Oregon law and practice regarding redistricting, as well as an analysis of what other states do and the outcomes of a variety of redistricting methods. Our basic philosophy is reflected in the opening statement of the position: “Congressional and legislative redistricting should advance the fundamental purposes of representative democracy and a republican form of government by affording the people a meaningful choice in electing their representatives and holding the government accountable to the people. The League of Women Voters believes that the Oregon legislative and congressional redistricting system should be efficient, adequately funded, based on well-defined criteria, subject to a reasonable and effective timetable, and have an open and public process.” In analyzing HJR 31, the League raises the following questions: 1. What is the rationale for allowing an entire year to pass, including a General election, before the new redistricting is implemented? 2. What is the federal deadline for submitting the final redistricting plan? With regard to HJR 33, we submit these questions: 1. Why would you amend the Oregon Constitution to remove any review by the Supreme Court? A review is available in most states. 2. Why would we want to put all the detail into the Oregon Constitution? League positions would suggest that an outline of the process should be put in the Constitution and the detail put into statute where it can be adjusted as we gain experience with the new process. 3. In our research we found problems with the current system; does the proposed "special masters panel" make the system less complex or easier to implement? 4. Redistricting is a political process, so should all political data be excluded from the process? The League's study and position suggest that district competitiveness be an important criterion. Others have suggested that political data and considerations will inevitably leak into the process, and that it is better to have all the data out in the open where everyone can consider it. 5. Is the public involvement sufficient? (There were 22 public hearings in 2001.) 6. What is the rationale for submitting the plan for a public vote? The League respectfully recommends that the committee issue a call for an invited testimony session to include as many persons as possible who have experience in the redistricting process. Such persons could include present and former Secretaries of State and staff, former Supreme Court justices, and citizens who have been involved as consultants or hearings participants, among others. Redistricting is a very important democratic process, and we look forward to further discussions. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss redistricting legislation. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator Norman Turrill 1st Vice-President and Action Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 27, 2007 To: House Revenue Committee Representative Phil Barnhart, Chair From: League of Women Voters of Oregon Margaret Noel, President Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator Re: Tax Expenditures Comments HBs 2963, 3108, 3260 and HJR 26 The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-partisan, political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. We appreciate this opportunity to comment on the issue of tax expenditures. The state of Oregon literally gives away more than $27 billion every two years in tax breaks, credits, deferrals and deductions. Some have social and economic merit; many do not. The League, for some time, has advocated for a serious review of these tax expenditures. In the meantime, there continue to be new measures that expand the list – 150 of them currently proposed. These proposals stretch from agricultural equipment exemptions to employers' wage increase credits, from affordable housing credits to volunteer public safety service credits. Four would extend the life of pollution credits. We oppose HB 3260, which extends sunset dates for income tax expenditures for 2007-09. This measure would extend the pollution tax credits that the League has opposed for all of the benefiting interest groups for many years. HJR 26, which deals with legislative oversight over tax expenditures every 10 years, does not correct the problem and such a provision should not be in the Constitution. HB 3108 directs the Secretary of State to conduct performance and program audits of tax expenditures, which would be acceptable, but again, the timeline does not expedite dealing with the issue. HB 2963 would extend sunset tax expenditures not required under federal law or the Oregon Constitution and establish an Oregon Tax Expenditure Commission to review expenditures, but the charge for the Commission is too vague. Having passed the Oregon Rainy Day Fund, it is critical that the Legislature take an over-all look at tax expenditures and decide which are good policy, which are necessary and which are merely “rewards”. The League reiterates its support for a timely and thorough review of Oregon’s tax expenditures. Thank you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 26, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HJR 14 Modifies the double majority requirement The League is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We appreciate this opportunity to express support for HJR 14, which would reform the double majority requirement. Since the passage of this requirement as part of Measures 47/50, the ability of voters to pass property tax measures to provide needed educational and social services has been severely limited. No matter how large the voting majority, services were not implemented when less than 50 percent of registered voters participated. It is time to give their voting rights back to Oregon citizens. In our form of government, the majority wins, and that right is being thwarted. Many communities can cite the loss of school levies, library levies, or public safety services with ballot majorities, but not enough voters. This gives power to non-voters, whose nonparticipation defeats critical decisions supported by those casting ballots. The League urges you to support allowing Oregon voters to take back control of ballot outcomes. Please move HJR 14 to the House floor. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 23, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HJR 32 Constitutional amendment to allow 2-year petition circulation The League is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Thank you for the opportunity to express our concern with HJR 32. The League supports the constitutional right of Oregon citizens to propose or revise statutes through the direct initiative process. That being said, our members, after study and discussion, also agreed that the time frame for collecting signatures should be limited to one year. On that basis, the League would like to support HJR 32, but can only support it if the time period is changed to no longer than one year. However, the League believes that the Oregon direct democracy system needs to be improved, and we have presented testimony to that end on HB 2082, which is before your committee. Consideration of such recommendations such as the number of signatures needed to obtain a ballot title, review of initiative drafts for legal language and possible constitutional conflicts, timeline revisions for obtaining certification to pass petitions, adjustments to paid petitioner requirements, and others merit your further discussion. Adding additional time to collect signatures for a petition can lead to an increasing number of duplicate signers, voter confusion and the cost of circulation. The League urges you to continue a broad discussion on the Oregon initiative process without consideration of lengthening the time for collecting signatures to longer than one year. Thank you. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 21, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HJR 43 Allow voter registration not later than Election day The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. The League strongly believes democratic government depends upon the informed and active participation of its citizens and requires that government bodies protect the citizen’s right to know by giving adequate notice of proposed actions. Included in this principle is the premise that the citizen’s right to vote is protected by a registration cut-off requirement that does not otherwise disenfranchise qualified voters. Election day registration was in place until 1986. The League feels the 20-day cut-off enacted at that time does not treat voters equally, and we have supported efforts to revise the cut-off in several legislative sessions. Already under federal law, if a voter is not registered to vote prior to the cut-off, but otherwise meets all the qualifications, then that voter must be allowed to vote for the president on election day. The League continues to believe that the 20-day cut-off for voter registration is unfair and disenfranchises some citizens. HJR 43 provides a protection for voter’s rights, and we ask your support for it. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 21, 2007 To: Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue Senator Ryan Deckert, Chair Re: Double Majority Deletions or Modifications SB 921/SJR 35, SJR 27, SJR 37, SJR 38 The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. The League supports the deletion of the double majority requirement in all property tax elections. SB 921, coupled with the constitutional amendment referral in SJR 35, accomplishes that end by June 19, 2008. SJRs 37 and 38 also remove the double majority clause in the Constitution. Since its passage, the double majority requirement has thwarted the will of voters in countless school district and local government program and improvements elections. It is more than frustrating to citizens when more than a required majority cast ballots in favor of a tax measure, and the vote is nullified because the 50 percent turnout of registered voters is not reached. Such outcomes result in a decision made by non-participating voters and is contrary to the democratic principle of majority rule. Whether you choose SB 921, which is more complex, and SJR 35, or refer either SJR 37 or SJR 38, the League urges you to move to strike this draconian law. Citizens should be given the opportunity to repeal the double majority. Thank you Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 15, 2007 To: House Revenue Committee Representative Phil Barnhart, Chair Re: HJR 46, constitutional amendment to permit counties and local taxing districts to increase local permanent tax rate The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. The League promotes an open government that is representative, accountable and responsive. We also believe that the Legislature has the authority to provide for local government flexibility to meet future needs. HJR 46 addresses an acute fiscal problem facing a significant number of Oregon counties and local taxing districts. Data from half of Oregon’s 36 counties indicates that the loss of federal forest reserve receipts will or could cause severe loss of pubic services, particularly in the areas of public safety and social services. Under the current tax rate restrictions in Article XI of the Oregon Constitution, many of the affected counties cannot raise the revenues needed to provide essential services if the federal funds are not available. While there may be federal funds for the next fiscal year, future receipt of these moneys is not guaranteed, and more permanent local revenue is required. The LWVOR must point out, however, that other Oregon counties and cities also are affected by the constitutional rate restriction. That fact raises concerns over equity and fairness in the ability of these other jurisdictions to provide public services in difficult fiscal periods. The League urges the committee to fully discuss this important proposal and to support action that will assist local governments and their constituents in coming years. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 14, 2007 To: Members of the Senate Legislative Operations and Reform Senator Rod Monroe, Chair From: League of Women Voters of Oregon Margaret Noel, President Norman Turrill, 1st Vice-President and Action Chair Kappy Eaton, Governance Coordinator Re: Comments on SB 700 and SB 5522 In our testimony on SB 700 on March 7 and earlier on SB 50, we expressed support for aligning increases in compensation for members of the legislative Assembly, including expenses and per diem, with revisions in the statute governing use of campaign funds. We reiterate that support, but timing of the changes is of utmost importance. Unless there are increases in compensation at the same time as the implementation of tighter controls on the use of campaign funds, the proposed revisions for the use of campaign funds will not work. Legislators have been clear about the difficulty of trying to separate legislative business from personal activities, particularly in traveling to meetings and meals, as well as other expenses. It is equally clear that additional expense money is necessary along with an increase in legislative salaries. We urge you to discuss whether the level of fiscal support in SB 5522 is sufficient to address the problems with salary and expenses and to act accordingly. If positive action can be taken, then the proposals for curbing campaign fund use should be discussed and enacted. Thank you for considering these comments. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- March 7, 2007 To: Senate Legislative Operations and Reform Committee Senator Rod Monroe, Chair Re: SB 700 and SJR 1 The League of Women Voters is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages the active participation of informed citizens in government. The League supports the reactivation of the Public Officials Compensation Commission as proposed in SB 700 and the constitutional amendment to accomplish it in SJR 1. It is important to take the unenviable task of providing their own compensation away from legislators. This also brings more transparency to state government, which is in the public interest. We are less supportive of the proposals regarding candidate’s use of campaign funds. During your prior discussion of this matter in SB 50, it became evident that the link between legislative salaries and the questions about the use of campaign funds was both clear and important. And we applaud your putting them together in SB 700. Both the Public Commission on the Legislature and the Oregon Law Commission discussed this thorny issue and recognized the relationship. Legislators do have financial difficulties with meeting the demands of constituents for organizational functions, local meetings, and peer-related conferences on the current salaries for members of the Oregon Legislature. The League supports reasonable uses for campaign funds as proposed in Section 1 (1) and (2) (a) through (d). However, the League objects to the specific proposals in Section 1 (3) (b) which allow one candidate to use contributed funds to make contributions to other candidates and political committees. We feel this allows a wider distribution of funds contributed for the campaign of an individual than contributors may have intended. We believe the proposals of the Oregon Law Commission were better on this point. The League supports the accountability of campaign fund use in SB 700 and the establishment of the Public Officials Compensation Commission. We thoughtfully suggest that you consider carefully the wider use of campaign funds and then move both SB 700 and SJR 1 forward. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 28, 2007 To: Senate Finance and Revenue Committee Senator Ryan Decker, Chair Re: SB 80 and SJR 10 on Double Majority The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. The League supports the deletion of the double majority requirement in property tax elections, as proposed by SB 80 and in the accompanying constitutional amendment, SJR 10, which refers it for a vote of the citizens. Since its passage, this double majority requirement has thwarted the will of voters in countless school district elections and prevented needed improvements for school programs and facilities. This measure is a simple one. It simply deletes the double majority clause for property tax measures. There have been several attempts to remove or revise the onerous effects of the 50-50 requirement in all elections for property tax changes, except the November General Election in the even-numbered years. During the 2005 legislative session, the Senate passed a measure for change with a bi-partisan vote, but no discussion took place in the House. In the meantime, local voters passed measures to allow local governments and school districts to provide services, but they were null and void because less than 50 percent of registered voters participated. It is past time for this draconian law to be repealed. The League urges this committee to pass SB 80 and SJR 10 on to the Senate. Citizens should be given the opportunity to repeal the double majority. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 19, 2007 House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HB 2082 The League of Women Voters is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. Thank you for the opportunity to address one of the critical issues facing the Oregon initiative process: protection from fraud. HB 2082 would put in place important procedures dealing with the petition signature sheets. The proposed amendments include requirements for registration of petition passers, an Attorney General’s summary of the measure before circulation, a threshold of signatures before granting a ballot title, and the maintenance of payroll records for paid petitioners, among others. These rules would give the Secretary of State much more control over the way in which signatures are gathered – which is needed. The League’s position on direct democracy stems from its research study, initially done in 1985-1988, with revisions and updates in 1996 and 2001. We support the constitutional right of Oregon citizens to propose or revise statutes through the direct initiative process. Part of our position states that, “Paid petitioners must be required to identify themselves as such, personally and on signature sheets.” The League also believes in the necessity of protecting the public’s right to know and combating corruption in political campaigns. HB 2082 will better ensure that citizens are protected from petition passers who are falsely filling out sheets and threatening the whole process. While we have received assurances that these new rules will not interfere with the rights of volunteer petitioners, we request that the committee discuss more seriously with the Secretary of State what consequences there might be for volunteer efforts. We also are concerned that the proposals not interfere with the actual signature gathering process. There are several initiative reforms which the League feels should be considered by this committee, and which we outlined at your informational hearing on January 31. We look forward to future discussions on the Oregon initiative process, and urge that you move HB 2082 forward. Thank you. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 19, 2007 To: House Committee on Elections, Ethics and Rules Representative Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: HB 2589 The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-profit political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. Thank you for this opportunity to comment on HB 2589 which adds members of the Legislature to the statute prohibiting specified public officials from exercising undue influence or receiving financial gain through employment as a lobbyist for a certain time after leaving office. The League of Women Voters of Oregon believes this kind of ban on the so-called “revolving door” is important, particularly to alleviating the public perception of legislative misconduct. The League monitored the meetings of Oregon Law Commission’s year-long study of ethics issues and commends the recommendations forwarded to the Legislature. Because Oregonians want responsible, responsive and open state government, we believe the public’s distrust and frustration might better be served by a broader proposal such as the prohibitions addressed in HB 2594. That measure includes all public officials and candidates in a larger net of concern for possible economic benefit and special interest influence. We support the time limits in both bills. This session of the Legislature has an opportunity to act positively about the public's, and the members of the Legislature’s, concerns over ethics issues. The League urges you to seriously consider closing the “revolving door” with a strong message to citizens. Thank you. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 14, 2007 House Committee on Revenue Representative Phil Barnhart, Chair Re: HB 2388 The League of Women Voters is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization that encourages informed citizen participation in government. Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the important issue of tax expenditures, and the proposed regular reviews outlined in HB 2388. The League strongly supports a state government that is adequately financed in order to provide essential services to its citizens. Currently, Oregon‘s fiscal stability suffers from the non-receipt of billions of dollars, which are given away as tax credits. Some tax breaks have high social value and some are necessary to encourage economic development. However, many of the 355 identified tax expenditures are still being given for programs that are well beyond the start-up phase; other breaks are added each year for doubtful reasons. HB 2388 will establish a regular review program over a six-year period for all of the tax expenditures. With the review and recommendations of the interim committees, it should be possible to eliminate those tax expenditures which are unnecessary or no longer credible, but continue to provide those which contribute to Oregon’s social welfare or economy. The loss of General Fund revenue from tax expenditures should decrease, and it should be possible to better determine the need for continuing tax credits. The League supports HB 2388 as a plausible program to address a revenue problem and give support for state services. We urge you to carefully consider HB 2388 and move it forward. Thank you. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- February 13, 2007 Senate Committee on Legislative Operations and Reform Senator Rod Monroe, Chair Re: SB 50 and SJR 1 The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, non-partisan political organization, which encourages the active participation of citizens in government. The League supports the reactivation of the Public Officials Compensation Commission as proposed in SB 50. We also support SJR 1, the constitutional amendment that sets up an independent commission. During the discussions of the Public Commission on the Legislature it became clear that ethics law revisions related to the use of campaign funds are closely linked to compensation for public officials. Current salaries for all Oregon public officials, even when adjusted for inflation, are below those of the other Western states and actually declined 3.2% between 1975-2005. Legislators continue to have fiscal difficulties with meeting the demands of their office, which include local meetings with constituents, organizational functions, and attending peer-related professional conferences such as those given by the Conference on State Governments. Yet there are problems with just how much of their campaign funds legislators can legally use for these activities and their attendant costs. The League believes reasonable curbs on the use of campaign funds can be enacted if reasonable and equitable salaries are set by an independent commission. SB 50 would put in place a Public Officials Compensation Commission to set the salaries of all statewide officials, judges, district attorneys and members of the Legislature. Criteria are listed as the basis for salary decisions. Legislators would be relieved of the unenviable task of setting salaries for themselves and others, making the Legislature more accountable and open in the eyes of the public. SJR 1 needs to be referred to the voters to ensure that compensation issues are separated from politics. The League supports responsible, responsive and transparent state government. We believe SB 50 and SJR 1 move the state in the right direction, and we urge you to pass them both. Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 31, 2007 To: House Elections, Ethics and Rules Committee Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: Initiative Reform Thank you for the opportunity to address the issues regarding reform of the Oregon initiative. The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots, nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. The League has been strong supporter of direct democracy for many years and supports the right of Oregon citizens to propose or revise statutes through the initiative system. That system is a venerable one, having been put in place in 1902. During our most recent study of the initiative in 1996 (with an educational update in 2001), our members reiterated their belief in the process, but noted areas that should be considered for change. We have supported several bills introduced in the past five legislative sessions, which we felt would improve the Oregon system. However, none of the proposals were enacted. The League recommends that the following specific parts of the initiative process referring to statute initiatives receive your careful attention and action: Increasing the number of signatures required on the prospective petition. The current number is 25. Requiring an advisory opinion as to the constitutionality of each proposed initiative after it has qualified for the ballot, with the opinion to be published in the Voters’ Pamphlet. Limiting the time frame for collecting signatures to one year. Considering optional use of the indirect initiative (legislative review). With regard to initiatives proposing constitutional amendments, the League recommends the following: Requiring a number of valid signatures not less than 10% of the votes cast for all candidates for governor in the last election in which a governor was elected for a four-year term. Increasing the number of signatures required on the prospective petition. Requiring more than a simple majority of the total votes cast for the measure for passage. Exempting the Oregon Bill of Rights and revenue measures from the initiative process. Using the indirect initiative process and scheduling discussion of a qualified initiative first on the agenda of the next legislative session. The League has followed the discussions of the Public Commission on the Legislature and its recommendations with regard to initiative reform. Several of the recommendations have been incorporated into HB 2055 and SB 55. We can support requiring that all chief petitioners of a petition be registered to vote in Oregon. We also support publishing in the Voters’ Pamphlet the number of petition signatures gathered in each county, the names and addresses of the five persons or political committees making the largest contributions, and the procedures for citizens to use in filing complaints about alleged violations of election laws with the Secretary of State. We note that the Attorney General has requested legislation (SBs 123,124, and 125), which, respectively request requiring 10% of signatures on a petition before it receives a ballot title, allowing the AG’s office to correct clerical errors, and directing chief petitioners to confer with Legislative Counsel regarding legal and drafting issues. Revisions in the initiative process are needed to keep it a viable alternative for citizens. The League urges the committee to seriously consider all these recommendations and act upon them. Thank you, Margaret Noel President Kappy Eaton Governance Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 18, 2007 To: Senate Rules Committee, Senator Kate Brown, Chair Re: SB 10 ethics legislation The League of Women Voters of Oregon is a grassroots nonpartisan political organization, which encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. Thank you for this opportunity to discuss Senate Bill 10 ethics legislation. The League of Women Voters has been following the discussion of ethics and the Government Standards and Practices Commission (GSPC) since the 2005 Legislature forwarded the issue to the Oregon Law Commission (OLC). We commend the Law Commission and its two workgroups for their year-long consideration of the matter and the recommendations that they adopted—some of which are now contained in SB 10. The League of Women Voters has long held the position that government should be open, responsive and accountable to the citizens whom it represents. We believe that the SB 10 ethics legislation will help public officials focus on being accountable, responsible and responsive to all the citizens of Oregon. The League supports a dedicated and stable source of funding for the GSPC, and sufficient funding to allow it to perform the oversight that the voters expected when they passed the law in 1974. SB 10 appears to solve the funding issues of the GSPC in a more effective way than previous proposals considered by the OLC. We also suggest some accommodation or exception from the proposed assessments for public bodies that utilize volunteers and that have a budget that is predominately donations, such as some volunteer fire departments. SB 10 also appears to solve the issue of gifts to public officials in a way the League strongly supports. We are very pleased that SB 10 removes exceptions from the definition of "gift" for "food, lodging and travel" and "food and beverage" or "entertainment" when in the presence of the provider. The "provider" in these situations was often a well-funded professional lobbyist. Most ordinary citizens and advocates for public interest groups do not have such resources. These exceptions allowed access to legislators that most Oregonians cannot afford. The League strongly supports the provisions in SB 10 for electronic reporting to the GSPC and for making this information available online to ensure easy public access. The League also supports the quarterly reporting timelines in SB 10. We would also suggest incorporating the OLC recommendation for amending ORS 260.407 into Section 14 of SB 10, concerning the permitted uses of campaign funds. The OLC has proposed a new ethical approach to campaign contributions: "They are in trust and they are NOT the candidate's money, but rather are the committee's moneys to use." In particular, the OLC recommendation would not allow campaign contributions to be used to defray public office expenses. This OLC recommendation is tied to another recommendation to increase the Legislative Assembly's budget to pay for reasonable expenses. The League supports both of these recommendations and would like to see a bright line drawn between campaign funding and public office expenses. Margaret Noel LWVOR President Norman Turrill First Vice-President and Action Chair Back to top Natural Resources 2007 June 19, 2007 To: Ways and Means Natural Resources Sub-Committee Senator Richard Devlin, Chair Oregon State Assembly Salem, OR 97301 Re: HB 3525 – Appropriating water from the Columbia River The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League testified in opposition to HB 3525 before the House Environment and Energy Committee. We believe that this bill represents bad public policy for the following reasons: HB 3525 reverses ORS 537.135(5) prohibiting Water Resources Department from issuing “a ground water recharge permit unless the supplying stream has a minimum streamflow established for the protection of aquatic and fish life.” This is a significant change in policy which we do not support. HB 3525 contradicts a League position supporting coordinated management of the Columbia River for the protection of federally listed Columbia fish by circumventing existing Sensitive Stock rules (OAR 690-33). For these and other reasons, cogently argued by commercial and sports fishermen as well as by Columbia River Tribal members, we ask that you oppose HB 3525. Thank you for your consideration. Marge Easley President Liz Frenkel Natural Resources Action Coordinator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 15, 2007 To: Members of the House Election, Ethics and Rules Committee Rep. Diane Rosenbaum, Chair Re: Support for HB 3557, Conditions for approval of mining reclamation plans The League is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government. We are here today to express our support for HB 3557, which offers some important statutory amendments dealing with surface mining reclamation plans. The League believes this bill is an excellent first step in preventing the destruction of some of Oregon’s best farm land, and we urge you to carefully consider the long term benefits of instituting clear reclamation requirements for the mining industry. The League bases this testimony on our strong land use positions that support: management of land as a finite resource, not as a commodity, since land ownership, whether public or private, carries responsibilities for stewardship. regulation of areas of critical concern, including significant agricultural land. reclamation of lands damaged by surface mining. Reclamation has long been promoted as an effective tool for returning land to a productive state after surface mining has occurred. However, “productivity” is a relative term, and in the case of prime, unique, Class I or Class II soils, it is imperative that the true productivity of this land is recognized. Once our best agricultural lands are gone, they are gone forever. The League believes that HB 3557 sets an appropriate standard for reclamation, and we urge you to pass this bill out of committee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify. Sincerely, Marge Easley President Liz Frenkel Natural Resources Chair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 13, 2007 Governor Ted Kulongski 900 Court Street NE Salem, OR 97301 Re: Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning (Big Look), SB 82 (2005) The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League has long been an advocate for Oregon’s statewide land use planning program. The League and members have participated in all aspects of the program, including its development, and since its legislative passage in 1973, its implementation. The League has, through several legislative sessions, supported the formation of a statewide task force to engage Oregonians in a review of our statewide land use planning program. We supported SB 82, legislation passed in 2005 creating the current Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning. The League supported this “Big Look,” because we believed today’s Oregonians needed to learn more about our current program, and they needed to be involved in the process of making changes which they believe better reflect the state’s current and future needs. Circumstances have changed since the Task Force started work on the project. In particular, HB 3540 C has passed both the House and Senate and will be referred to the voters regarding revisions to Measure 37. We assume the referral election will be this Nov. 6th. Since it was never the intent to embroil the Task Force in specific Measure 37 issues, we believe it would be prudent to suspend Task Force work during the 2007-2009 biennium until the 2009-2011 biennium. We know that there will be substantial election debate on Measure 37, as well as on our current land use system. Because of the intensity of this debate, it will be difficult for the Task Force to get the attention of Oregonians on the broader issue of exactly what kind of land use program we all want in the future. Win or lose, Oregonians will continue to be focused on the election debate for months afterward. The work of the Task Force should be held in suspension in order to allow Oregonians relief from this debate, time to focus on the “Big Look” issues and time to allow the Task Force to reflect on the results of the election and the effect of those results on the current system. It is important to act now in order to allow the Task Force to plan for this two-year suspension and to assure that a separate and distinct public engagement does not occur at the same time as the Measure 37 debate. We ask that you consider our request. Marge Easley President Peggy Lynch Action Committee Member cc: Senate President Peter Courtney Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley Oregon Task Force on Land Use Planning ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- June 13, 2007 Representative Mary Nolan Joint Ways and Means Committee, Co-chair Oregon State Assembly 900 Court Street NE, H-486 Salem, OR 97301 Re: HB 3525 – Appropriating water from the Columbia River The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan, political organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League testified in opposition to HB 3525 before the House Environment and Energy Committee. We believe that this bill represents bad public policy for the following reasons: HB 3525 reverses ORS 537.135(5) prohibiting Water Resources Department from issuing “a ground water recharge permit unless the supplying stream has a minimum streamflow established for the protection of aquatic and fish life.” This is a significant change in policy which we do not support. HB 3525 contradicts a League position supporting coordinated management of the Columbia River for the protection of federally listed Columbia fish by circumventing existing Sensitive Stock rules (OAR 690-33). For these and other reasons, cogently argued by commercial and sports fishermen as well as by Columbia River Tribal members, we ask that you oppose HB 3525. Thank you for your consideration. &n