72nd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2003 Regular Session
 
NOTE:  Matter within  { +  braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within  { -  braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
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 LC 2544
 
                     Senate Joint Memorial 5
 
Sponsored by Senators BROWN, CLARNO, ATKINSON, Representatives
  KNOPP, KAFOURY
 
 
                             SUMMARY
 
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
 
  Expresses support for Action Plan for Public Lands and
Education.
  Seeks just compensation from federal government for impact
federal ownership of land within western states has on ability of
western states to fund public education.
  Urges federal government to provide expedited land exchange
process.
 
                         JOINT MEMORIAL
To the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United
  States of America, in Congress assembled:
  We, your memorialists, the Seventy-second Legislative Assembly
of the State of Oregon, in legislative session assembled,
respectfully represent as follows:
  Whereas for many years the 13 western states, including Oregon,
have grappled with the challenge of providing the best education
for their residents, and face unique challenges in achieving this
goal; and
  Whereas from 1979 to 1998 the percentage increase in
expenditures per student in the 13 western states was 28 percent,
compared to 57 percent in the other states of the nation; and
  Whereas in 2000-2001 the student-teacher ratio in the 13
western states averaged 17.9 to 1, compared to 14.8 to 1 in the
other states of the nation; and
  Whereas for the decade from 2002 to 2011 the projected public
school enrollments in the 13 western states range from increases
of 1 percent in Oregon to over 13 percent in Idaho, compared to
an average decrease of 2.6 percent in the other states of the
nation; and
  Whereas despite disparities in expenditures per student and in
student-teacher ratios, the 13 western states tax at a comparable
rate and allocate as much of their budgets to public education as
the other states of the nation; and
  Whereas the ability of the 13 western states to fund education
is directly related to federal ownership of state lands; and
  Whereas the federal government owns an average of 52 percent of
the land in the 13 western states, compared to 4 percent of the
land in the other states of the nation; and
  Whereas the enabling acts of most of the 13 western states,
including Oregon, promise that five percent of the net proceeds
from the sale of federal lands will be paid to the states for
public education and other purposes; and
  Whereas a federal policy change in 1977 ended the sales of
federal lands for public education and other purposes, resulting
in several billion dollars in lost public education funding for
the 13 western states; and
  Whereas the ability of the 13 western states to fund public
education is further impacted by the fact that state and local
property taxes, upon which public education relies heavily for
funding, cannot be assessed on federal lands; and
  Whereas the estimated impact of the property tax prohibition on
western lands is a loss of over $4 billion per year, and in
Oregon is about $175 million per year; and
  Whereas the federal government shares about half of its royalty
revenues with the states; and
  Whereas royalty payments are further reduced because federal
lands are less likely to be developed and federal laws often
place stipulations on the use of state royalty payments; and
  Whereas the estimated impact on the 13 western states of the
federal government's royalty payment policies is a loss of about
$1.9 billion per year, and in Oregon is about $430 million per
year; and
  Whereas the estimated total ongoing revenue loss to Oregon from
the federal policies is over $700 million per year; and
  Whereas much of the land that the federal government
transferred to states upon statehood as a trust for public
education is difficult to administer and to make productive
because it is surrounded by federal land; and
  Whereas federal land ownership greatly hinders the ability of
the 13 western states to fund public education; and
  Whereas the federal government should compensate the 13 western
states for the significant impact federal land ownership has on
the ability of the western states to educate its residents; and
  Whereas just compensation will allow the 13 western states to
be on equal footing with the rest of the nation in their efforts
to provide education for their residents; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
  Oregon:
  That the Seventy-second Legislative Assembly supports the
Action Plan for Public Lands and Education; and be it further
  Resolved, That the Seventy-second Legislative Assembly seeks
for western states and the State of Oregon just compensation from
the federal government for the impact that federal ownership of
land within western states has on the ability of those states to
fund public education; and be it further
  Resolved, That the Seventy-second Legislative Assembly urges
the federal government to provide an expedited land exchange
process for land not intended for wilderness designation; and be
it further
  Resolved, That a copy of this memorial be sent to the Senate
Majority Leader, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
and to each member of the Oregon Congressional Delegation.
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