House District 20
February E-Newsletter

Legislative Experiment Begins in February

      While much of the nation’s political attention has been focused on the presidential primaries and the lead-up to Super Tuesday, we in Oregon are preparing for an experiment in state governance.  Our legislature will be back in session in February for one month.

     This session is seen as an experiment for annual legislative sessions.  I don’t know if that idea will fly in Oregon, because of our constitutional mandate to meet every other year.  However, there are valid arguments in favor of annual sessions, especially because agency budgets frequently need adjustments due to changing economic conditions. The recession which Oregon experienced in 2001 is a good example of how difficult it is to allocate a two year budget of billions of dollars. 
Oregon is one of only 6 states where the legislative meets every 2 years.

These are some of my priorities for this February legislative session:

* We should make sure that driver’s licenses are issued to applicants only after they prove they are living here legally. 

* We need to strengthen the requirement that a driver will receive a license only after producing federal identification, such as a Social Security number.

* This has been framed as an anti-immigration issue but it is much broader than that. Oregon has notoriously weak license requirements and to strengthen them helps to decrease our identity theft and Meth related issues.  Also the federal Real ID Act requires that we make positive actions in this area by May of this year. 

* A recent federal report is scathing in its criticism of the conditions in our State Hospital. The Legislature must act immediately to assure proper treatment for mentally ill Oregonians.

*  We should not wait another year to appropriate more money for the Oregon State Police.  We must fund round-the-clock patrols on our state’s highways.

* Despite two recent land use ballot measures, (or perhaps, because of them) our land-use laws are a confused mess.  Funding was cut last session for the “Big Look” commission that would re-evaluate our land-use system.  We should restore the funding for this commission.

* We have to find ways to keep drivers with suspended licenses off the road.  I have been working with Sen. Jackie Winters along with other Salem area legislators and the Oregon Department of Transportation to come up with a proposal to make that happen.

* Interestingly, because of a unique Oregon law, the legislature must act or there will be no Republican presidential or vice-presidential candidate’s names on the ballot.

* The legislature can act to prevent some home foreclosures. Oregon is not suffering the way many other states are from the growing crisis, but it does affect us. 

      I invite you to make up your own mind on this special session.  You are always welcome to visit the Capitol and watch your government in action.

State Representative

Vicki Berger

Legislative Session Schedule

The Oregon Legislature meets in February for one month.

Feb. 4:             Session opens

Feb. 5:             Legislative committees meet

Feb. 6:             Most committees post notices of bills they will propose

Feb. 8:             State economic forecasts are released

Feb. 12:           Most original committees complete action on bills

Feb. 21:           Committee action completed on all bills

Feb. 29:           Targeted adjournment day

Elections Ethics and Rules, Vice-Chair
Revenue