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News Release

                                                                        March 5, 2012

Legislature Makes History

In State’s First Annual Session

(SALEM) – Oregon lawmakers completed the state’s first annual session in an even-numbered year Monday – rebalancing the state budget; providing mortgage foreclosure protections for homeowners; and passing major healthcare and education reform measures.

“We didn’t have much money. We kept the prisons from closing. We took care of needy seniors, children and the disabled. And we didn’t cut schools,” Senate President Peter Courtney said following the 8:44 p.m. sine die adjournment. “We passed some important policies. We ended on time. We did OK.”

The Legislative Assembly concluded its work on the 34^th day of the session, one day short of the constitutional limit approved by voters in 2010.

In addition to the budget and the governor’s education and health care reforms, lawmakers also approved dozens of critical policy measures in the session, including:

• Protected Oregonians struggling to keep their homes by requiring lenders to meet with them and a neutral mediator to work out an agreement to avoid foreclosure;
• Expanded eligibility for the state program that pays property taxes for low-income senior citizens;
• Helped protect vulnerable senior citizens from abuse;
• Established the state’s first Marine Reserves off the Oregon Coast;
• Reduced contamination and exposure to mercury, an element that is toxic to humans and the environment by lowering the mercury content allowed in lighting; 
• Made it easier for parents to access information on the seismic readiness of Oregon schools;
• Helped protect children from abuse by expanding the list of people who are required to report child abuse, commonly known as “mandatory reporters;”
• Streamlined and consolidated economic development funds to better prioritize economic development investment planning in the state;
• Supported small businesses by expanding eligibility for Oregon’s Credit Enhancement Fund – thereby helping businesses access capital needed to grow and expand by guaranteeing loans;
• Expanded the number of enterprise zones which can be established by local governments to create jobs; 
• Enabled veterans to more effectively use their military training to gain civilian employment;
• Ensured that job applicants can’t be prohibited from applying for a job opening solely because they do not currently have a job;
• Increased transparency of the public contracting process in the state;
• Mandated a reduction of the ratio of managers to front-line workers in state agencies to create greater efficiency;
• Increased the ability of government agencies to give preference to American-made transit vehicles;
• Shielded funeral proceedings from disruptions by increasing the penalty for disorderly conduct if it is within 200 feet of a funeral;
• Expanded access to healthcare by giving physician assistants the ability to distribute some  prescription medications;
• And took action to clean up Oregon’s highway rest areas.