June 29, 2009
Geoff Sugerman
503-986-1210

Hunt Cites Job Creation, Health Care And Budget Balancing
As Key Legislative Accomplishments

            The Oregon House completed the 2009 legislative session Monday, citing health care coverage for Oregon’s 80,000 uninsured children, the state’s first major transportation program in decades and creating thousands of new jobs as key accomplishments in a session dominated by a global recession.

            The 2009 session started with a call for bipartisanship as new Speaker Dave Hunt presented each member of the House, as well as Governor Ted Kulongoski and Senate President, with a pin made from an old fighter jet depicting a sword being beaten into a plowshare. That pin came to symbolize a bipartisan session that required the House to bend and shape the state’s general fund budget that was battered by the recession.

            To reach a balanced budget for 2009-2011, the Legislature cut $2 billion from the budget, used federal stimulus dollars and state reserve funds and modestly raised taxes on corporations and wealthy Oregonians.

            “We kept the state’s core services intact, despite the cuts we made. And while Oregonians will certainly feel the cuts, we’ve ensured that our children and our most vulnerable citizens are protected,” said Ways and Means Co-Chair Peter Buckley (D-Ashland). “We also made wise investments as we look toward a better future for Oregon once this recession is behind us.”

            But before Buckley and Senate Co-Chair Margaret Carter could even attack the 09-11 budget, they had to balance the 07-09 budget. Using the same strategy -- cuts, reserve funds and federal stimulus dollars – the Legislature approved a rebalance plan in February.

            At almost the same time, House and Senate leadership came together on a plan to inject a quick stimulus into the state’s economy, approving $176 million in projects in all 36 counties, and all of Oregon’s universities and community colleges. Especially in smaller communities, the projects provided a much needed boost to local communities. A report issued in June showed the projects had created or retained over 3,200 jobs with most of the projects completed.

            So even as the May forecast showed a further decline in State revenues, Ways and Means members were prepared to deal with even more bad financial news. While only reserve funds could be used to retire a $351 million debt in the 07-09 final budget, the committee continued to work the budget to make additional cuts, maximize federal dollars flowing into the state and protect core services of education, health care and public safety.

            “Rep. Buckley and his Ways and Means Committee did an incredible job in a very difficult time. While past Legislatures have been paralyzed by bad economic news, this team tightened the state’s belt, rolled up their sleeves and got to work fixing our economy,” said Speaker Hunt.    “We protected Oregon’s children and families. We protected core services as we made the difficult cuts.”

            Hunt said job creation was a top priority of the House since the session began. And the House delivered, passing transportation, housing, capital construction and health care packages that create thousands of jobs in the short term, while providing important long term benefits for Oregonians.

            “We covered Oregon’s children. Not only was that the right thing to do morally, but it also was a key part of creating thousands of new jobs in the health care sector. These are jobs where workers will be trained at our community colleges and serve the most needy among us,” said Hunt.

            “Along with tens of thousands of jobs from our transportation package and our capital construction efforts, we made smart and targeted investments in infrastructure improvements that will help commuters get home faster, move freight more efficiently and provide us with benefits that will last for decades.”

            Hunt also cited a number of other key legislative accomplishments including:

• Affordable housing construction and renovation (HB 2436)
• Preventing metal theft (SB 570)
• Protected students from improper sexual conduct by teachers (HB 2062 and HB 2063)
• Aid to homeowners facing foreclosure and putting new limits on mortgage companies (SB 328, HB 2188)
• Fighting identity theft (HB 2371)
• Ban the sale of toy lighters (HB 2365)
• Make homes and businesses more energy efficient through the EEAST program (HB 2626)
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions (HB 2186)
• Fighting invasive species (HB 2424)
• Adding new fines to persistent polluters (SB 105)
• Approved plan to publish budgets and other info to the internet (HB 2500)
• Allows all veterans to pay in-state tuition (HB 2571)
•  Allows combat medics to receive Oregon emergency responders license (HB 3097)

A full list of issue summaries will be published later this week.