Dear Friends,

After a fun weekend celebrating Oregon’s 150^th birthday (sesquicentennial), we focused this week on the difficult task of trying to balance the 2007-2009 budget and develop the 2009-2011 budget – the primary mission of our citizen legislative government.  We had meetings with Ways and Means subcommittee chairs and legislative leadership to seek the best way to balance the budget.  President Obama’s Federal Stimulus package will help with some of the budget gaps.  Ways and Means Co-chairs Senator Carter and Representative Buckley who are responsible for th e final decision did not use the “rainy day” fund or the “education stability’ fund in the current proposal. This proposal cuts education funding by $167 million, public safety by $51 million and human services by $13 million.  In the Ways and Means Education subcommittee, I again urged the Superintendent of Education to advocate to the co-chairs that we use some of the “education stability” fund to keep the schools open and try to restore programs to help our seniors complete their final year without any adverse impact on their graduations or being qualified for college.  This co-chair budget is based upon a forecast of $800 million less revenue than the budget was build on.  Today, in a joint Senate and House meeting we received a presentation on the State Revenue Forecast which stated that the general fund deficit for our current biennium (2007-2009) is $855 million.  We are now faced with the question of how much deeper and how much longer will the economy downturn before it starts to recover.

Have a good week.  Thanks for all your email inputs on bills and policy.

Sincerely,

Gene Whisnant

COMMITTEES

Ways and Means Education Subcommittee:  On Monday, we received budget presentations and public hearings on the Oregon State Veterinary Medical Examining Board, the Occupational Therapy Licensing Board, the State Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and the Board of Naturopathic Examiners.  The Boards are basically financed by registration fees of its members.  However, the state must authorize their expenses and any fee increases.  On Tuesday, we continued reviewing the small commission’s budgets:  Board of Examiners of Licensed Dieticians, Board of Radiologic Technology, and State Mortuary and Cemetery Board.  On Wednesday, we received the first part of the OSHU budget presentation by the President, Dr. Josephson Robertson.  Their presentation will be completed later.  Thursday, we met and reviewed the Co-chairs education budget reductions to the 2007-2009 budget.

House Judiciary Committee:  On Monday, we held public hearings on six bills.  One addressed the conditions when a parent or guardian may make alcoholic liquor available to persons less than 21 years of age.  Also, we worked a bill from the DOJ reinstating charges dismissed pursuant to plea agreements.  There was a bill expanding kidnapping, a bill concerning testimony, and a bill from the AG to bring civil action against state employees who steal from the state was introduced.  We had some interesting bills on Tuesday discussing when a public safety officer can wear a uniform, t he definition of marijuana, spitting on public safety officers, and forfeiture of vehicles with hidden departments, a stalking bill, and arrest records. On Wednesday, we heard bills on how DHS serves notices, long term health facilities which close, and child support services.  Also, we had a military bill addressing the temporary appointment of Assistant State Judge Advocates.  On Thursday, we heard some bills which we had previously heard and are still being readdressed by the stakeholders.  On Friday, the committee visited the Oregon Public Safety Academy, home of Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) where public safety personnel are trained.

BILLS/VOTES

1.  HB 2436:  This bill passed the House on Thursday with a 36-14 vote.  I voted yea for this document fee increase; however, the $15 per document fee will go for affordable housing which is a significant need in our district.  The bill was supported by the Oregon Bankers Association, the Oregon Home Builders Association, the Oregon Association of Realtors, and the House Alliance.  The County Clerks opposed the bill because they considered the bill an unfunded mandate.  I am wor king with other legislators to see if this work load requirement can be addressed in a separate bill.

2.  HB 2375:  On Thursday, I made my third “NO” vote on this bill.  This bill discontinues an exception to use land that is exclusive farm use land for a fireworks business which has been in existing for many years and complies with existing laws.  It will eliminate 8 full time family wage jobs and 1,000 seasonal jobs.

3.  HB 2500:  Rep. Thatcher and I met with Dugan Petty, CIO and Administrator of the Enterprise Information Strategy and Policy Division and Margie Taylor, Senior Policy Advisor at Department of Administrative Services to discuss how and when we could reasonably implement our Open Books Oregon, “Taxpayers Transparency Bill” which allows citizens to easily search State finances.

VISITORS/EVENTS

Here is the list of Constituents and Community Leaders I met with:

- Sisters Stand for Children members and students- Cheryl Stewart, Merry Ann Moore, Rob Corrigan and students-Emily Corrigan, Elizabeth Stewart, Drew Corrigan, Mary Stewart. 

- Bend-La Pine School Board Members- Nori Juba & Carolyn Platt

- Scott Pillar, OSBA Vice President & Sisters residence

- Rep. Whisnant and other legislators participated in “Stand for Children” rally on the Capitol steps

- OSP Superintendent Timothy McLain

- Met Sally Pipes, health services expert with Pacific Research Institute.  Please read Sally’s new book, “The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care.”

- Tim Rusk, director of Mountain Star relief nursery

- Ron Paradis, Director of College Relations at COCC and Stephanie Goetsch, President of COCC Classified Union

- Patrick Varga, CEO of Redmond Hospital

- Bob Williams, Evergreen Freedom Foundation

- Pastor Steve Schenewerk, Megan’s father who presented the invocation for the House on Thursday

I attended these events:

- I spoke to House Emergency Action and Veteran Committee on behalf of bill I am sponsoring about honoring the American Legions’ 90^th birthday in March.

- Aviation Caucus reception

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please feel free to contact my office on any issues you would like to be brought to our attention, or to give your opinion on any legislation that is before your State House right now. We want to hear from you and make sure we are doing what we can for you here in Salem.

Our office phone number is 503-986-1453; our email is rep.genewhisnant@state.or.us; our mailing address is 900 Court St NE H-471 Salem OR 97301.

You may also follow our House Floor Sessions and Committee meetings by going to http://oregonchannel.org/rams.htm