Dear Friends,

This week’s legislative priority was a rebalance of the 2007-2009 budgets.  After last Friday’s release of the March Revenue Forecast of $881 million shortfall, the Legislative leaders presented their budget reconciliations and requested review and inputs by the Ways and Means subcommittees on Monday.  The Ways and Means Co-Chairs have agreed to give $51 million more of the Federal Stimulus Package for K-12.  This still results in a $54 million reduction for 2007-2009 K-12 budgets.  The Co-Chairs believe that this will result in a statewide average of 5 days less on the school calendar.  I remain supportive of using some of the & ldquo;education stability fund” to have no further reduction of school days or no adverse effect on High School seniors.  We will continue to keep you informed on the budget process.  Remember we will have a May Revenue Forecast and unless the Federal Stimulus and Oregon Legislative Stimulus packages kick-in fast the 2007-2009 revenue may decrease further.  Also, the 2009-2011 budget revenue forecasts continue to decline.  Some are now estimating that the revenue may be over $4 billion short of the essential budget levels.  Although this is not good news; we will still hope for better economic news from all the money that the Federal Government is providing.

Sincerely,

Gene Whisnant

(Hot Topic) HB 2463 Concealed handguns

Our office has received hundreds of emails and phone calls about HB 2463, this bill provides persons licensed to carry a concealed handgun in another state with protections provided to persons with Oregon concealed handgun license. The bill had a public hearing on February 24 in front of the Judiciary Committee, where I serve as Vice-Chair.  Please understand that I am supportive of this bill and am optimistic that it will pass.  I appreciate all of your emails and calls stating your support for this bill. I have added many of you to our Legislative email list to keep you current on this bill.&n bsp; You may discontinue receiving our update if you so desire to by going to the end of this newsletter and following the appropriate steps.

STIMULUS OR GOVERNMENT WASTE?

I opposed the Oregon Legislative Stimulus package which borrowed $175 million to “create 3,000 jobs to repair and build state structures.”  My opposition was based upon the rush to pass a bill which had not received a through review.  In January, the Legislature passed and the Governor signed SB 338.  In SB 338, we borrowed $1,344,000 for State Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Capital Construction/Improvements.  Then, in February as part of the Legislative rebalance of the 2007-2009 budget, $3,500,000 was removed from the ODFW deferred maintenance fund. Why did we borrow $1.3 million for F & W maintenance projects when it had $3.5 million sitting in its deferred maintenance account? I guess we had the funds available but we borrowed more money which could cost the state and taxpayers about $1,000,000 interest.

BILLS/ISSUES

(HJR 10) On Tuesday, I carried a bill declaring March 2009 as American Legion Month.  The American Legion will celebrate its 90^th birthday in March.  The resolution passed 59 yeas and one excused.

(HB 2500)  Our “Open Book Oregon” bill (Taxpayers Transparency Bill) received a hearing in the House Rules Committee on Thursday.  This very important bill was well received by the committee.  The Oregon Department of Administrative Services who is tasked with developing the system testified in support of the concept and is willing to work on amendments to create a user friendly, searchable web site for Oregon citizens.  The other chief sponsors of this bill are Rep. Jefferson Smith (D-Portland); Rep. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay); and Rep. Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer).  We are hopeful that some system can be generated soon with little or no costs.  Then, Oregon would join at least 12 states already posting their state finances on web sites. Prior to the committee meeting, we had a press conference to explain our bill and objective.  The “Oregonian” and the “Statesman Journal” published articles on the bill which were very positive.

(HB 2511)  Also, on Thursday, I introduced a bill to allow military personnel and other certain long term absentee voters to cast their ballots electronically.  The Secretary of State was not supportive of this bill and stated they were concerned about the costs.  I will work with them to seek changes to the bill which will achieve our goal of assuring that our military personnel overseas have the right to vote and have that vote counted. 

(HB 2436)  I would like to clarify that our fine Deschutes County Clerk did not oppose this bill to provide funds for the affordable housing trust fund.  She was seeking compensation for their additional work load.  I am working with other legislators to try to address this issue for the County Clerks with another bill.

(HB 2882)  I have introduced a bill to allow citizens to host events like weddings on their exclusive farm use land.  This bill was requested by constituents and has been a topic of coverage in the local media.  We have filed the bill and opposition has surfaced.  I am working with the interested parties to find a way to allow these people to use their property for businesses within our land use laws and as good neighbors.

COMMITTEES

Joint Ways and Means Education Subcommittee:  On Monday, the subcommittee reviewed the co-chairs’ reconciliation proposals for all education budgets.  The subcommittee co-chairs submitted the following to the Ways and Means Co-Chairs:  

·         Allow school districts the full 24 months (2009-11) to plan and implement their share of reductions;

·         Utilize additional funding from the federal stimulus package to restore sufficient school funding to ensure that no additional school day reductions are made for most school districts during the 2008-09 school year; and

·         Limit reductions to the Oregon University System in 2007-09 to no more than the $46 million currently proposed, and consider utilizing additional funding from the federal stimulus package to restore a portion of these cuts.

On Tuesday, we continued reviewing the Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) 2009-2011 budgets. On Wednesday, we had public testimony on the OHSU budgets.  President and CEO Jim Diegel, Cascade Healthcare Community, Inc testified in support of OHSU’s 4^th year clinical clerkship program and Area Health Education Center program.       

House Judiciary Committee:  On Monday, we held hearings on bills concerned with driving under the influence.  On Tuesday, we looked at bills from the District Attorneys and sex offender bills.  On Wednesday, we had public hearings and work sessions on many bills related to financial records, a Secretary of State proposal, and statute of limitation on construction projects.  On Thursday, the bills were related to sexual abuse.

UPCOMING EVENTS

·         WHAT:  “Meet Your Legislators & Local Leaders:  A Look at the Year Ahead” in a televised town hall format discussion on Talk of the Town. Rep Gene Whisnant, Rep Judy Stiegler, Sen Chris Te lfer joined by Deschutes County Commissioners.

·         WHEN:   Monday, March 23^rd, 5:30 p.m.  Airs Monday, March 30th on COTV 11 at 7pm & each Monday through April 20^th.. 

·         WHERE:  Cascades Theatrical Company, 148 NW Greenwood, Bend.

·         WHO:  OPEN to the PUBLIC.  Free to attend.  Please R.S.V.P. to Jamie Christman at:  talk@bendbroadband.com , or call 388-5814. Check out the web for more details:  www.talkofthetownco.com. 

·         WHY:  BendBroadband/COTV-11 produces Talk of the Town to Central Oregon as a community service intended to “set the table” and dive deeper on issues that matter to Central Oregonians. 

SURVEY

I have sent out Surveys in the past about which issues are most important to you and how you feel about current items. Instead of mailing them to you, I just want to ask you a few questions about what you think of the Legislature right now.

Oregon faces at least a $2.9 billion budget shortfall to fund all state programs at their “current service level” for the next two years. In order to address this shortfall there are a variety of options. Which of the following do you believe should be used to balance the State budget?

• Reduce spending evenly across all programs
• Targeted spending reductions (specify)
• Personal income tax increase
• Gas tax increase
• Corporate tax increase
• Other (specify)

When it comes to major issues being discussed in the Legislature, Which of the following are most important to you?

• Providing Tax credits for businesses creating new jobs (existing and new employers)
• Funding public works projects ( to be paid by increasing taxes, fees and state debt)
• Increasing spending on job recruitment and economic development
• Reducing regulations and red tape for businesses
• Restoring the Oregon National Guard as our State Militia, and limiting their repeated deployment to fight foreign wars.
• Expanding Oregon’s Bottle Bill by raising the bottle deposit to 10 cents
• Reforming Oregon’s land use system by implementing more regionalized planning
• Changing the Oregon Legislature from odd-year sessions to annual sessions
• Raising the Beer tax

If you want to reply to my email and just let me know your answers, I would appreciate the feedback. This way I can understand your concerns more clearly. Thank You!

CONSTITUENT VISITS

Diana Strand, Sunriver and Sandra Lavine, La Pine- both licensed Dental Hygienists’ in District- met with him and group of other hygienists

Bill Wilber, President of Water for Life

Cattleman Association and Water For Life Reception

Janet Huerta, Executive Director of Saving Grace, along with Trish Meyer, Stan Robson, and Gary Soules

CONTACT

Do you enjoy my weekly newsletters from Salem? I would like to encourage you to ask your friends and family if they would also be interested in receiving my weekly updates. Please let them know that if they email my office, rep.genewhisnant@state.or.us and ask to be added to the list, I will gladly put their names on my list. I enjoy hearing back from my constituents and hope that I can get into correspondence with more of them. So please let your neighbors know that I want to hear from them!

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