Oregon House Republicans lay out session goals
House Republicans said Monday they have kicked off the 2015 Legislative Session with a commitment to increase opportunities for Oregonians through commonsense legislation aimed at creating family-wage jobs and increasing economic development.
Other goals expressed in Monday’s outline: ensuring that every student has access to a first-class education; protecting families, seniors and our most vulnerable residents; and, restoring accountability, transparency and credibility to state government.
The House Republicans additionally vowed to work to lower the tax burden on middle-class Oregonians by renewing and expanding tax credit opportunities and by blocking tax increases that would further squeeze the budgets of families and small businesses.
“House Republican members have shared a variety of achievable goals that will grow Oregon’s economy and increase opportunities for residents across the state,” said House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte). “We look forward to discussing these goals in further detail over the next few weeks.”
Economic Opportunity Goals For Families And Small Businesses
Increase incomes across the state by creating and attracting more family-wage jobs
Strengthen Oregon’s rural communities by expanding economic development
Prioritize roads and infrastructure projects that will improve public safety, decrease congestion and get Oregonians back to work Renew and expand tax credits to lower the burden for Oregon families, including the Child Care Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and the Crop Donation Tax Credit Protect small businesses from a wave of government mandates that will increase costs and stunt growth and expansion Bridge relationship between natural resource-based industries and state government to create jobs, help struggling communities and conserve our environment
Education Opportunity Goals For Students, Teachers And Families
Invest in targeted and direct funding to classrooms to improve outcomes in education Recruit and retain the best and brightest educators to teach in our classrooms Implement career-technical initiatives and skills training in our high schools to better prepare our future workforce Increase school choice and access to alternative education opportunities to better suit the individual needs of students and families Increase instructional time in the classroom so that Oregon students are no longer at a learning disadvantage when compared to students across the nation Make college more affordable for students Invest in targeted funding to hire new science, engineering, and career-technical instructors and professors to train Oregon’s next generation for the jobs of the future
Healthcare Opportunity Goals For Families, Seniors And Our Most Vulnerable Residents
Strengthen and expand access to healthcare for families in rural Oregon Increase protections for our seniors against physical abuse and financial and identify theft and fraud Strengthen the social safety net for our most vulnerable residents by eliminating systemic fraud, waste and abuse of social service programs Correct the mistakes of the failed Cover Oregon exchange and ensure its transferred functions are fully accessible to Oregonians
Restore Accountability, Transparency And Credibility Back To State Government
Increase transparency of state government functions through additional legislative oversight and checks and balances Require project deliverables and timelines from our state agencies and large state projects Require that all state reports be promptly posted to the Oregon Transparency Website
