State budget town hall draws Madras crowd

Oregon lawmakers held a town hall meeting in Madras Saturday afternoon to gather public input about the next, deficit-challenged state budget, one of seven being held across the state by the Joint Ways and Means committee.

A $1.8 billion shortfall in the two-year budget projection means potential cuts that could be painful, so many people worried about their future packed the Madras Performing Arts Center.

Programs threatened with cuts could affect law enforcement, veterans, schools, housing and health care. The state Constitution requires a balanced budget every biennium.

One local resident, Heidi Turner, said she relies on the Oregon Health Plan to support her chronic illness and her son’s brain cancer treatment.

“If the budget cut really does happen, the way they say it’s going to happen, we will not be able to afford our prescriptions,” Turner said. “I don’t know how we’ll be able to manage even seeing a doctor, let alone being able to pay for him.”

While Oregon voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 96 last fall, setting aside 1.5 percent of Oregon Lottery funds for several programs, including veterans, Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget would cut $10 million from the current general fund level. Estimates show veterans would still a slight gain, but far less than expected.

“Oregon has a responsibility to fund veteran services through their general fund and the supplemental money is going to mean so many positive things for this state fiscally,” Veterans of Foreign Wars member Judith Burger said. “It’s going to mean that we don’t have men and women sitting under bridges and trying to treat themselves and trying to get to their medical appointments.”

Educators are worried about larger class sizes, less time dedicated to lesson planning and programs on the chopping block. An outdoor school participant, Carol Packard, said she believes every sixth-grader deserves the chance to go to outdoor school.

A student from OSU-Cascades voiced his concern over the possible lack of support for an expansion of the school.

“If we don’t have those funds, we won’t be able to support student success,” said student Chad Bulosan. “And if we don’t have student success, we don’t have students coming out of OSU that are able to help with economic development “I don’t want to see an Oregon that doesn’t have successful students.”

One of the legislators on hand that lawmakers see the impact potential have on individuals’ lives.

“Hopefully we get insights into how important each of these different things are, so when we get back (to Salem), maybe we can have a bigger conversation about new revenue so we can start meeting all the needs,” said Sen. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay. “We can have a better understanding of what these kinds of cuts will do to individual families and people.”