Sine Die: Lawmakers comment at close of ‘short session’
A flurry of news releases followed the adjournment late Saturday afternoon of the 2018 Oregon Legislature’s “short session,” which actually ended about a week before the deadline. Here’s what Gov. Kate Brown and lawmakers had to say:
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Gov. Kate Brown:
Governor Kate Brown: “Oregon is an example for the rest of the country”
(Salem, OR) — Governor Kate Brown today characterized the 2018 legislative session as a turning point for Oregon. With the federal government locked in a partisan stalemate and the White House mired in scandal, Governor Brown and the Oregon Legislature moved forward on issues that Oregonians care most about. Each of Governor Brown’s legislative priorities were approved by legislators, and the Future Ready Oregon initiative was broadly supported by several policies that close the skills gap between the workforce Oregon has and the workforce businesses need to fuel the state’s economy.
“Oregon is an example for the rest of the country in prioritizing everyday values amidst political turmoil at a national level. Dysfunction and disarray in Washington did not stop our efforts to stand up for Oregonians,” said Governor Kate Brown. “Here in Oregon, we prioritize commonsense policies that improve the services Oregonians depend on. I applaud legislators for working with their communities to focus on what really matters.”
After months of work with Oregonians and legislators, each of Governor Brown’s five legislative priorities were approved by both chambers, and important strides were made to launch the Future Ready Oregon initiative.
Legislative accomplishments include:
— Becoming the first state in the nation to pass firearm safety legislation after the tragedy in Parkland, Florida
— Taking important steps towards tackling the opioid epidemic
— Creating a new tool to reduce the PERS liability, and funding it a year earlier than originally planned
— Making it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to start their own business and build housing in rural communities at the same time
— Working towards a more efficient state government by addressing how agencies spend up to $8 billion to contract services
Additionally, the Governor advanced initiatives that improve lives of working Oregonians, children, and families:
— Funding for almost 200 new caseworkers in Child Welfare, who will provide increased support for families in the foster care system
— Building Oregon’s support of addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery via a new strategic plan from the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission
— Passage of the Governor’s air toxics initiative, Cleaner Air Oregon, and establishing a Carbon Policy Office to work on cap-and-trade policy for the 2019 legislative session
— Net Neutrality legislation that uses the state’s purchasing power to protect open internet for Oregon consumers
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Oregon House Democrats:
Legislature Adjourns Productive 2018 Legislative Session
House Democrats pass legislation to build a better future for every Oregonian
SALEM – The Oregon House of Representatives adjourned the 2018 legislative short session, “sine die,” today. Over the course of the 27-day session, Oregon House Democrats advanced key legislation that will build a better future for every Oregonian.
“After a year of watching President Trump push his anti-immigrant, anti-climate change, anti-consumer agenda, millions of people across the country have stood up in some way to resist his agenda,” said House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson (D-Portland). “Here in Oregon, I’m proud that our legislative leaders also stood up for Oregonian values and spent our 2018 session working to move our state forward.”
Fighting for the Right to Health Care
Oregon House Democrats entered the 2018 legislative session working to ensure that every Oregonian has access to quality, affordable health care. The legislature passed House Bill 4005, aimed at lowering prescription drug prices through the disclosure of consumer information, and House Bill 4018, making sure the organizations that provide health care to Oregon’s Medicaid recipients are accountable and transparent. In addition, budget allocations were made to add more than $9 million to fund mental health services, and $2 million to tackle the opioid epidemic.
Investing in Quality Public Education
A quality public education system from cradle-to-career is vital to providing our children with opportunity and building a strong economy. House Bill 4041 ensures greater student voice and transparency in the tuition-setting process. For those students who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, Senate Bill 1563 levels the playing field, giving them the same in-state tuition status as every other Oregon student. Nearly $74 million will be invested in Oregon’s public universities so that they may thrive into the future. With an eye toward the 2019 legislative session, the Joint Committee on Student Success will begin work over the interim to strengthen Oregon’s public schools.
Building Strong Communities
Oregon has been a long-standing leader in the movement to pass meaningful gun violence prevention legislation, and this year Democratic leaders built on that effort. This year, the Oregon Legislature took action to protect survivors of domestic violence by banning people convicted of stalking and domestic violence or under restraining orders from buying or owning firearms and ammunition. With the passage of House Bill 4145, which was introduced by Governor Kate Brown, Oregon became the first state to pass gun violence prevention legislation after the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Oregon will also invest $250,000 to create the Portland State University/Oregon Health and Science University Center for Violence Prevention Research, Education, and Practice
The Legislature also continued to address Oregon’s statewide housing crisis by making significant investments in affordable housing and emergency shelters. House Bill 4007 will add money to the only continuous source of funding for affordable housing, as well as create a tax credit for first-time homebuyers. The budget also included $5.2 million to support emergency shelters across the state.
The legislature also took action to secure the safety of Oregon’s most vulnerable children by adding $15.7 million to the Department of Human Services budget to protect children in the foster care system.
Defending Our Environment and Combating Climate Change
House Democrats worked to protect our environment and build a clean energy future that preserves our natural beauty, protects the air we breathe, and creates job opportunities across Oregon. Senate Bill 1541 instituted the Cleaner Air Oregon program to reduce the risk of toxic air contaminants, and the legislature announced plans to form the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction focused on advancing Clean Energy Jobs legislation in 2019.
Strengthening Our Economy
Every Oregonian should have the ability to achieve their American dream. This session, Oregon House Democrats passed House Bill 4144, which makes it easier for small business contractors to start their own businesses, and House Bill 4052 set up advisory committees that will give small business owners a bigger voice in the state’s rule-setting processes. Rural broadband also got a boost with the passage of House Bill 4023.
Ensuring Government is Responsive and Effective
In an effort to keep Oregon’s government as efficient, transparent, and effective as possible, the legislature enshrined in state statute rules to keep elections fair and open.
As the # MeToo movement spread virally starting in October 2017, women from all walks of life have been speaking up about sexual harassment – including women who work in the Oregon State Capitol. In response, legislative leaders requested that the Oregon Law Commission review and advise the Oregon Legislature on how best to revise its laws and policies related to workplace harassment in order to adopt changes in the 2019 session.
Seeking Justice and Equal Rights for All
Every Oregonian should be afforded the same fundamental rights, regardless of their race, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation. The Oregon Legislature ensured DACA recipients could keep their drivers’ licenses even if the federal program is ended, and reformed plea agreements with House Bill 4149 so that no one is forced to give up their constitutional rights. The legislature supported veterans and active duty military members by passing House Bill 4035, extending scholarship benefits to members of the Oregon National Guard, and House Bill 4098 which seeks to provide veterans with better access to apprenticeship opportunities. In addition, House Bill 4038, championed by Rep. Paul Evans (D-Salem), included, among other things, reentry services for incarcerated veterans, including outreach, and assistance reinstating benefits.
Protecting Consumers at Home and Online
As the federal government increasingly sides with corporations at the expense of consumers, the Oregon legislature took action to protect internet freedom, private information, and personal data. With House Bill 4155, Oregon became the second state to pass legislation enshrining essential net neutrality protections that were rolled back by the Federal Communications Commission in 2017. Six months after the data breach of credit reporting agency Equifax exposed the private information of 145 million Americans, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1551, which will provide victims of data breaches additional protections.
“When the session started, I said that we would fight for a better future for every Oregonian,” Majority Leader Williamson added. “As we adjourn today, I’m proud to say the Oregon House Democrats delivered on our promise to expand opportunity and level the playing field in every corner of this great state.”
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Sen. Jackie Winters and Rep. Mike McLane:
SALEM, Ore. – Today, Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters (R-Salem) and Representative Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) issued the following joint statement regarding the 2018 Legislative Short Session:
“The short session is broken. Oregonians sent us here to adjust budgets, make minor policy tweaks, and respond to emergencies. Instead, the majority party introduced significant partisan policy changes that were impossible to properly vet in such a short amount of time. While thankfully many of these bills failed to make it to the Governor’s desk, it’s hard to escape the reality that the short session is increasingly becoming more about political posturing than good policy making. Oregonians deserve better.”
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SALEM – Oregon Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, released the following statement today regarding Sine Die of the 2018 Session of the Oregon Legislature:
“This session we were able to do exactly what Oregonians sent us here to do. We fixed parts of the state tax code in response to federal changes late last year that affected Oregon’s budget. We protected education, health care and public safety from those federal impacts. We also helped small businesses by establishing a loan program to help them get the capital they need to grow, thrive and put Oregonians to work.
We also strengthened the state’s gun laws by closing the intimate partner and stalker loopholes. In a short time, we made significant progress on big picture priorities for future sessions. Perhaps most notable among those is the Clean Energy Jobs Bill. We are looking forward to continuing that work toward a bill that makes sense for all of Oregon; lowering carbon emissions and creating a stronger clean energy economy.
We also will continue working on improving our state’s education system, through the work of the Joint Committee on Student Success. We accomplished a lot for 35 days, and we’ve begun setting the groundwork for a productive 2019.”
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Oregon Senate Republican Caucus:
Senate Republicans Reflect on 2018 Short Session
SALEM, Ore.- Oregon lawmakers adjourned the 2018 legislative session today, a full eight days ahead of the constitutional deadline of March 11th . Despite Democrats’ claims of bipartisanship, many substantial policy changes were forced through this shorter than average short session.
Senate Bill 1528, a $1.3 billion controversial tax increase on small businesses flew through the building without bipartisan support.
“The session was an assault on local businesses,” said Senator Brian Boquist (R-Dallas). “The Democrats passed a $1.3 billion small business tax increase while their corporate donors were not harmed. The increase was unnecessary and unfair. Mom-and-pop shops, small startups and young entrepreneurs will suffer.”
House Bill 4145, the highly debated “Boyfriend Loophole” bill, had no Republican support in the Senate, and attempts at compromise were shot down by Senate Democrats, as was the amendment proposed by Senate Republicans, allocating $20 million to the Oregon State Police to enforce firearms laws.
“Senate Republicans made every effort to compromise on this bill,” said Senator Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer). “We asked for more time, and few changes that would have garnered bipartisan support. We attempted to reach across the aisle, and the majority party chose not to reach back.”
Senate Republicans delayed a number of bills that would have been harmful to Oregon’s economy, including the “Cap and Trade” proposal pushed by Democrats in both the House and the Senate.
“Job loss plus increased cost of living would have forced many Oregonians into “energy poverty”,” said Senator Alan Olsen (R- Canby ). “We consistently pointed out the flaws in this legislation, including the fact that taking away good paying jobs from hardworking Oregonians is not the right solution.”
Senate Bills 1566 and 1529, both PERS related bills, take an important step towards paying down PERS unfunded liabilities, and buying down PERS rates.
“For the better part of two decades, Oregon Republicans have said that PERS unfunded actuarial liabilities are a big problem,” said Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend). “Now, we are seeing action from the Legislature that shows we were right. This is a drop in the bucket, but when you’re paying down debt you have to start somewhere.”
“This session we saw legislation pass through that should never be considered in a short session,” said Senator Jackie Winters (R-Salem) “It is disappointing that we didn’t see more Senate Republican priorities move, but I am proud of the hard work we did as a caucus to prevent more bad bills from passing this session.”
