Knopp expresses concerns as lawmakers return to handle big deficit, police questions
(Update: Adding Sen. Tim Knopp of Bend comments)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Legislature will meet for its second special session of 2020 beginning Monday to try to fix a $1.2 billion revenue hole due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
While some lawmakers predict the session could be completed within a day or two, that time frame could be lengthened depending if the Legislature decides to focus on the budget or to also include bills altering policy, such as ones surrounding police reform following more than two months of sometimes violent protests in Portland after George Floyd’s killing.
“I want to deal with the budget. That’s it,” said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem. Democrats hold solid majorities in both the Senate and the House.
Courtney said he does not oppose the proposed policy changes surrounding law enforcement, but thinks the focal point should be on addressing the cuts and changes needed because of cratering revenues due to coronavirus shutdowns.
Lawmakers must decide how to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from state agencies, whether to close prisons and how much reserve money it can tap to balance the books.
“This state does not have an approved budget. It is way behind on that. We have state agencies that have no idea what they will have,” Courtney said. “Even our schools don’t know. So we got to get this budget done and it’s not that easy.”
In addition, Courtney said he is concerned about COVID-19 safety in the Capitol, specifically because there will be at least 200 people from across the state gathering. The Capitol remains closed to the public at this time.
“The virus is worse now than during our last (special) session,” Courtney said. “I don’t want us in this building any longer than we have to be because we are tempting our fate.”
Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod, R-Stayton, released a statement echoing Courtney’s views.
“Policy bills should be left off the table until the 2021 long session when each policy can be properly vetted,” Girod said. “The intent of this special session should be to balance the state budget.
Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, expressed similar concern to NewsChannel 21 in an interview on Friday afternoon, saying, "I do have concerns about policy bills interrupting the main focus of this session. If there were to be issues that come forward, they would need to be emergencies that cannot wait."
Knopp said he understands that pleasing every state agency is an uphill battle, but wants to ensure that the state protects education first. He also fears budgets cuts to law enforcement amid the national focus on reforms.
"Just because there's one bad apple in 100, or even 1,000, I don't think people should think any less of the vast majority of officers who put themselves in harm's way every day to protect us," Knopp added.
Gov. Kate Brown and House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, are open to seeing legislation focused on police reform measures during the session. In addition the governor said she supports addressing business liability related to COVID-19 and coronavirus-related worker’s compensation policies.
“The Legislature made progress on policing reforms in June, but the work is far from finished and we need to continue to build on the energy of this historic movement,” Kotek said. “I also believe more significant work can be done to help Oregonians access their unemployment benefits and disconnect from tax code provisions of the federal CARES Act in order to help preserve critical state programs.”
Policymakers say they want a balanced budget, but no one is quite sure which issues may arise to delay the completion of the session.
Read more at: https://apnews.com/ebb40070e80317bb807637c0f5d98a5c
