During the 2010 Special Session, I served as Chair of the House Environment and Water Committee and as a member of the Health Care Committee. I introduced one bill, HB 3613, which passed both chambers with bipartisan support and renewed the offshore drilling moratorium for 10 more years.

Oregon has been hit hard by the global economic crisis. That’s why, in addition to my work in committee and on HB 3613, I worked with my colleagues to help struggling families and protect education. We also worked with business and labor to bring Oregon’s economy back on track, and better than ever.

Strengthening the Job Market

We created jobs and continued to make Oregon an attractive place to open and grow small businesses – the backbone of our economy and the engine of our recovery.

I hear time and time again that the biggest obstacle small businesses face to creating jobs is a lack of access to working capital. That’s why we voted to provide capital and other resources for small businesses that create new, full-time jobs in Oregon. Key bills include:

• HB 3698 – BOOST: Establishes a new fund to give loans and grants to help small businesses that create new jobs and hire Oregonians.
• SB 1017 – Accessing Business Capital: Makes it easier for businesses to access funds from the Oregon Business Development Fund.
• HB 3644 – Economic Gardening: Lays the groundwork for giving small businesses the tools they need to succeed.

Helping Struggling Families

We worked to make a real difference in the lives of Oregonians, especially families who are struggling during these difficult economic times.

Too many Oregonians are unemployed and struggling to find jobs. Unemployment benefits will run out for 12,000 over the next few months, and about 1,000 unemployed workers will lose their benefits each additional week. That’s why we voted to extend unemployment benefits for these families. We also worked to ensure that families are protected from foreclosure and unfair lending practices. Key bills include:

• HB 3655 – Unemployment Benefits Extension: Extends unemployment benefits for nearly 19,000 Oregonians whose benefits have run out or will soon expire.
• HB 3706 – Unlawful Trade Practices Act: Protects consumers from fraudulent lending practices and misrepresentation by giving Oregonians the chance to hold lenders accountable.
• HB 3656 – Mortgage Protection: Protects families who lose their homes to foreclosure from also being sued by lenders on remaining deficiencies on certain loans.
• HB 5100 – Employment Related Day Care: Helps 5,500 kids and 2,900 families who would lose their day care subsidy and 1,800 providers who would lose their jobs.
• SB 1045 – Job Applicant Fairness Act: Prohibits most employers from using credit history to screen potential employees.
• HB 3631 – Health Insurance Non-Discrimination: Prohibits insurers from discriminating against victims of sexual violence by treating that victimization as a preexisting condition that would exclude or limit coverage.

Investing in the Future

We worked to invest in alternative energy technologies to make Oregon a center of the growing clean industry while creating high-skill, high-wage jobs.

Oregon needs to invest in alternative energy technology, creating the jobs Oregon needs to bring our economy back stronger than ever. That’s why we voted to encourage these types of industries to locate in Oregon. Key bills include:

• HB 3649 – Hydropower: Provides stability and growth potential for low-impact hydropower facilities throughout the state.
• HB 3674 – Clean Energy from Forests: Supports biomass as an alternative energy technology, helping to create new jobs for Oregonians while obtaining energy from our forests.
• HB 3680 – Business Energy Tax Credit: Reforms the BETC, protecting the jobs the program has created while adding stringent new controls that will rein in costs and prevent abuses.
• HB 3613 – Offshore Drilling: Bans oil and natural gas drilling and exploration in Oregon’s territorial sea, which discourages our continued reliance on carbon-intense fuels and protects jobs in commercial and recreation fishing and tourism along our coast.