Hurrying up and waiting

Hi friends,

 

The beginning of May is a strange time to be a legislator.

 

On one hand, it feels as though we're stuck in a holding pattern. On the other hand, we're moving forward at breakneck speed.

Balancing the 2009-2011 budget represents the biggest, most far-reaching challenge we'll face this session, but right now, it's on the back burner. The reason? Before we can balance the budget, we need to know what we're working with.

On May 15th, the legislature's team of economists will release their most up-to-date projections of our state revenues - at that point, we'll be able to begin budget negotiations in earnest.

But don't worry - there's plenty to do in the meantime.

We're entering the final stretch for policy bills to be heard, voted upon, and sent to the Senate. Yesterday, in a marathon floor session, we debated 26 bills - about 20 more than we do on a typical day.

 

I've written a quick update on a few of the bills that I'm watching closely - take a look below.

 

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Of the hundreds of bills we're considering, here are three that I'm watching closely:

Updating Oregon's Bottle Bill

(HB 2184)

It's been a bumpy road, but we've finally hammered out a compromise that will bring much needed updates to this historic bill. It adds a nickel deposit to bottled sports drinks, coffee, tea, and juice, and provides a mechanism for increasing the deposit to a dime should the recycling rate of items covered dip below 80% in 2016.

 

I'll be supporting HB 2184 this week on the floor of the House.

 

(HB 2009/HB 2116)

With the possible exception of the 09-11 budget, this pair of bills may be the most important and far reaching legislation we tackle this legislative session. I've given a brief summary in my last update (click here to view), so I'll just add that HB 2009 has since been split into two separate bills for procedural reasons.

 

Both bills have successfully passed through the Health Care committee and are making their way through the relevant budget and revenue committees. I expect to see them up for a vote in the House in the next few weeks.

(HB 2186)

Tackling global warming will be tough. But there are relatively easy steps we can take right now to substantially reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and stimulate Oregon's economy at the same time. This bill tackles the "low-hanging fruit" of transportation-related greenhouse gas reduction measures: tire efficiency, idling reduction, low-polluting fuels, product composition, and truck aerodynamics.

 

By increasing energy efficiency, Oregon businesses and consumers save money; by promoting low-carbon fuels, we support Oregon's emerging small businesses. HB 2186 will come up for a vote on the floor this week; it's going to be tight, but I think we can make it happen.

 

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Mandating Hearing Aid Coverage for Children

(HB 2589)

This is a bill that came about through the advocacy of one of my constituents, on behalf of her hearing-impaired son. By mandating that insurance companies cover hearing aids for children up front, kids get the care they need, and we all save on the costs of speech therapy and other future treatments.

 

HB 2589 passed the House last week and is under consideration in the Senate.

(HB 2763)

We know that buying local food makes sense - we put money into the local economy, reduce our transportation-related carbon footprint, and enjoy delicious food to boot. However, current state law mandates that state and county agencies purchase the lowest priced produce, no matter what; Multnomah County schools might have to buy apples from New Zealand even if Hood River apples cost just a penny more.

The bill I co-authored with Rep. Brian Clem allows state agencies to purchase local goods if they're within 10% of the price an out of state product. HB 2763 passed the House unanimously last week and just passed the Senate's Business and Transportation Committee unanimously.

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