Jackson County Democrats

Legislative Update, April 4,  2009  - As of April 18th some of this information is history, but, it's important that we know what's being fought for as the stakes are high = our children's education, which their future depends on.

Immediately, you can help by attending the Jackson County Budget Hearings and ask that the cuts proposed are not made.  Please read this important article and then GET ACTIVE to help save our children's education.  

State agencies released their “worst case scenario”  cuts Friday 4/3/09 – and the results are ugly. They include a nearly $2 billion cut to public  schools – the equivalent of 35 school days or 5,500 teachers. The Department of Education  included a 75% cut to Oregon’s mentor program for new educators –  allocating only $2.5 million – which would end critical support for hundreds  of new teachers. They also included dramatic cuts to Oregon Pre-Kindergarten,  leaving 4000 needy Oregon children without critical early  support. We knew this fiscal crisis could impact children, and now we know how  deeply. Our advocacy for raising revenue is more important now than ever.  Please feel free to share with others in your chapter and contact me at 503-724-2611 or dhepper@stand.org with questions about this  update.

Current Action  Opportunities

Autism (HB 3000)  – This Wednesday (April 8th), the House Health Care Committee is  holding the first public hearing on a bill that would require insurance companies to cover treatment for Autism. The hearing will be at 3:00 
PM in Hearing Room D. Please pass this information along to people you know  would be interested. Contact me, dhepper@stand.org or  503-724-2611, if you would like to attend or testify. School  Funding – As noted above, all state  agencies released 30% cut scenarios last Friday. Potential cuts are posted at  the legislature’s website –
go to http://www.leg.state.or.us/budget/home.htm,  then scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on “education.”

Potential cuts to public schools, mentors, and pre-kindergarten are in the Department of  Education’s budget. The Ways & Means Committee will hold a series  of public meetings across the state beginning April 13th.  I will send
you the schedule as soon as it’s posted. Stand for Children will  need to have members at each forum to talk about the impact of potential cuts  on the programs we care about most. Simultaneously, many Stand for Children  chapters are hosting April budget forums & team meetings to share how  these cuts impact children. These meetings will drive toward May  accountability sessions with legislators where we ask them to commit to a  shared solution to the fiscal
crisis that includes raising revenue to minimize  the impact on children. Contact your local organizer for more  information. 

Also, Our Oregon (the organization  that coordinated our ballot measure work in 2008) is holding a “Keep Oregon  Working” Forum on Saturday, April 11th at 11:00 AM at  Gordon Russell Middle  School in Gresham. This forum will share information  about how these cuts impact children & families generally. Let me know if  you’d like more information on this hearing. 

Updates on  Issues

Federal Stimulus  Money – The US Department of Education  has indicated that they will need to see a commitment to reform early from  states interested in applying for the nearly $4.5 billion in “Race to the Top”  funds. Stand for
Children is requesting a meeting with Supt. Castillo and Deputy Supt. Ed Dennis to have a conversation about the reforms Oregon is most  poised to enact. Simultaneously, I am in the process of drafting a letter to  the Governor from Stand for Children & The Chalkboard Project expressing  our support for forming an advisory committee to craft a competitive, bold  proposal for Race to the Top funds. We will keep you updated regarding the  outcomes of these actions. We will reach out directly to those of you that may  have relationships with Gov. Kulongoski for your support to move important  early conversations forward. Corporate Minimum  Tax (HB 2070) - Leadership in the  House & Senate hosted a meeting for advocates last week to get  feedback on their proposal for a new approach to Oregon’s Corporate  Minimum Tax. The proposed structure would create a variable minimum tax based  on the level of business activity in Oregon. Leadership was silent on how much  money they were committed to raise from this change – altering the rate of the  tax results in different revenue results. Advocates were unified in their  response: we can’t support a corporate minimum change in isolation. We’ve  submitted feedback that we support a more comprehensive change to corporate  taxation in Oregon – a corporate tax rate that matches  the personal tax rate, an increased corporate minimum, and elimination of the  corporate kicker. Legislators are also looking at comprehensive
reform to tax  breaks & loopholes, which would affect individuals and corporations.

Rural  Schools (HB 2558) – The House Education  Committee held a public hearing on HB 2558. Five Stand for Children members  from the Central Oregon Coast Chapter testified in support, noting that the  closure of local Toledo High School would have negative impacts for local  students and the economic success of the town as a whole. Committee Chair Sara  Gelser plans to move this bill out of Education. Next it will go to the  Revenue Committee. The chair of this committee has a small, rural school in  his district that would be positively impacted by this legislation.

Revenue  committee members will also need to hear from urban & suburban residents  regarding their support of this
legislation. We’ll keep you updated for  opportunities to contact these
legislators.  

Anti-bullying (HB 2599)  – Oregon’s  anti-bullying legislation passed the House of Representatives on March  25th with broad, bi-partisan support (50 legislators voted in  support, 9 against).

Dana  Hepper
Statewide Advocacy  Coordinator
Stand for Children
cell: 503.724.2611
dana@stand.org
www.stand.org
Please  consider the environment before printing this  email.
Bills:
HB 2070 (Corporate  Minimum Tax)
HB 2558 (Rural  Schools) 
HB 2599  (Anti-bullying)
HB 3000 (Autism  insurance mandate)
HB 3468 (Unified  Survey)
SB 5519 (ODE  Budget)
SB 5520 (State School  Fund)
Federal  Stimulus
HB … (Personal income  tax)
HB … (Corporate tax  rate)
SJR … (Kicker  change)