Release of 2009 data shows that property and violent crime have both decreased

SALEM – On the same day as national data showed violent crime numbers had dropped for the third year in a row, members of the Interim Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony this afternoon that crime rates in Oregon had also dropped. A presentation on the FBI Preliminary Uniform Crime Report from 2009 indicated that both property and violent crimes are down across the state.

“The presentation we heard this afternoon indicates that crime numbers in Oregon are at their lowest point since the 1960s,” said Senator Floyd Prozanski (D- South Lane & North Douglas Counties), chair of the Interim Senate Judiciary Committee. “This news confirms that our approach to fighting crime and keeping our communities safe is working.”

The presentation by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission noted that violent crime was down in Oregon’s largest cities, bucking national trends.

“Increased community policing, strengthening laws on the sale of materials used to manufacture meth, and the promotion of evidence-based practices have all contributed to the lowest crime rates Oregon has seen in a generation,” said Senator Suzanne Bonamici (D-Washington County/Portland).

Senate Democrats have made cracking down on meth-related crime a key piece of their legislative agenda in recent sessions. Today’s report indicated that seizures of meth labs have declined dramatically since 2004, a contrast to rising rates across the nation.

HB 2009 from 2009 session lays groundwork for expanding access, lowing costs

SALEM – Lawmakers heard testimony Monday morning regarding Oregon’s position to take advantage of the sweeping health care overhaul signed into law by President Obama in March. Reforms passed by the Oregon Legislature in the 2009 session put Oregon ahead of the curve on expanding coverage, lowing costs, and improving the quality of health care in the state.

“Oregon is a national leader for re-thinking how we provide access to quality, affordable health care,” said Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham), chair of the Interim Senate Committee on Health Care. “We’re remarkably well-positioned to implement reforms and help more Oregonians because of the groundwork laid last session to improve health care in Oregon.”

House Bill 2009 from the 2009 session created a coordinated, streamlined approach to health care reform by establishing the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Health Policy Board. The Authority and Board oversee all health care functions, including the implementation of expanded coverage and reforms to contain skyrocketing costs.

“Oregon is a model to other states on how to structure reform and cover more people in need,” said Senator Alan Bates (D-Ashland), a physician and co-author of the Healthy Oregon Act of 2007 and HB 2009. “While the journey toward universal coverage and lowering costs for everyone will take time, we’re leaps and bounds ahead of most of the nation.”

Affordable and accessible health care for all Oregonians has been a long-standing priority for the Oregon Senate Democrats. Giving uninsured Oregonians access to health care coverage is estimated to lower the burden of costs for all Oregonians over time, for those with and without health insurance. At the same time, this expansion of health care services will create thousands of family-wage jobs for Oregonians.

Rosenbaum & Burdick praise provision that requires worker accommodation

Two chief sponsors of state legislation to improve workplace conditions for mothers who are breastfeeding praised provisions in the federal health care bill signed into law last week.  Inspired by House Bill 2372 from the 2007 session, the federal legislation extends these standards nation-wide.  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act states that employers with more than 50 employees must provide reasonable, unpaid break time and a private, non-bathroom place for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for one year after the child’s birth.

“Oregon’s landmark workplace breastfeeding law was a major achievement of the Oregon Women’s Health and Wellness Alliance and the Oregon Nursing Mother’s Counsel,” said Senator Diane Rosenbaum (D-Portland), one of two chief House sponsors in 2007. “Oregon has led the nation with a model law that promotes the benefits of breastfeeding.”

“The benefits of accommodating breastfeeding are significant for mothers, their children, and employers,” said Senator Ginny Burdick (D-Portland), the chief sponsor of the 2007 bill in the Senate. “Lower absenteeism, higher worker morale, and healthier children are in everyone’s best interest.”

Both legislators praised U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley for his advocacy on this issue during the recent debate on health care reform. Last year, he introduced the “Reasonable Break Time for Nursing Mothers” as an amendment to the Senate HELP Committee’s health reform bill that ultimately was signed into law. Read the rest of this entry »

Senate Bill 1017 a major priority for both House and Senate Democrats

Democratic leaders applauded Governor Kulongoski this morning as he signed legislation that gives Oregon small businesses and entrepreneurs greater access to business development funds. Senate Bill 1017, called the Access to Business Capital Act (ABC Act), will help create jobs by making it easier to access capital through the Oregon Business Development Fund and the Oregon Entrepreneurial Development Loan Fund.

Senator Suzanne Bonamici (D-NW Portland/Washington Co.) and Representative Margaret Doherty (D-Tigard) worked together on the legislation, which was a key part of both the House and Senate Democrats’ agendas for the February session.

“The ABC Act helps community businesses by making it easier for them to access small business loan programs,” said Bonamici. “This bill will provide additional flexibility to get money out the door more quickly to companies that need help.”

“Private lenders are not lending funds to small businesses, despite hundreds of billions of dollars in bailouts,” said Doherty.  “This bill will increase access to funds for the small businesses that are the engine of our recovery.”

Business Oregon made the first loan as a result of Access to Business Capital Act just hours after the signing ceremony. Oregon Ballistics Laboratories of Salem received a $160,000 loan to fund a new facility to house the company’s ballasting and protection testing operations. OBL does various types of ballistic and blast protection testing and certification for various products with military, law enforcement and other applications. The firm projects the project will lead to the creation of five new jobs within one year, nearly doubling the company’s workforce. Read the rest of this entry »

Highlights include work to create jobs and help middle class families

Senate Democrats released summaries of their accomplishments for the 2010 February Session online today. The issue areas emphasize the caucus’ commitment to helping middle class families, supporting small businesses, and working to create jobs for out-of-work Oregonians.

“The February session illustrated that we can accomplish important and pressing work during a short supplemental session,” said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin). “Without last month’s session, thousands of Oregonians would be running out of unemployment benefits, thousands of Oregon parents would be forced to choose between their job and day care for their kids, and thousands of students would be losing the help they need to stay in college.”

Devlin also pointed to major accomplishments in consumer protection, taking care of Oregon children, and reforming state programs as indicative of the session’s success.

“I’m proud of what we accomplished in 20 working days. During a time when many states have been immobilized by budget problems and partisan gridlock, Oregon Democrats have continued to deliver meaningful help for Oregonians who are struggling to get by,” said Devlin.

The customary “end-of-session binder” created by the Senate Majority Office at the completion of each session can be found at this link or this address: http://www.leg.state.or.us/senatedemocrats/docs/2010_end_of_session_report.pdf.

Senate Democratic caucus fulfills all priorities on their February agenda

Senate Leaders today called the February 2010 Supplemental Session a success, citing a list of budgetary and policy accomplishments which will create jobs and protect public schools and the middle class. Lawmakers convened the session February 1 and officially adjourned sine die at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, three days before the Legislature’s self-imposed deadline.

“This session, our second attempt at an annual session, has been tough. Things are tough everywhere, in every state. We showed that in Oregon when the going gets tough, the tough get going. We didn’t sit on our hands. We accomplished what we came here to do. We brought the state budget back into balance after a revenue forecast that was down and tackled important policy issues,” said Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem/Woodburn/Gervais). “We met our internal deadlines and for the fourth straight session, the Legislature has kept its word to the Oregon people and adjourned ahead of schedule.”

Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin) pointed to the Senate Democratic Caucus’ follow through on the priorities they set for the February session.

“We came to the Capitol focused on helping Oregonians get back to work and looking out for them middle class,” said Devlin. “Our accomplishments reflect that commitment. From expanding job-creating programs to extending emergency unemployment to eliminating barriers to work, Senate Democrats delivered.”

Devlin said the February session illustrated why annual sessions are necessary. The Legislature addressed student assistance, rebalanced the budget, responded to immediate threats to the state’s agricultural industries, and took action on items that could not wait until the next regular session in 2011.

“Given the fast-paced nature of our world, we need to change the way we do business in Salem,” said Devlin. “The annual sessions bill we passed today will ask voters if the Legislature should be required to meet for annual, fixed-length sessions. This will allow us to be more responsive to Oregonians and exercise greater control over our budget, all within a fixed timeline that gives us the time to get the job done.”

The proposed Constitutional change will, for the first time, set absolute limits on the number of days the Legislature can meet.

In addition to accomplishing all of the goals laid out on their 2010 February Agenda, Senate Democrats made advances in areas of consumer protection, public safety, and protecting school funding. An abbreviated list includes:

Access to Business Capital Act for Oregon Businesses

Senate Bill 1017 gives small businesses better access to the capital they need through the Oregon Business Development Fund and the Oregon Entrepreneurial Development Loan Fund. This will help create and expand small businesses across the state.  (Agenda item)

Building Opportunities for Oregon Small Business Today Fund

House Bill 3698 creates the BOOST Fund to increase the availability of working capital to Oregon small businesses that create jobs and hire Oregonians to fill them.

Helping Oregonians stay afloat

House Bill 3655 provides an immediate six week extension in unemployment insurance benefits for out-of-work Oregonians. This will help nearly 19,000 Oregonians make ends meet while they search for employment while putting dollars into local communities. (Agenda item)

Giving consumers rights against unscrupulous lenders and banks

House Bill 3706 broadens the state’s anti-fraud laws so that both private citizens and the Attorney General can sue lenders for misrepresentations, as they can do with most other businesses in Oregon.  Consumer finance lenders, banks and trusts, credit unions, and mortgage lenders would no longer be exempt from legal action.

Eliminating unreasonable barriers to employment

Senate Bill 1045, the Job Applicant Fairness Act, will help Oregonians get back to work by allowing them to compete for jobs based on their qualifications, not their credit history. The bill will restrict job related credit checks, eliminating unreasonable barriers to employment for Oregon’s jobseekers.  (Agenda item)

Increasing access to affordable health care

Senate Bill 1003 gives small businesses and their employees increased access to affordable health insurance by modifying requirements for association health plans. Such plans are used by many general contractors and other small businesses to offer health care to their workers.  (Agenda item)

Ended resentencing hearings for violent criminals and sex offenders

Senate Bill 1009 clarifies that violent criminals cannot be granted 10 percent additional earned time. The bill automatically suspends resentencing hearings, imposes a “time-out” on additional earned time, expands the list of ineligible crimes, and calls for an independent audit of the program so the Legislature can adjust accordingly next session.

Protected funding for public schools

The re-balanced state budget makes good on the Legislature’s intent in 2009 to provide $6 billion in funding for Oregon’s public schools. This money provides certainty to school districts, allowing them to plan a full school year for Oregon’s children.

Approved construction projects creating hundreds of jobs

Senate Bills 5563 and 5564 authorize bond sales to fund the $65 million renovation of the Oregon Department of Transportation building on the Capitol Mall and $75 million for a new 451-bed dormitory on the University of Oregon’s East Campus. Combined the two projects will create approximately 600 jobs. (Agenda item)

Oregon Opportunity Grants

House Bill 5100 provides $9.7 million in additional financial aid that will make a college education more affordable in the current academic year and set aside another $10 million for future enrollment growth. The grants are money paid directly to students to help offset the cost of a college education.

Help with daycare for working parents

House Bill 5100 includes $12.8 million for Employment Related Day Care allowing parents of 5,500 Oregon children from 2,900 families to continue to work. ERDC assistance allows parents to keep their jobs and avoid having to choose between work or staying home to care for their children. Additionally, it protects the jobs of more than 1,500 daycare workers who care for 5,500 Oregon children from 2,900 Oregon families.

Protected Oregon’s Fruit Crop

House Bill 5100 includes $225,000 to battle a fruit fly infestation in Oregon’s fruit industry. State experts estimate these fruit flies could damage 20 percent of the state’s fruit crop and deal a severe blow to the state’s agricultural economy.

Increased funding for Public Safety

House Bill 5100 includes the use of $706,000 in dedicated funds for the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to fund two additional 16-week basic training academies for law enforcement officers. This will expedite placement of police officers throughout Oregon communities and on state highways.

Annual sessions

SJR 41 asks the voters to decide whether the Legislature should be required to meet yearly and limits the regular session to 160 days in odd-numbered years and 35 days in even-numbered years. This change will modernize state government to make it more responsive to Oregonians’ needs and increase financial accountability over the state budget. (Agenda item)

With the number of bills on docket dwindling, the Oregon Senate voted this evening on a number of bills that help Oregonians.

Legislation passed by the Senate and on the way to the Governor’s desk includes:

• Health care for foster kids (HB 3664): Allows young adults up to 21 years old who are leaving the state’s foster care system to continue receiving health care benefits.

Today, children who are in foster care receive their medical coverage through the Oregon Health Plan. However, upon becoming 19 years old, they are no longer eligible for this coverage. A Medicaid option, known as the Chafee option, allows states to extend Medicaid to former foster children up to age 21. Currently, there are 21 states that use the Chafee option to provide health care coverage to former foster youth.

• Vision screening for Oregon children (HB 3626): Directs the Department of Education to establish pilot programs that provide vision screenings to students. Early detection of vision problems can provide a child more opportunity for educational success.

• High Risk Health Care Pool (HB 3659): authorizes the Oregon Health Authority to apply to the Federal Government for authorization to establish a Temporary National High Risk Pool Program if federal legislation creates and allocates funds for it.

“In these closing days of the February session, we’re passing out legislation targets our limited resources where they can do the most good,” said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin. “This bills help set the stage for healthy development and utilization of federal dollars that will benefit our entire health care system.”

HB 3706 adds loans and credit transactions to Oregon’s Unlawful Trade Practices Act

The Senate passed legislation this afternoon that broadens the state’s anti-fraud laws to apply to lenders. House Bill 3706 will allow both private citizens and the Attorney General to sue lenders for misrepresentations, as they can do with most other businesses in Oregon.

“Banks and lenders should be subject to the same laws as other Oregon businesses, and if they break those laws we should be able to hold them accountable,” said Senator Suzanne Bonamici (D-NW Portland/Washington Co.), chair of the Senate Consumer Protection Committee. “Strengthening consumer confidence is an important part of rebuilding our economy, and better consumer protection laws can help bring back that confidence.”

HB 3706 will add “loans and extensions of credit” to the definition of “real estate, goods, or services” in the Unlawful Trade Practices Act. Consumer finance lenders, banks and trusts, credit unions, and mortgage lenders would no longer be exempt from legal action.

“This session is about sticking up for middle class families,” said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin (D-Tualatin). “When fraud is committed, Oregonians need to be able to take action against those that did them wrong. This bill closes a major loophole.” Read the rest of this entry »

SB 1017 will allow greater access to two business development funds

Senate Democrats fulfilled a key commitment on their February 2010 Agenda this afternoon by passing legislation that allows greater access to business development funds. Senate Bill 1017, called the Access to Business Capital Act (ABC Act) gives small businesses better access to the capital they need through the Oregon Business Development Fund and the Oregon Entrepreneurial Development Loan Fund.

Senator Suzanne Bonamici (D-NW Portland/Washington Co.) and Representative Margaret Doherty (D-Tigard) worked together on the legislation, which is a key part of both the House and Senate Democrats’ agendas for the February session.

“The ABC Act helps community businesses by making it easier for them to access small business loan programs,” said Bonamici. “This bill will provide additional flexibility to get money out the door more quickly to companies that need help.” Read the rest of this entry »

Part of ongoing focus on putting Oregonians back to work

SALEM – A pair of construction projects that will create hundreds of jobs in Oregon for the next two years were approved by the State Senate Tuesday.

Senate Bills 5563 and 5564 authorize the use of dedicated funds for the $65 million renovation of the Oregon Department of Transportation building on the Capitol Mall and $75 million for a new 451-bed dormitory on the University of Oregon’s East Campus. Neither project requires general fund dollars to repay the bonds.

“Approval of these projects continues the commitment we made during the 2009 session to use the tools the Legislature has to create jobs in Oregon’s economy,” said Senate President Peter Courtney, who also serves as the Senate Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. “We didn’t just sit back and wait for the things we did last year to make a difference. We have kept our focus on giving Oregon and her people the opportunity to work their way out of this crisis.” Read the rest of this entry »