Statement from Senator Ted Ferrioli Urging Lawmakers to Thoroughly Vet All Major Policy Bills during February Session

Press Release - February 3, 2016
Salem, Ore. - Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli released the following statement urging lawmakers to thoroughly vet all major changes to Oregon policy, avoiding unintended negative consequences from the 2016 legislative session:

"Yesterday's assertion by Linn County Commissioner Roger Nyquist that the Oregon Constitution allows counties to not comply with a proposed minimum wage mandate shocked policymakers convinced Oregon needs a higher minimum wage. This major hitch in the minimum wage plan left supporters stunned and scrambling to determine if their plan is enforceable, and if not, how they can compensate local governments for the unfunded mandate.

This sudden hiccup in the majority party's plans is a symptom of a pervasive disease in the Oregon legislature: Democrat leaders have ambitious goals to pass major new policies in just 35 short days. 35 days is not enough time to consider sweeping changes to the way Oregonians live and do business, from a $5 billion gross receipts tax to a cap and trade model for energy policy.

Senate Republicans are doing everything we can to slow the process down, provide Oregon citizens the chance to be engaged, and prevent unintended consequences resulting from a flawed legislative process. Lack of forethought and limited public involvement produced the failed "Cover Oregon" debacle, harming Oregon families and small businesses. We hope our colleagues will get the message thoroughly vet major changes to Oregon's key policies until the regular session. Otherwise, we'll be fixing new messes in 2017."

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900 State Street NE Salem, OR 97301
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/ferrioli
Sen.TedFerrioli@state.or.us

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Brian Boquist: Final Words from the Legislative Session

The Legislative Session is over. The damage is not for some, and relief is for others. Besides OLIS, there are a few good links below summarizing Oregon’s legislature this year. --First is a list of key bills passed into law. And second, is a list of anticipated 2016 ballot measures including tax the corporations, increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and right to work initiatives. Let me outline a couple of key points you should be aware of as an interested party to Oregon politics...

SB 941 universal background checks and used firearm registration takes effect August 9^th.
SB 454 paid sick leave for employers with ten or more employees takes effect January 1^st.
HB 2177 registers 100% of Oregonians in theory for the 2016 elections.
HB 2960 is automatic retirement pay deductions to the State for all private sector employees who do not have a retirement plan effective July 1, 2017.
What failed?
SB 938 encouraging rural economic development was killed in the Democrat controlled House Revenue Committee.
SB 940 making it illegal to buy votes with campaign donations was killed first in the Democrat controlled Senate Judiciary Committee, and then on the Floor of the Senate with every Democrat in opposition to campaign finance reforms.
HB 2176 sponsored by two Secretary of States would have allowed lying in voters pamphlet and let directors of political actions committees go scot-free for elections violations stalled on the Senate Floor.
HB 2176 the Minority Report which I requested would have strengthen elections laws was sent back to committee given the opposition by the Senate Democrats and the Democrat Secretary of State. Oddly, the Secretary of State supported most of the individual changes to the law in writing but opposed the bill anyway.
HB 2688 tax increase on small businesses failed on committee even though several Republicans had joined Democrats in the proposal to increase taxes along with restoring corporate green energy tax credits.
SB 925 tax increase on all Oregonians passed out House Revenue Committee but was returned to the committee when the House Democrats could not get 31 votes from their caucus.

Again, the best summary I have seen on bills that passed is in the Oregonian link above.  However, I voted against many of the bills on the list. The Legislature continues to be a rural verses urban divide.

The only word to describe Oregon’s political state today is ‘corrupt.’  No party has a monopoly on honesty.  This was the most hostile legislative session in a decade but it was not just along political party lines.  Bills were held hostage by the majority against the majority as much as the minority.  Budgets by House or Senate District were the same.  The Oregon Capitol is more of an oligarchy than a body of elected representatives of the people. --However, many bipartisan alliances of several Senators or Representatives from both parties did work together to help Oregonians in may areas of public concern.

Keep in mind, while the State Budget is technically balanced, massive billion dollar holes exist in the future Oregon Health Authority, Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife budgets. Oregon, like the federal government, is spending well beyond its means. The future rebalance will be very painful.

Sincerely,
Brian J. Boquist
State Senator

(Hat tip: KimR) Read More......

New Oregon gun law will accomplish nothing (OPINION)

It's hard to tell what Americans love more -- guns or gun laws. We have plenty of both. That should say something about how ineffective gun laws are. Nevertheless, we will soon have yet another gun law here in Oregon. The latest one, Senate Bill 941, will supposedly close a loophole in private gun sales. If you're a private seller, you and the buyer will have to go to a licensed gun dealer and have the dealer run a background check to make sure the buyer isn't a felon or mentally ill.


Read more at Oregon Live
(Hat tip: KimR) Read More......

Krauthammer: Kill the Bills. Do Health Reform Right

TOWNHALL, 11/27/2009 by Charles Krauthammer - WASHINGTON -- The United States has the best health care in the world -- but because of its inefficiencies, also the most expensive. The fundamental problem with the 2,074-page Senate health-care bill (as with its 2,014-page House counterpart) is that it wildly compounds the complexity by adding hundreds of new provisions, regulations, mandates, committees and other arbitrary bureaucratic inventions. ∴ Worse, they are packed into a monstrous package without any regard to each other. The only thing linking these changes -- such as the 118 new boards, commissions and programs -- is political expediency. Each must be able to garner just enough votes to pass. There is not even a pretense of a unifying vision or conceptual harmony. Read more at Townhall.com... Read More......

Obama 2004: Bush Rushed Legislation Through Congress Without Allowing Time to Read Or Debate

NEWS BUSTERS, 7/27/2009 by P.J. Gladnick - (UPDATE: This story has been discussed by Rush Limbaugh.) ∴ Hypocrisy alert! ∴ A heretofore "unknown" 2004 interview with Barack Obama by leftwing radio host Randi Rhodes has just emerged. And basically, as you shall hear, Obama is saying do as I say, not as I do. In this case he was referring to quickly forcing legislation through congress. As you can hear in this interview, uncovered by Naked Emporer News, the hypocrisy seems so massive that it is destined to go viral on the Web. It features Randi Rhodes back during her Air America days interviewing then senator-elect Barack Obama on November 22, 2004. And despite the fact that Randi is currently pretty well hidden from public view, you can be sure she will soon be talked about again because of her inadvertent exposure of incredible hypocrisy on the part of Obama. And what was the hypocrisy? His complaint that the Bush administration was rushing legislation through congress without giving the legislators time to read the bills or allowing for much debate. Read more at News Busters...

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Kulongoski signs tax bills

PORTLAND BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/20.2009 - By signing three new bills, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski may have ensured that Oregon voters will face a January ballot measure that pits businesses against unions and higher-end consumers. Read more at the Business Journal... Read More......

Governor Continues to Stall on Signing Tax Bills

OREGON REPUBLICAN PARTY (ORP) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 7/14/2009 - Fifteen days and counting that Governor Kulongoski has denied Oregonians their Constitutional rights to the referendum process ∴ PORTLAND, Ore. – Since the Legislature adjourned Sine Die on Monday June 29th, the Governor has found time to sign 52 bills, but has not signed HB 2649, the massive income tax increase or HB 3405, the job-killing permanent tax increase on Oregon businesses.

“Democrats in Salem, who were in a hurry to pass these huge, job-killing tax increases, are now ‘running out the clock’ on the 90-day period granted to Oregonians to collect the more than 55,000 signatures necessary to refer these unpopular new taxes to the voters. As of today, the Governor’s delay has taken 15 valuable days away from Oregonians who want to exercise their Constitutional rights,” Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bob Tiernan said today.

In the meantime, the Governor has taken the time to sign 52 bills since the Legislature adjourned, including House Bill 3508, signed on July 1st, which overturns the will of Oregonians and delays the implementation of Measure 57. In addition, one of the first bills Governor Kulongoski signed after adjournment was Senate Bill 519 on June 30th which limits employers’ ability to organize company-wide meetings. According to the Salem Statesman Journal, Senate Bill 519 was “a top priority for labor unions.”

“First the Democrats traded state funds for votes to pass these taxes, then they tried to make a mockery of Oregon’s referendum system by turning a NO vote into a YES vote and now the Governor is demonstrating where his real priorities lie, with liberal special interests and the labor unions and not the people of Oregon,” Chairman Tiernan continued.

“I wrote Governor Kulongoski on July 2nd and urged him to sign the tax bills and allow Oregonians their Constitutional rights to participate in the political process. I have received no response from the Governor, but now see he has been busy enacting the labor unions’ agenda and overturning the will of the Oregon voters. Governor, as you have said you would, sign the bills and grant the people of Oregon their Constitutional rights to participate in the referendum process,” Chairman Tiernan concluded.

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Oregon 2009 Session by the Numbers

OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS, July 13, 2009 (Hat tip: Lou Copes)

$1.6 billion
The total amount in new taxes and fees approved by the 2009 Legislature. The revenue increase from these legislative actions will increase to $2 billion in 2011-13.

$733 million
The total amount in permanent, job-killing income and corporate tax increases.

43,000
The number of jobs that independent economist Randall J. Pozdena, Ph.D. estimates Oregon will lose due to the income and corporate tax increases alone.

12.2 percent
Oregon's June 2009 unemployment rate. Oregon currently has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation.

241,000
The number Oregonians who are unemployed.

98,000
The number of Oregon jobs lost since June 2008. (Oregon's unemployment rate a year ago was 5.5 percent.)

542
New jobs "created" by the Democrats' $255 million borrow-and-spend stimulus plan ("Go!Oregon").

$19 million
General Fund cost per year to service Go!Oregon's debt costs.

$1.259 billion
The amount of new government debt backed by General Funds and Lottery Funds. (This does not include the $168.3 million in debt passed at the beginning of session.)

$52.9 billion
The amount of Oregon's 2009-11 Total Funds budget.

9.3 percent
The increase in Oregon's Total Funds budget compared to the previous Legislatively Approved Budget.

$1.258 billion
The total amount in one-time stimulus and savings account funds in the 2009-11 budget- money that will not be available again to sustain 2009-11 spending levels.

$581.5 million
Estimated amount of state employee benefit premiums. Oregon is the only state that doesn't require its workers to contribute towards their benefit premiums or pay deductibles.

$237 million
The estimated 2009-11 roll-up costs of pay raises awarded by Democrats to state employees and managers during the 2007-09 biennium.

26 percent
The percentage of Oregonians who say they approve of the 2009 Legislature's performance (The Riley Report: Oregon Voter Survey, June 2009. Riley Research Associates) Read More......

Gov. Kulongoski: Sign the Bills

Reject the Denial, Deceit and Delay. Let Voters Decide!
Demand that Our Elected Officials Give Oregonians the Final Say on Tax Proposals

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In 2009, our Governor and the Democratic legislative leaders were not interested in hearing what Oregon voters had to say about the decisions they made. Recently, we have seen an unprecedented pattern of:

Denying Voters the Right to Vote on Legislation and Denying Oregon Business Owners the Right to Discuss These Tax Proposals with Employees
• The legislature refused to refer two tax increase proposals to the voters, which has now forced the voters themselves to put the taxes on the ballot.
  
• The legislature passed a law that stops employers from talking to employees about these tax increase measures, or anything political in nature. (SB 519)
Trying to Deceive Voters if their Tax Increases End Up on the Ballot
• Legislative leaders tried but failed to pass a law that said a yes vote on these tax increase proposals meant no and a no vote meant yes. (HB 2414, -A16 Amendments)
Delaying the Time Citizens Have to Gather Enough Signatures to Let the Voters Decide on New Taxes
• The Governor has already delayed signing the two tax bills on his desk in an effort to shorten the time citizens have to gather signatures to put the legislatures tax proposals on the ballot.

Whether or not you support the taxes the legislature passed, every Oregon voter should be outraged that our elected officials have tried to stop us from voting on these taxes and to trick us into believing we’ve voted one way, when we meant to vote another way.

The Right to Vote is an American Value.
It’s not a Democrat or Republican Value.

Demand Protection for Your Right to Vote and Decide!

Prepared by Oregonians Against Job-Killing Taxes, July 2009

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