Our whole community is painfully aware of the crisis of homelessness we are in the midst of. You likely have questions and thoughts about it as someone living in the Portland area. We are hosting this Community Conversation to share what we know from 31 years in the field and to dialog with you about the causes and solutions as we see them.

Human Solutions works every day to provide emergency shelter for women and families, and we run other programs, too, that focus on helping people find secure housing and living-wage jobs. It is that experience we will draw on to facilitate this conversation. Can you join us? We hope so. Here are all the things you need to know: WHO: You and anyone interested in greater understanding and compassionate solutions. Human Solutions’ Executive Director Andy Miller and Emergency Services Director Marci Cartagena will be there to present and answer questions. WHAT: A conversation about the homelessness crisis we are living in and trying to solve. WHERE: Stark Street Station @ 6049 SE Stark in Portland (Mt Tabor area; here's a map) WHEN: Wednesday, August 7th from 6 to 8 PM (program starts at 6:30) WHY: Knowledge is power. Assumptions are dangerous. Connecting is always positive. RSVP: Not needed, just drop in. We’ll be glad to see you. Space is limited, so come on time! FOOD? Stark Street Station, our gracious host, has beer/wine, sweet treats and light dinner fare for purchase (lasagna, pot pies, quiche). QUESTIONS? Contact Lisa Frack, Human Solutions: 503.548.0282 orlfrack@humansolutions.org

Want to bring this event to your neighborhood or workplace, let us know! We look forward to seeing you in August!

Marci Cartagena & Andy Miller

Posted: Jul 26, 2019 / 02:54 PM PDT / Updated: Jul 26, 2019 / 04:35 PM PDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) —  Roadwork on a stretch of Northeast 102nd Avenue is about to wrap up — and some neighbors say the new traffic pattern is already causing problems.

PBOT is restriping about a mile and a half of road from Northeast Sandy to Weidler, adding a turn median, and taking out a lane of traffic in either direction. They’re also adding more crosswalks, islands, and a bike lane along with on-street parking.

City planners say the move is to make things safer for pedestrians — but some in the community are frustrated, saying it’s already adding more congestion to the area.

“102nd Ave is one of our most dangerous streets in the city, and we want to create some safer conditions for folks out there,” said Hannah Schafer, PBOT spokesperson. “Generally speaking, it is making the road feel different and safer.”

Community members disagree.

“Taking the lanes from 4 lanes to 2 — you don’t have to be a mathematician to realize that if congestion is going to increase, the accidents are going to increase, and injuries are going to increase,” said Lee Cowles, who works on 102nd. “And on the side streets, too.”

What frustrates the community most, Cowles said, is PBOT’s lack of response to feedback.

“I can understand making a plan,” he said. “The thing that’s been very discouraging for the community is that once the plan was made and they’ve taken it to several groups — people said ‘this is not going to work!’ and there’s been no response.” 

Neighbors said that because their concerns haven’t been taken into account, they’re not holding their breath for any kind of reversal.

PBOT said work will wrap up this week and then they’ll be studying the effects of the new pattern for the next several years.

2019 Session At-A-Glance The 2018 general election yielded great results for Oregon Democrats as they rode a blue wave to a supermajority in both the Oregon House and Senate. For the 2019 legislature, Democrats held a 38-22 majority in the House and an 18-12 majority in the Senate. Without the need for Republican votes on tax policies, moderate Democrats, particularly in the Senate, became the focal point of nearly all policy discussions. The lack of need for bipartisan deal-making drew a stark contrast from previous sessions.

The 2019 legislative session began with significant revenue-raising policy ambitions. Following the failure to pass a Cap-and-Trade measure in the 2018 short session, legislative Democrats worked throughout the interim on a new version of the policy, while Governor Kate Brown ran a well-staffed parallel effort, all aimed at passing a Cap-and-Trade bill and having it on the Governor’s desk for a signing ceremony on Earth Day. But in reality, negotiations on this carbon and tax policy would overshadow much of the legislative session right up to the end. Another major revenue issue loomed alongside Cap-and-Trade.

Despite Oregon voters’ overwhelming rejection of Measure 97’s gross receipts tax in 2016, legislators eager for new revenue for K-12 schools worked the issue again in 2019. In addition to the need for new school revenue, the legislature faced a $950 million funding gap for the Oregon Health Plan. Proposals for new or increased taxes were plentiful in 2019, but their passage was contingent on some sort of PERS debt-reducing legislation. The new composition of the Oregon legislature changed the flow of bills through the system. Unlike previous years, very few bills died with the first posting deadlines as they breezed through policy committees with ease. Bills flooded the Ways and Means and the Rules committees, which are exempt from committee deadlines. As sine die drew closer, Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020) stayed true to its controversial nature and overshadowed everything else. Both sides organized rallies and public displays of grassroots strength. Tension grew as the bill passed out of committee, and then passed the House floor on a party line vote.

With only 11 days until sine die, HB 2020 hit the Senate floor, but Senate Republicans did not. Instead, they organized a walkout in a final effort to stop the legislation. By denying the Senate a quorum for nine days, HB 2020 died. Having achieved their objective, Senate Republicans did return in the final two days to pass the remaining budget and policy bills that piled up and avoided the prospect of a special session. The legislature adjourned on Sunday, June 30th, using all 160 days allotted by the Oregon Constitution.

Here’s what happened: Oregon moves from the red to the black with unexpected surge of revenues At the outset of the 2019 session, the State of Oregon was in the red. Revenues were expected to generate $23.6 billion, while current service level (CSL) expenditures were projected at $24.2 billion. But almost immediately, the legislature began raising resources. House Bill 2010 raised insurance premium taxes to pay for the Oregon Health Plan, netting about $330 million. Then the legislature passed HB 3427, a commercial activities tax on all businesses with gross sales above $1 million that would net the state an additional $2 billion per biennium.

Then, just days after the passage of the major business tax increase, legislators were greeted with the shock of the session – the May quarterly revenue forecast projected yet another $770 million of additional, unanticipated general fund revenue. In addition to the new revenue, Oregon’s unique 2% ‘kicker’ law would send back an additional $1.4 billion back to Oregon taxpayers in tax credits in 2020. Very quickly, the state became flush with money. The historic May revenue forecast fueled legislative debates over revenue and taxes, but largely served to tamp down on calls for additional tax proposals. Republicans touted the influx of revenue as evidence that new taxes were unnecessary while the Governor and Democrats pivoted toward using some of the $1.4 billion ‘kicker’ to fund additional needs. Although there was much discussion about the state keeping some of the ‘kicker’, the votes did not materialize. All $1.4 billion will be sent back to taxpayers. Democrats flex their supermajority muscle

Following a successful November election for Democrats, the party was well-primed to pass policy priorities in the legislature. With a supermajority in both chambers, both policy and tax bills could be passed and signed into law without Republican votes. Democrats leveraged their new majorities for some significant policy wins. Perhaps most notable was the nation’s first statewide rent control policy (SB 608), which was fasttracked to the Governor’s office for signing by late February. National Popular Vote (SB 870), another Democrat priority, finally passed after having failed the previous several sessions. In another key Democratic objective, legislators moved to ease Measure 11 mandatory prison sentencing provisions for juveniles with SB 1008. Oregon Democrats also won passage of several environmental policy wins with the passage of HB 2509 (a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags) and SB 90 (plastic straw ban). They pushed HB 2250, requiring DEQ and OHA to assess changes to the Clean Air Act, the Water Pollution Control Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act in an effort to undo any rollbacks enacted by the Trump administration. Finally, they pushed through a ban on old diesel engines (HB 2007), both on road and off road, in the Portland metropolitan area. Commercial Activities Tax (CAT) passes with the Student Success Act HB 3427 proposed a $2.8 billion commercial activity tax on all Oregon businesses with sales above $1 million. It was the top priority for legislative Democrats. The bill went through several rounds of hearings and amendments, bringing educators, advocates, parents, students and businesses to the capitol.

Business groups remained opposed to the taxes in the bill, while Republicans and moderates demanded that additional revenue be accompanied by debt-reducing legislation on PERS, the state’s pension program. In an 11th hour deal, the Oregon Business & Industry trade organization marshalled an agreement with legislative leadership to be neutral on the tax bill in exchange for PERS reforms and a less-costly version of a Paid Family Leave program (HB 2005). This agreement broke the logjam and facilitated passage of the tax bill. HB 3427 passed the House on a party line vote before being sent over to the Senate. Senate Republicans brought the legislature and the Student Success Act to a halt for nearly a week by organizing a walkout. Within hours of their return to the capitol, HB 3427 passed the Senate on another party line vote. Prior to registering her ‘aye’ vote, the swing vote, Senator Betsy Johnson, made it known that her vote was contingent on the passage of substantive changes to the Oregon PERS system. Oregon legislature passes PERS reforms

PERS reforms became the focus of the legislative leadership immediately on the heels of the passage of the major business tax hike. Governor Brown was the first to release a plan. The Governor set her sights on one-time-funds that could be used to buy down PERS liabilities. She was met with strong business opposition as she proposed redirecting the $1.4 billion ‘kicker’ tax rebate and using reserve funds from the State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF). Labor unions opposed the steep 3% employee contribution diversions in her proposal. While the Governor’s proposal collapsed under the opposition, it allowed the legislature to design a less sweeping PERS bill, Senate Bill 1049, which authorized a 2.5 percent diversion of Tier 1 and Tier 2 member contributions to reduce pension liabilities. It also authorized all new sports gaming revenue to be directed to buying down the PERS liability. SB 1049 was a tough sell for Democrats who were effectively harming their primary support base – public employee unions – but it passed the House and Senate with the bare majorities needed.

Medicaid funding shortfall plugged with new premium tax and general fund support Prior to the 2019 session, Oregon faced a $950 million Oregon Health Plan funding shortfall. This immediate need was met with immediate action. HB 2010, which proposed a 6 percent Medicaid tax on hospitals and a 2 percent tax on health insurance premiums, was the first major bill to pass. HB 2010 raised over $330 million and was signed by the Governor in less than two months. A second leg of the Governor’s proposal to plug the Medicaid budget was HB 2269, the ‘Employer Assessment’ legislation that would assess all employers of 50 or more employees with a tax to cover the health care costs of all their employees. The bill met with stiff opposition from the business community and was killed when the deal was struck by OBI to stand down on the corporate activities tax hike. Ultimately, the Medicaid shortfall was solved in 2019 due to the huge influx of general fund revenues that came from the state’s booming economy. The additional $770 million that materialized with the May revenue forecast provided enough to keep Medicaid fully funded.

Lack of agreement causes Cap-and-Trade to crash spectacularly at the finish line On the heels of a failed 2018 effort, Cap-and-Trade Proponents spent the interim working on a revamped policy for 2019 with well-funded committees, research staff, and economic reports. HB 2020 was destined to become an all-out fight over this carbon pricing policy, with momentum growing for proponents. The newly-created Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction held multiple informational and public hearings each week through February, March and April, before passing the bill to the Ways and Means Committee in May. By that time, the bill had seen 94 different amendments, significant representation from impacted businesses concerned with the economic impacts of the legislation, and a slew of proponents demanding action on climate change.

When the time came to pass HB 2020 out of Joint Ways and Means, several Democrat Senators had voiced apprehension toward the policy. Cracks were staring to show. The vote for passage in the Ways and Means Committee was tenuous. One vocal democratic opponent was replaced. Another gave just a ‘courtesy’ yes vote. HB 2020 was on the House floor on June 17th and passed on a 36-24 party line vote after nearly 7 hours of grueling debate. With sine die only 11 days away, Senate Republicans used the only tool they had left to stop Cap-and-Trade: a walkout. By denying the Senate the necessary 20-member quorum, Republicans essentially closed the Senate and were willing to leave hundreds of budgets and bills on the table to die in order to kill HB 2020. Ultimately, they succeeded. It was an unprecedented ending to the 2019 session.

Going forward … what we are watching for:

 Resignations, special elections, and new legislators. A number of legislators are rumored to be considering quitting, which would necessitate some special elections. There could be a slew of new legislators appointed in the coming months.

 Will Oregon’s economy continue to generate huge revenue gains? Oregon’s balanced budget is built on unprecedented revenue growth over the past two years. Any hiccup in revenues will cause major budget disruptions. The budget is dancing on the head of a pin and probably not sustainable.

 What will be the fate of Cap-and-Trade? Will it gain momentum for a special session? Will it regain momentum for the 2020 session? Both sides accumulated very impressive grassroots organizations that in many ways was the culmination of a growing statewide culture war in which Cap-and-Trade is the clear flash point.

 Will opponents of PERS reform legislation be able to make their case to the Oregon Supreme Court? Opponents of SB 1049 will likely challenge the legislation in court. If successful, PERS reforms may never be considered again. And budget holes will need to be filled.

The 2020 legislative session will convene again February 3rd The 2020 session is Constitutionally limited to 35 days. Session will convene Monday, February 3rd with a legal end date of 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 8th. In the meantime, the legislature will convene for “legislative days” and committee meetings on September 16 – 19, November 18-21, and January 13-16. 

HB 2020 is scheduled for a House vote on Monday! It's important that legislators continue to hear from local businesses about the real concerns with HB 2020 -specifically fuel, natural gas, and propane cost increases. 
 
The revenue impact statement was posted to the Legislature's website, which laid out the impact of the bill on Oregonians, stating:

• The bill would raise $1.3 billion when it takes effect in the 2021.
• An immediate 22 cents a gallon increase at the pump in 2021, increasing to $3 a gallon by 2050.
• The new 54-employee bureaucracy required to implement the bill would cost about $23 million in the coming two-year budget cycle, with potentially significant increases in the future. 

Make your opinion known:

https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/63354/respond

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

There are only a handful of major business issues left in the 2019 session. All of the remaining business issues are still shrouded in some doubt and uncertainty in the final days.

We are anticipating that the legislature is on track for adjournment mid-next week. The legislature must adjourn by June 30.

 

What's left in 2019?

• Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020) Cap-and-Trade will pass the House presumably today (you can see the OSCC floor letter here). Officially, it is being scored as a $1.3 billion cost increase (tax increase) that will increase costs directly on local manufacturers and increase costs on everyday Oregonians with natural gas increases and a 21 cent per gallon increase in gasoline prices.
  
  As of now, the bill will clearly pass the Oregon House. The intrigue will be in the Senate. There are enough sober-minded Senators who are very concerned about the cost impacts on their businesses and regressive price impacts on constituents. The fate of cap-and-trade in the Oregon Senate is still uncertain.
  
  As of today, business groups (including OSCC) are supporting another set of amendments that will allow a cap-and-trade system to move forward but will mitigate the extreme cost impacts and allow Oregon companies to remain competitive. These are known as the -117 amendments.
  
  The bottom line is that business will not get consideration of its -117 amendments until we demonstrate we can defeat the current cap-and-trade bill on the Senate floor. That is our challenge. Please use our ACTION ALERT today to tell your Senator to Vote NO on HB 2020.

 

• Paid Family Leave (HB 2005) Paid family and medical leave has dominated the workforce conversation this session and is now coming to fruition. The bill is now being supported by a host of business organizations.
  
  The bill is modeled loosely on Washington state's paid family leave law and includes: 

OSCC members have had in-depth discussions on this legislation. Although OSCC is aware that this is potentially the most employer-friendly proposal likely to emerge, and OSCC is also aware that this proposal is likely more favorable to any potential ballot measure, OSCC will oppose the legislation.

OSCC is opposing the legislation due to decisive and overwhelming member feedback that their local business communities are bending under the weight of recently passed employment regulations and taxes. There is also widespread feeling that HB 2005, if passed, will only grow more costly as leave rights are expanded over time and current cost constraints prove ineffective.

 

• Business tax implementation (HB 2164). This is a bill to watch, because it could produce significant tweaks to the just-passed Commercial Activity Tax. Several proposed amendments to the bill have already produced eye-popping changes like exemptions for major corporate investments and lowering the threshold for applying the tax. OSCC will be watching this legislation closely as it receives consideration in the final week. 

• Diesel engine regulations (HB 2007) Negotiations are still ongoing for this on-road diesel engine retrofit and replacement bill. If new amendments get traction, the bill is likely to move next week. The current version of the bill: 

Now is the time to engage on cap and trade

We still have one last chance to pass the -102 amendments that will dramatically improve the legislation of HB 2020 by removing the major cost impacts on businesses and consumers. 

Tell your legislator that we need to pass the -102 amendments, or we simply need legislators to vote NO on HB 2020. 

https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/63354/respond

Write your Legislators now

The 2019 legislative session must adjourn by June 30. Tensions are high as legislators make a last push to pass priority bills before the Constitutional end of session. A number of large policy priorities remain-diesel, cap-and-trade, paid family leave -and the next three weeks will be chaotic as they work to get the votes on remaining bills.

Activity on Major Issues 

• Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020). On Tuesday, Representative Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released a memo from legislative counsel that questioned whether or not HB 2020 is actually a bill for raising revenue, requiring a 3/5 vote. The memo indicated that HB 2020 likely violates Article 8 of the state Constitution, which states that any taxes levied on the sale, distribution or use of natural gas must be dedicated to the Common School Fund. The memo went further to explain that taxes on natural gas are likely capped at 6% in the state Constitution.
  
  On Wednesday evening, the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources held a special evening work session to pass out the cap-and-trade bill, HB 2020. After two hours of public testimony and debate, the committee passed HB 2020 on a party line vote with all republicans voting 'NO.' Republican committee members supported amendments to remove the emergency clause (and allow Oregonians to vote the bill up or down), but the amendment was rejected.
  
  At the same hearing, legislators passed  SB 1051 (introduced by Sen. Lee Beyer), which refunds any cost increases due to cap-and-trade for off-road fuels used in agriculture. Sen. Beyer's bill is an effort to mitigate some of the fuel price increases that farmers will face under HB 2020 - now estimated at $0.22 per gallon in 2021.
  
  Even though HB 2020 passed out of the subcommittee on Wednesday,  passage of the bill is not a done deal. Early projections indicate that HB 2020 would raise $1.3 billion in new taxes in 2021-2023, and approximately 75% of the impact is borne by the transportation sector. A broad coalition of business representatives - including OSCC - has been working hard on a solution that protects businesses and ratepayers as well as the transportation sector. These efforts (-102 amendment) would protect local businesses and consumers from the negative impacts of cap-and-trade and give the Legislature time to sort out numerous constitutional challenges before cap-and-trade is fully implemented. The amendments are just now getting traction, but this bill is being fast-tracked. Now is the time to weigh in on the more damaging components of the bill and ask instead that the legislature adopt the -102 amendment.

• Diesel (HB 2007).  Negotiations are still in the works on HB 2007, the on-road diesel engine retrofit and replacement bill. If new amendments get traction, the bill is likely to move next week. The current version of the bill:
   
• • Limits the phase-out and diesel retrofit requirement for on-road diesel engines to the tri-county (Metro) area which includes Clackamas County, Washington County, and Multnomah County.
  • Exempts:
  • • F-Plates, farm tractors, and implements of husbandry
    • Log trucks
    • Low use of 5,000 miles or fewer in a year
    • Motor homes

• Commercial Activity Tax - Technical Fixes (HB 3427). Senate Revenue Chair Mark Hass has been working on technical fixes to HB 3427, the commercial activity tax, which is a $2.8 billion tax increase on Oregon businesses with sales over $1 million. HB 2164 (the technical fix bill) and specifically the -1 amendments made several improvements to the bill, particularly for the insurance industry.However, the amendment also contained a not-so-subtle carve-out of the new gross receipts tax for a major Intel project (see Sections 7-13).

• Community College Funding (HB 5024). The Higher Education Coordinating Commission budget appears to have approximately $645 million allocated to Oregon's 17 community colleges. While this is a $50 million increase over current service levels, it is far short of the $647 million base budget plus $140 million to expand CTE and Student Success programs.

• Paid Family Leave (HB 2005). Paid family and medical leave has dominated the workforce conversation this session. On Friday, Oregon Business and Industry entered into final negotiations with House leadership to pass HB 2005 this session and forestall a ballot measure. The draft policy under consideration is modeled loosely on Washington and includes:

We anticipate the release of a final amendment by the end of the day on June 10 and will share to get local chamber feedback. We could see this bill move out of the House Rules Committee as early as June 11 if the amendment is written correctly and without technical errors.

 

What happened last week? 

• Lawsuit Damages (HB 2014). In a very rare occurrence, OSCC helped defeat HB 2014 on the Senate floor last week when the bill only received 14 votes (16 votes are needed for passage). HB 2014 would have repealed Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations opposed this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers.

  

ACTION ALERT

Cap and Trade HB 2020: We still have one last chance  - in the full Ways & Means Committee - to pass the -102 amendments that will dramatically improve the legislation by removing the major cost impacts on businesses and consumers.

The revenue impact statement was posted to the Legislature's website last week, which laid out the impact of the bill on Oregonians, stating:

• The bill would raise $1.3 billion when it takes effect in the 2021.

• An immediate 22 cents a gallon increase at the pump in 2021, increasing to $3 a gallon by 2050.

• The new 54-employee bureaucracy required to implement the bill would cost about $23 million in the coming two-year budget cycle, with potentially significant increases in the future.

Last night, the Ways & Means subcommittee on Natural Resources approved the Cap & Trade bill, HB 2020.
 
You can see the press release from our partners here.
 
We still have one last chance on Friday - in the full Ways & Means Committee - to pass the -102 amendments that will dramatically improve the legislation by removing the major cost impacts on businesses and consumers.
 
Please see our information on the -102 amendments and please use our Voter Voice system ASAP to tell your legislator that we need to pass the -102 amendments.  If we don't pass the amendments, we simply need legislators to vote NO on HB 2020.



Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/bHK1NMSfDr9QRhzOqyMrEQ 

ACTION ALERT

HB 2020: Cap-and-trade will increase the cost of living and working in Oregon - all residents will bear the cost of fuel increases and increased natural gas rates. It's projected to immediately drive up the cost of gas by $0.16 per gallon, and natural gas customers will face double digit rate increase in the first year of the program!  

 

There are fewer than 45-days before session adjourns, and NOW is the time to make your voice heard.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/Tv-AyIDYK2j_M6jOknQznw

Se

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

This is the final week for policy committees to pass bills. Any bill not passed out of a policy committee (other than Rules or Revenue) is dead after Friday.

All legislation passed after Friday will have to come from either Rules, Revenue, or Ways & Means. This signals that the 2019 legislature is in the homestretch. It also signals that the decision-making will really come down to just a handful of legislators. Most legislators will have little or nothing to do from this point forward other than casting votes on the floor.

Democrat leadership can pass any bill it wants. The only reason there would need to be any negotiation whatsoever going forward is because:

1. Republicans are still employing delay tactics which could be very impactful as the June 30th constitutional end date draws closer.
    
2. Republicans have complete leverage on a key Measure 11 'reform' bill sought by Democrats as Democrats do not have the votes to pass SB 1008 on their own.
    
3. Republicans have some leverage on PERS reform as it is unlikely that Democrats can produce all the votes needed to pass SB 1049 on their own.
    
4. Republicans have complete leverage on the "kicker" issue as Democrat leadership is seeking to be able to spend some of the $1.4 billion personal kicker. 

Activity on Major Issues

• The $2.8 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 3427) was signed into law by Governor Brown. Starting on January 1, 2020, all businesses doing business in Oregon will see: 
   
• • A gross receipts tax rate of 0.57% on Oregon sales over $1 million;
     
  • A 35% deduction from taxable sales for labor OR business inputs, whichever is higher;
     
  • An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP') and transportation fuel. 

• Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020). On Friday, HB 2020-A passed its first major milestone. After three hours of debate, the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction adopted the -94 amendments on a party line vote and sent the bill to the Joint Committee on Ways & Means for further deliberation. Democrats voted down all other amendments that were brought forward, although it was widely acknowledged that rural Oregon would suffer job loss and economic hardship under the bill. 
  
  The OSCC position has not changed since Day 1, primarily because the basic precepts of the legislation have not changed despite amendments that changed the bill on the margins. Transportation costs will increase. Natural gas costs will increase. Propane costs will increase. Local food processors and manufacturers will face a real competitive disadvantage. Small businesses and households will see increases in transportation and energy costs.
  
  OSCC still believes there are still opportunities to change this bill in the Ways & Means Committee. 

 

What happened last week?

• The state revenue forecast added $770 million to state coffers for the upcoming 2019-2021 biennium. Just from the last forecast in March, every metric grew by eye-popping numbers due to a historic influx of revenue over the tax season.
  
  In addition to the influx of $770 million into the upcoming budget cycle, the kicker almost doubled in size.  It's now projected at $1.4 billion. Net reserve funds are now nearly $3.5 billion.
  
  But the real impact of the historic revenue forecast is that it will tamp down on talk of additional tax revenue for the remainder of the 2019 legislative session. 

• The legislature's attempt at PERS reform was unveiled with Senate Bill 1049. SB 1049 contains the following provisions: 
   
• • Tier 1 and Tier 2 members, who are public employees who entered the PERS system before 2004, would have 2.5% of their salaries diverted from their individual retirement accounts into paying off the system's debt.
     
  • Workers hired 2004 or later (PERS Tier 3 and Tier 4), would face a lower diversion - 0.75% of their salaries.
     
  • Public employees earning less than $30,000 a year would be exempted.
     
  • A reduction in assumed interest rate for retirees who use the "money match" method of calculating their pension benefits.
     
  • Most significantly, legislators seem to have abandoned efforts to raid SAIF to cover PERS liability, which is a good development for Oregon employers.  

The future of SB 1049 is uncertain. Although it is only a modest cost-saving measure, the unions oppose it in force and it is unlikely that majority Democrats can carry the issue themselves.

 

• Equal Pay Technical Fixes (SB 123-A). On Tuesday, the Oregon Senate passed SB 123 unanimously. The bill includes several important technical fixes to give employers clarity in implementing Oregon's Equal Pay Act. Oregon's law is the most comprehensive in the country, and it has been difficult for many employers - large, small, and seasonal - to implement. OSCC supports these fixes, which streamline implementation and provide important protections to employers who are trying to do the right thing. We anticipate rulemaking later this year to address several other issues identified by Sen. Kathleen Taylor and Sen. Tim Knopp.

 

Other key issues coming up this week.

• Prevailing wages in enterprise zones (HB 2408). We are expecting the Senate Workforce Committee to take up HB 2408 this week. In its current form, the bill requires prevailing wages to be paid on private enterprise zone projects of $20 million or more. OSCC is actively opposing and lobbying the legislation. 

• Lawsuit Damages (HB 2014). We are expecting the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on HB 2014 this week. HB 2014 would repeal Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations are opposing this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers. Although we expect the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the bill on a party line vote, we believe we have an opportunity to defeat the bill on the Senate floor.