Friday, June 8, 2007

Dear Friends,

As the session moves closer to Sine Die (the last day) we are staying longer, working harder, and the pressure is mounting. Each legislator has important issues for their own district that they want addressed. We continue to finalize the budgets, both in terms of the big numbers but also in the fine details included in each budget. I want to thank my constituents who write or call, offering support and sharing views on particular bills. Your input is so very welcome!

Education Budgets
Next week we are poised to pass the some of the biggest budgets of the session, the education budgets. We will see increases at all levels of public education, from Head Start, through K-12, community colleges and higher ed. The business community, early childhood specialists, university researchers, and citizen advocates are all on the same page this session - we MUST fund education to assure economic development and personal success. It's been a long time coming, but finally we will see record reinvestment in our education system. More next week....

SB 331 - Organized Retail Theft
Currently Oregon law divides most theft offenses by dollar value. When the retail item stolen is valued at under $750, the offense is classified as a misdemeanor. Recently, groups of individuals have been working in concert to steal items with the purpose of reselling these things at flea markets, on E-Bay, etc. Often, the money raised from such thefts is used to finance methamphetamine delivery and abuse. The gangs intentionally keep the value of the items stolen from a particular store on a particular day below $750, to stay as misdemeanors. Then they go on to a different store. The next day or later in the week, they hit the same stores again. Not all "organized crime" is run by thugs with cigars; those stolen little items add up to big money. SB 331 creates a new crime of "organized retail theft" to capture this conduct and punish it at the felony level. This bill passed the House this week with wide bipartisan support.

HB 2574 - Teacher Mentoring Program
This week the House passed HB 2574, expanding the teacher mentoring programs in our schools. The bill was introduced at the request of both the Chalkboard Project and Stand for Children. It targets new teachers and administrators for mentoring, and specifies training for mentors with curriculum founded on research-based mentor programs. Data shows that teachers who receive research-based mentoring produce students with a higher rate of achievement, and school districts that have teacher mentoring have a higher rate of staff retention. It's a win/win situation - our students get better teaching; our districts save money on new recruitments. I was pleased to support this bill.

SJM 8 - Safe Cosmetics
As chair of the Women's Health and Wellness Alliance, I sponsored SJM 8, which urges Congress to require testing, review, approval and labeling of ingredients in cosmetics, personal care products and children's toys. Currently manufacturers do not have to disclose fragrances in cosmetics and personal care products, many of which have been listed by the EPA as carcinogens or reproductive toxins. Some of these chemicals, which are also found in baby toys, have been linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems. Initiated by the Rachel's Friends Breast Cancer Coalition and supported by the Oregon Medical Association, the Oregon Environmental Council, and others, SJM 8 passed the House this week with a unanimous vote.

Environmental Issues - Follow-up
This week Governor Kulongoski put the finishing touches, i.e. his signature, on three key environmental proposals: SB 838, the Renewable Energy Standards, which requires 25 percent renewable energy by 2025; SB 707, which expands Oregon's bottle bill to include water containers; and HB 2626, the E-waste bill, establishing a recycling program for certain electronic products. Each of these bills moves Oregon one more step along the path to sustainability.

SB 790 - Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration
This week we also passed SB 790, which restored the moratorium on exploration, development and production of oil and gas in Oregon's territorial sea. A moratorium on oil and gas exploration expired in 1995. I'm proud to be a part of the legislative session that has chosen to restore that moratorium.

SB 567 - Emergency towing bill
On Monday, I carried SB 567, the emergency towing bill, on the House floor. This bill was requested by the City of Portland in order to keep highway traffic flowing smoothly. An abandoned vehicle on the shoulder of the highway can create safety problems, either by being hit by moving traffic or by leading to secondary collisions caused by passing drivers who are distracted by the scene. Currently, road authorities can automatically tow an abandoned vehicle at night, during high traffic times, and in a few other specific situations. Increasingly, transportation policy emphasizes the importance of maintaining mobility throughout the entire day for the movement of freight and goods. SB 567 allows a road authority to immediately take custody of a car or light truck that is abandoned, disabled, or left parked unattended on a highway in a location that is a hazard or obstruction to traffic at any time of the day. This bill passed the House floor with bipartisan support.

Predatory Lending
After the new regulations enacted by the 2006 Special Session, unscrupulous lenders searched the statutes to look for loopholes in the law. This week the House gave its final approval to additional predatory lending bills designed to close loopholes and further protect Oregon consumers. HB 2204 caps the interest rate on car title loans at 36% and regulates rollover terms; HB 2871 ties the limit on the annual percentage rate for a consumer finance loan to 30% over the federal discount rate; and HB 2203 extends the payday and title loan restrictions to out of state lenders, to protect Oregon consumers that receive loans over the internet, by mail, by telephone from out of state institutions. These bills are now on their way to the Governor for his signature.

Constituent Comments
I heard from many constituents this week...

"Well done on funding for additional state troopers. Badly needed."

"This asthma sufferer thanks you for supporting the Clean Indoor Air Act!"

About the Bottle Bill: "Thanks for your support of SB 707. I'm disappointed that it didn't go farther, but I'm hoping the Task Force will be able to break innovative ground to get us where we really need to be."

I really appreciate your feedback. Keep those comments coming!