Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are just 30 days away from our constitutionally-required adjournment date of July 13, and pressure is mounting to try to meet our anticipated end date of June 28. Things in the Capitol are fast-paced and focused on the tasks at hand. I remain open to a compromise budget framework that would yield new revenue for additional investments in education. In the meantime, there are several exciting developments on deck for next week.
Turning the corner after a half decade of school cuts and layoffs
The Oregon Senate is prepared to move forward next week on passing the budget for Oregon’s K-12 schools. This is a critical moment for the Oregon Legislature. This budget is the largest school budget ever passed for our state’s public schools, and features a $1 billion increase over the last schools budget. After years of teacher layoffs and cut school days, we’re finally taking action to turn the corner and begin reinvesting in Oregon education.
It is very important that the Senate pass this bill. We must not allow any gamesmanship or partisanship to stand in the way of this action for our schools.
School children, parents, teachers, and the future of Oregon’s economy are counting on us moving forward to fund our schools. I look forward to Senate passage so the bill can move on to the House, and then the Governor for a final signature.
Key opportunity for health care, senior services, and jobs
In the middle of May, the House passed a bill that is essential for the completion of the state budget. It supports thousands of jobs in the health care and long-term care industries across the state and leverages federal funds for a total $2 billion investment in health care and care for vulnerable Oregon seniors.
The House passed House Bill 2216 on a broad, bipartisan 54-5 vote, but the bill has now been held hostage by Senate Republicans for over a month. It now appears the bill is ready to move forward, and the Senate may consider this important jobs and health care bill next week. Without the passage of this bill, Oregon’s budget, and the entire state economy, will go into a tailspin. I’m excited that we’re poised to see progress on several critical bills that will allow us to make the investments needed in the services we count on for healthy citizens and a healthy economy.
“Manufacturing powerhouse”
“Guess which state had a manufacturing boom last year?” asks an article in CNN Money from earlier this week.
The answer is Oregon. Recent studies have shown that Oregon had the third fastest growing economy in the nation in 2012. Now CNN is reporting that Oregon is the top state in the country for manufacturing as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product, and Oregon ranks sixth among all states for manufacturing output.
This is great news, but we need to do more to support this important part of our economy. We’re working on a number of ways to encourage the expansion of manufacturing, in addition to taking steps to improve the training of Oregon workers.
We continue to receive good economic news. We need to continue to take the right actions to ensure that economic growth also means job growth for Oregon workers.
In the District
The Portland Pride Festival and Parade is this weekend at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. This is a fun community event with a variety of music, food, booths, and other entertainment. For more info, visit http://pridenw.org/
As always, it is a pleasure to represent you.
Best wishes,
State Representative Tina Kotek
Speaker of the House
District 44
900 Court St. NE, H-269, Salem Oregon 97301