Special Session Recap and Upcoming Town Hall

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Last week, the Oregon Legislature voted in a Special Session to approve a series of bills commonly known as the “Grand Bargain,” in order to bring more direct resources and funding for education, mental health, senior programs, and other critical state services.

The package of bills was complex, and included difficult choices for everyone. I’m pleased that our legislative leaders were able to reach a compromise that will provide more funding for our schools as well as a long-term boost to our general fund. While I didn’t support every component of the package, its passage is good news for Oregon. This legislation will make meaningful change to our state’s revenue system by asking corporations and wealthier Oregonians to pay a bit more and making the senior medical deduction accessible to lower-income seniors. Additionally, the package will expand the Earned Income Tax Credit to provide a little extra take-home pay for working families who are struggling to make ends meet in this recovering economy.

These are the five bills that passed during the special session as part of the “Grand Bargain:”

• House Bill 5101 appropriates about $200 million to critical state services in the current budget cycle, including $100 million for K-12 education and $40 million for senior programs.
• House Bill 3601 increases the corporate tax rate, modifies the personal exemption credit, reforms the senior medical deduction, and increases the cigarette tax while introducing lower tax rates for small and family-owned businesses.
• Senate Bill 861 makes further cuts to the cost-of-living adjustments received by PERS retirees.
• Senate Bill 862 reforms certain policies related to PERS.
• Senate Bill 863 pre-empts counties from adopting local ordinances relating to agriculture.

As always, I welcome your questions and comments and encourage you to contact my office with any questions or concerns on issues that matter to you. I hope you can join me tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15^th at 7pm, for a town hall at Wilson High School. I’ll be joined by Senator Richard Devlin and Representatives Jennifer Williamson and Chris Garrett. I look forward to a lively discussion of events in the legislature and in the community.

Yours truly,

Senator Burdick
Senate District 18