Week 9 Update

Updates from Senator Tim Knopp.

Senator Tim Knopp

Town Hall Series a Success!

Town Halls

Last Friday, Representative Whisnant (HD 53) and I held three town halls in Senate District 27. Rep. Whisnant and I discussed and answered questions from citizens about a variety of Oregon government issues at locations in Sunriver, Redmond, and Bend.  We heard concerns on rent control, revenue, the Public Employee Retirement System, a transportation package, and more. Thank you to everyone who made the town hall series a success!

Protecting Correctional Workers - SB 367 Passed The Senate

State Penitentiary

The men and women working in our correctional system have incredibly stressful and difficult jobs. One major source of that stress is the possibility of physical and emotional harm resulting from their work with individuals in the correctional system. Unfortunately, employees are regularly under attack, oftentimes with bodily fluid or biting. In response to this situation, I co-sponsored Senate Bill 367 which was introduced by Senator Bill Hansell (SD 29). The bill will allow very limited disclosure of health information of inmates that attack corrections employees in situations where the attacker has a communicable disease.


Hearings Held on Senator Knopp's Bills

Small Business Tax Certainty Just Like Large Businesses

In 2012, the Oregon Legislature held a one-day special session to give Nike more tax certainty in order to prevent the company leaving and to spur growth and job creation by the company in Oregon. As they say, “what is good for the goose is good for the gander,” so that is why I introduced Senate Bill 631 to provide Oregon small businesses with the same tax certainty in order to encourage investment and job creation. This is a fair and prudent policy because small business sits at the center of our economy and when they succeed our state prospers. 

Protecting Taxpayers - SJR 32

Last week I spoke to the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue about Senate Joint Resolution 32. The legislation proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to expand the types of legislative measures that require a three-fifths majority vote in each chamber for passage. Under SJR 32, the following types of legislation would require a supermajority vote: 1) Bills that establish new or increased taxes, 2) Bills that modify or expand the tax base to produce revenue, 3) Bills that establish new or increased fees or fines, 4) Bills that offset reductions in revenue. Revenue raising bills currently require a three-fifths majority vote, and expanding this requirement to include the previously mentioned bills adds another layer of scrutiny, and protects Oregon taxpayers from more unnecessary financial burdens. 

Patient-Centered Health Care - SB 810

HSAs

One area of focus for me as a legislator is improving health care by making it more responsive to patients’ wants and needs. Part of that is encouraging citizens to save for health care expenses as well as providing portable, convenient ways to cover health care services beyond their insurance. I introduced Senate Bill 810 to do just that. The bill directs the State Treasurer to administer a program allowing for Oregonians to be able to save for health care costs and medical expenses. These savings would be exempt from Oregon tax. This would encourage people to save for any kind of health care expense with a real incentive of money saved from Oregon tax. Helps people take health savings into their own hands. With increasing costs in medical care, having an option to save with a little incentive would help better the health of all Oregonians. 

Protecting Privacy – SB 571

Privacy

One of our fundamental constitutional rights is the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. The US and Oregon constitutions both guarantee this right. Unfortunately, as technology changes so must our laws and we have not yet adapted to some of the new technologies that are being used by our police departments. Cell-site simulators (a.k.a Stingrays) are one such technology that must be properly integrated into the law. Cell-site simulators act like cellphone towers and allow police departments to collect location and other data from cell phones. The technology clearly has a place in the toolbox for our public safety officers, but at the same time they shouldn’t be used without a warrant due to the concern for protecting constitutional rights.

Honoring Those Who Served - SB 573

Honor those who serve

I had the privilege last week of speaking on behalf of Senate Bill 573, which encourages Oregonians to stop and reflect for 21 seconds on the sacrifices of those who have given their lives in military service. The bill is called “21 Seconds” in part because of the significance of the number 21 to the US Armed Forces. You can read the bill and learn more about the nationwide initiative online. 


Best Regards,

tim-sig

Senator Tim Knopp 
Senate District 27


email: sen.timknopp@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1727
address: 900 Court St NE, S-309, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/knopp