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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The first chamber work session deadline was April 18th. Any bills that did not receive a work session
by that date are no longer able to move forward. Between now and the end of session, legislators
will increasingly turn their attention to balancing the budget and passing a transportation
package. Here is an update on each of
these items, as well as what has been happening in the Capitol and in the
District.
You may recall that, on January 19th, the Co-Chairs of the Joint
Committee on Ways and Means released their Existing
Resources Budget Framework, which states that expected revenues during the 2017-19
biennium will fall approximately $1.6 billion short of what is needed to
maintain current service levels, despite the fact that the State of Oregon has
more revenue now than it ever has before.
On April 17th, those same Co-Chairs released their Target
Reduction List, which proposes how legislators can potentially balance the
budget without increasing taxes or fees.
On April 21st, the committee’s Cost Containment Work Group released
a list
of other ideas for how the State can rein in future spending. That list includes both specific proposals
and broad principles like hiring freezes, taking steps to reduce PERS costs,
and prioritizing the preservation and maintenance of existing infrastructure
over new construction.
I appreciate the effort that the Joint Committee on Ways and Means and
its various work groups have put into providing legislators with this
information. In addition to some of the
structural changes outlined in the Cost Containment Work Group’s list, however,
I believe that an eventual long term solution to our budget challenges should
allow us to invest in programs that will provide the state with additional
revenue through future economic growth, such as career and technical education
(CTE) and other programs supported by Measure 98. I believe it is only right that our state
demonstrates it is exercising fiscal responsibility and honoring the will of
the voters before asking more from its taxpayers, and I look forward to working
with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find a balanced solution to
these challenges.
This session, the Joint
Committee on Transportation Preservation and Modernization has been tasked
with proposing a transportation package for the legislature to vote on. So far, the committee has heard presentations
from each of its five work groups, including Highway
Preservation, Maintenance and Seismic Upgrade, Public
Transportation and Public Safety, Multimodal
Freight, Congestion,
and Accountability. Although I am not a member of this committee,
I have tried to attend as many meetings as possible and have been particularly interested
the preservation, maintenance, and congestion relief efforts that are being
discussed.
It is estimated that the final transportation package will contain
approximately $5 billion worth of projects over ten years and, while nothing has
officially been decided on, it is believed that those projects will be funded
by some combination of increases in the gas tax, vehicle registration fees, and
a new vehicle excise tax. During these
work group presentations, it was stated that, in order to address all of the
state’s preservation, maintenance, and seismic-related issues over the next twenty
years, we would need to raise the state’s gas tax by a whopping 54 cents per
gallon. While I certainly do not support
raising the gas tax by such a drastic amount, I find it is a stark indication
of how far behind the State is in caring for its existing infrastructure.
 On April 24th, I met with Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp, Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway, and Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle to discuss the legislative priorities of Metro's Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT). From this meeting and others like it, it has become clear that the top priorities for relieving congestion in this transportation package include widening I-5 through the Rose Quarter, widening I-205 from Stafford Road to the Abernethy Bridge, and widening OR-217 south of Beaverton. While these projects are certainly needed and should be addressed, there
are obviously many more bottlenecks in the Portland Metropolitan Area,
including I-5 through the Terwilliger Curves, I-5 across the Boone Bridge,
US-26 through Beaverton and Hillsboro, and OR-99W through the Newberg-Dundee
area. From my observations, the State simply
does not have access to the amount of money needed to address all of the
projects that warrant our attention. So,
while I am committed to helping the Joint Committee on Transportation
Preservation and Modernization to pass a transportation package this session that
is as effective as possible, I believe we need to do much more to prepare for the
population growth that is expected in our region over the next twenty years—and
I will continue working to find innovative and forward-thinking ways of accomplishing
just that.
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 On Wednesday, April 19th, my son Nic brought three of my
grandchildren, Ava, Bree, and Sierra, to the Capitol to participate in the Honorary
Page Program. While they were here,
they learned all about our state government and had a lot of fun touring the
building. I even had the pleasure of
introducing them to my colleagues in the House during our daily floor session,
which you can watch a video of here. If you know anyone between the ages of twelve
and eighteen who might also be interested in this opportunity, you can
encourage them to learn more and apply online here.
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 Thursday, April 20th, was Oregon State University Day at the Capitol. Throughout the day, students from the College of Pharmacy conducted free health screenings in the main lobby of the building, and I got to meet with several students from my district to discuss their school's legislative priorities this session. It was great to hear from folks who are so knowledgeable and passionate about higher education in our State. In addition, the OSU Meistersingers gave a fantastic performance at the beginning of our daily floor session, which you can watch a video of here. Go Beavers!
During that same floor session, Representative Janelle Bynum and I successfully carried HB 3267, relating to transient students. This bill will make it easier for students who are classified as homeless, runaway, or in foster care to graduate from high school. The bill passed unanimously in the House and now moves to the Senate for consideration. You can watch a video of Representative Bynum's and my floor speeches here.
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 On Thursday, April 20th, Senator Kim Thatcher,
Representative Bill Kennemer, and I held a town hall meeting in the Council
Chambers of the Wilsonville City Hall.
About 75 people attended the meeting including Wilsonville Mayor Tim
Knapp, Tigard Mayor John Cook, and Washington County Commissioner Bob Terry,
leaving standing-room only. We provided
a mid-session update and answered questions from attendees about issues ranging
from funding our K-12 education system, ensuring the fairness of our elections,
and whether we should limit noneconomic damages in civil lawsuits. I appreciate those who attended for being
engaged in the legislative process, and I want to extend a special thanks to
the City of Wilsonville for hosting us.
I urge you to continue sharing your views by emailing me at rep.richvial@oregonlegislature.gov,
or by calling my office at (503) 986-1426.
I welcome your input and value your perspective. As always, I am honored to serve as your
State Representative.
Sincerely,
Rich
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Capitol Phone: 503-986-1426
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-484, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.RichVial@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/vial
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