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Hello Friends,
In this newsletter, we will update you on a few of the
big-ticket items that have been the center of conversations around the capitol
the last few weeks.
From the start of the 2017 legislative session we knew
that one of the single greatest challenges we faced was closing the then $1.8
billion budgetary shortfall to protect investments in vital human services and
education. That said, this challenge is not new. For years Oregon, has relied
heavily on personal income taxes, while Measures 5, 47, and 50 have shifted the
responsibility for education funding from property taxes to the state’s general
fund. These factors, along with low corporate taxes and the absence of a sales
tax have resulted in a volatile revenue system with consistent peaks and
valleys in general funds. This last month, the revenue forecast was released
and was a big reminder that our revenue system is not adequately allowing us to
fund the services Oregonians are expecting from our government.
This forecast shows how much revenue will be available
for our schools and critical services. The
news is mixed: Our economy continues to do better than the national
average, although there are signs that the growth is beginning to slow down as
we reach full employment.
But even with a booming economy, we’re facing a $1.4 billion shortfall in funding for our schools,
health care, senior services, and public safety at just the current levels. The
forecast shows that our revenue system is broken and outdated. Because we
depend so heavily on personal income taxes and have among the lowest corporate
taxes in the nation, we’ve faced year after year of budget uncertainty and cuts
to schools, and vital services.
Without bold action, we’ll face many more years of
cuts that will lead to more overcrowded classrooms, shorter school years, and
cuts to health care and senior services. We must re-think how we fund these
services.
As a new member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on
Human Services, I have spent the last several months hearing testimony from
programs that serve Oregon’s most vulnerable populations. The greatest
challenge of serving on this committee has been viewing these programs from the
lens of our current deficit, knowing that without additional resources, many,
if not these programs would experience cuts in their budgets that would lead to
fewer services, and higher costs down the road. Without new revenue, we are
pitting the developmentally disabled against vulnerable women and children
against the elderly. To keep investing in education and critical services, I am supporting the Revenue Reform and
Stability Act.
The initiative would raise
more than $890 million in the next budget cycle, with a minimum of 75% of
those funds dedicated to education, and is the result of months of discussion
between leaders in the House, the Senate, the business community and labor
organizations. It creates a Commercial Activity Tax (CAT) of less than 1%,
which varies based on industry, which will replace Oregon’s existing corporate
income tax in 2019. While this legislation has been well vetted and is the
result of bipartisan collaboration and compromise we
need your help to encourage key legislators that there is public support for
raising more revenue.
Please
reach out to these leaders and let them know you support raising revenue.
Senator
Mark Hass
Senate
President Peter Courtney
House
Speaker Tina Kotek
This month we are highlighting the West Slope Community Library in the West Slope community in Washington County. A portion of this community, including the library falls within House District 27!
West Slope is mostly unincorporated, but parts of the
area are within the city of Beaverton. The West Slope Community Library is
within the unincorporated portion. It was founded in 1950 by the Century Club
of Women. First located in an old bank, it moved to the current location at
3678 SW 78th Ave., in 1974 (just south of the Raleigh Park &
Swim Center). Since then, voters have passed a local levy to fund the library
and Washington County funds the library through property tax revenue from the
general funds budget.
The Friends of the West Slope Library are a non-profit that support the mission of the library and help fund it
through donations. If you have a chance, please go visit the library!
Hope to see you around the district soon.
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1427
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-280, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.SheriMalstrom@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/malstrom
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