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I
prefer when businesses and employees are able to work together to ensure both
parties succeed. Businesses want reliable, hardworking employees, and employees
want consistent, fair work schedules. While scheduling flexibility is critical
to operating successful businesses, it is also important for employees to be
able arrange their lives around work, child care, health appointments, and
other parts of life. In the case of Senate Bill 828, Oregon has taken a step
towards ensuring that employees in the food, hospitality, and retail sectors
have more information about their schedule so they can better plan their lives.
I supported this bill out of an effort to create positive compromise that would
protect small businesses and prevent over-regulation or a patchwork of local scheduling
regulations. Check out the KTVZ story on the bill here or below.
The
2017-2019 education budget recently passed the Oregon Senate and is awaiting
approval in the House. I am a big proponent of fully funding schools and
investing in our children because it is critical to our future as a state. We
need well-educated and trained citizens in order to attract family-wage job
creators. However, I made a commitment to voters in Senate District 27 that I
would not support anything less than $8.4 billion for schools. Our school
districts are being squeezed on many sides by cost drivers like PERS and
healthcare as well as climbing enrollment. This is why I voted against Senate
Bill 5517 because the budget is simply inadequate and will result in cuts that
will further undermine the quality of Oregon’s education system.
 I was privileged to meet with these legendary World War II heroes from Bend last week. Thank you for your bravery and service to our nation in one of our greatest hours of need.
In
order to fix a problem that everyone saw coming, the majority party has opted
for more taxes on health care providers and insurance premiums to pay for
continued Medicaid coverage. The legislation, House Bill 2391, will likely
result in higher healthcare costs while not addressing egregious systemic
spending issues. The real winners will be the state and health care providers
who will get more federal matching dollars for providing no more services than
before. I voted against this tax because we have record revenue this biennium
and the tax burden will fall on those least able to pay. I support coverage for
the expansion population but this bill was not a good policy way to achieve that
coverage.
I always enjoy learning from passionate constituents like Bonnie Walker. Bonnie was in Salem advocating for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities services.
While
investigations have been going on for some time, The Oregonian published an
article this week about bribery happening at the Department of Energy. An
ex-official of ODOE admitted to taking nearly $300,000 in bribes related to the
sale of state energy tax credits. The bribes were compensation for special
treatment and reduced scrutiny over tens of millions of dollars in energy tax
credits. The Business Energy Tax Credit program was curtailed in recent years
and the Department of Energy has been undergoing restructuring due to
significant structural problems beyond the lack of accountability.
Great to meet with Becky Johnson and Amy Tykeson with OSU Cascades. It's always good to work with constituents from Central Oregon!
Best Regards,
 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
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