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Dear friends,
I hope you had an opportunity to enjoy the eclipse on August 21! Suzi and I were able to make it up to just south of Corvallis. Even though we'd seen partial eclipses before, it was an amazing experience to witness the corona. While it may have been a once-in-a-lifetime event for Oregon, another total solar eclipse will be visible over the United States from Texas to Maine on April 8, 2024.
(photo by Steve Gorham — taken in west Salem)
While the eclipse may have been breathtaking in a positive way, this fire season has been so in a negative way. Many of our Senate District 4 neighbors have been directly impacted by fires in Lane and Douglas counties. For the latest information on fires burning across our area, visit the Oregon Department of Forestry's Wildfire Blog or the Douglas Forest Protective Association's website. Please also be mindful of smoky air conditions' effect on your health and take appropriate precautions, such as exercising inside instead of outside during smoke incursions.
The first set of "legislative days" for the 2017 interim is September 18-20. Committees will hold informational hearings and begin to discuss legislative concepts for the 2018 "short" session. You can review committee agendas (once posted) and watch live hearings using the Legislature's online information system.
As Labor Day approaches, I want to take a moment to recognize workers for the many contributions they have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country. Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a holiday on February 21, 1887. Please remember to be safe and mindful of fire risks while enjoying the holiday. For a listing of Labor Day events in Lane County, please click here. For a listing of events in Douglas County, please click here.
Lastly, as we transition into September, remember that students will be returning to schools all across the state. Please be extra cautious in and around school zones.
Below you will find information on:
- September Revenue Forecast
- 2017 Session Accomplishments: Education & Kids
- For Educators: Oregon 529 Savings Network School Program Goes Statewide
- Arc of Lane County Job Fair
- Oregon State Fair!
I hope this information is helpful and informative for you or someone you know. As always, feel free to share your comments, questions or concerns with me by phone, mail or e-mail.
September Revenue Forecast
The September 2017 state revenue forecast was released on August 23 during a joint meeting of the Senate and House Revenue Committees. Below is a summary of that forecast assembled by the Senate Majority Office.
Revenue Outlook
Projected 2015-2017 Net General Fund resources are up $86.8 million, or 0.5 percent, from the June 2017 forecast. Both personal and corporate income taxes are up from the previous forecast, at $117 million (4.6 percent) and $19.8 million (9.9 percent), respectively. This means that both kickers are likely to be triggered. The personal kicker is projected to distribute $463.5 million in 2017-19, with a median return of $89 per taxpayer. The corporate kicker will provide $110.5 million to K-12 education.
The projected ending balance for the 2017-19 biennium is also up $38.6 million from the 2017 close-of-session estimate. This represents an overall 0.2 percent increase, with the Rainy Day Fund projected to receive $198.6 million by the end of the 2017-19 biennium.
The total gain in net General Fund and Lottery resources for 2017-19 biennium compared to the 2017 close-of-session is $109 million. This represents $39 million from General Fund and $70 million from Lottery.
Economic Outlook
Employment in Oregon is up slightly from the June 2017 forecast. An increase of 0.2 percent has resulted in 4,335 new jobs in the state. Job creation continues in service and tech sectors, with historically low unemployment continuing despite frictional unemployment from in-migration. As Oregon reaches near full employment, skilled worker shortages may be a factor in future bienniums.
Forecast Risks
Federal fiscal and tax policies are in flux and may pose a risk to Oregon by mandating changes in federal grants, federal procurements, federal employment, spending reductions, etc. Shifts in federal policy require ongoing attention.
Other Notable Items
Cannabis Revenue: Marijuana sales are still in a period of acceleration. The first year of sales exceeded the expectations that were based on Washington and Colorado's market rollouts. As the industry matures, recreational sales are expected to increase revenue by $150 million for the 2017-19 biennium.
Lottery Resources: The Office of Economic Analysis continues to track the estimated impact of the Cowlitz Tribe's new Ilani Casino Resort on Lottery revenue. So far, the impacts have been significantly less than previously predicted. However, Lottery resources now are operating under new restrictions imposed by Measure 99 and Measure 96. During the 2017-2019 biennium, $24 million will be dedicated to outdoor schools under Measure 99 and $20.2 million to veteran services under Measure 96.
Reserves: The Office of Economic Analysis looks at three accounts when analyzing the state budget reserves: The Oregon Rainy Day Fund, the Education Stability Fund, and the ending balance of the General Fund. The projected reserves for the end of the 2017-2019 biennium are Education Stability Fund: $602 million, Rainy Day Fund: $635 million, and General Fund: $235 million.
Additional economic forecast information is available at: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2017I1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/138055.
2017 Session Accomplishments: Education & Kids
Starting with this e-bulletin, I'm providing in-depth summaries of bills passed during the 2017 session by subject area. A comprehensive listing of accomplishments from the 2017 session related to education and kids — by Senate/House bill and in numerical order — follows:
Senate Bills
SB 4 - Physical Education in Elementary and Middle Schools: In 2007, the Legislature passed a bill requiring elementary schools to provide 150 minutes of physical education (P.E.) each week. The law also requires middle schools to provide 225 minutes of P.E. per week. This legislation aids school districts in phasing in those requirements by increasing the amount of P.E. over four school years, starting in 2019. The bill also allows non-P.E. teachers to help students meet the required amount of P.E. during the school week.
SB 207 - Advanced Placement Credit: Under this legislation, public higher education institutions must provide credit to students who received a score of 3, 4 or 5 on an advanced placement (AP) test. The Higher Education Coordinating Council (HECC) may grant a school's request to require a score higher than 3 for receiving credit.
SB 208 - Charter School Student Sports Participation: This legislation prevents school districts from denying public charter school students from participating in interscholastic activities. School districts may establish fee requirements to be charged per public charter school, and they may adopt participation requirements such as applications or certain test scores.
SB 221 - Teacher Training for Dyslexia: Under this legislation, teacher training programs and educator preparation programs are required to provide instruction on reading difficulties and dyslexia.
SB 253 - Student Loan Disclosure: Starting with the 2018-2019 academic year, this legislation requires higher education institutions to provide additional student loan information to potential borrowers. Information includes the total amount of federal education loans the student has received, an estimate of the total amount owed upon the student's graduation (including principal and interest), and an estimate of the monthly payment a student will owe.
SB 830 - Adoptive Parents Prioritization: This legislation adjusts the definition of "current caretaker" to allow foster parents who have cared for a child or the child's siblings for 12 cumulative months to qualify as a current caretaker for purposes of pursuing a permanent plan or concurrent adoption plan.
SB 1003 - Teacher Training for Dyslexia: Pursuant to this legislation, at least one elementary school teacher at each school must receive training related to dyslexia. School districts must ensure that kindergarten and first-grade students are screened for risk factors of dyslexia.
SB 1032 - Expanding the Oregon Promise Program: The Oregon Promise program was created in 2015 to offer tuition to students attending Oregon community colleges. This legislation removes the $10 million cap originally placed on the program and removed the $50 co-pay requirement for applicants to enable more students to participate in Oregon Promise.
SB 5517 - State School Fund: This legislation invests $8.2 billion in public schools across Oregon, which represents an increase of 11 percent over the prior biennium. The 2017 Session started with a projected $1.4 Billion deficit to continue the current level of services. Through a combination of increased projected revenues, cost containment, and cuts, the Ways and Means Committee produced a budget that can sustain many school districts for the next biennium. However, there will be school districts that face cuts under this budget.
House Bills
HB 2147 - Tracking Matriculation from Oregon High Schools: This legislation requires higher education institutions to report annually to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) and the Department of Education (DOE) on the number of high school graduates from each school district who are enrolled at the institution and the graduation rate at the institution for Oregon high school graduates from each school district. DOE will provide that information to each school district in the state.
HB 2216 - Foster Children's Sibling Bill of Rights: This legislation establishes essential rights for siblings who are foster youth. These rights include placements together, maintaining contact and visits with siblings, transportation to visit siblings and to be notified of placement changes or catastrophic events affecting a sibling. Foster children have the right to an explanation if contact with a sibling is being denied.
HB 2220 - Helping Veterans Earn a High School Diploma: This legislation removes an outdated requirement barring veterans from receiving a high school diploma if they have not received a GED or post-secondary degree. Under House Bill 2220, veterans may obtain high school diplomas if they did not complete high school as a result of their service.
HB 2246 - High School Graduation, College and Career Readiness: This legislation directs distribution of funds under a policy created by approval of Ballot Measure 98. School districts will designate money for the policy based on the amount they received and focus the funding in three areas: expanding career-technical education, establishing college-level educational opportunities, and establishing or expanding dropout prevention strategies.
HB 2344 - Independent Living Program: The Department of Human Services (DHS) administers the Independent Living Program to help foster children transition into adulthood. Participants must be at least 16 years old and maintain some combination of education and employment that amounts to full-time activity. House Bill 2344 adds volunteerism to the activity requirements and adds transportation to the list of expenses DHS may cover, which currently include food, shelter, clothing and incidental expenses.
HB 2666 - Community College Student Fees: Student governments at four-year public universities are permitted to hold elections for collecting student fees and subsequently they can distribute those fees. This legislation extends the same privileges to community college student governments.
HB 2846 - Ethnic Studies Curriculum: This legislation establishes an advisory group to identify shortfalls in social studies standards for ethnic and social minorities. The group will submit reports to the Oregon Department of Education, which will adopt ethnic studies standards into existing statewide social studies standards for public schools by September 15, 2020.
HB 2864 - Cultural Competency in Higher Education: Under this legislation, universities will establish standards for cultural competency and recommendations for achieving those standards. Universities shall provide training opportunities and set goals for cultural competency and produce a biennial report on progress toward achieving goals.
HB 3267 - Graduation Requirements for At-Risk Students: This legislation makes graduating high school easier for students who are in foster care, homeless, runaways, children in military families, children of migrant workers and children who are enrolled in the Youth Corrections Education Program or Juvenile Detention Education Program. Under HB 3267, school districts must waive high school diploma requirements that are not required by state law for these at-risk students.
HB 3404 - Rear-Facing Car Seat: This legislation is a child safety law. It requires that children under 2 years of age must be traveling in rear-facing car seats when in a vehicle.
HB 3423 - Oregon Promise for National Guard: The Oregon Promise program is available to students who enroll in community college courses within six months from graduating high school. This legislation provides an exception for members of the Oregon National Guard, permitting them to enroll in community college courses within six months of completing initial active duty training.
For Educators: Oregon 529 Savings Network School Program Goes Statewide
(Source: Oregon 529 Savings Network)
Based on the success of its Be College Ready program these past two school years, the Oregon 529 Savings Network has announced that "Be College Ready" will be a statewide program for the 2017-18 school year. The program will be open to all public elementary schools, private elementary schools and home-schooled children of elementary school age across Oregon.
The Network launched the Be College Ready program as a pilot program in the elementary schools of five school districts for the 2015-16 school year. The goal of Be College Ready is to help young families learn the value of saving for higher education early in a child’s life using the Oregon College Savings Plan. With results showing an increase in Oregon College Savings Plan accounts among participating school districts and communities, Be College Ready was expanded from five school districts to 15 for the 2016-17 school year.
When looking at account activity in the 15 school districts that participated in Be College Ready last year, there was a collective increase of nearly 19 percent of new Oregon College Savings Plan accounts being opened when compared to the same timeframe the year before. In addition, there was an increase of new account contributions of 29 percent, totaling more than $2.4 million. These results demonstrate that once parents learn about how the Oregon College Savings Plan can help make college more affordable, they not only open accounts but continually contribute to them.
Be College Ready was designed to be easy for elementary schools to incorporate. Here is how the program works:
- Participating schools will receive free homework folders, pencils and bookmarks for every student.
- 100 families (20 per each of the five congressional school districts) will be eligible to win a $100 Oregon College Savings Plan account.
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Schools are being asked to distribute information to parents and provide opportunities for parents and families to learn more about funding higher education expenses and how the Oregon College Savings Plan can help.
Schools/school districts can visit www.becollegeready.net to order free supplies for their elementary school students. For questions or concerns regarding Be College Ready, and/or requests to have staff come to your district for a town hall, please contact the Network's Outreach Director, John Valley, at john.valley@ost.state.or.us or 503-432-1618.
Arc of Lane County Job Fair
On Wednesday, September 13, the Arc of Lane County's Job Fair will include more than 20 employers as well as workshops on interviews skills, resume building and more. To RSVP and sign up for workshops, please call 541-343-5256.
Oregon State Fair!
The Oregon State Fair is going on now until Labor Day, September 4 at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. For general information and details on this year's attractions, visit: https://oregonstatefair.org/.
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