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Hello Friends,
"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same"- Ronald Reagan
This weekend we honor and thank those who have served and are still serving to protect our freedoms. We honor those who have paid the ultimate price so that every American can be free, and we stand in solidarity with the families and loved ones they left behind. Thank you to all our veterans and their families and a happy Memorial Day to you, Central Oregon.
I'm pleased to announce that our Wildfire Protection bill, House Bill 2222, was signed into law by the Governor this week! With summer right around the corner and wildfire knocking at our door, it is crucial for homeowners to have the resources to protect themselves and their property. This bill would enforce the 1997 Oregon Forestland-Urban Interface Fire Protection Act and help neighborhoods reduce their wildfire risks.
Earlier this week, House Bill 3427, The Gross Receipts Tax, was also signed into law by the Governor. I was a no vote on this legislation for several reasons:
1) The bill is a hidden sales tax on small businesses and the revenue they generate before any overhead- or payroll-costs are factored in. So even if a company makes $5000 but has $1 million in sales, they will be taxed on the million. This is a tax on GROSS REVENUE of a business, not net profit. This is a regressive form of tax that will be passed down to hurt working families and small businesses which is the backbone of Central Oregon.
2) In 2016, voters overwhelmingly rejected similar policy in the form of Measure 97. I agree with the voters and honored the decision they made at the ballot box.
3) This bill does not guarantee any funding towards the classroom where it is needed most. PERS and Medicaid liabilities continue to loom over the legislature, and some argue that this money will be used to bail-out PERS, once again failing to bring much-needed resources to our schools and our children.
Today we got our third bill passed out of committee. House Bill 3024 passed out of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and will make amendments to the previous statute in 2013 which allows a property owner to replace existing or former dwellings in exclusive farm use zones. These amendments are essential in helping our rural communities preserve their family farms or legacy by allowing them to replace dwellings that have deteriorated or been converted, to ensure a home for themselves or future generations to continue their long-standing traditions of farming. Currently, the law requires both the county and the property owner to examine old property records to determine the status of the dwelling, but this has created problems as record-keeping standards from counties were much less sophisticated in the past. This bill is a step in the right direction to make this a smoother process for our rural Oregonians.
Thank you for all your emails and comments over the last few weeks and please continue to send them to rep.jackzika@oregonlegislature.gov or call me at 503-98-1453 for an appointment.
Sincerely,
Jack Zika
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It was a pleasure to meet members from NeighborImpact this week at the Capitol. They awarded me a certificate for sponsoring Senate Bill 790, related to individual development accounts and would double the tax credit authority for communities. |
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1453
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-387, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.JackZika@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/zika
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