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Dear friends,
As summer winds down, wildfires are raging in Lane, Josephine and Wallowa counties. The Mill Creek fire near Waldo Lake has been particularly ferocious, sending smoke over and into the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon. When smoky conditions set in, please take precautions, including staying indoors if you're sensitive to unhealthy air. Hopefully, the onset of autumn will bring needed rains to help extinguish the fires.
East Lane County residents please take note: The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for Friday through Saturday due to dry and possible strong east winds. Now is the time to prepare. Visit wildfire.oregon.gov for the latest information and to sign up to receive emergency alerts. Pacific Power has also advised of power shutoffs for some high-risk areas. To see if you'll be impacted, click here.
As a candidate in the upcoming November general election, starting this Friday, I am prohibited by Senate rules from sending unsolicited general legislative correspondence from state e-accounts or postings on state websites. Please watch for my next e-bulletin in November. My office will still be able to receive and respond to constituent e-mails during this period, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance with state related matters.
Below you will find information on:
- September Revenue Forecast
- 2022 Session Accomplishments: Elections, Ethics & Government Accountability
- Affordable Connectivity Program
- Scam Alert: Bank Imposters
- Forest Services Proposes Fee Increases for Umqua National Forest
- State Award for Yoncalla Wastewater Facility Plan
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
Another strong Economic and Revenue Forecast was released at a joint virtual meeting of the Senate and House Revenue Committees last month. This latest positive forecast is due to prudent investments in individuals and Oregon families trying to make ends meet. We have an opportunity to invest further in education and health care systems, and to support frontline workers, when the Legislature meets in for its 2023 regular session.
Revenue Outlook
2021-23 net General Fund resources are up $589.1 million from the June 2022 forecast. The current General Fund ending balance is $3,710 million versus June's projected ending balance of $3,121.7 million. The ending balance is also up $3,148.5 million from the 2021 Close-of-Session estimate. Projected 2021-23 Lottery resources are up $6.7 million from the June 2022 forecast.
Reserve accounts are currently at $562 million (Education Stability Fund) and $1,189 million (Rainy Day Fund). The projected ending balances for the reserve accounts for the 2021-23 Biennium are as follows: Education Stability Fund: $704.1 million and Rainy Day Fund: $1,314.7 million. The Rainy Day Fund is projected to receive $278.6 million following the end of the 2021-23 Biennium.
Kicker Outlook
A personal kicker of $3,461.4 million is projected for 2023. The projected corporate kicker of $1,104.6 million is to be dedicated to K-12 education spending in in the 2023-25 Biennium.
OEA's Economic Outlook
Oregon's Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) says its outlook is essentially a coin flip between a soft landing and a recession. However, given uncertainty and the expected timing of a potential recession being a year out, a lot can happen between now and then. The key issue to watch is inflation. No other macroeconomic data is more important as it will dictate Federal Reserve policy in the quarters ahead. OEA is keeping the baseline outlook as the economic soft landing and continued expansion, at least for this quarter. In the soft landing, employment and income are still growing, but at a downwardly revised pace as slower economic growth is needed to bring inflation all the way back down to the Federal Reserve's target.
Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) Projections
The 2019 Legislature enacted the corporate activity tax (CAT), a new tax on gross receipts that went into effect January 2020. Collections related to the 2020 tax year are essentially complete, while tax returns for the 2021 tax year continue to be processed. This would normally provide a reasonable baseline from which to project future collections. However, while taxpayers were required to file on a calendar year basis for tax year 2020, a law change allowed taxpayers to switch to a fiscal year basis beginning with tax year 2021. Thus the magnitude of tax liability for the 2021 tax year will not be known until late 2023. In terms of revisions to the forecast, the outlook has been lowered for tax year 2023 and beyond commensurate with the softened economic forecast. This translates to a decline of roughly $50 million in available resources for the 2023-25 biennium.
2022 Session Accomplishments: Elections, Ethics & Government Accountability
Following the 2022 Legislative Session, I'm sharing in-depth summaries of bills passed by subject area. Below is a comprehensive listing of accomplishments related to elections, ethics and government accountability — by Senate/House bill and in numerical order:
Senate Bill
SB 1527 - Elections Administration: This legislation contains technical fixes to Oregon statute to provide efficient, timely operation and administration of Oregon's election processes by state and local officials. SB 1527 also codifies the responsibility of the Secretary of State for election contest recounts as well as reduces the voter registration thresholds required for minor parties to have nominating access to the general election ballot.
House Bills
HB 4114 - Economic Disclosure Filing for School Board Members: Most Oregon elected officials are required to annually disclose their economic affiliations to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission on a form called the ‘Statement of Economic Interest’ or SEI. Before passage of this legislation, local school board members across the state were not required to submit the form. HB 4114 changes the statute to require school board members to annually complete and submit the SEI to the Ethics Commission.
HB 4133 - Online Voter Registration: Since 2010, Oregon has made it easy for citizens with a driver license to register to vote online. Before passage of this legislation, eligible voters who did not possess a driver license did not have access to this method of online registration. HB 4133 makes it easier for Oregonians who do not have a driver license to register to vote online.
HB 4144 - Protecting Election Workers from Harassment, Intimidation: During the 2020 election and the certification process that followed, many election workers were threatened and harassed in Oregon and across the country. This legislation gives Oregon's election workers more protection by making it a Class A Misdemeanor to harass, threaten or intimidate an elections administration employee in their official capacity.
Affordable Connectivity Program
A component of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress and signed by President Biden, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) gives low-income households a discount on Internet services. The program provides:
- A $30 per month benefit to help households afford access to high-speed internet service;
- Up to a $75 per month discount if the household is on qualifying tribal lands; and
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50).
Eligibility is availability to people:
- Who have income at or below 200 percent of federal poverty guidelines;
- Participate in certain assistance programs like SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC, or Lifeline; or
- Are approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program.
Check your eligibility and enroll in the ACP at http://getinternet.gov. There is no fee to apply.
Additionally, the federal government has coordinated with 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefit with one of these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost. Visit http://getinternet.gov for details.
Scam Alert: Bank Imposters
Attorney General Rosenblum is warning Oregonians to not provide personal information to anyone who calls claiming to be from a bank or other financial institution saying your account has been compromised. Banks do not place calls like these; the caller is likely an imposter. If you receive such a call, tell the caller you'll call back. Then, find a reliable phone number — not one they give you — for your bank and call them. Tell them what just happened. Never give any caller your account number, credit card information, pin numbers, login, password, or Social Security number (or any part of it). Similarly, don't click to respond to a text or email purporting to be from a bank.
To further protect yourself:
- Visit Banks Never Ask That, a helpful and informative industry-wide campaign to educate consumers about phishing scams.
- Verify that there is an issue. If you get a text message or phone call that looks to be from your bank, claiming your account has been compromised, do not respond until you can verify there is an issue. Find your bank's phone number in a phone directory or on the back of your debit or credit card, or on a monthly statement to ensure you're actually calling your bank — not a scammer. Call that number and ask the bank if there is an issue with your account.
- Never give personal information to unsolicited callers. If your bank, cable provider or utility company says they are the caller, do not give them your personal information to "verify" your identity. Hang up the phone, find the phone number to the bank, cable provider or utility company, and call to verify.
- Be cautious of links sent via text. The link sent via text could be a look-a-like website, mimicking your online banking portal. If you click on the link and provide your login information, the scammers then have access to your accounts online. Instead, visit your bank's website from another source–not by clicking through a link sent via text.
- Ignore instructions to text "STOP" or "NO" to prevent future texts. This is a common ploy by scammers to confirm they have a real, active phone number.
If you have fallen victim to a phony bank text or phone call scam, please file a complaint with Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov or call 1-877-877-9392 and ask that a complaint form be mailed to you.
Forest Services Proposes Fee Increases for Umqua National Forest
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is proposing to raise campground fees and establish new fees at selected sites on the Umpqua National Forest. The federal agency is soliciting comments from the public until October 31, 2022.
USFS says the increases are being considered to continue to provide services such as garbage collection and drinking water and to provide for the health and public safety expected by visitors at recreation sites. Recreation fees on the Umpqua National Forest were last changed in 2009.
The release said the proposal includes changing fees at 52 recreation sites in the Umpqua National Forest including campgrounds, showers, dump stations, lookouts/cabins, and a trailhead. Many campsites would see an increase of $2 to $5 per site. A complete list of sites with proposed changes can be found here.
Written comments on the proposal can be mailed by October 31, 2022, to Umpqua National Forest, ATTN: Recreation Fees, 2900 NW Stewart Parkway, Roseburg, OR 97471, or e-mailed to SM.FS.umpcomments@usda.gov.
State Award for Yoncalla Wastewater Facility Plan
The City of Yoncalla has been awarded $277,777 to fund a wastewater facility plan. This project will help improve services for residents. Congratulations on a successful application!
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