Legislative Update

Dear Friends,

We are now over halfway through the legislative session, and I wanted to keep you updated on our progress as we address the issues important to Oregonians.

Revenue Update:

As Chair of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee and Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Tax Credits, I will examine every option available and review every state tax credit that is set to expire in order to build a revenue package that will help to fund our schools and vital services. I was recently a guest on OPB’s “Think Out Loud”, with my colleague Senator Larry George, discussing potential options for the state’s revenue package. You can listen by clicking here.

 Legislative Update:

I am pleased to announce that Senate Bill 344 passed on the Senate Floor last week. SB344 focuses on privacy protection for higher education candidates and current students by prohibiting universities or colleges from demanding access to a private social media page, such as Facebook. The bill strikes a good balance between student privacy and the legitimate information needs of colleges and universities.

I am also pleased to announce that my cosmetology bill passed on the Senate Floor. SB 836 removes a licensing agreement that threatens to prevent some of the most creative members of the performing arts industry from working their magic on television shows like Grimm and the plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. This was brought to my attention by a constituent who works in the entertainment industry and is a great example of how a citizen, who has never participated in the legislative process, can help legislators pass laws.

Both bills now head to the House for consideration.

Update on Gun Safety Legislation

Thank you again for your ongoing support regarding the important issue of gun safety. With your help, I will continue to fight for any measures that will work to limit gun violence in our society.  Two very important bills passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee recently. They are:

SB 347: No Guns in Schools. This bill gives school districts the authority to prohibit Concealed Handgun License (CHL) holders from carrying loaded guns on school grounds.

SB 700: Expanded background checks. Requires criminal background checks on all transactions before guns can be transferred between private parties. Transfer means sale, gift, or lease of a firearm (with the exception of immediate family members).

Polling shows an overwhelming majority of Oregonians support these common sense measures. However, we still don’t know if a majority of Oregon legislators will support these bills. Now is the time to get involved and make your voice heard. The best way to do this is to continue to contact your state senator and representative while encouraging your friends and family to do the same. Ask legislators if they have the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and make the right vote to protect our schools and communities from gun violence.

Staying updated on the legislative session

We will continue to send updates on the work that we are doing in Salem as the legislative session progresses. However, we want to also give you the tools to stay informed on your own.

You can use www.leg.state.or.us to access information about committees, agendas, floor sessions, and specific bills. Here’s some specific information on how to do so.

1) How to look up a bill:

The Oregon Legislature has a user-friendly website that allows you to track bills. Go to http://www.leg.state.or.us/bills_laws/ and click on the link for the 2013 legislative session. This will direct you to a webpage that provides several search options. You can search for bills based on keyword or specific bill number.

2) How to track bills:

Make a note of the bill number. Go to http://www.leg.state.or.us/searchmeas.html and search for the bill. This will direct you to a page that will provide the status of the bill, sponsors, brief description of the bill, scheduled action (public hearing, work session etc), and a link to the language of the introduced bill.

3) Testify before a committee:

If a bill you are interested in is scheduled for a public hearing, you have the option to participate in the process by testifying in front of a committee. If you have written testimony, you should bring 15 copies. You can view committee agendas here:

4) Accessing committee hearings and floor sessions online:

Committee hearings and floor sessions are also streamed online. To watch a specific committee hearing, go to http://www.leg.state.or.us/listn/ . Each committee webpage will have archived and live audio and video.

As the 2013 Legislative Session progresses, I welcome your comments, questions and suggestions. You can contact my Chief of Staff, Jeff Fisher, or my Legislative Aide, Peter Brown, at (503) 986-1718 or by e-mail at sen.ginnyburdick@state.or.us. I look forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Senator Burdick
Senate District 18