Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As we head into the Memorial Day Weekend, I’m grateful for the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country and their families. I hope you’ll have a safe and enjoyable weekend, and I hope you’ll pause a moment to think about those who have served.
This session we have passed several memorials and resolutions that honor heroes from wars past and present. It is a strong reminder of all that has been given in the name of freedom. We must also remember that the conflict in Afghanistan continues, and we have brave men and women from Oregon serving overseas. Here’s hoping they return home safely.
Standing up for Oregon families
This week the House passed a bill that has been long in the making. Senate Bill 558 takes the next step in foreclosure reform to help Oregon families stay in their homes. Wall Street banks had tried to circumvent earlier reform efforts by pursuing foreclosures in the courts to avoid required face-to-face mediation. The bill expands the Foreclosure Avoidance Mediation Program (FAMP), which requires lenders to meet with homeowners and a neutral third party before proceeding with a foreclosure sale.
The global recession has put thousands of Oregon homeowners at risk. Recent reports are that one out of every thirteen homeowners in Oregon is behind on their mortgage payments by at least one month, and more than 132,000 mortgages are underwater, according to recent data. Our efforts this week will hold big banks accountable and help untold numbers of homeowners sit down and negotiate with their banks to find ways to avoid losing their homes.
Moving forward on a balanced budget
The Legislature has begun to take action on a number of the budget bills we must pass to balance the overall state budget and adjourn session on time. Next week, the Ways and Means Committee will take action on the K-12 State School Fund budget, which will finalize a $1 billion increase for our schools above the current two-year budget.
Last week we received a strong revenue forecast that will allow us to begin moving forward to pass good budgets for the vital services Oregonians rely on. While I remain very interested in any opportunity for a compromise that could yield more funding for education, we can’t delay the budget process. A billion dollars more for schools will mean stability for many school districts, after a half decade of teacher layoffs and $4 billion in cuts to state services broadly during the recession.
In the District
In addition to Memorial Day, this weekend marks the kickoff of the Portland Rose Festival. For a list of events this weekend and through the summer, please visit http://www.rosefestival.org/.
As always, it is a pleasure to represent you.
Best wishes,
Rep. Tina Kotek
House District 44
Speaker of the House
900 Court St. NE, H-269, Salem Oregon 97301