2013 Special Session Update – Additional $40 Million for Higher Education
The U.S Government has shut down the same week the U.S Congress discusses the need to slash food stamps, unemployment rates are at near record highs, and our class rooms are over capacity. Yesterday, the Oregon Legislature took the necessary votes to reinvest $40 million to public universities and community colleges. This support will significantly improve the lives of Oregon’s neediest students. Improving access to mandatory classes, graduation rates, and buying down tuition is absolutely critical to ensure students graduate with manageable debt.
It makes us sad to discuss with legislators “manageable debt” when a student loan is the only type of debt you can’t write-off in bankruptcy. Buying down tuition lowers our over-all debt load and increases the likelihood that students go to school in the 1st place. We will continue to take on debt for things like tuition; books, food and adequate housing.
In 2013, there are students who, during winter months, decide to sleep in 24 hour libraries rather than their homes because they cannot afford to turn on the heater. Furthermore, we see more and more students dumpster diving for food, using food banks on campus and in the community because for them that is what financial sacrifice means. We cannot continue to force students to use services that were not intended for us nor can we continue to increase the financial burden on students who have fewer and fewer job opportunities upon graduation.
We are saddened that parts of this Grand Bargain hurt some of Oregon’s poorest workers. We also know that this bill is a band-aid. Over the last month we have stood hand-in-hand with our classified workers as together we prepared for a possible strike. We believe that in times of limited funding we need to cut administrative bloat and settle fair contracts with our workers. The changes to PERS hurt us, our workers, our community, and our families. The pains of this deal must not be lost on any of us when we revisit the budget during the 2015 legislative session.
We could do better, Oregon could do better. After much debate on campus OSA came to support the grand bargain because we need the help. We applaud the work of the Governor and legislative leadership. Thank you for coming together to form what we see as a very impactful yet imperfect resolution to a patchwork of issues. Here is a synopsis of the events that unfolded in Salem Oregon on October 2, 2013.
After two long days of committee meetings Speaker Kotek called the Oregon House to order around 8:45am just a few moments after Majority Leader Hoyle and Minority Leader McLane requested 30 minutes to caucus and about an hour later the Oregon House reconvened.
Debate on the complex tax reform bill (HB 3601) began with bill carriers Rep. Davis and Rep. Read calling on the House to act quickly and in good conscious. This was the first time rank and file members were able to express their opinions on all five pieces of legislation on the record. Rep. Barton was the first member to call for no votes on the tax bill saying “How can we in the same day pass legislation that gives lawyers, doctors, business owners and lobbyist a tax break and cut benefits to retirees?” Still some members expressed their concerns and others praised the bill. Needing a 3/5ths majority to pass tax changes the Speaker withheld dropping the gavel as the vote was 3 shy of passing. The gavel suspension lasted over an hour while leadership scrambled to find more votes.
Meanwhile on the Senate side of the building President Courtney postponed the convening of the Senate by half an hour to allow the House time to continue working. Speaker Kotek called the House back to order and asked for motions of reconsideration. 3 Democrats, Rep. Barnhart, Rep. Keny-Guyer, and Rep. Lively changed their ‘nays’ to ‘yays’ giving the Speaker the constitutionally mandated 3/5th majority (36 votes) needed to pass the bill.
Debate then turned to HB 5101 which allocates new revenue to public education, disability services and creates a dedicated fund for mental health services among other things. Representative Jensen, while supportive of the bill, didn’t think community colleges were getting nearly enough of the revenue as the largest educator of Oregon’s workforce. After a few hours of debate and the passage of 2 bills the House recessed for lunch while the Senate began debate on the PERS changes (SB 861 and SB 862) as well as the GMO bill (SB 863). Senate Republicans and Democrats had similar sentiments about cutting benefits to retirees but ultimately passed both bills relating to the Public Employee Retirement System. The GMO bill met little resistance in the Senate but saw the House with a lengthy debate. Representative Peter Buckley (Ashland, OR) gave a passionate floor speech in opposition to the GMO regulation bill saying this was an issue better left to counties to regulate, and described the concerns of his constituents. The House swept through the final bills of the day. The Senate finished debate on the revenue bill and tax changes with moderate back and forth debate. All 5 bills were passed by each chamber and are expected to be signed by the Governor, who warned multiple times that he wouldn’t sign any unless every bill passed. The revenue bill will give public higher education an additional $40 million to buy-down tuition and increase quality on public university campuses and community colleges.
Before President Courtney dropped the gavel to adjourn Sine Die, Senator Ted Ferrioli commended the House and Senate and Special Session Joint Committee on their long day and nights of work. Saying that this is a place where republicans and democrats can find common ground and make the lives of Oregonians better. He ended with “this is Oregon, My Oregon not Washington D.C.” The Oregon Legislature adjourned Sine Die at 4:48 pm.
Next up in Oregon’s State Capitol are Interim Legislative Work Days November 20th – 22nd.
Written by Mario Parker-Milligan