Oregon Trails

An Occasional Newsletter

from

The Association of Oregon Counties

Frenzy 

Bill Deadline Comes and Goes 

February 22, 2013

On Monday,  February 18, 2013, the Joint I-5 Bridge Replacement Legislative Committee voted 14-2 in support of HB 2800 to build the I-5 Bridge (Columbia River Crossing). The bill was amended to include these conditions:

1. The State of Washington must commit their share of funding
2. The Federal Transit Administration must commit $850 million for the light rail component funding
3. The Treasurer must approve the Investment Grade Analysis
4. The Coast Guard must issue a permit on the height of the bridge
5. The deal expires September 30, 2013
6. Specifies use of materials produced in the United States
7. Nondiscrimination in awarding contracts and removal of barriers preventing disadvantaged businesses from obtaining contracts would be required
8. Set a project maximum cost at $3.413 billion

It also requires that a study be conducted and a fund established to address air quality and public health concerns that might impact communities from the Fremont Bridge to the Columbia River.

The Oregon House floor vote is scheduled for Monday, February 25, 2013.

There has been a great deal of discussion with legislators about the need for a larger funding package for the 2015 Session that would include the needs of local governments and long-term funding for the I-5 Bridge. Funding for the debt service over the next three years for the I-5 Bridge will come from unanticipated higher than expected federal money from the MAP-21 federal transportation reauthorization. However, AOC and others have registered strong concern about using this funding over the long-term because it would cut money available for improvements by about $35 million (the amount needed to service the I-5 Bridge debt service).

On the other side of the river, Washington State House Democrats released a $9.8 billion transportation package on Wednesday that includes funding for the I-5 Bridge. The revenue for the proposed transportation package would be financed by a two cents per year increase in the gas tax for the next five years, a new car tab fee and $3 billion in bonds.

The Senate Rural Communities and Economic Development Committee unanimously voted out SB 331 and the dash-2 amendment. The next stop is Ways and Means. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose and Senator Chuck Thomsen, R-Hood River, Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker, Tillamook County Commissioner Mark Labhart, Columbia County Commissioner Tony Hyde and county parks directors, an agreement was reached with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD).  

The Oregon Parks Association (OPA) representing county parks and the Association of Oregon Counties proposed SB 331 because counties have almost half of the combined state and county campsites yet receive only 35 percent of the funding from this dedicated source. Further, county parks are facing dramatic declines in local revenues and have a large backlog of around $80 million in deferred maintenance.

Under the agreement, the current distribution would be changed to 55 percent for OPRD and 45 percent for county parks from the current 65 percent for OPRD and 35 percent for county parks. Under current law, counties' share would have dropped even further to 30 percent in 2015. The allocation change to 55 percent OPRD/45 percent county parks would translate into an addition $1.7 million per year for county parks. The agreement included no sunset and no change to the current formula to distribute the counties' share among the counties. Also, AOC and OPA agreed to support OPRD's budget which includes a provision to fund the State Fair Exposition and state campground fee increase. Further, OPRD and OPA agreed to identify state parks that both parties voluntarily agree would make financial sense for counties to manage. 

Efforts by the Governor's Commission on Public Safety over the last year have led to a legislative Joint Committee on Public Safety, which began meeting last week. The goal of the commission and joint committee are to evaluate proposals that would curb prison spending, projected to be $600 million over the next decade.

The commission evaluated 19 policy options, ranging from sentencing modifications to evaluating cost per day for the Department of Corrections. Included in the 19 options, and among the most controversial, are modifications to voter-approved mandatory minimum sentences, Measure 11 and Measure 57, and earned time for inmates.

Counties were represented on the Governor's Commission by Marion County Sheriff Jason Myers, Clackamas County District Attorney John Foote, and Multnomah County Department of Community Justice Director Scott Taylor.

Gov. Kitzhaber built $40 million in projected savings from policy changes in the current biennial budget - approximately $9 million to fund drug courts and $30 million for a public safety incentive fund to reduce recidivism. The incentive fund would be aimed at efforts in the local community, such as law enforcement, community corrections, and re-entry programs.

The AOC Public Safety Committee heard from the three county representatives, State Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, and State Rep. Jeff Barker, D-Aloha, on Feb. 11. They each shared their views of the commission's work and what the legislative joint committee will work on during this session.

During the commission meetings, the Oregon District Attorneys Association and the Oregon State Sheriffs Association were opposed to Measure 11 modifications. The district attorneys also questioned the data presented, including the current prison forecasting system.  Community Corrections advocates state that the cost of supervising non-violent offenders would save money and be more effective.

Legislative Concept 3274 is scheduled to be introduced as a bill today (Friday). The committee will begin public hearings next week.

House Bill 2143, sponsored by State Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, unanimously passed the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Government Efficiency on Tuesday. The bill is a priority for the AOC Public Safety Committee and originated from the Government Efficiency Task Force, led by Rep. Nathanson.

AOC President and Yamhill County Commissioner Mary Stern chaired the Criminal Justice Subcommittee, which recommended the concept in HB 2143. Currently, both the Department of Corrections and the Oregon State Sheriffs Association audit county jails. The bill eliminates that duplicate auditing function by the Department of Corrections and gives authority to local counties to use the auditing system by the Sheriffs Association.

AOC worked with the Sheriffs Association to amend the bill and give the public access to the report, similar to current audits conducted by the state Department of Corrections.

HB 2143 now moves to the House Chamber for a vote.

Thursday afternoon AOC President Mary Stern and AOC Human Services Steering Committee Chair Linda Modrell testified in front to the Ways and Means Human Services Subcommittee. They emphasized that county commissioners around the state continue to invest heavily in local public health. 

In the last biennium counties contributed over $100 million of county general fund to their local programs. The commissioners also asked the committee to support the governor's Health System Transformation fund recommendation. This fund would provide $15 million for CCOs and local public health to innovate new programs that promote chronic disease prevention such as tobacco and obesity prevention programs. The commissioners also encouraged the committee to invest the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement funds into prevention programs. Both commissioners reminded the committee that public health serves the whole community and can be very effective helping improve the health of the community.

The Ways and Means Human Services Subcommittee also heard from the Public Health Department of the Oregon Health Authority. The committee will move on the Addictions and Mental Health Program next week.

An initial public hearing was held this week on HB 2136, a bill that would distribute 90 percent of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (TMSA) funds to Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) and 10 percent to the Tobacco Use Reduction Account. While it seemed that there was broad support for investment in tobacco prevention, the fate of the bill seemd uncertain. It seems as if the larger budget issues surrounding PERS reform and the education budget will need to be worked out before it is determined what to do with the TMSA funds.

SB 132 is a bill that would make require parents and guardians to undergo an educational program before opting-out of immunizations for the children. An initial public hearing on the bill was held this past Tuesday. There is some controversy over the removal of the term 'religious exemption' although the religious exemption concept would still be allowed under the bill. There is an amendment in the works and the bill will have another public hearing in the near future.

The Early Learning Council (ELC) is nearly finished with their plan for 'gap' funding for those counties interested in continuing to administer certain programs that are currently run through the local commissions on children and families. Once complete, AOC will work with the ELC to ensure that all counties are familiar with the plan.

The local commissions are set to sunset on June 30th of this year. It is expected that the earliest the new ELC 'hubs' will be operational is January 1, 2014.  

AOC Executive Director Mike McArthur and AOC consultant Doris Penwell testified on a couple of bills that would strengthen the system of Regional Community Solution Centers (HB 2620 and SB 251). They referred to an executive order from 1968 in which Governor McCall ordered the state government to recognize 14 administrative regions which look remarkably like the regions now used for regional solutions. Both bills are expected to move out of committee.

Yamhill County Commissioner Kathy George led efforts during the interim bringing together local government partners to help improve the State Interoperability Executive Council (SIEC). The SIEC is tasked with developing policy for statewide wireless communications with an emphasis on public safety. Commissioner George chaired the SIEC's Partnership Committee. Additional county representatives on the SIEC include Bob Cozzie of Clackamas County 9-1-1 and Columbia Co. Sheriff Jeff Dickerson.

SB 665 was introduced on Thursday and will transfer the SIEC from the Department of Transportation to the state's Chief Information Officer in the Department of Administrative Services. The bill also updates the committee membership and allows the SIEC to oversee federal grants relating to public safety communications.

Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, and Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn, are chief co-sponsors of the bill, which is awaiting a committee assignment. Sen. Johnson and Rep. Parrish are also the legislative liaisons to the SIEC.