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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (March 7, 2019)
in other words march7 2019 3 Salem Report By Representative Brad Witt Secretary of State Den- nis Richardson lost his battle with cancer when he passed away at home surrounded by family and friends. I had the honor of working with Dennis as we served in the Legislature together. He was in- strumental in getting the final $4.5 mil- lion for the construction of the Vernonia Schools. A man of integrity, he never once tried to take credit for his actions to benefit the school children of Vernonia. As Secretary of State, Dennis brought many professional and personal gifts and experience to his office. He focused on transparency, accountability and integ- rity, with an uncompromising work ethic. A great colleague and friend, I will miss him. Recently I voted for House Bill 2010 to protect Oregon’s Medicaid ex- pansion because all Oregonians deserve health care. I supported this bill because it is critical for people to have decent af- fordable health care and it is an important issue for House District 31. More than 1.1 million Orego- nians are insured through the Oregon Health Plan or private insurance offered through the Oregon Marketplace. In Co- lumbia County 25% of our population receives health care coverage through these programs. The Medicaid expansion program enrolled an additional 4,315 res- idents in Columbia County who were not insured through these other programs; many of these people are receiving af- fordable health care for the first time in their lives. Revenue to fund this program comes from the federal government and an Oregon medical provider assessment, (or tax) on hospital net revenue. Oregon is one of 49 states that uses a provider assessment to fund its Medicaid program. HB 2010 was negotiated as part of a larger budget package for the Oregon Health Plan among a diverse group of stakeholders. I recently joined with my col- leagues to approve HB 2191 which ex- pands reasons for excused absences from school to include mental or behavioral health. This bill was supported by educa- tors, parents, and students alike, as they seek to affirm that mental illness is no different than physical illness, and this bill will offer support to the many stu- dents struggling with mental health chal- lenges in our communities. It is estimated that one in nine students struggle with emotional problems some time in their lives, and this would give those students a chance to deal with their issues away from school without being penalized with an unexcused school absence. HB 2191 was approved on a floor vote of 48-12 and now moves to the Senate for consid- eration. Oregonians supporting educa- tion took advantage of the Presidents’ Day school holiday to hold a March for Our Students on the Oregon State Capitol steps. More than 4,000 teachers, parents, and students participated and filled the halls of the Capitol. Funding for education is a pri- ority this session. Governor Brown has proposed increasing school spending by $2 billion in the 2019-21 biennium, which education advocates say is needed to reduce class sizes and increase staff- ing with nurses, librarians, and classroom aides to better meet student needs. I believe that equity in educa- tion is as important as education itself. Kids in rural Oregon should receive the same level of quality education as their counterparts do in urban and suburban Oregon. Students should receive the best education available so they are prepared for successful futures and fulfilling lives. The students of today truly are the leaders of tomorrow and we need to support their educational efforts. State lawmakers are continu- ing the discussion about Oregon’s housing issue. The lack of affordable housing has reached a crisis level and we are looking at various ways to ad- dress these concerns. As a result, I in- troduced HB 2285 to clarify the receiv- ership process relating to abandoned homes. HB 2285 recently received a Public Hearing in the House Committee on Judiciary. The bill would provide a tool for counties and cities to convert abandoned homes into affordable hous- ing. Habitat for Humanity, the Oregon Housing Alliance, and other housing advocates testified in support of this bill. The would help jurisdictions iden- tify homes that are vacant, abandoned and determined to be a threat to public health, safety, and welfare, to then as- sess liens on the property and begin a foreclosure procedure. The property could then be sold or donated to an af- fordable housing developer in order to create new housing opportunities for families or individuals with low and moderate incomes. To best represent House Dis- trict 31, I need to hear from you. If you are planning a trip to the State Capitol, let my office know a few days in advance so we can schedule an ap- pointment. My office is H-382, and it’s always good to visit with friends and neighbors from the district. If you have a concern or comment about a state agency or proposed legislation, you can write, phone, or email my office. Publisher and Managing Editor Scott Laird 503-367-0098 scott@vernoniasvoice.com Contributors Jack Kauppila Representative Brad Witt Photography Scott Laird Want to advertise? Have an article? Contact: scott@vernoniasvoice.com One year subscriptions (24 issues) $35 Vernonia’s Voice is published on the 1 st and 3 rd Thursday of each month. Vernonia’s Voice, LLC PO Box 55 Vernonia, OR 97064 503-367-0098 Email: Rep.BradWitt@oregonlegisla- ture.gov Phone: 503-986-1431 Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-382, Salem, OR, 97301 Website: http:// www.oregonlegislature.gov/witt Cedar Side Inn Full Dish Sports Package Big Screen, featuring Pac 12 games Taco Tuesday from opening until 4pm 3 hardshell or 1 softshell 54.25 Ladies’ Night every Thursday 6pm-close • Free Pool • Free WiFi • Specialty Pizzas iheck our Facebook page for daily specials and upcoming events 756 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503-429-5841 FULL SPORTS PACKAGE! Happy Hour Mon-Fri 4-7 “BIKER FRIENDLY” • Specialty hamburgers EVENTS • 8 Draft beers & mixed drinks • 5 Craft beers on tap • Pool tables & satelite TV Sat, March 23 Texas Hold ‘em • Free Wi-fi • Beer & Kegs to go Sun - Thurs 11 AM - Midnight • 733 Bridge St, Vernonia Fri - Sat 11 AM - 2:30 AM • 503-429-9999