A18
News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Lawmakers advance special Transportation package
election to budget committee survives in committee,
By Claire Withycombe
Capital Bureau
The House rules commit-
tee on Saturday advanced a
bill that would create a Jan-
uary 2018 special election if
any legislation approved this
session gets referred to vot-
ers.
About one week before
the Legislature reaches its
deadline, a battle has devel-
oped over the special election
proposal. The controversy
has highlighted uncertainty
over how the state plans to
fund the Oregon Health Plan,
its version of Medicaid.
A January election next
year is expected to set the
state back about $3 million.
The issue likely faces further
debate at its next stop, the
Joint Committee on Ways and
Means, which hammers out
the state’s two-year budget.
Oregonians can petition to
refer successful, non-emer-
gency legislation to the bal-
lot. The referral typically gets
voted on in the next general
election, but the legislature
has the authority to hold spe-
cial elections.
Democrats fear recent-
ly-passed legislation that cre-
ates taxes and assessments on
healthcare providers, insurers
and coordinated care organi-
zations to pay for Medicaid
will get referred, and say that
a January election date allows
legislators to reconvene in the
February 2018 short session
to find a plan B for Medicaid
funding should the legislation
fail at the ballot.
State Rep. Julie Parrish,
R-Tualatin/West Linn, has
publicly acknowledged her
intentions to file a petition to
get the so-called provider tax
referred to voters.
The state is poised to raise
more than $600 million in the
next two years through the
provider tax and draw down
nearly $1.9 billion in federal
funding to help pay for the
Oregon Health Plan, Ore-
PROGRAM
Continued from Page A1
it’s a valuable service, so we
would rather dip into our
general operating instead of
cutting services.”
Bob Stewart of John Day
served in the Marine Corps
and describes the service as
“an absolute blessing.”
“They come here. They
pick me up. They take me
where I want to go,” Stewart
said. “Seeing as how I’m a
veteran, I can go to the doc-
tor, to home health, to any
kind of medical thing.”
The program is federal-
ly funded by annual grants
from the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs and admin-
istered by the state and part-
ner agencies. The program
helps veterans in 10 partici-
pating counties who often do
gon’s version of Medicaid.
Parrish contends that re-
scheduling the election less
than a month after the Christ-
mas holiday circumscribes
the public’s ability to weigh
in.
Oregonians vote by mail,
but Parrish argues that send-
ing out voters’ pamphlets
during the holiday season,
when the mail business is
typically busy and results in
delays, could disenfranchise
overseas and military voters.
House Democrats are con-
cerned a referral could result
in a funding shortfall in Med-
icaid, which approximately 1
million Oregonians receive.
Once petitioners get
enough signatures for a ref-
erendum, the legislation in
question goes on hold.
The provider tax bill in-
cludes a tax on insurance pre-
miums, for example, which
is poised go into effect Jan.
1, 2018. It wouldn’t take ef-
fect that date if petitioners are
successful in getting it on the
ballot.
If the ballot measure refer-
ral vote were held in Novem-
ber, even if voters approved
it, implementation would be
delayed by 11 months.
Democrats have also
charged that Parrish is per-
sonally invested in seeing the
provider tax fail at the ballot,
an issue that came up Satur-
day afternoon at a contentious
meeting of the House Com-
mittee on Rules, where the
amendment to the elections
legislation was adopted and
advanced.
A political action com-
mittee, or PAC, has already
formed to campaign for the
referral, according to State
Rep. Dan Rayfield, D-Cor-
vallis.
Oregonians Against More
Health Care Taxes has re-
ceived $10,000 in donations
from a single donor, accord-
ing to campaign finance re-
cords. On Wednesday, Ray-
field charged that a “longtime
business and political part-
ner” of Parrish’s, Lindsey
Berschauer. had established
the committee.
Parrish says that while she
and Berschauer are friends
and “work together on is-
sues,” they do not have a le-
gal business partnership or
other entity together. Parrish
has worked on previous polit-
ical campaigns, including the
2016 campaign for Secretary
of State Dennis Richardson, a
Republican.
Rayfield contended during
Saturday’s hearing that Par-
rish stood to profit from a bal-
lot referral.
“When you come here to-
day, the real question I want
to ask you is, are you coming
here as a consultant, or are
you here as a legislator, and
do you intend to profit off of
this referendum?” Rayfield
asked Parrish during her testi-
mony Saturday afternoon.
Parrish shot back that
Democratic members of
the committee had received
money from unions and spe-
cial interests with a stake
in the provider tax legisla-
tion — such as State Rep.
Rob Nosse, D-Portland, who
works for the Oregon Nurses
Association, Parrish said, and
has received campaign dona-
tions from the association.
“Collectively,”
Parrish
said, addressing the five
Democrats, “You all have
taken $1 million.”
The amended bill would
also create a bipartisan legis-
lative committee to write bal-
lot titles; members of the ma-
jority party would outnumber
the number of members from
the minority party, and the
provision has been decried by
Republicans.
But that provision of the
bill has drummed up oppo-
sition from those outside the
GOP as well.
Daniel Meek, of the Ore-
gon Progressive Party, criti-
cized the proposal in written
testimony earlier this week.
not have adequate access to
medical care in their commu-
nities. Each of Oregon’s 10
highly rural counties can re-
ceive up to $50,000 a year. A
highly rural county is classi-
fied as having less than sev-
en residents per square mile.
The 10 in the state are Baker,
Gilliam, Grant, Lake, Har-
ney, Malheur, Morrow, Sher-
man, Wallowa and Wheeler,
according to the Oregon De-
partment of Veteran Affairs.
Each county has received the
maximum funding allotment.
From October 2014 to
September 2016, a total of
529,199 miles were logged,
roughly half of the nation-
wide total reported by Ore-
gon and all the other states
participating in the VA-fund-
ed program.
Oregon’s drivers tracked
over 9,000 trips, spent over
20,000 hours on the road and
served 2,279 veterans during
that time.
“This program’s success
is directly due to the out-
standing management of
each county’s transportation
system and their ability to
creatively transport veter-
ans by partnering with other
transportation networks and
overcoming weather, dis-
tance and other adverse cir-
cumstances,” Mitch Sparks,
ODVA’s director of state-
wide veteran services, said.
To access the veteran pro-
gram through People Mover,
veterans will need to present
a DD214 showing honorable
discharge, a VA Medical
Benefit Card or Oregon driv-
er’s license showing veteran
status.
For more information,
contact the People Mover at
541-575-2370 or visit grant-
countypeoplemover.com.
Grant County Awarded Federal Funds under Phase 34 of
theEmergency Food and Shelter National Board Program
Grant County may receive an award from the Emergency Food and Shelter National
Board Program to supplement emergency food and shelter programs in the county.
Selections are made by a National Board that is charged by the Department of
Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and consists of
representatives from The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Council of Jewish
Federations, Catholic Charities USA, National Council of Churches of Christ USA,
and United Way of America. The Local Board is charged to distribute funds
appropriated by Congress to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in
high-need areas around the country.
The Local Board will determine how Grant County’s award is to be distributed among
emergency food and / or shelter programs run by local service agencies. The Local
Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive federal funds made
available through Phase 34.
Under the terms of the National Board award, local organizations chosen to receive
funds must be a private voluntary non-profit or unit of government eligible to receive
federal funds, with an accounting system and federal employer identification number.
Organizations must demonstrate the capability to deliver qualified emergency food and
/ or shelter programs. Private voluntary organizations must have a
voluntary board and practice non-discrimination. Qualifying
agencies are urged to apply.
Grant County has distributed Emergency Food and Shelter funds
previously to the Grant County Food Bank and the Prairie City
Baptist Church Food Bank. These agencies were responsible for
providing food to qualifying local citizens. Public or private
voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food
and Shelter Program funds under Phase 34 may request an
application by contacting 541-575-0059, Grant County Court
Office, 201 S. Humbolt Street, No. 280, Canyon City, OR
97820. Completed applications are due before 5:00 pm Friday,
July 21, 2017.
heads to House floor
By Dana Haynes
Capital Bureau
Rep. Caddy McKeown,
co-chair of the joint transpor-
tation committee, summed up
18 months of work, and a bill
of steep compromises, with
this: “We aimed for the sun and
landed on the moon.”
The Joint Committee on
Transportation Preservation
and Modernization on Saturday
passed the state’s transportation
bill on a 12-2 vote, sending
House Bill 2017 to the House
floor next week. It’s expected to
pass there and head to the Sen-
ate for a successful run, before
going to the Governor’s Office.
All this within days of the
end of a long and contentious
session.
The bill raises $5.3 billion
over a 10-year period through
increases in the gas tax, regis-
tration fees and new taxes on
payroll, new vehicle purchases
and bicycles priced more than
$200.
However, the new plan ex-
cludes several congestion-bust-
ing projects in the Portland area
that would have been funded
through a state-local match,
including projects to widen In-
terstate 205 from Stafford Road
to Oregon City and to replace
the Abernathy Bridge on I-205
between Oregon City and West
Linn.
The original bill also would
have raised the gas tax even
more in the Portland area to
raise funds for the metro con-
gestion projects.
Instead, the proposal directs
bates on the purchase of electric
vehicles.
• A $15 flat fee would be
charged on the purchase of new
adult bicycles with a price tag
of more than $200. The pro-
ceeds would go toward paying
for commuter bicycle and pe-
destrian paths.
• A 4-cent gas tax increase
that would be triggered in 2018,
with subsequent 2-cent hikes
every other year.
• A payroll tax of less than
0.1 percent, to raise money to
fund public transit.
A sticking point in negotia-
tions was Republicans’ request
for changes to state’s low-car-
bon fuels standard, which calls
for greenhouse gas emission
reductions by 2025. In the
agreement, the GOP won a cost
cap of $200 per subsidy for
efforts such as alternative fuel
production and electric vehi-
cles, a concession Republicans
wanted to control the cost of the
program. The deal also allows
temporary suspension of parts
of the program when there are
fuel shortages.
The bill also will see im-
provements of outer Powell
Boulevard — roughly from
Interstate 205 east. The street,
now owned and maintained
by the Oregon Department of
Transportation, will be handed
over to Portland for subsequent
maintenance and improve-
ments.
Conversely, Cornelius Pass
Road will revert to ODOT con-
trol under this bill.
Dana Haynes is a reporter
for Pamplin Media Group.
Pamplin Media Group
More than half of House Democrats have signed a letter that seems to threaten passage of
a transportation measure unless the Legislature raises more money for services.
House Democrats renew
call for more revenue
By Claire Withycombe
Capital Bureau
Sixteen House Democrats
appeared Saturday to threaten
a major transportation pack-
age with a renewed call for
tax reform addressed to the
Speaker of the House.
A group of 16 of 35 House
Democrats have written a let-
ter to Speaker of the House
Tina Kotek, D-Portland, say-
ing that while they supported
the “well-crafted transporta-
tion package,” “the package
alone is not enough.”
“In the final days of the
2017 session, we believe that
the legislature must focus on
the all-important task of iden-
tifying additional revenue to
support education and other
essential state services, ensure
government transparency and
reduce waste so we can pro-
tect critical services that the
most vulnerable Oregonians
can rely on,” the group wrote.
A legislative committee
had advanced the $5.3 billion
transportation package, the
result of a significant effort to
come to agreement between
Democrats and Republicans,
mere hours earlier. It’s ex-
pected to go to the floor of
the House of Representatives
next week.
Since the beginning of the
session in February, Dem-
ocrats had been advocating
for structural revenue reform,
aiming to shift the basis of
business taxes from income to
sales in search of what many
argued would be more, and
more consistent, revenue in
future budgets.
But after months of de-
bate that followed a divisive
ballot measure campaign, the
issue had appeared to come to
a stalemate. Although a last-
ditch effort to drum up near-
ly $200 million in additional
revenue by restructuring a tax
break for small business-own-
ers passed the House, it ap-
pears unlikely to make it to
the Senate for a vote.
Kotek said in a statement
late Saturday regarding the
letter: “At this point, I’m not
sure what this will mean for
the final vote on transporta-
tion.”
The transportation pack-
age raises $5.3 billion over
ten years through increases in
the gas tax, registration fees
and a new tax on payroll, new
vehicles and bicycles priced
more than $200. Because it
raises new revenue, it requires
a three-fifths majority vote in
both the Oregon House and
Senate.
Union groups had suggest-
ed earlier in the session that
they would withdraw support
for a transportation package
without revenue reform.
The letter was signed by
representatives Karin Pow-
er, of Milwaukie; Julie Fa-
hey, of Eugene; Rob Nosse,
of Portland; Pam Marsh, of
Ashland; Diego Hernandez,
of Portland; Chris Gorsek, of
Troutdale; Sheri Malstrom,
of Beaverton; Janelle By-
num, of Happy Valley; Tawna
Sanchez, of Portland; Mark
Meek, of Clackamas Coun-
ty; Carla Piluso, of Gresh-
am; Ken Helm, of Washing-
ton County; Teresa Alonso
Leon, of Woodburn; Janeen
Sollman, of Hillsboro; Mitch
Greenlick, of Portland; and
Brad Witt, of Clatskanie.
HOME SCHOOL PARENTS
Home school students are required by law to be tested by a qualified
neutral person following grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. [OAR581-021-0026 (5) (a)
(A)] However, students who participate in interscholastic activities are
required by OSAA rules to be tested every year and must score in the 23rd
percentile to be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities.
Grant ESD will offer assessment testing for home school students finishing
grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Cost $20.00 per student. Payment is due at the time
of testing. Register your student for assessment testing by calling Grant
ESD, 541-575-1349 on or before, July 17, 2017.
Testing Dates:
05862
the Oregon Transportation
Commission to establish a toll-
ing program on Interstate 205
and Interstate 5. The program
would be used to fund proj-
ects on I-205 and I-5 from the
Washington state line to where
the two interstates cross south
of Portland.
The bill survived a stress-
ful four-hour meeting on a rare
Saturday session, with Sen.
Betsy Johnson of Scappoose
getting into heated disputes in
the corridor at least twice.
Rep. Richard Vial of Schol-
ls — not a member of the com-
mittee but a longtime advocate
for transportation funding on
the county level — praised the
bill.
“As painful as it is, the pro-
cess works,” he said Saturday.
Legislative leaders and
Gov. Kate Brown negotiated
an agreement between Demo-
crats and Republicans to trim
the size of the package and to
place a cost cap on the state’s
low carbon fuels standard. Re-
publican opposition to the fu-
els standard is what scotched
another transportation deal in
2016.
This year’s deal was intend-
ed to win enough GOP votes
to reach the constitutionally
required three-fifths majority in
each chamber for raising taxes.
The deal includes:
• Reducing the gas tax in-
crease and an excise tax on the
sale of new vehicles, from 1
percent to 0.5 percent. About
$12 million of the revenue from
the proceeds of the vehicle ex-
cise tax would be used for re-
July 19, 2017 – 8:00am to 2:00pm
July 20, 2017 – 8:00am to 2:00pm
If you have any questions you may contact:
Robert Waltenburg or Jo Sproul
Grant County ESD
541-575-1349
05826