J." V f i p
The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, July 13, 1978 NINETEEN
Oregon legislators keep busy during interim
A lot of Oregonians still
believe the State Legislature
meets for six months every
two years and takes a long
rest between biennial ses
sions. Nnthinff rnnlH hA fntKor
from the truth.
Tt IS trilA that fnllmirinrr
adjournment our 90 state
Salem Scene
lawmakers return to their
homes from Salem and the
frantic pace that extends from
January into July of odd-numbered
years tends to slacken.
But make no mistake, your
by Jack Zinm enn.l.i
elected Senators and Repre
sentatives continue to work.
An example during the
current interim the word
used to describe the 18 months
between sessions might be
the Legislature's Joint In
terim Task Force on Small
Business. One of more than 18
study groups to examine
issues worthy of legislative
consideration by the 60th
Assembly when it convenes
next Jan. 9, this Task Force
spent 91 days earlier this year
looking into dilemmas facing
Oregon's smaller businesses.
Headed by Co-Chairmen
Sen. Mike Thorne (D-Pendle-ton)
and Rep. Ed Lindquist
(D-Milwaukie), the 12-mem-ber
Task Force quickly dis
covered it had a tiger by the
tail.
For instance, there are
more than 51,000 nonfarm
firms in Oregon and 89.5 per
cent employ 49 or fewer
workers providing employ
ment for more than 50 per cent
of the state's nonfarm work
force. It also discovered, after
surveying more than 8,000
businesses, that government
regulations, government pa
perwork and taxes are the
major causes of headaches
among members of the state's
small business community!
The Task Force didn't just
send questionnaires to busi
nesses however, it also con
ducted a series of hearings
throughout the state. These
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fact-finding meetings were
conducted in Portland, Eu
gene, North Bend, Newport,
Lincoln City, The Dalles,
Pendleton, Redmond, Canyon
ville and Medford. Additio
ally, the Task Force conduc
ted a joint meeting with the
Joint Standing Committee on
Trade & Economic Develop
ment in Portland and four
other meetings of its own in
Salem.
Essentially, the panel dis
covered testimony from more
than 80 individuals tended to
verify results of the survey.
The fact-finding hearings re
vealed additional complaints
and problems however, and
the Task Force concluded its
deliberations by issuing an
impressive list of 25 recom
mendations. Some are aimed at indivi
dual state agencies, some
have been delivered to the
Executive Department and
others provide ammunition
for continuing studies by
Trade & Economic Develop
ment. More than a few will
become legislative proposals
when the full legislature
convenes again.
Only a half-dozen topics
were discarded without re
commendations and most of
those because other legisla
tive or governmental activi
ties deal with them.
One of the discards how
ever, was part of the panel's
original assignment. That was
to determine a valid definition
for small business. Because of
the many criteria considered
when constituting precisely
what makes a business small
or large coupled with the
fact there is no consensus
among other governments
already utilizing small busi
ness definitions the Task
Force simply gave up.
Sixty-six per cent of busi
nesses responding to the
statewide survey expressed
the opinion a small business
was one with 100 employes or
less. But even that figure is
contested in view of the fact
nearly 90 per cent of all
Oregon nonfarm businesses
employ 49 or fewer workers.
In all, the Small Business
Task Force considered prob
lems ranging from the pre
viously mentioned regula
tions, paperwork and taxes to
consumer protection, environ
mental issues, organized labor
and land use planning.
It is interesting to note the
latter subject was considered
extensively by the Task Force
and it recommended the Land
Conservation & Development
Commission give its goal
involving the "Economy of the
State" LCDC's highest prior
ity. Other subjects resulting in
recommendations involve mi
nimum wages, capital forma
tion, an ombudsman for busi
ness, inventory tax, workers'
compensation, unemploy
ment, building permits, bad
checks, corporate taxes, in
spections and education for
small business people.
From a businessper son's
standpoint and the dozen
lawmakers who served on this
particular Task Force suffi
cient issues were studied to
pretty much occupy the next
Legislature for months.
When you consdier 17 other
Task Forces also have been
working and making recom
mendationsand another
half-dozen will conduct addi
tional studies yet this year
two facts emerge:
Our lawmakers are busy
between sessions. And the
next session won't set records
for brevity.
Afo4ersons
visited by
daughter
Mr. and Mrs. Ervin Ander
son enjoyed having Portland
guests, their daughter Dee
Martin and granddaughters
Suzanne Martin and Alison
Parent, in their Heppner home
over July 4th weekend. The
granddaughters went to lone
for the fireworks.
4 4 - -