Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 2003)
T N A T O R DAVID..NELSON L E G I S L A T I V E E d u c a t io n REPORT 2 0 0 3 K & T echnology K-12: ACCOUNTABILITY & FUNDING The 2001 legislatively adopted budget for the State School Fund and other K-12 grants totaled $5.2 billion. However, declining revenue due to Oregon’s severe economic downturn resulted in efforts to reprioritize spending by shifting other funds to Oregon’s K-12 Educational system during the five special sessions. In preparing a budget for 2003-05, the legislature had the tough task of developing a K-12 budget for a full school year, one that would keep class sizes reasonable and that would recognize state and federal mandates on school districts with limited funds available. By using the Quality Education Model, accounting for efficiencies realized from PERS reform and a 15% rise in retirement, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education worked to craft an adequate budget, one that would meet the educational needs of students across Oregon and that is prudent and accountable to Oregon’s taxpayers in this economic climate. After negogiations, the K-12 budget adopted was $5.2 billion with an additional $ 100 million if the state’s economy improves. The Senate Education Committee made some policy changes in Oregon’s educational system. The committee noted education is the key to ending a cycle of poverty and building true family self-sufficiency. Under Oregon’s current welfare system, low-income parents have limited educational opportunities and are sometimes unable to pursue a post-secondary degree or certificate. Therefore, legislation this session creates a new option for families enrolled in the state’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). The program, allows them to pursue an education as an acceptable work related activity. Under the new law, parents are required to be accepted as a full-time students by an accredited two or four year degree program; seek their own grants and financial aid to cover tuition; maintain satisfactory academic progress; and meet the TANF eligibility requirements. The Advanced Technology Education &. Training Fund: This fund allows the Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development to make grants or loans to public-private partnerships for advanced technology education and training. The grants will provide training opportunities that will address current and future workforce development as dictated by Oregon’s rapidly changing economy. S enator N elson is W orking for Y ou . . . As your state Senator, I have provided the leadership, experience and expertise necessary to make sound policy and to address our state’s fiscal crisis, an economic downturn which created eight straight quarters of state revenue decline - without comparison since the 1930s. I have worked to ensure basic government services and responsibilities continue and Oregon is poised for economic recovery in our state and the nation. 1 have never forgotten who elected me in the first place and ensuring that Northeastern Oregon’s voice is heard is my primary C O N T A C T SENATO R NELSON commitment. My door is always open During the legislative interim in the and I stay in contact with citizens from my district. following ways: 1 am always interested in your concerns and ideas and stand ready to Phone: 541-278-2332; assist you whenever possible. I FAX: 541-278-1273; encourage you to contact me using the 1407 N.W. Horn Ave., Pendleton, information listed to the left. Oregon 97801 It has been an honor representing you in the legislature, and 1 look E-mail: sen.davidnelson@state.or.us forward to continuing my work for you. As always, 1 am open to your comments Web page: and suggestions. www.leg.state.or.us/nelson_david Thank you for your time and interest in the legislative process. An unprecedented legislative act sets up a process by which Community Colleges and Universities can expand the capacity of educational opportunities for registered nurses in order to meet the demands brought by critical Ribbon tying @ new EOU Science Building shortages of nurses in Oregon and nationwide. The process brings healthcare and education, as well as professional organizations together to identify and prioritize needs, write grants, search out and utilize all opportunities to fund nursing classes and programs, employ distance educational opportunities and to foster efficiencies across public-private lines and rural-urban borders. It encourages educational institutions to share instructors, simulation laboratories and technical expertise to increase access and education of nurses. Yet another legislative collaboration produced a two year extension of the Oregon Telecommunications Coordinating Council. Thanks to past legislative actions and investment by the private sector, Oregon has a telecommunications infrastructure that is second to none in the country. In particular, Oregon's rural communities are much better served than those in Britain received Community Health other states. Now our challenge is to Partnership's Genius Award for work with use our telecommunications advantage community mental health & rural to improve Oregon’s economic and telecommunications. educational opportunities. Council tasks for the next biennium include working with the Oregon Economic and Community Development Department, telecom providers, and local communities to obtain the economic and social benefits of our advanced telecom infrastructure, thereby: • Aggregating demand and stimulating increased use of beneficial applications • Stimulating collaboration among education and health care networks throughout the state to use existing networks more efficiently and effectively • For distance learning applications, forming partnerships with private sector telecommunications providers (public-private partnerships) to obtain federal grants or other funds to meet the remaining telecom infrastructure needs of the few Oregon communities that lack dequate reliable access to broadband services NATURAL RESOURCES & WATER N atural R esources and water bills did not enjoy the desired results during this legislative session. There were several reasons for failure to move bills through the process, most difficult of which was the 15-15 split in the Senate and Martha Pagel, Bob Levy & Senator Nelson Discuss thc resllltjng composition of SB 820 (Columbia River Water Bill) . r t t committees. Though many hours were spent in working groups, some important issues remain unresolved. T W O VALUABLE pieces o f legislation that were successful in moving through the process are industrial rezoning for old wood mill sites and a measure directing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to adopt long-term, healthy forest programs. A SENATE measure that would have established a reservation for unappropriated water from the Columbia River for multipurpose storage for future economic development stalled after hours of working group negotiations and passage out of the Senate. The legislation was of special interest to the Hermiston irrigators, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Hermiston Development Corporation, therefore with assistance of the Governor’s office, Water Resources Department and Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department work will continue on this issue during the Legislative Interim. F ighting TO keep the O SU Agricultural Research and Extension Programs intact was of major concern and a daunting task this session. At close of session, however, most of the programs and staff were preserved. 1 1111 ■ l.l II II.M
