PARTICIPATE IN RECOMMENDING BILLS TO VETO
Governor Kotek is inviting Oregonians to give input on specific bills or budget items she hasn’t yet acted on for a possible veto. One bill she says she has not made a commitment on is the measure that would allow Oregonians to pump their own gas. It’s one of more than 300 bills she said she’ll go through line by line, review all testimony and ultimately decide on.
We understand that governors will have a handful of bills that may be considered veto worthy to her agenda. That is expected, but for Kotek to ponder over 300 bills resonates as dictatorial. She is inviting Oregonians to send their input to her office within the next 30 days. Send suggestions HERE:
Bills to consider asking for a veto:
Most notably are HB 2002 and HB 2005, These two bills were the focus of the walkout.
HB 2002 – still allows minors to have an abortion or treatments for sex change with two doctors’ opinions without parent’s knowledge.
HB 2005 – makes criminals of law-abiding citizens that have homemade firearms, forcing them to get serial numbers, and does nothing to stop criminals who file off the serial number.
HB 2004 – Ranked Choice Voting is a ballot referral seeking to radically overhaul our electoral system at a time when many people have doubts about our election system and the Secretary of State’s office as a whole. With the hack on DMV, it creates a vulnerability to election registrations. It’s a confusing system that has little to no ability for checking.
SB 166 – explicitly guarantees electors the right to vote and the right to a secret ballot. The egregious part of this bill is the restriction on what can be released in public requests, limiting public organizations from checking for election fraud. Gives the Secretary more authority.
SB 1 – gives taxpayers the opportunity to voluntarily select up to three racial and ethnic identities on their state income tax form. That includes the collection of data on race, ethnicity, preferred spoken and written languages, disability status, sexual orientation and gender identity. The use of the data is to advance socialism by identifying revenue groups.
SB 1089 – creates the Universal Health Care Board to implement Ballot Measure 111 and make recommendations to the Legislature of how to roll out the first-in-the-nation universal health care plan, and how to generate the billions of dollars in tax revenues to pay for it. Measure 111 does not demand a Universal Health Care system the state pays for. It states: “It is the obligation of the state to ensure that every resident of Oregon has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right.”
HB 2278 – authorizes pharmacists to administer vaccines to persons six months of age or older (currently 7 years and older). There doesn’t appear to be anything in this bill that limits the administration of vaccines to influenza. There is worldwide controversy concerning vaccines including influenza and covid that shouldn’t be administered without the approval of a physician with medical history. Study shows flu vaccines can be associated with an increased long-term risk of diabetes in both rodents and humans.
HB 2279 – repeals residency requirement in Oregon Death with Dignity Act. Oregon is becoming a destination for death, a free abortion, and suicide prescription. Who wants to come visit a state torn apart by rioters, so we fill our hotels with death instead of cleaning up the state. Oregon is on life support. We have to quit taking on the problems of the world and do what is best for Oregonians.
HB 3320 requires hospitals to screen specified patients for presumptive eligibility for financial assistance if the patient is uninsured, is enrolled in the state medical assistance program, or owes the hospital more than $500. Hospitals currently have assistance available if requested, the mandate will increase the cost to hospitals that are already struggling.
HB 2572 – creates right of action for persons injured by paramilitary activity. Authorizes Attorney General to bring civil action for injunctive relief against paramilitary activity and authorizes use by Attorney General of investigative demands during investigation into paramilitary activity. Subjects gun owners that carry or those taking self-defense courses to investigations to be ruled out any time there is a disruption – rally or protest. Limits court to Marion County Circuit Court.
HB 2772 – defines and criminalizes domestic terrorism or violent extremism with intent to do damage. It gives everyone that carries one strike against them. Depending on which side you’re on, who the bill is aimed at could be Antifa or Proud Boys/1%ers. Being unclear is troubling.
SB 618 – establishes a procedure for charging aggravated versions of offense when a defendant commits felony while wearing body armor. That fact may be pleaded and proved at trial as an element in aggravation of the crime. Bullet proof vests aren’t really bullet proof that a criminal escapes, but they generally save lives. High speed calibers will travel through body armor. Body armor does not allow the criminal to escape. The majority of officers equate the feeling of being hit with body armor by a bullet with the feeling of being hit with a hammer.
HB 3409 – an omnibus climate bill that contains pieces of 15 different policy bills, states a goal of installing 500,000 electric heat pumps in Oregon homes or commercial buildings by 2030. Contains some frustrating components, including changes to the Global Warming Commission (now the Oregon Climate Action Commission), and some energy performance standards for new and existing buildings. Includes a campaign to hand out CFL coupons, in-store promotions, and consumer education. The measure appropriates $45,019,045 General Fund, increases Other Funds expenditure limitation by $16,515,163, and increases Federal Funds expenditure limitation by $125,081, and adds 30 new state positions that won’t help to reduce greenhouse emissions.
SB 611 – more rent control driving up rent prices. This bill had fierce opposition from House and Senate Republicans, developers, and even some Democratic members. Rent control does not work when there’s an existing housing shortage! Cities with the most rent control policies have the highest rents, and SB 611 will have that effect. Policies like this add to the housing scarcity by driving away developers, limiting new production, while existing landlords sell into the private market.
SJR 34 – establishes a commission to raise legislators’ pay, an Independent Public Service Compensation Commission, made up of human resources professionals to automatically raise wages as they see fit. Should a non-elected body have automatic authority to impact the General Fund and taxpayers?
SB 819 – new requirements restrict offering students with disabilities, or who may have disabilities, fewer hours of school than nondisabled students unless the parents provide consent, and could lead to loss of state school funds or action against superintendents by the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. The cost for DOE teams and staffing is $3,140,320 General Fund in the 2023-25 biennium. This does not include additional staffing and rooms for school districts. The policy could be implemented with flexibility to school districts without a network of DOE staff and the heavy price tag for DOE and school districts.
SB 85 – makes certain changes concerning water quality permits for confined animal feeding operations. The amended bill mainly targets Oregon’s “stock water exemption” in drought-stricken areas of the state. Though it will create an uncertain “patchwork” across the state in citing these farm operations, making it difficult for farmers to buy property with any confidence they can pursue a CAFO operation, the main harm inflicted by SB 85 will be on ranches in eastern and southern Oregon, and higher prices at the grocery stores.
HB 2757 – provides funding for improving and maintaining the 9-8-8 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis hotline. The cell phone tax created consists of 40¢ per line per month, generating approximately $27.4 million per year or $32.9 million for the 2023-25 biennium. Considering testimony stated that only $5 million is needed to fully fund the 9-8-8 system, this bill is a gross overtax. It was also pointed out that the system was listed on the agency budget – are we double funding? It joins Washington as being the highest in the nation.
HB 3229 – authorizes Environmental Quality Commission to annually adjust federal operating permit program fees, air contaminant reporting fees and asbestos abatement program fees by no more than three percent. Giving authority to adjust fees 3% gives them an excuse to find a need to raise the fees.
SB 5506 – known as the “Christmas Tree” bill because it is an omnibus bill to allocate funds for many individual district projects and other end of session appropriations. This legislation has many line-items that are subject to being removed. Suggest a strike on those that seem wasteful.
Date: 2023-07-01 04:46
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