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Good Jobs
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1
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SB 5-B
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Baseball Stadium Financing. This
bill authorizes the state to back bonds for construction of a major league
baseball stadium with income tax revenues from the salaries of players and
team executives – subject to agreement on an overall financing package
at the city level and a firm commitment from a major league baseball team to
locate in Portland. The Oregon AFL-CIO supported the bill on the condition
that the local financing package not divert revenues from schools or other
local government services. Conference Committee Report passed the Senate 16-11.
Passed the House 31-24. Signed by the Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
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2
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SB 899
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Made in Oregon License Plates. This
bill extends a “Made in Oregon” preference to manufacturers of
license plates. This preference should enable a Portland company and the Graphics
Communications union to regain a dozen family-wage jobs lost when the state’s
business went to a Canadian firm last year. Passed the Senate 28-2. Passed
the House 53-2. Signed by the Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
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3
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HB 2041-B
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Transportation Funding Package. This
bill will provide funding to repair Oregon’s broken bridges and rutted
roads from increased vehicle registration and license fees. It will create
and sustain 4,700 family-wage construction jobs in each of the next ten years
and accelerate economic recovery. Passed the Senate 23-4. Passed the House
45-10. Signed by the Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
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4
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HB 2299-C
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Prevailing Wage in Rural Enterprise
Zones. This bill would have allowed local jurisdictions to require payment
of prevailing wages on construction projects in rural enterprise zones in
order for a new business to receive a 4th and 5th year of tax abatements.
This section was later stripped from this bill in a Conference Committee.
Passed the Senate 20-8. Not counted in the House after it was amended to
delete the prevailing wage language. Signed by the Governor. Right vote:
Yes. |
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Right to Organize
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5
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SB 494-A
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Taxpayer Neutrality Act. This
bill prohibits the use of taxpayer funds to interfere with workers’ right
to choose a union. After the Senate passed this bill, the House Budget Committee
used it as a vehicle to “gut and stuff” an inferior farm worker
collective bargaining amendment on the last day of the 2003 legislative session.
Passed the Senate 17-13. In House Committee upon adjournment. Right vote:
Yes. |
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Taxes and Revenue
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6
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SB 362-A
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Tax Freedom for Venture Capitalists. This
bill would have exempted upper income executive managers of venture capitalist
firms from personal income taxes for up to 7 years if they invested in Oregon
businesses. Passed the Senate 21-6. At the Speaker’s Desk upon adjournment. Right
vote: No. |
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7
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HB 2186-B
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Disconnect from Federal Tax Code. This
bill temporarily suspended the state tax policy of automatically adopting federal
tax law changes (usually tax giveaways) in Oregon’s tax system. Passed
the Senate 17-12. Passed the House 41-16. Signed by the Governor. Right
vote: Yes. |
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Jobless Benefits
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8
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SB 2
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Unemployment Insurance (UI) Extension
#1. This bill restored a UI extension approved in 2002. It provides up
to 13 weeks of additional benefits for Oregon’s jobless families, not
to exceed $29 million. Passed the Senate 25-0. Passed the House 57-0. Signed
by the Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
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9
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SB 903-A
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Unemployment Insurance Extension #2. This
bill provided 7 weeks of additional benefits, 6.5 weeks of contingency benefits,
and continues benefits for dislocated workers in training programs. Passed
the Senate 27-0. Passed the House 54-0. Signed by the Governor. Right vote:
Yes. |
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Workers’ Rights
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10
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SB 40-A
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Redefines Workers As Independent
Contractors. This bill sought to exempt whole categories of workers from
unemployment insurance and workers’ comp benefits. Passed the Senate
21-9. In House Committee upon adjournment. Right vote: No. |
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PERS
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11
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HB 2003-A
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Rollback of PERS Benefits. This
bill cuts public employee pensions by as much as a third. It is now being challenged
in court as a violation of contractual retirement obligations. Passed the Senate
19-10. Passed the House 39-20. Right vote: No. |
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Initiative Reform
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12
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SB 102-A
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Curbs Ballot Title Shopping. This
bill would have established a more reasonable signature threshold for launching
the expensive and time-consuming process of providing final ballot titles for
prospective initiatives. Passed the Senate 20-10. Amended in the House and
at the Speaker’s Desk upon adjournment. Right vote: Yes. |
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13
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SB 678
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Requires Signature Gatherers
to Witness Signatures. This bill would have required petition circulators to
directly witness and certify the signatures they collect. Passed the Senate
28-2. In House Committee upon adjournment. Right vote: Yes. |
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14
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SB 706-A
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Prohibits “Writers” From
Filling in Petitions. This bill would have prohibited the use of third
parties to fill in the required information from petition signers. Passed
the Senate 27-2. In House Committee upon adjournment. Right vote: Yes. |
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Injured Workers
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15
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SB 757-A
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Increase Permanent Partial Disability
(PPD) Benefits. This bill increases PPD benefits based on the loss of
bodily functions and earnings capacity. It also provides future increases
in PPD benefits based on the average weekly wage in Oregon. Passed the Senate
29-0. Passed the House 57-0. Signed by the Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
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16
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SB 932
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Extends Workers’ Comp Claims
Filing Deadline. This bill allows Workers’ Comp claims to be filed
from 90 days to up to one year for “good cause.” Passed the Senate
24-0. Passed the House 52-0. Signed by the Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
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17
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HB 3669-A
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Authority of Nurse Practitioners. This
bill allows Nurse Practitioners to treat injured workers for up to 90 days.
This will give injured workers more options for treatment and reduce costs
for employers. Passed the Senate 27-0. Passed the House 58-1. Signed by the
Governor. Right vote: Yes. |
