Area solons reflect on legislative session
From our weekly issue dated July 08, 2009
The final gavel of the 2009 Oregon legislative session fell at 9:45 p.m. on Monday, June 29, at which point lawmakers from throughout the state returned home from the capitol in Salem.
District 3 Rep. Ron Maurer (R-Grants Pass) characterizes the session as one in which the Democrats and their political allies dominated the agenda, especially since that party had a supermajority in the House and Senate.
“It was not a good session for working Oregonians,” said Maurer. “It was not a good session for business. But it was a great session for public employee unions.”
District 2 Sen. Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) also finds fault with many of the Legislature’s efforts. In particular, he said that new laws regulating fill removal, banning field burning and raising the state’s corporate tax from 6.6 to 7.9 percent for companies making more than $250,000 will ultimately hurt the average Oregonian.
“From the bigger perspective, this session was a disaster for the economy,” Atkinson said. “The gross receipts tax will not only keep the economy upside-down longer, but will chase what remaining businesses we have in Oregon out of the state.
“I think this session was also an attack on rural Oregon like I’ve never seen before.”
Maurer sat on the House Health Care Committee, which spent much time working on bills to establish the Oregon Health Authority. It is a new state agency tasked with overseeing health care in the state, and creating an insurance provider tax.
Although the insurance provider tax ultimately was approved by the committee and passed by the Legislature, Maurer opposed it every step of the way.
“All those costs will be passed on to the people who pay for it,” Maurer said. “Ultimately, it’s not going to end up reducing the cost of health care, and will be adding $300 million to the cost.”
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Despite being in the minority, Atkinson said that he managed to rack up some accomplishments. Those include stopping the passage of Senate Bill 740. It would have established a $100 fee for every water right permit in the state, including wells on rural land.
Governorship Run Eyed
The session was the first for Atkinson since being seriously injured by an accidental gunshot last summer. He related that the experience gave him a better appreciation for the importance of his legislative duties.
“On a personal level, it was the best session of my life,” he said. “I absolutely had a real recommitment to public service. I think to go from almost dead to serving again was a good thing.”
Atkinson is among several people being mentioned as possible gubernatorial candidates, as Gov. Kulongoski’s second term will end in 2011. As such, he is barred from seeking re-election.
Although Atkinson has not announced his candidacy, all indications are that he intends to run.
Doing so may present a challenge, as Democrats have held the governor’s seat in Oregon since Republican Vic Atiyeh left office in 1987. But Atkinson remains optimistic that Oregon voters may be willing to embrace Republican ideas after years of Democrat domination of the state’s political scene.
“I think there’s going to be a case to be made that it’s time for a change in Salem,” he said. “I think 2010 will be our year.”
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