Read it all – many twists and turns. Obviously this has an OSU focus, but particularly towards the end it is filled with info relevant to UO etc.
A Review of the 2017 Legislative Session
With the adjournment of the 2017 legislative session last Friday afternoon, this issue provides a summary of the session, including:
- The big picture and a prognosis for the next year;
- How OSU’s legislative priorities fared;
- Other bills that captured our attention and time; and
- Acknowledgements for all the help we received over the last seven months.
The Big Picture
As described in previous updates, the legislature entered the session with a list of “mega issues” that demanded attention in order to balance the budget and address real problems facing Oregonians across the state. Over the course of the session the items on this list ebbed and flowed, but they generally included:
- Revenue reform (tax increases);
- Investments in transportation infrastructure;
- Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) reform;
- Health care reform, including a health provider tax and bolstering the state-financed health care system that was susceptible to changes at the federal level;
- Housing affordability; and
- Overall cost management/cost cutting for state agencies.