3/16/17 OPPOSE HB 3290: Relating to nonprofit online universities. Requires Higher Education Coordinating Commission to recognize and endorse online, competency-based education as important component of Oregon's system of higher education and to select regionally accredited nonprofit online baccalaureate degree granting institution of higher education to work with and to integrate programs and services of institution into Oregon's higher education policy and strategy.
Rationale: A dangerous bill that infringes on faculty rights and sets up a competency based degree program outside the existing university system.
3/16/17 OPPOSE HB3317: Relating to minimum wage. Effective January 1, 2018, repeals nonurban county minimum wage tier and replaces it with urban minimum wage tier for certain cities, increasing incrementally on annual basis through 2023.
Rationale: takes farmworkers out of minimum wage.
3/16/17 OPPOSE HJR 29: Proposing amendment to Oregon Constitution relating to budget bills. Proposes amendment to Oregon Constitution to require three-fifths majority of each house to pass budget bills.
Rationale: This will make it much, much harder to pass state budget bills.
3/16/17 OPPOSE SB 527: Relating to ability of districts to provide benefit plans that are outside the Oregon Educators Benefit Board. Authorizes common school district, union high school district or education service district that is self-insured or that has independent health insurance trust to provide or contract for employee benefit plan other than plan provided and administered by Oregon Educators Benefit Board.
Rationale: This would break up the OEBB purchasing pool and allow districts that could get a better deal to leave, raising costs for taxpayers as the OEBB costs go up.
3/16/17 OPPOSE SB 950: Relating to the authority of a local public employer to disallow mandatory union dues. Allows local public employer to enact right to work legislation. Public employers are not allowed to require employees to join a union or pay fees in lieu of dues. Unions are not required to represent non-members.
Rationale—this is designed to weaken or break public employee unions in the state.
3/16/17 OPPOSE HB 3013: Relating to assumed interest rates used by the Public Employees Retirement Board. Directs Public Employees Retirement Board to use lesser of assumed interest rate for system determined by board or assumed interest rate published by federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in formulating actuarial equivalency factor tables for purpose of computing payments to members of Public Employees Retirement System.
Rationale: this is another PERS bill that allows them to look for lower actuarial estimates in order to cut benefits. It also provides for court challenges to go straight to the Supreme Court.
3/16/17 OPPOSE HB 3130: Relating to public employee benefits. Modifies funding mechanism for public employees’ health care benefit to avoid excise tax under Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Requires local governments and school districts to participate in modified health care benefit plan. Permits public employees to redirect funds from health care premiums to other benefits. Dedicates portion of health care benefit costs to future health care costs and to critical services. Requires Public Employees’ Benefit Board and Oregon Educators Benefit Board to assist employees in selecting benefit options. Excludes collective bar- gaining for specified health insurance benefits. Prohibits Public Employees’ Benefit Board and Oregon Educators Benefit Board from self-insuring. Establishes Task Force on Flexible Benefits for Public Employees to monitor implementation of new benefit plans. Sunsets task force December 31, 2021
Rationale: This bill takes away our right to bargain on health benefits, puts an individual cap on what can be spent for health care, and forbids PEBB and OEBB from self-insuring. It will mean a cut in benefits and bargaining rights.
3/16/17 OPPOSE HB 2976: Relating to public employer’s disclosure of proposed collective bargaining agreements before signing. Requires public employer to publish proposed collective bargaining agreement and cost analysis before signing.
Rationale: makes it much harder to come to an agreement with employer without outside interference. Gives public and anti-union forces opportunity to intervene in the bargaining process before agreements are signed.
3/16/17 SUPPORT HB 2019: Requires Department of Revenue to submit to Legislative Revenue Officer information from Oregon tax returns about certain corporations doing business in Oregon. Requires Legislative Revenue Officer to make information available in public report. Specifies information that must be included in report. Requires initial submission by department of information not later than December 1, 2017, for 2015 tax year. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die.
-Corporate transparency bill that will give Oregonians insight into how much taxes businesses pay.
3/16/17 SUPPORT HB 2940: Directs Department of Revenue to make annual submission of information about certain C corporations subject to Oregon corporate excise tax to Legislative Revenue Officer. Directs Legislative Revenue Officer to make information available in public report. Takes effect on 91st day following adjournment sine die
-Corporate transparency bill that will give Oregonians insight into how much taxes businesses pay.