{"id":130,"date":"2018-03-08T23:05:15","date_gmt":"2018-03-08T23:05:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/?p=130"},"modified":"2018-11-30T00:11:41","modified_gmt":"2018-11-30T00:11:41","slug":"2018-session-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/2018\/03\/08\/2018-session-review\/","title":{"rendered":"2018 Session in Review"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2018 short session ended more than a week early when legislators called for <em>sine die<\/em> on March 3<sup>rd<\/sup>. This update provides information about:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How OSU\u2019s legislative priorities fared<\/li>\n<li>Bills of note<\/li>\n<li>What\u2019s ahead as we prepare for the 2019 session<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>OSU\u2019s Legislative Priorities<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>OSU entered the session seeking $39\u00a0million in bonding for a second academic building on the OSU-Cascades campus and $3\u00a0million to match a $35\u00a0million U.S. Department of Energy grant to establish a marine energy test bed off the coast of Oregon near Newport. With the help of a wide range of principals and advocates, the legislature approved funding for both.<\/p>\n<p><u>OSU-Cascades<\/u>: \u00a0OSU-Cascades was a team effort, beginning with Governor Kate Brown who, in December, sought funding for OSU-Cascades along with projects at the University of Oregon and Eastern Oregon University.<\/p>\n<p>Key legislators were also supportive, including Speaker Tina Kotek (D-North Portland), who expressed support early on in the session, and Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend), who has advocated for the campus beginning with its inception in the 2001 legislative session. Rep. Knopp was joined by his legislative colleagues from Central Oregon including Reps. Gene Whisnant (R-Sunriver), who participated on the Ways &amp; Means Committee and carried the capital funding bill on the floor; Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend), who sponsored the bill that sought funding for OSU-Cascades during the 2017 session; and Rep. Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte). Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) helped orchestrate a<span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/CommitteeMeetingDocument\/147148\"> letter signed by 35 legislators<\/a><\/span> in support of the OSU-Cascades expansion and the projects at UO and EOU. The Oregon Council of Presidents, which includes the presidents of all seven public universities, also supported the Governor\u2019s request in a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/CommitteeMeetingDocument\/147073\">letter to legislative leadership<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Now4 OSU-Cascades, a non-partisan organization of citizen supporters led by Amy Tykeson and Janie Teater, turned out advocates who made the six-hour round-trip multiple times to testify for a few minutes before the various legislative committees considering the project. In addition to Teater and Tykeson, key among the Central Oregon advocates were Katy Brooks, President of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, and OSU-Cascades students Gabby Bangert, Melanie Widmer, and Lynnea Fredrickson.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"http:\/\/thebeavercaucus.org\/\">The Beaver Caucus<\/a><\/span>, a non-partisan volunteer organization of OSU advocates, chaired by Bill Perry, also joined in support for the campus expansion during both the 2017 and 2018 legislative sessions. Advocates spent a productive day meeting with legislators prior to the 2018 session.<\/p>\n<p>The legislature also approved $9\u00a0million in lottery bonds for a field house at EOU, $20\u00a0million in general obligation bonds for the Knight Science Campus at UO, and $2.8\u00a0million in general obligation bonds to replace a boiler at Southern Oregon University.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the legislature adopted a budget note asking the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to take a stronger role in evaluating university capital projects:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The Higher Education Coordinating Commission is directed to report to the Emergency Board in May 2018 on the statewide criteria developed to evaluate and prioritize Public University capital requests that are proposed in the agency\u2019s request budget. The criteria and evaluation process should provide, at a minimum, comparable information across projects, objective analysis of each request, and prioritization of deferred maintenance activities.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>OSU plans to work with the Commission in the coming months as it responds to the legislative request and as it evaluates projects for the 2019-21 biennium.<\/p>\n<p><u>Wave Energy<\/u>: \u00a0Funding for the wave energy project was also a collaborative effort spurred by Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay). The Coastal Caucus, including Sens. Roblan, Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) and Reps. Deborah Boone (D-Cannon Beach), David Gomberg (D-Lincoln City), Caddie McKeown (D-Coos Bay), and David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford), joined together in support of this project. Debra Smith, general manager for the Central Lincoln People\u2019s Utility District and Lincoln County Commissioner Terry Thompson were also key supporters throughout our advocacy efforts. Legislators approved a budget note in the funding bill for the wave energy center calling for an additional $1.6\u00a0million in the 2019 session to complete the state match. OSU is working to raise an additional $4.6\u00a0million in industry and philanthropic support.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Bills of Note<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Here is a listing of a number of bills that were approved during the short session:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4089\/Enrolled\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">HB 4089<\/span><\/a> \u2013 Industrial Hemp:\u00a0 Enables OSU to conduct research on industrial hemp cultivation and utilization and establishes a hemp seed certification program through our College of Agriculture.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4141\/Enrolled\">HB 4141<\/a><\/span> \u2013 Tuition Setting:\u00a0 Requires each public university to establish an advisory body on resident tuition and mandatory enrollment fees. The advisory body must have at least two administrators, two faculty members, two students from the recognized student government, and two students representing historically underserved students of the university. The public universities worked hard to make this bill workable, with the understanding that there will be no bills changing the tuition-setting process in 2019.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4053\/Enrolled\">HB 4053<\/a><\/span> \u2013 Accelerated Credit Reporting:\u00a0 Directs the Chief Education Office, in collaboration with the HECC to prepare an annual report on accelerated college credit programs. The first report is due in December, 2018. The legislature did not appropriate any funding for the universities to complete this work. We anticipate credit transfer issues will persist during the interim and into the 2019 session.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/SB1563\/Enrolled\">SB 1563<\/a> <\/span>\u2013 Tuition Equity:\u00a0 Removes the requirement that students who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents apply for official federal identification documents to be eligible for exemption from paying nonresident tuition at public universities. This bill enables universities to provide institutional financial aid to DACA students.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HCR206\/Enrolled\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">HCR 206<\/span><\/a> \u2013 OSU 150:\u00a0 Congratulates Oregon State University on our 150<sup>th<\/sup> anniversary. Passed unanimously in both chambers!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4014\/Enrolled\">HB 4014<\/a> <\/span>\u2013 Tuition Waivers for Former Foster Youth Fix:\u00a0 Removes the requirement that foster children or former foster children complete a certain number of volunteer services hours during the previous academic year to qualify for tuition waivers.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4035\/Enrolled\">HB 4035<\/a> <\/span>\u2013 Tuition Assistance for Members of the National Guard:\u00a0 Establishes a tuition assistance program for qualified Oregon National Guard members qualified participants who maintain a GPA of at least 2.0 and are attending an Oregon community college or public university. The legislature allocated $2.5\u00a0million to the HECC for tuition assistance payments.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4056\/Enrolled\">HB 4056<\/a> <\/span>\u2013 Scholarships for Children of Deceased or Disabled Public Safety Officers:\u00a0 Designates 10 percent of forfeiture proceeds for a scholarship program for children of fallen or disabled public safety officers.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/SB1554\/Enrolled\">SB 1554<\/a><\/span> \u2013 Disregards 529 Accounts for Purposes of Financial Aid:\u00a0 Requires the HECC to conduct a study of the effects of excluding savings account balances on state and institutional financial aid programs (529 college savings plans) and submit a report to legislature by December 1, 2018.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/SB1557\/Enrolled\">SB 1557<\/a><\/span> \u2013 Protections for Students called to Duty for less than 30 Days:\u00a0 Requires community colleges, public universities, and Oregon Health and Science University to provide certain rights to students ordered to federal or state active duty for 30 or fewer consecutive days.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/SB1507\/A-Engrossed\">SB 1507<\/a> <\/span>and <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\"><a href=\"https:\/\/olis.leg.state.or.us\/liz\/2018R1\/Downloads\/MeasureDocument\/HB4001\/Introduced\">HB 4001<\/a><\/span> \u2013\u00a0Carbon Cap &amp; Invest: These high profile bills to establish a state carbon \u201ccap &amp; invest\u201d system made it through the committees on party line votes and died after referral to the Rules Committees in each chamber. In the final spending bill, however, the legislature appropriated $1.4\u00a0million to create a Carbon Policy Office in the Department of Administrative Services.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Looking Toward 2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>During the short session, public universities sought to inform legislators about our continuing budget challenges as we approach the 2019-21 biennium. We will need at least a $130\u00a0million increase over our current $736.8\u00a0million appropriation to keep from having to raise tuition by more than 5%. This amount will not provide for any programmatic increases. And this amount will continue to require students to pay for many of our cost-drivers, such as the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) and employee health benefits.<\/p>\n<p><u>Candidate filings<\/u>:\u00a0 March 6<sup>th<\/sup> also marked the passage of the deadline for filing for election for the May\u00a015th primary election. In our next update, we will provide a rundown of a number of the changes we may see in the membership of the two legislative chambers in 2019. In the House, seven current representatives (12% of the membership) have chosen to retire and will not be running this year. An additional five members appointed to their seats over the last year will be running for the first time. The Senate will include at least two new members (7% of the membership) due to a resignation and a retirement. An additional three current members appointed to the Senate over the last year will be running for the first time as Senators in the 2018 election.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2018 short session ended more than a week early when legislators called for sine die on March 3rd. This update provides information about: How OSU\u2019s legislative priorities fared Bills of note What\u2019s ahead as we prepare for the 2019 session<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8748,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1133253,779852],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-130","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2018-state-session","category-state-relations"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8748"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":198,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130\/revisions\/198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/government\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}