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Oregon Politics 101

Oregon Politics 101. Overview. DECISIONMAKERS Statewide Decisionmaking Bodies Balance of Power Local Decisionmaking Bodies TAXES & SCHOOL FUNDING Overall System State Taxes & Budget Local Taxes School Funding STAND FOR CHILDREN’S ROLE. DECISIONMAKERS. Statewide Decisionmakers.

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Oregon Politics 101

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  1. OregonPolitics101

  2. Overview • DECISIONMAKERS • Statewide Decisionmaking Bodies • Balance of Power • Local Decisionmaking Bodies • TAXES & SCHOOL FUNDING • Overall System • State Taxes & Budget • Local Taxes • School Funding • STAND FOR CHILDREN’S ROLE

  3. DECISIONMAKERS

  4. Statewide Decisionmakers • Executive Branch: Governor • 4 year terms, 2-term limits • Legislative Branch: Legislature • Part-time, Jan-June of odd-numbered years • “Citizen legislature” = low pay, other jobs • Senate = 30 members, 4-year terms • Senate President determines committees, assigns bills • House = 60 members, 2-year terms • Speaker of the House determines committees, assigns bills

  5. Balance of Power • Governor: Ted Kulingoski (D) • Term-limited out in Nov. 2010 • Senate • Democrats have a 3/5ths supermajority (18 Ds/12 Rs) • Senate President: Peter Courtney, Salem • House • Democrats have a majority (31 Ds/29 Rs) • Speaker of the House: Dave Hunt, Clackamas County

  6. Local Decisionmakers • Counties • 2-5 county commissioners • Set policy, carry out operations • Cities • Mayor & up to 10 city councilors who set policy • Most cities hire a city manager to carry out the daily operations of the city • Portland is a major exception – the city commissioners carry out operations

  7. School Districts • Elected School Board • Include 5, 7, or 9 volunteer school board members • 4-year terms, elected in May of odd-numbered years • Sets policy, hires superintendent • Superintendent • Carries out day-to-day operations of the school district • Hired & fired by the school board

  8. LOCAL CONTROL Oregon has a long, entrenched history of supporting “local control.” The Oregon School Boards Association, League of Oregon Cities, and others actively lobby the legislature for local control. Oregon does not have a statewide salary scale, teaching standards, or other tools that many states have in place.

  9. TAXES & SCHOOL FUNDING

  10. Oregon has two principal taxes: The income tax for stategeneral fund. Pays for: Education, Public Safety, and Health Care. The property tax for localgovernment

  11. Oregon’s Taxes are Fair, but… Everybody pays ~9% Oregon does not have a broad sales tax, but does have targeted sales taxes on gasoline, liquor, and other products

  12. Oregon’s overall taxes are among the lowest States Ranked by Total Taxes and Per Capita Per capita amounts are in dollars. Revised March 2006 37 Montana…..1,753.7138 38 Utah…..1,733.15 39 Louisiana…..1,717.61 40 Oregon…..1,699.55 http://www.census.gov/govs/statetax/04staxrank.html

  13. State Income Tax • The Individual Income Tax • Individuals pay 5%, 7%, or 9% rate depending on income • Individuals contribute ~95% of the state general fund • The Corporate Income Tax • Corporations pay 6.6% of their profit on good/services provided in Oregon • Many corporations pay only the $10 filing fee • Corporations contribute ~5% of the general fund

  14. The Income Tax is Volatile • Income Taxes are the most “volatile” tax – collections vary greatly depending on the economy. • Oregon’s “Kicker” law requires unanticipated money to go back to taxpayers – making us unable to save money for a “rainy day.” OREGON IS THE MOST RELIANT ON 1 SOURCE OF TAX MONEY THAN ANY OTHER STATE

  15. The Oregon Lottery The Lottery is the other main source of state general fund money • Lottery funds go to: • 65% Education & Economic Dev. • 17% Parks & Salmon • 18% Education Stability Fund (savings account for schools • Lottery collections were $650 million in 2006-07 (less than 10% of the general fund) Source: www.leg.state.or.us/comm/commsrvs/background_briefs2008/briefs/BudgetRevenue/LotteryRevenue.pdf

  16. State Budget Process*Biennial (2-year) budget process*

  17. Local Property Tax Property Taxes limited by 2 initiatives: • Measure 5 (1990): • Limited property taxes to $15 for every $1000 value of your home (e.g. home owner would pay maximum of $1500/year for $100,000 home) • Taxes based on “market value” of home • Set “base-rates” for property taxes that are lower than the $15/$1000 limit • Measure 50 (1997): • Created “assessed value” = market value of home in 1995, limited to 3% growth per year • Made taxes based on this lower “assessed value”

  18. What Property Taxes pay for Counties--19¢ • Health • Roads • Sheriffs • Corrections Cities--25¢ • Police • Fire • Sewers • Parks Special Districts --10¢ • Fire • Parks • Hospitals • Roads • Water • Libraries Education--46¢ • K-12 • Education Service Districts • Community Colleges Source: www.oregon.gov/DOR/PTD/property-dollars.shtml

  19. Where else can local government get money? Levies & Bonds are temporary, voter-approved property tax increases to help pay for local services • Levies pay for operating (day-to-day) expenses, like salaries • Bonds pay for capital costs, like buildings & equipment Levies & Bonds are capped by Measure 5 and can be difficult to pass

  20. School Funding: The Ideal • The Quality Education Model (QEM): • Defines a “quality school” • Reports each biennium how much $ the state should allocate to fully fund a “quality education” for Oregon’s children • Measure 1 (2000): “The Legislative Assembly shall appropriate in each biennium a sum of money sufficient to ensure that the state’s system of public education meets quality goals established by law, and publish a report that either demonstrates the appropriation is sufficient, or identifies the reasons for the insufficiency, its extent, and its impact on the ability of the state’s system of public education to meet those goals.”

  21. School Funding: The Reality • Currently funding 80% of the QEM • Oregon’s Elementary class sizes are the LARGEST in the nation • Oregon’s education spending has dropped faster than any other state but Florida – falling from 15th in 1990 to 30th in 2003 • Oregon school districts LOST a lawsuit to get the state to fully-fund the QEM

  22. How did we get here? Ballot Measure 5 shifted school funding FROM Local property taxes… TO State Income Tax Before After State Funding 25.5% HIGHLY VARIABLE 61.6% 66.8% Local Property Taxes 28.8% REASONABLY STABLE 1990 2003 Oregon Dept. of Education

  23. Income tax receipts: up in the 90’s, down in the 00’s Incomes in Oregon went up in the ‘90s as Measure 5 was phasing in. Higher income taxes made up for lower property taxes. Measure 50 further decreased prop. taxes Incomes dropped in 2001 Resulting in a delayed reaction to Measure 5 & 50. We now spend $548 less per student than we did in 1992.

  24. To make it even worse… • ? Explanation of Education cost drivers, like: • Salaries • Health Care • PERS • …

  25. STAND FOR CHILDREN’S ROLE

  26. 2005 School Funding Success Problem: 15 years of cuts to public schools resulted in large class sizes and lost programs. Stand’s Role: - Joined Coalition for “No More Cuts” - Held 3,000 person rally & lobby day - On-going lobby efforts (phone calls, e-mails, and meetings) Outcome: Stand for Children’s efforts helped stop $100 million in cuts to public schools.

  27. Oregonians agree that school funding is the state’s biggest issue. Still, they are divided whether the issue is that schools: a) don’t have enough money. b) are not using money efficiently. Many voters think BOTH are problems. WE HAVE TO TALK TO VOTERS TO PASS BONDS & LEVIES, ELECT CANDIDATES, AND STOP BAD BALLOT MEASURES

  28. 2007 School Funding Tactics The LEGISLATURE allocates 2/3 of school funding, so… • Members decided to work on Legislative races in the 2006 election cycle • Members got actively involved in 4 critical legislative races. Their work included: • Recruiting pro-school candidates • Endorsing pro-school candidates • Canvassing & phone-banking to talk to voters • Raising $ for a Political Action Committee (PAC) to pay for direct mail to voters

  29. 2007 School Funding All 4 candidates won, and we helped change the leadership in the Oregon House. • During the Legislative session, members held the new leadership accountable with continued lobbying. • Outcome: $500 million reinvestment in public schools – the first reinvestment in over 15 years.

  30. Other 2007 Successes Due to effective lobbying, coalition building, and grassroots action, Stand for Children also: • Won $5 million to provide Mentors for new teachers and principals • Passed legislation to allow school districts to institute a tax on new construction to pay for school facilities • Helped pass a law to remove the worst junk food from public schools

  31. What Next? Oregon law requires a 3/5 majority of legislators to vote to “raise revenue” Stand can help elect pro-schools legislators in 5 additional seats so we have 36-member “super-majority” in the Oregon House Needed education reforms are sometimes unpopular with existing lobby groups Stand can help pass important education reforms that aren’t happening without us

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