Issues
Mike Schaufler on Building a Better Oregon:
During my time in the Legislature, it has
been my goal to craft policies that will create an economic environment
that attracts and retains the type of investment in Oregon that creates
family-wage jobs. When we bring good jobs to this state, we generate
the revenue we need to educate, medicate and incarcerate without raising
anyone’s taxes. We can achieve an Oregon that is economically
and environmentally sustainable, and that benefits everybody.
A lot of politicians will tell you where
they stand on the issues. I’ll do better than that—on
this page, you’ll get a look at some of the bills that I have
worked on and supported and the kinds of positive changes for working
families that I have helped to enact.
Mike Schaufler
[ public
safety | veterans | government
accountability | business & economy
| labor & workers rights ]
[ health care | seniors
| education & youth | energy
& environment | consumer protection
]
Public
Safety
Mike
Schaufler is committed to keeping our families safe. He has consistently
fought in Salem to protect Oregon’s communities from the devastating
effects of methamphetamines, and been a consistent supporter of cracking
down on sexual predators.
During the 2007 session, Mike Schaufler
supported the plan that will put more than 100 new State Troopers
on Oregon highways (SB 5533). Mike was a co-sponsor of SB
400, the bill that returned the rights to fire fighters and
other safety personnel to bargain over safety issues in their contracts.
Mike supported a bill that toughened penalties for meth-related crimes
(SB 1052), and advocated for a bill that would have allowed each college
campus to add six “public safety officers” who would be
certified and trained by the state Department of Public Safety Standards
and Training and be allowed to carry firearms (HB 3318).
In 2005, Mike championed Jessica’s
Law, which toughened penalties on sex offenders. This past
session, Mike was a co-sponsor of legislation that cracked down on
sexual predators online and adults who furnish sexually explicit material
to children (HB 2843, HB 3515). Mike also did substantial work on
the new “fire safe cigarette” law that
requires all cigarettes sold in the state of Oregon to be self-extinguishing
(HB 2163).
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Veterans
Mike Schaufler believes in looking out
for the men and women who have served our country in the armed services.
During the 2007 session, Mike supported bills that improved services
for veterans and their families.
Legislation Mike helped pass as vice-chair
of the Veterans Affairs Committee: Increased the number of
National Guard members and military reservists who qualify for a property
tax exemption (HB 2023); Approved the development of a second
Oregon Veterans’ Home to provide long-term care for veterans
and their spouses (HB 3009); Improved the veterans’ recognition
license plate program and made it easier for veterans’ groups
to qualify for custom license plates (HB 3161); and made surviving
spouses eligible for the Veteran’s Emergency Financial Assistance
Program and for outreach services provided at the county level (HB
2157, 2162).
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Government
Accountability
Mike Schaufler knows that working families
have to live by a budget, and that voters expect the state to be fiscally
responsible with their tax dollars. Mike has returned money
from his legislative budget to the state every session that he has
served in the Legislature (more than $15,000 in his first two terms
alone), and he has supported reforms to make the government
more accountable to the voters.
Mike voted to create the Oregon
Rainy Day Fund, to stabilize funding for state services and
ensure that future recessions won’t mean drastic budget cuts
(HB 2707). Mike supported a bill that prohibits school districts from
giving “Golden Parachutes” to departing administrators
for work not performed (SB 384).
Mike believes in making sure that
tax dollars are spent wisely. In 2007, Mike supported an
increase of 12.5% in funding for the State Audits Division (HB 5042),
and voted for a bill that authorized the Department of Education to
create a system for auditing the business practices of school districts
and education service districts (HB 3141).
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Business
& Economy
As an owner of a successful small
business, Mike Schaufler knows the importance of putting Oregonians
to work. A big part of Building a Better Oregon is attracting
the kind of investment that creates family-wage jobs and allows our
economy to continue growing.
Mike sponsored the bill that created Oregon’s
first-of-its-kind “e-permitting” process (HB
2405). Under this new system, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical
contractors will be able to visit a “one-stop” website
to apply and pay for permits from various jurisdictions.
Mike was a strong supporter of the Connect
Oregon II program (HB 2278), which funds transportation projects
in five regions of the state to improve access to jobs and facilitate
economic activity across Oregon.
Mike supported two pieces of legislation
that make it easier for small businesses to provide health coverage
for their employees. The first (SB 362) expanded the list
of businesses that could participate in Oregon’s bulk prescription
drug purchasing program, while the second (HB 2002) helped businesses
offer lower-cost insurance and increased the number of businesses
that qualify as a “small employer.”
Mike was the chief sponsor of HB
3242, which raised the standard of practice in the commercial construction
industry. The bill made a number of changes to licensing
law, including: A new distinction between commercial and residential
license endorsements; Increased bonding requirements; Higher liability
insurance requirements; New experience requirements; New continuing
education standards; and new workers’ compensation requirements.
The changes emphasize the importance of qualified, experienced contractors
with a proven track record. The end result is more protection
for the contractor and for the property owner.
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Labor
& Workers Rights
Throughout
his three terms in Salem, Mike Schaufler has been a strong advocate
for working families. A long-time member of the Laborers union, Mike
supports the right of workers to organize unions and bargain collectively
for better wages and working conditions.
During the 2007 session, Mike was the chief
sponsor of the bill that made card-check organizing
the standard for public-sector workers in Oregon, streamlining what
had previously been a complicated and drawn-out process (HB 2891).
Mike helped pass legislation that clarified payment of prevailing
wage on certain public-private projects, when more than $750,000
of taxpayer money is being used (HB 2944).
Mike supported a bill that allows
workers to collect unemployment insurance if they are locked out by
their employer during a dispute with a multi-employer bargaining
unit (workers in single-employer units already had this right) (HB
3339). Mike was also the chief sponsor of legislation that would have
made it illegal for state funds to be used in a union organizing campaign,
and a bill that would have ended the practice of “forced-attendance”
anti-union meetings by employers (HB 2892, 2893). Unfortunately, these
two bills did not make it to the Governor’s desk.
Mike and his colleagues in the House passed
a landmark bill that would have established Oregon’s
first paid family leave program, allowing workers to take
time off for a personal illness or to care for a sick family member,
new child or dying loved one (HB 2575). The bill, which did not come
up for a vote in the Senate, used a penny-per-hour contribution from
eligible employees to provide $250 a week for up to six weeks of leave.
Oregon would have joined our neighbors California and Washington in
offering the program.
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Health
Care
Mike
Schaufler understands that health care costs are increasingly becoming
an unmanageable burden on working families. Mike believes that the
system needs to be reformed so that health care is more accessible
and more affordable for all Oregonians. By increasing
the focus on preventive care, we can improve medical coverage while
saving health care dollars that are currently being spent on costly
Emergency Room procedures.
The 2007 Oregon legislature took a big
step forward by passing SB 329, a bill that Mike supported. The Healthy
Oregon Act created a Health Trust Board to explore ways to improve
the health care system in Oregon. The Board will present a plan for
reform to the 2009 session of the legislature.
There are more than 600,000 Oregonians
who have no health insurance, including 117,000 children. Their only
access to health care is the emergency room—the most expensive
part of the system. Under legislation supported by Mike Schaufler,
voters in Oregon will have a chance to dramatically reduce the number
of uninsured kids in our state(SJR 4, SB 3). Measure 50, placed on
the ballot by the legislature, would place an 84.5 cent tax on tobacco
products. The money would go to fund health insurance for low-income
kids, school-based health care, and tobacco-use prevention programs.
Mike also supported legislation that opened
up Oregon’s bulk drug purchasing pool to any individual or group
that wants to join (SB 362), as well as a bill that will pool healthcare
costs of school employees across the state to contain rising health
care costs and put more money in the classroom (SB 426).
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Seniors
Mike
Schaufler has developed a reputation in the legislature as a strong
advocate for seniors. In 2007, Mike voted for the bill that
expanded the state’s bill payment assistance program for low
income residents (SB 461). Mike was also a supporter of legislation
that increased funding for nursing homes to hire additional qualified
staff and expanded support for seniors to maintain in-home care assistants
(SB 5549 sec. 21).
Mike has been a consistent advocate of
funding for Oregon Project Independence, and in 2007
Mike supported the bill that increased funding for services for seniors
and people with disabilities by more than 14% (HB 5031). The legislation
also ensured stable funding for Oregon Project Independence, which
helps keep senior citizens living independently in their own home.
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Education
& Youth
Mike Schaufler believes that a good education
is one of the most important things we can give to our children. The
2007 legislature made major reinvestments in K-12 education and in
higher education and community colleges. These funding increases
represent a renewed commitment to education in Oregon.
Mike supported a 17.7% boost in funding
for public schools, a major step forward in strengthening Oregon’s
K-12 education system (HB 5019, HB 5020). Mike also voted in favor
of the Community College budget, which was a 17% funding increase,
and the Oregon University System budget, which included money to support
increased enrollment while improving faculty retention and making
it easier to attract high-quality faculty (HB 5012, SB 5515).
The 2007 legislature also addressed issues
of financial aid for college students. Under a plan that Mike supported,
funds available for student aid through the Oregon Student
Assistance Commission were increased by more than 80%, and money was
made available to assist students with child care expenses.
In 2007, Mike Schaufler stood up for some
of our most vulnerable residents—Oregon children without a voice.
Together with Representative Wayne Krieger and Senators Kate Brown
and Jeff Kruse, Mike sponsored a package of eight bills to
improve and strengthen Oregon’s foster care system (SB 408-415).
Six of the bills passed, ensuring the return of fairness and justice
to foster care in the state.
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Energy
& Environment
Protecting Oregon’s environment and
traditional farmland is key to protecting the livability of our state.
During the 2007 session, Mike Schaufler supported legislation that
worked toward an economically and environmentally sustainable future
for Oregon.
Among others, Mike helped pass bills that:
increased the amount of money available for wetland conservation
and mitigation programs (HB 2106); Increased annual fees
for generators of hazardous waste (SB 103); Protected Oregon’s
waterways by requiring ship-breaking to be done only in dry-dock
(SB 432); Created a statewide “e-waste” recycling
program for electronic devices (HB 2626); Created tax credits
for production or purchase of bio-fuels for transportation
and home heating (HB 2210); Increased funding for counties
to maintain their parks (SB 29); Adopted energy efficiency
standards for certain appliances and electronics and prohibited
the sale of products not meeting the standard (SB 375); and placed
a moratorium on off-shore drilling for oil or natural gas
exploration (SB 790).
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Consumer
Protection
Mike Schaufler understands that businesses
need the freedom to grow and expand. However, Mike also believes in
protecting consumers from dangerous business practices, like short-term
loans with outrageous interest rates and gift cards that can end up
being worth less than face value.
Mike supported a package of legislation
that protected Oregon consumers from high-interest loans by setting
caps on payday and title loans and limiting fees (HB 2202, 2203, 2204).
Mike stood up for mobile home park
residents during the 2007 session. Mike was a chief sponsor
on the bill that enacted new protections for residents, including
cash payments if they are forced to move due to a park closure (HB
2735), and supported a new tax credit for those residents (HB 3201).
Mike was also a chief sponsor of the legislation
that dealt with unwanted automated phone calls (SB 863). Thanks to
that bill, “robo-call” companies can no longer
call consumers who are on the National Do Not Call Registry.
You can add your phone number to the registry by visiting www.donotcall.gov.
Identity theft has increasingly
become a concern, which is why Mike backed the Oregon Consumer
Identity Theft Protection Act (SB 583). The Act requires
notification of consumers if their personal information has been affected
by a security breach, and allows an individual to place a freeze on
their credit file. The Act also sets new security standards for businesses
and organizations that deal with sensitive personal information, to
help prevent future security breaches.
Ever had your car towed? Mike supported
legislation that cracked down on predatory towing practices
and established regulation of prices and procedures of towing
companies, bringing order to an industry that had previously been
unregulated by the state (SB 116, 431). This legislation ends
the practice of “patrol towing”, where property
owners defer decision-making to tow truck drivers working a commission
or bonus system. Among other reforms, the legislation also requires
tow truck drivers to provide written rate sheets, rather
than allowing drivers to make up rates on the spot or verbally demand
payment.
It used to be possible for retailers to
sell gift cards that lost value over time—or even expired and
ended up being worthless. Under a new law supported by Mike, it is
now illegal to sell a gift card with hidden fees or an expiration
date attached (HB 2513).
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