Oregon House Republicans Agenda for 2009

July 16, 2008

Oregon House Republicans

Building a Better Oregon
2009 AGENDA

IMPROVE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN OREGON
• Expand workforce development programs in Oregon high schools and community colleges.
• Increase Oregon's child tax credit, providing greater relief for working families.
• Update the state's income tax brackets for lower- and middle-class families to increase balance
and fairness.
• Move Oregon's top transportation projects forward and modernize the way the state identifies
transportation needs and prioritizes projects.
• Reduce Oregon's capital gains tax rate, among the nation’s highest, to boost investments in
Oregon's economy.

BRING ACCOUNTABILITY TO STATE GOVERNMENT
• Restructure Oregon's auditing process, allowing the legislature to better monitor the spending
and performance of state agencies.
• Launch a website allowing all Oregonians to track budgets and spending, bringing transparency to
the process.
• Enact real ethics form that includes a ban on all gifts and entertainment given to elected
officials.

IMPROVE OREGON’S EDUCATION SYSTEM
• Pass the K-12 budget within the first 81 days of session, making education the top priority in
the budget.
• Ensure our investments in kids are being well utilized through better assessments of best
practices and spending in Oregon's education system.
• Protect kids from abusive teachers; reform the Teachers Standards and Practices Commission.
• Enhance Oregon’s statewide professional development system for teachers.
• Remove red tape, expanding the ability of parents to seek alternative educational opportunities
for children including on-line charter schools.

EXPAND HEALTH CARE & PROTECT IN-HOME CARE FOR SENIORS
• Support the expansion and sustainability of school based health clinics so children can get the
care they need.
• Reform state mandates, giving uninsured Oregonians greater access to affordable coverage.
• Pass meaningful tort reform that would end abusive litigation and protect Oregonians' access to
health care.
• Fund Oregon Project Independence, allowing more seniors to receive care in their own homes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of senior programs offered by the state to ensure the needs of
Oregon's growing senior population will be met.

ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR COMMUNITIES
• Ensure the Oregon State Police has the funding necessary to protect Oregonians.
• Expand child protection laws to prohibit text messaging from sexual predators.
• Give local communities a say in the placement of criminally-insane individuals.
• Increase sentencing on metal thieves, protecting businesses and saving taxpayer dollars.

MANAGE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES
• Develop a comprehensive statewide energy policy for the 21st century.
• Put Oregon's forests back to work for sustainability, productivity, job creation and
environmental health.
• Establish a regionalized land use system that allows diverse areas of Oregon to manage their own
land.

Back to Oregon Press Releases