Eastern Oregon lawmakers aim to get kicker back to taxpayers this year

The lawmakers say last year’s forecast and Gov. Tina Kotek’s proposed budget for the 2023-25 biennium will have Oregon families seeing an average of $5,200 each.

During the meeting, Knopp said dealing with the massive kicker which was above and beyond projections is one of the most important matters ahead for the Oregon Legislature this year, saying the goal is to return it to taxpayers.

“Because I trust you to spend your money more than your government, because you know your priority better than your government,” he said, noting that inflation and the increase to cost of living needs to be offset this year.

He further said that there are a lot of people proposing how to spend the surplus money and even one suggestion to get rid of it altogether and let politicians decide how they want to spend it.

“And that is a really bad idea,” he said.

Findley agrees that the money should go back to the taxpayer who paid and sooner rather than later.

While the kicker was being brought up by lawmakers, town hall attendees were also talking about it in the chat.

Peter Hall suggested putting the kicker in the bank to prevent tax increases later. Janet Komoto said that was a good idea since there is “too much administrative expense involved in returning money to taxpayers.”

Lawmakers also told town hall attendees about other priorities and concerns for the session.

Among Findley’s priorities are updating the “ever-aging” state tax which he says drives businesses to other states, and creating a natural resource tax exemption to “somehow keep family farms in the family business to allow the transfer of property from one family member to the next without going through probate"

Owens said his focuses are an exemption for board members of small schools from having to file SEI forms; how to implement and manage climate and energy bills while keeping “an eye that they don’t keep layering on more regulation and policy”; creating extra opportunities for wedding and small venues for small farms; and water, for which he says he feels over-appropriation remains the biggest threat.

Breese-Iverson said she filed less bills than some of her colleagues this year on purpose, as her goal is to help her colleagues get their respective bills moved and to do some bipartisan work.

“There is opportunity for conversation in this session to move this conversation forward and look for ways to collaborate with the other side of the aisle and get positive things for eastern Oregon and rural Oregon,” she said.

Noting that the eastern Oregon lawmakers’ constituents include farmers and ranchers, who produce more than 13% of the state’s gross domestic products, Breese-Iverson said “if we don’t pay attention to that tradition and what rural Oregon has been, we will lose it.”

She said there is a lot of conversation happening around housing and mental health, which all lawmakers agree needs to be addressed. However, she said when she talks to her constituents she hears that a lot of the money that is getting funneled to communities is staying in the metro area and “doesn’t come out to eastern Oregon,” which “needs to stop.”

She also pointed out how law enforcement and training for the eastern side of the state is another priority.

Knopp said his hope is that lawmakers will not pursue bills that fit into either Republican or Democrat ideology, but rather “the right idea, no matter the party it comes from.”

Near the end of closing comments, after much chatter from viewers over the Greater Idaho proposal to move a majority of eastern Oregon counties into Idaho, Findley finally addressed commenters.

He said that of the several counties in his district, most have suggested that county courts have discussions on where we should go with that.

“I feel strongly when and if the people want to move, I will support that. Right now, this is a work in progress.”

Saying he fully supported the citizenry and county having discussions, he also said he would not hinder or block those efforts.

“I fully encourage that to occur. I still hear from a lot of people that ‘I am not fully giving up on Oregon.’ And neither am I. I can speak for myself, we’re not giving up on Oregon.”

He and colleagues urged citizens to stay involved during the session by going to the capital in person or by attending virtual hearings.

Some of Findley’s bills are up for hearings on Tuesday. These include Senate Bill 70, relating to residential land use in the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region at 8 a.m.; Senate Bill 56, relating to exemption of health care receipts from the Corporate Activity Tax at 3 p.m. PT; SB61, relating to exemption of prescription drug sales at 3 p.m. PT; and SB63, relating to exemption of health care reimbursements from corporate activity tax at 3 p.m. PT.

Full information about the session is available on oregonlegislature.gov.