Today, Commissioner Amanda Fritz is hosting a community forum on the state’s upcoming legislative agenda. The purpose of the meeting is to allow citizens to give their input regarding the city, state and federal legislative priorities for the upcoming year.
“The meeting is for people to come and say what they would like to see in the upcoming year,” Fritz said.
Today, Commissioner Amanda Fritz is hosting a community forum on the state’s upcoming legislative agenda. The purpose of the meeting is to allow citizens to give their input regarding the city, state and federal legislative priorities for the upcoming year.
“The meeting is for people to come and say what they would like to see in the upcoming year,” Fritz said.
The Oregon State Legislature meets for 160 days during odd-numbered years and 35 days during even-numbered years. Since the upcoming year is a short session, each representative is limited to two bills. Tim Crail, policy advisor for Fritz, explained that in short years the legislature typically focuses on housekeeping issues and budget concerns, avoiding major, issue-oriented bills that would require committees and hearings, saving those for the longer sessions.
Last year a group of citizens from Southwest Portland were concerned about liability on recreational trails that pass through undeveloped rights of way and private property. Trail construction had come to a halt because of a state law that made landowners liable if someone was injured on a trail passing through their property. The concerned citizens brought the issue up at last year’s community forum, and the city agreed to take the issue to the state legislature. House Bill 2865, which extends immunity to landowners who allow recreational trails to pass through their property, was passed with 54 votes to four.
Other examples of successful bills from last year’s session include tax credits for film and production companies, secondary and higher education funding, environmental clean-up at brownfields (sites where contamination is preventing use or development) in Portland, speed limits on bike boulevards and grants for improving energy efficiency in public school buildings. According to Crail, many of these bills are the result of the community engagement strategy adopted by Portland’s city government.
The agenda for this meeting includes a welcome from Mayor Sam Adams, an overview of the 2012 agenda from the legislature’s perspective presented by Representative Tina Kotek and an open discussion of key issues from the community. At the end of the meeting there will be a vote to determine the three top priorities for the city based on the concerns presented by citizens and city agencies.
Fritz said that “it would be great to have PSU students attend the meeting because they represent a population from which we typically don’t hear.”
