Health Care and Seniors

House Republicans will work to make health care coverage more affordable and accessible. We support marketplace reforms directed at giving Oregonians, especially the uninsured, the ability to get the insurance they need with greater choice at lower cost. House Republicans will also work to protect programs that are important to Oregon’s senior citizens.

• House Republicans have voted to make prescription drugs more affordable by expanding access to the Oregon Prescription Drug Program.
• House Republicans support providing tax incentives to help individuals and small businesses to purchase health insurance coverage.
• Health insurance mandates are a major cost-driver in Oregon. That’s why House Republicans support a marketplace reform to allow Oregonians to purchase affordable, high deductible policies. Under current law, these policies are not available to people in our state.
• House Republicans will reduce health care costs by introducing legislation to reduce overhead and achieve efficiencies in the system. Solutions include a public-private partnership using technology to consolidate claims processing, eligibility determinations, authorizations, and more.
• We support legislation requiring the Public Employee Benefits Board to provide a high-deductible Health Savings Account Plan. This will save taxpayer dollars, and allow the state to redirect resources to serve the uninsured.
• House Republicans will continue fighting to protect Oregon Project Independence, the program that allows seniors to receive care in their own homes.

Economic Growth

House Republicans will work to respect industry, commerce and business, because they are the engines that keep Oregonians employed and sustain our economic vitality. We must encourage opportunity, efficiency and prosperity.

• In 2007, House Republicans voted to create Oregon’s first state savings account, otherwise known as the “Rainy Day Fund.” It was a key component off the Oregon Stability and Investment Plan we introduced early in the session.
• House Republicans support pro-growth tax reform and making our tax structure fairer to working families, senior citizens and small businesses. We support legislation to reform Oregon’s capital gains and inheritance taxes, both among the highest in the nation.
• House Republicans will work to reduce traffic congestion and improve Oregon’s transportation infrastructure to move people as well as goods and services. We will continue to introduce legislation prioritizing spending in order to fund our state’s most vital transportation projects.
• House Republicans support a business-friendly environment to spur job creation and economic development. During the 2007 session, we consistently opposed regulations and mandates that strangle small businesses in red tape, and policies that have created an imbalance in labor-management relations.

Accountability

House Republicans will work to prioritize spending and balance budgets within limits given, for every dollar in the state treasury is only available because of another individual’s hard work. Waste of taxpayers’ hard earned dollars is unacceptable.

• House Republicans support the creation of a Legislative Audit Office to hold state agencies accountable for their spending of our tax dollars.
• To increase accountability in our schools, House Republicans support requiring that at least 65 cents of every education dollar be spent on classroom instruction. In addition, we believe all school districts should be required to conduct regular performance audits.
• Throughout the 2007 session, House Republicans remained united against dozens of tax and fee increases. As a result, we protected millions of working Oregonians from having to send more of their hard-earned money to Salem.
• In 2005, House Republicans authored and passed more effective state campaign disclosure laws. Thanks to our efforts, Oregon has the third highest disclosure laws in the nation.

Public Safety

House Republicans will work to strengthen our criminal justice system, for it is the backbone of safe communities and our overall security. Citizens have the right to expect a safe place in which to raise their kids and build a life.

• House Republicans have led the way on strengthening the Oregon State Police; we’ll continue to push for dedicated funding that provides 24/7 coverage on Oregon’s highways.
• House Republicans will continue to introduce legislation to address illegal immigrations. We support strengthening Oregon’s drivers licenses and identification documents, protecting state services for legal residents, and requiring proof of citizenship for first-time voter registration.
• House Republicans support tougher sentences on career criminals who repeatedly victimize Oregonians through property crimes and identity theft.
• We’ll continue to crack down on sexual predators, including those who use the Internet to target Oregon’s children.
• House Republicans will continue to support additional safeguards and services for victims of domestic violence.

Education

House Republicans will work to give our children the tools and skills needed to be successful, for they will always be the future of Oregon. Education must be funded responsibly so that dollars are kept in the classroom.

• In 2007, House Republicans pushed for education reform, and succeeded in abolishing the wasteful and unnecessary CIM/CAM program.
• We support expanding access to Oregon’s universities, and supporting our 17 community colleges to increase educational opportunities and to develop a trained workforce.
• House Republicans believe that accountability should be tied to education funding. That’s why we support Chalkboard Project proposals to require independent performance audits of school district finances.
• House Republicans will continue to push legislation requiring that at least 65 cents of every education dollar be spent on classroom instruction.
• House Republicans believe the Legislature should fund schools early in the session and give school districts the opportunity to determine their funding before the fiscal year begins. We will continue to support legislation funding schools by the 81st day of session
• In addition to advocating for a strong and effective public school system, House Republicans support policies to improve options for alternative education