05/09/1977 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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-- and encouraged all Council members to attend. Ms. Smith noted a conflict with a Budget Committee meeting the same evening. Assistant Manager said if the Council members would notify Greg Page of their wishes to testify that some cooperative effort could be worked out between the hearing and the Budget Committee meeting. Com 5/4/77 Affirm B. Skinner Butte Petitions--Mr. Delay noted distribution to the Council of memos from the City Manager and Jim Saul, Planning Department, plus a petition from people in Skinner Butte area requesting City purchase of property there. He requested this item be placed on the agenda at the end of today's meeting. Com 5/4/77 Approve C. Legislative Subcommittee--Assistant Manager noted as a result of the meeting May 2, there was a split vote on two bills, House Bill 2471 and House Bill 2223. Ms. Betsy Merck, Human Rights Specialist, reviewed for Council House Bill 2471 which relates to domestic relation cases. She said that since no- fault divorce laws had become prevalent in many states, women and children were finding themselves in an inadequate economic position following a divorce. This bill would seek to create a more equitable economic solution of the property settlement child support, and alimony. She said it would require a judge to take into account the work a spouse had contributed to a marriage, even though that work might have been only within the home; a woman would get a higher property settlement or finan- cial settlement; and it would also allow the removal of a spouse from the home for physical abuse threatened, which now can be accomplished only if there are minor children in the household. She noted it would also require the court to take into account the cost of living increases as a factor in making property settlements. e Ms. Smith noted her interest in the reasons for the opposi- tion to this bill as she said it was of major concern to women who were homemakers allover the country. She said that she felt the position of a homemaker needed to be elevated and she was very much in support of the bill. . Margie Hendriksen, attorney who wrote the bill, noted this bill was a result partly of the action of the Oregon Women's Political Caucus. She noted the bill would also set up certain guidelines for support. In addition, other portions of the bill addressed the issues of the investment made by one person in the household to another's career, the allowance for payment of expert witnesses in a divorce case, the impact of inflation on support payments. She said generally the bill would provide certain economic protections for women which do not come out of no-fault divorce cases as they now exist. She noted another portion of the bill regarded that presently there are no com- munity laws for. property settlements, and sometimes this causes an undue tax burden on one or both parties. The bill would address the issue and equalize the contributions of both par- ties. She noted pleasure with the City's position and its support of the Women's Commission and the City Council's respon- siveness to women's needs in this community. 376 5/9/77--21