Item 2C: Ratification of IGR Actions

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4. Approval of Legislative Policies Document Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to approve the Legislative Policies Document. The motion passed unanimously. 5. SAFTEA-LU Policies Discussion The Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations agreed to postpone This item was deferred. the discussion on this item until staff has completed discussions with the federal lobbyist and the federal priority partners about the reauthorization bill given that Mr. DeFazio will speak later in the week to the Oregon Transportation Committee on the reauthorization bill. 6. Oregonians for Working Families Ms. Wilson reported that the association Oregonians for Working Families planned to submit a concept to the State legislature to increase the State Earned Income Tax Credit supplement granted to low- and moderate-income families living at the poverty level. Twenty-four states, including Oregon, supplemented the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. However, Oregon’s credit was among the lowest of the states supplementing credits. Ms. Wilson said the association hoped to increase Oregon’s credit from 6 percent to 18 percent. She noted that the credit would benefit one in every eight Oregonians and provide recipients with an additional $485 annually. The association requested the City’s support. Ms. Ortiz, seconded by Mr. Poling, moved to endorse the increase in the State earned in- come Tax Credit. The motion passed unanimously, 3:0. 7. Field Burning Ms. Wilson reported on Governor Ted Kulongoski’s plan to propose a bill that would phase out field burning within three years. She recalled that Representative Paul Holvey introduced a bill in the last legislative session to ban field burning completely and noted that he planned to introduce another such bill in the upcoming session. Rep. Holvey had accepted an amendment to specifically exempt ecological burning in his last bill at the request of the City of Eugene but was unwilling to accept a similar amendment for the upcoming session’s bill due to concerns regarding how political the issue was. Rep. Holvey noted he had not been aware that the City took advantage of its ecological burning to provide its fire fighters with training in fighting wild lands fires. He had indicated he would have his bill drafted so as to not specifically exclude ecological field burning. Ms. Wilson requested committee direction in regard to the two bills she anticipated would be introduced. Responding to a question from Mr. Poling, Ms. Wilson confirmed that the governor’s phase out bill would probably include an exemption for ecological burning. Rep. Holvey would not specifically exclude ecological burns in his bill. Mr. Poling supported the governor’s phase out proposal with the guarantee Eugene had the governor’s MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental October 22, 2008 Page 2 Relations