Item 5: Action: Discussion and Approval of Non-Unanimous IGR Positions

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SB 440 would allow any increased revenue to be used for any city services, not just the uses the curent tax is limited to. SB 0445 Relating Clause: Relating to bonds. Title: Authorizes issuance of bonds for transportation projects of statewide significance. Specifies sources of repayment. Sponsored by: Senator GEORGE, Representatives THATCHER, WINGARD URL:http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/sb0400.dir/sb0445.intro.pdf ContactRespondentDept Updated Priority Policy Poli Numb Recommendation Eric Jones Eric Jones PW-ADM 2/11/2009 Pri 3 Yes III. A1 Oppose Comments: The intended use of state highway funds in this bill is identical to those in SB 376: five highway projects in the Dundee-Salem corridor. In SB 445 the justification of expenditures is changed slightly to define these as projects of "statewide significance." Staff currently is recommending a "monitor" position on SB 376; however an oppose position may be more appropriate given the introduction of SB 445. Both bills, by definition, include no projects that benefit Eugene or Lane County. Therefore, this reviewer sees no reason to support either bill. Unlike SB 376, which, if approved, would likely compromise or eliminate the possibility of funding projects in Eugene and Lane County by sucking up lottery bonding authority, SB 445 introduces a fundamental inequity into the state's highway trust fund. Specifically, SB 445 would take 1 cent of the state's 24-cent gas tax to underwrite bonding to pay for these five projects. If this money comes "off the top" it will reduce the revenues available to the highway trust fund and the corresponding allocations to cities, including Eugene. Sen. George has gained support from Reps. Thatcher and Wingard on SB 445. While it is undertandable that these lawmakers, all of whom have constituents in the project areas, look to provide benefits in their home districts, the City of Eugene should vigorously oppose both the presumptive "earmarking" of general state revenues as well as any financing approach that would inequitably reduce the funding shared statewide by cities and counties. It should also be noted that the relating clause is extremely broad: "relating to bonds." Given the likelihood that this bill will be broadly opposed around the state, this reviewer recommends a position of priority 3 opposed, recognizing that if the bill should begin to advance it should opposed vigorously. ContactRespondentDept Updated Priority Policy Poli Numb Recommendation Larry Hill Larry Hill CS-FIN 2/11/2009 Pri 3 Yes III. A Oppose Comments: SB 445 would assign top priority for state funding from the State Highway Trust Fund to five specific highway projects in the northern Willamette Valley area. Funding for these projects would preceed any distribution of State Highway Trust Fund shares to cities and counties. SB 0446 Relating Clause: Relating to energy technology in public buildings. Title: Provides that public improvement contract for construction or certain reconstruction or major renovation of public building is considered to contain amount equal to at least 1.5 percent of total contract price for inclusion of certain types of energy technology. Provides exceptions. Sponsored by: Senator TELFER, Representative WHISNANT (at the request of Deschutes County) (at the request of Deschutes County) URL:http://www.leg.state.or.us/09reg/measpdf/sb0400.dir/sb0446.intro.pdf ContactRespondentDept Updated Priority Policy Poli Numb Recommendation Mike Penwell Mike Penwell CS-FAC 2/17/2009 Pri 2 No Support Comments: 11