Final Sprint to Sine Die
When it became clear to the core legislative leadership that there is a balanced 2017-19 budget in hand, the race was on to the close of the 79th Legislative Assembly. With the hospital provider tax, several agency budget "hair cuts" ordered by Joint Ways & Means, and continuing positive news about revenue, the starting gun went off... read more
Policy Updates
Transportation Update
House Bill (HB) 2017-10 moved out of the Joint Committee on Transportation & Modernization (JCTPM) on Saturday, July 1.  Here are changes relating to counties:  The program duration is seven years.  The Maintenance & Preservation program is financed by a gradual increase in fuels tax and... read more
Grand Jury Recordation
For the past three sessions, with a history dating back to the 1980s, the Legislature has debated whether or not to record grand jury proceedings. This session, it appears the Legislature will come to a compromise about how to do so.  The Senate Committee on Judiciary introduced two bills for this session... read more
Community and Economic Development Update
We are entering the final week of the Legislative session!  After working a full Saturday the House adjourned till Wednesday, allowing members to head home for the holiday weekend.  The Senate, however, will reconvene on Monday morning. Oregon's Constitutional Sine Die is July 10. There are still a handful of major bills pending, include many of which are... read more
Housing Update
House Bill (HB) 2002 expands the definition of publicly supported housing, for the purpose of determining which housing requires notice to local governments and Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) prior to sale. This bill gives local governments and OHCS two years' notice before publicly... read more
Health and Human Services Update
House Bill (HB) 2310, the Public Health Modernization clean-up bill, passed out of both the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Human Services and the full Ways and Means Committee on June 29. The amended version of the bill has language that reflects the lower amount of funding available to... read more

Energy, Environment, and Land Use Update
In what looks to be the second to the last week in the legislative session, there was a great deal more clarity in the fates of the remaining bills tracked by the Energy, Environment and Land Use Steering Committee. Rural Economic Development Bills:  Two bills aimed at rural economic development... read more
News
US Capitol - Washington, DC
Oregon Senators, Representatives Introduce Bipartisan, Common-Sense Bill to Ensure Oregon Counties Can Use Emergency Response Funds
Oregon's Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Representatives Kurt Schrader (OR-5), Greg Walden (OR-2), and Peter DeFazio (OR-4), introduced legislation to... read more
Provide Input on Oregon Public Transportation Plan
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will conduct Oregon Public Transportation Plan (OPTP) outreach from May until September 2017. The OPTP will provide a vision and policy foundation to guide public transportation investment decisions by state, regional, and local agencies in Oregon... read more
For a complete list of news and information visit oregoncounties.org
Events
Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit
July 26 | Portland, Oregon | REGISTER

Oregon-China International Conference on Culture, Education, Investment, and Tourism
July 5-6 | Portland and Ashland, Oregon |  REGISTER

For a complete list of events visit oregoncounties.org
NACo News
House Natural Resources Committee Marks Up NACo Supported Forestry Bill
On Tuesday, June 27, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources marked up and favorably reported H.R. 2936, the Resilient Federal Forests Act, sponsored by Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR). NACo supports this legislation because it would allow the U.S. Forest Service to implement much-needed management changes to the National Forest System, and empower county governments through greater flexibility in their use of Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program Title III dollars... read more
For more information on NACo news visit naco.org
Partner Spotlight
Earn Up to Five Percent Cash Back on All Home Depot Purchases 
The Home Depot is proud to be an MRO and Paint supplier for U.S. Communities and we want to ensure you're taking full advantage of your benefits.  The Home Depot MRO and Paint & Paint Supplies contracts through U.S. Communities provides counties the opportunity to earn up to  five percent annual rebates  on all 2017 in-store and online purchases. 

Validate your account to ensure you get credit for your full year of purchases.
The Last Word
Q: Did you hear the one about the Liberty Bell? A: Yeah, it cracked me up!

Have a wonderful fourth of July! And, a s always, please feel free to submit your story ideas, announcements, recipes, events, photos and job changes to your  Oregon  Trails  staff for inclusion in the next riveting edition. 
 
Your  Oregon Trails staff,
 
Laura Cleland & Mckenzie Farrell
Association of  Oregon  Counties

Representing Oregon counties since 1906, the Association of Oregon Counties unites counties to advocate, communicate, and educate through information sharing and consensus development.