Legislative Leadership Preparing to Throw in the Towel
Governor Kate Brown, Senate President Peter Courtney, and Speaker Tina Kotek released the following statement on June 22nd:  "For the past several months, the Legislature has worked hard to balance the state's budget. There is now a clear path to rein in costs and protect vital services in this biennium. To protect access to health care and keep premiums lower, the Legislature has passed a package of bills that will save coverage for a million low-income Oregonians on the Oregon Health Plan. To reduce the cost of delivering state services, we have offered a plan to save nearly $1 billion in total funds through the Governor's executive actions and the bipartisan cost-containment strategies in Senate Bill (SB)1067  ... read more

Policy Updates
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that 36 local governments in Oregon are receiving a total of $19.7 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2017. The payments are Oregon's share of the record $464.6 million distributed to 1,900 local governments around the country this ... read more
There appears to be a few bills tracked by the Energy, Environment and Land Use (EELU) subcommittee that seem to be involved in the end of session negotiations. Here is a brief recap of some of those bills. Rural Economic Development Bills -  Two bills aimed at rural economic development are rumored ... read more
Oregon Health Authority Budget and Provider Tax Pass
Senate Bill (SB) 5026, the Oregon Health Authority budget bill, passed the Senate on June 21. The budget allocates $5 million in new funds for Public Health Modernization. However, there is a $3.6 million reduction to Public Health from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement fund. There is also an ... read more
Full Ways and Means Passes ODVA Budget 
The Full Ways and Means Committee passed HB 5039, which is the state agency budget for the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA). HB 5039 includes pass through dollars for County Veterans Service Officers (CVSO) that will double the current allocation from $4.35 million to $8.7 million ... read more

Transportation Update 
AOC, along with other lobbyists and legislators, have been waiting this week for release of the -4 amendments to  House Bill (HB) 2017, the transportation bill.  As of Thursday (6/22) the -4 amendments have not been released.  On Tuesday, we began to hear about discussions that were taking place to ... read more
News






For a complete list of news and information visit oregoncounties.org
Events
Oregon Coastal Caucus Economic Summit
July 26 | Portland, Oregon |  REGISTER

Veterans Benefit Expo
July 15 | Redmond, Oregon

One of the largest veteran resource events in the state will be held in central Oregon next month, when the Veteran Benefit Expo kicks off at 10:00 a.m. on July 15 at the ... read more
For a complete list of events visit 
NACo News
WEBINAR: A Conversation on the Future BLM Planning Process
June 30  |  REGISTER

On June 30 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern, counties will have an opportunity to learn about the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) planning process, and provide direct input to BLM staff about the planning process. This webinar will give county officials an early chance to tell agency officials what they would like to be included in the final planning guidance to be presented to the Secretary of the Interior this fall.
For more information on NACo news visit naco.org
Partner Spotlight
U.S. Communities offers many health and safety solutions including wearable body camera technologies, medical-surgical supplies, first aid and more. See what their suppliers have to offer.  Learn more about how U.S. Communities can help your county. 

The Last Word
Q: What type of bee can't make up its mind? A: A maybe.

As 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.