Oregon's Legislative Session Week 10

It was an intense week at the Capitol as legislators balanced a full schedule of budget and policy bill hearings. The Ways and Means Co-Chairs released their preliminary Budget Framework and are planning to GO on the road soon to gather input on budget priorities from Oregonians in different areas of the state. Details are provided below.

Ways and Means Co-Chairs Budget Framework

This week, the Ways and Means Co-Chairs released their “Budget Framework”. This is the Co-Chairs’ starting point for what the Ways and Means Subcommittees will use to build the agency budgets. The Human Services Ways and Means Subcommittee creates the initial budget for DD Services and Healthcare. 

The Co-Chair framework only considers current revenue. It does not include revenue packages that may pass during session because they have not passed yet. A few things to consider about the Co-Chairs’ framework (you can find the details in the Framework document, linked above): 

• With the exception of the State School Fund, some programs have a 2.5% reduction from current service level funding in this Framework. Current Service Level funding is the amount of money it takes to continue the programs in the next biennium.
• Education budget: $9.9 billion for the State School Fund ($382.3 million increase above current service level). Current service level funding for the following: Early Learning Account, Statewide Education Initiatives Account, Student Investment Account, Oregon Opportunity Grant, and OHSU 30-30-30 program. 
• Human Services budget: Anticipated $268.4 million reduction from the current services level. However, the Framework does include current service level funding to continue the new DD services provider rate model at 100% of cost. 

The answer to reductions is new revenue. The Framework call for prioritizing additional revenue for further investments toward ensuring access to quality, affordable care. 

We do not have more specific details at this time. The Framework is just a starting point. Nothing is set in stone yet! Ways and Means Subcommittee members need to hear from you about why DD Services, Direct Support Professional wages, Case Management Funding, Family Networks and Healthier Oregon are important in your lives. 

Ways and Means Budget Road Show Town Hall Meetings

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means have announced a series of Town Hall Meetings across the state to hear from Oregonians about the state budget for 2023-25. This is a great opportunity to ask for their support of Developmental Disabilities Services!

What to expect if you go? Be prepared for large crowds so plan to arrive at least two hours, especially if you want to sign up to give testimony in-person. The sign-up sheet for testimony fills up quickly. The committee will not have enough time to hear from everyone but please come prepared with one to two minutes of remarks about the importance of DD Services funding.

Introduce yourself, the city you are from, why DD Services is important to in your life and/or your community and ask that they support DD Services as they make their funding decisions. 

Even if you don’t plan to give testimony, your presence at these events, wearing and/or waving something yellow in support of the DD Community will send the message to legislators that the DD Community is unified in its support of DD programs and services.

Use the links to access the event agendas where you will find links to register to testify:

• Saturday, April 8 (10am-12pm) Portland Community College, PAC Auditorium, Sylvania Campus 12000 SW 49th Avenue
• Friday, April 14 (5-7pm) Newport Performing Arts Center 777 W Olive Street
• Friday, April 21 (5-7pm) Umpqua Community College 1140 Umpqua College Road, Roseburg
• Friday, April 28 (5-7pm Mountain Time Zone) Four Rivers Cultural Center 676 SW 5th Avenue, Ontario, Oregon
• Wednesday, May 3 (5-7pm) Oregon State Capitol, Salem

Establish DSP Wage Standards

Finally resolve the DSP wage inequities by setting the average wage for Direct Support Professionals to 150% of the Portland Metro minimum wage and cover the cost of Paid Family Leave to stabilize this essential workforce and reduce turnover that places people with I/DD at higher risk. Long-term solution to a long-term issue.

Fully Fund DD Case Management

DD Case Management funding has not kept pace with increased workload and complexity of the work over the past several years. Full funding of the DD Workload Model and periodic administrative reviews are needed to ensure case managers who are a vital lifeline to Oregonians with I/DD are adequately compensated for their work.

Support Regional Family to Family Networks

Regional Family Networks support more than 13,500 families experiencing disability, many who have barriers accessing the formal developmental disability service system. Regional Family Networks work in partnership with thousands of other community-based organizations to reduce inequities for marginalized families.

Support Healthier Oregon

Provides access to DD Services for everyone who meets disability criteria for DD Services and Medicaid regardless of immigration status.

Register at https://creatingops.typeform.com/2023DDadvocacy

BILL TRACKING

This week the focus of the GO! Bulletin is on the Co-Chairs' Budget Framework and their scheduled budget road show hearings. For information on bills that we our monitoring, look for our weekly bill tracking report on our website and Facebook where we are also posting Spotlights on bills of interest to the DD Community. This week we will spotlight Senate Bill 571 that would require employers to offer contribution to ABLE Account instead of a retirement account.

If you are interested in specific bills or legislative topics, this video goes through each step to help you find where bills are in the legislative process and how to sign up for email alerts to get updates directly.

Visit the GO Project's You Tube Channel legislative advocacy videos created by our GO! Advocacy Team.