Governor Calls-up Session — Pres. Courtney & Saxton react

By Jason Williams
In: Measure 37
Thursday April 6, 2006

Governor Kulongoski has called the Legislature into Special Session on April 20th with school funding and the Human Services Dept. shortfall on the agenda. Senate President Peter Courtney issued a press release urging the Governor to add passing Jessica’s Law (tougher sentenceing for child molesters) to the agenda. Courtney’s move comes with critics who blame his office for killing the Jessica’s Law bill in the Senate last year, and maybe only reviving it to stem a heroic petition drive led by Steve Doell of Crime Victims United. Many say the Jessica’s Law has become a shocking embrassment for the Democrats. Also the highly charged payday loans issue has surfaced as a possible issue. (Hey why not a spending limit why you guys are at it.)

SAXTON STATEMENT below from his press release: “The special session the Governor called today should never have been necessary.

The Legislature and the Governor should have passed Jessica’s Law during the regular session last spring, and the DHS budget hole is the result of poor oversight and mismanagement that should have been addressed by the Governor years ago.

The only reason the Governor is calling a special session now is because he failed to provide leadership when it really mattered and Oregonians are paying too high a price for it.

Oregon’s challenges will not be solved with a special session. They require fundamentally changing the way Oregon’s state government operates, whether we’re talking about schools or DHS.” (end quote)

Please comment:

Share