House Republicans Announce 2016 Legislative Agenda

Oregon House Republicans

Priorities Include Education Reform, Tax Relief For Working Families And Government Accountability Measures

Salem, OR – House Republicans Monday outlined an agenda for the 2016 Legislative Session that will put more dollars in the pockets of working families, strengthen and encourage family choices in Oregon’s education system, increase oversight and transparency in state government, reduce red tape for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and provide a mechanism for clear and consistent measurements of carbon emissions.

In announcing the agenda, House Republicans made a commitment to Oregonians to pursue policies that will strengthen and grow the middle class and put Oregon back on the path to prosperity.

“House Republicans believe every Oregonian deserves an equal opportunity at success,” said House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte). “The agenda we’ve created will ease financial burdens on working Oregonians, help them achieve their educational and professional goals, and ensure that their state government operates in a more transparent and accountable manner. I look forward to these bills receiving hearings and passing the Legislature to help Oregon’s working families.”

Providing Tax Relief For Working Families

• Allow low- and middle-income Oregonians to keep more of the money they earn by reducing and modernizing Oregon’s lowest and middle income tax rates, some of the highest in the nation.
• Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit, putting more dollars in the pockets of working families by encouraging and rewarding their hard work.

Strengthening & Encouraging Family Choices In Our Education System

• Eliminate the sunset on Oregon’s open enrollment law so that parents have the opportunity to enroll their children at schools tailored to their specific needs.
• Establish the Student Loan Interest Tax Credit so that more Oregonians can afford higher education and reduce their financial burdens post-college.
• Invest in our best and brightest educators by implementing a merit pay system that rewards teachers for their successes in the classroom.

Promoting Good Government, Transparency & Accountability

• Reign in government bureaucracy by increasing legislative oversight of the agency rulemaking process.
• Promote transparency in government by requiring agency division directors and employees who report directly to an agency director to follow conflict of interest disclosure requirements.
• Authorize the Legislature to, when necessary, appoint independent counsel to conduct investigations of Executive Branch misconduct.

Cutting Red Tape For Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs

• Improve Oregon’s paid sick leave law and ease the administrative burden on small businesses, the agricultural industry, and community employers who are already providing paid sick leave.

Targeted Climate Policy: Transparency & Measurement

• Establish a clear and consistent approach to measuring emissions in Oregon and the impacts of carbon reductions programs, allowing Oregonians to see the costs and benefits of our environmental policies.