Senate Republicans refund more than $140,000 to state

Press release from the Senate Republicans:

Senate Republicans announced Tuesday that Republican members would be returning $146,549 to the state General Fund from their office budgets.

“Like Oregon families and employers, we need to cut overhead and reduce our budgets,” said Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli (R-John Day). “This is a way that we can live with less. We’ve managed our budgets in such a way that we can join with other Oregonians who are cutting back and save taxpayer money.”

The following Senators have already returned money to the General Fund:
Senator Fred Girod – $2,542
Senator Ted Ferrioli – $14,290
Senator Gary George – $25,235
Senator Larry George – $1,574
Senator Frank Morse – $24,050
Senator Jackie Winters – $7,858
Senate Republican Office – $21,000

The Senate Republican Office will also be returning an additional $50,000 in savings to the General Fund at the end of the biennium.

While the money is returned to the state’s General Fund, Ferrioli noted that it would be sufficient to fund a full-time teaching position or put a state trooper back on the road.

“Families are spending less than they used to because they are concerned about the economy,” said Ferrioli. “We will set the same priorities.”

Republicans have been advocating for a “slim down” philosophy of budgeting. They believe state government should prioritize what services are most important and then begin to reduce, find waste and cut out what is non-essential. State government faces a minimum $3 billion shortfall in the coming budget cycle, and government, like Oregon families, must learn to live with less.