Katie Fast, OSU Government Relations
Week 3 – February 21, 2020
This was a great week for OSU in Salem! On Tuesday, Senator Arnie Roblan invited President Ed Ray to be his guest on the Senate floor. Besides kind remarks by Senator Roblan, Senators Courtney, Hansell and Gelser all extended courtesies to President Ray and commented on his contributions to OSU and Oregon. You can find those clips here.
On Wednesday, both OSU Cascades students and Now 4 OSU Cascades were in Salem advocating for the Student Success Center. Efforts like these and Beaver Caucus’s advocacy elevate OSU’s capital funding requests. We have been getting good feedback about the presence of OSU’s advocacy efforts in Salem this session.
Negotiations around capital are currently on-going. We know OSU’s three projects (Cordley Hall, Arts & Education Complex and Cascades Student Success Center) are in the mix. The Capital Construction subcommittee received a presentation from HECC Director Ben Cannon last Friday, who implored the committee to fund university capital projects. The written testimony for the hearing included submissions from the Beaver Caucus, the Associated Students of Cascades Campus and the Oregon Student Association in support of OSU projects. Beyond a certain measure, we are not able to handicap the politics that drive the outcomes on capital construction. That is why the Beaver Caucus’s continued efforts are so important.
Next Monday, SB 1501, which allows collegiate athletes to earn compensation for their name, image and likeness, will be heard in the House Education Committee. OSU is neutral on the legislation. OSU gymnast Halli Briscoe will testify in Committee giving a student’s perspective on the bill. Other higher education policy priorities including student food/housing insecurity and transfer are awaiting action in the Ways & Means committee.
Thank you to the Beaver Caucus for all your work in this area. Let’s keep it up!
