Katie Fast, OSU Government Relations
Week 5 – March 6, 2020
Yesterday, after Republicans announced they would return on Sunday to vote on budget bills, both the House and Senate leadership concluded that a day was not enough time to work all bills passed out of committee and through the chambers, and that Republicans would not be allowed to pick and choose which bills would be considered. Both chambers adjourned without intentions of returning before the constitutional sine die (end of session) on Sunday night.
Legislative leadership announced the Emergency Board will convene on Monday to address coronavirus response and flood recovery for Umatilla County. A special session to address budget bills and other agreed upon policy bills within the next 30 days has also been discussed. However, details have not been released. OSU and other public universities will be advocating for the bills that fund university projects be included for consideration.
Earlier this week, the Ways & Means Committee approved funding for the following OSU projects and programs:
- $34.5 million Arts & Education Complex (bonding)
- $12.9 million Cascades Student Success Center (general fund)
- $700,00 Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia research (general fund)
- $170,000 Mulloscan Broodstock research (general fund)
Thank you to all the Beaver Caucus members for their extraordinary advocacy this session. A great deal of progress was made due to your collective efforts, and we are not done yet.
