The Oregon House Republican Caucus made it clear to Governor Tina Kotek that they are ready to work in a bi-partisan way for the benefit of all Oregonians. Following the Governor’s inaugural ceremony, making her the 39th Governor of Oregon, the lawmakers addressed the deep partisan divide across the state in a letter.

“As exemplified by a trying campaign for both the Executive and Legislative branches, it is clear that the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans provides no benefit to the constituents that elected us,” said the House Republican Caucus. “The constituencies that our Caucus represent highlight the best that Oregon has to offer. Indeed, our Caucus provides valuable, real-world insight to a variety of policy debates, and by working together, we can solve the most pressing needs facing our State.”

The letter highlighted five urgent areas that both parties agree need urgent attention. The Oregon House Republicans said, “we agree that housing, homelessness, and a lack of economic opportunity continue to plague Oregon. Our goal is to expand housing opportunities by cutting regulatory red tape, promoting small business engagement and job growth, and working towards a sound, economically feasible solution to rising housing costs and affordability.”

Second, they identified the need for a responsible fiscal policy to help alleviate the rising costs that have far exceeded growth in wages. Oregon has experienced a year-over-year inflation rate of 8.1% and the Republican Caucus is committed to promoting proposals which reduce the overall economic burden on families, including a temporary reduction in income tax and a coinciding reduction in overall government spending. These incremental changes are a modest, simple way to provide everyday Oregonians with economic aid while larger, structural reforms can be debated by the Assembly.

Third, the caucus emphasized public safety through law enforcement and cease using them as pawns in political discourse. “While we are committed to developing policies which improve policing and community trust, we should also recognize that the men and women in law enforcement provide valuable and necessary protection and are selfless in their pursuit of serving their community.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Accentuating the Governor’s pre-inauguration tour of the state, they concur that all branches of government understand and appreciate that the laws enacted in Salem go far beyond the metropolitan areas. They write that “Oregon’s rural communities provide vital resources for our state and over-burdensome regulations negatively impact those who provide our state’s most critical commodities.”

Lastly, they called for agreement on policies which provide opportunity and government expenditures which benefit all, not just a chosen few. “To do so will require increased accountability to spending proposals and policymaking,” the Caucus said. “Oregon must position itself to allocate scarce resources and funding to the greatest benefit. This means continuing to monitor government waste and re-allocating monies for health care, education, agriculture, and housing.”

It is the Republican Caucus’ desire that policies empower parents to choose which school their children should attend irrespective of location or finances, reducing the regulation and opportunity cost for entrepreneurs to start businesses, and providing sound investment strategies to existing government programs to maximize efficiency and reliability.

The 2023 Legislative Session begins on Tuesday, January 17th.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-01-09 18:47:03

Last Update: 2023-01-10 12:03:09