Democratic Leaders Announce Funding of Key Priorities

The budget revisions are broken down into three general areas – general fund dollars, reallocation of DHS funding and Bonding/Capital Construction.

Oregon State Capitol aerial shot by Tim King Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Legislative budget leaders announced Wednesday that February 2008 session budget revisions will include investments in additional state police, long-term care facilities for seniors and people with disabilities, increased services for at-risk children, water supply projects and the Big Look Task Force.

Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin and House Majority Leader Dave Hunt said the budget revisions – which will leave a $32 million ending fund balance – fund the key priorities identified in the Senate Democratic Agenda and the House Democratic Road Map.

"When we came into the session, we promised Oregonians we would be fiscally smart with their tax dollars and make wise investments in our communities. We accomplish that goal with these budget revisions and keep our promise to Oregon voters to make our state a better place to live and work," said House Majority Leader Dave Hunt.

"This budget focuses on the immediate needs of Oregon’s most vulnerable children and seniors, while planning for the long-term prosperity for all Oregonians," said Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin. "Our budget co-chairs have done a remarkable job in creating a plan to address the most pressing concerns of our state."

The budget revisions are broken down into three general areas – general fund dollars, reallocation of Department of Human Services funding and Bonding/Capital Construction.

Highlights of the items in the budget include:

§ Strengthening senior programs with an investment of $12.2 million for adult foster care, relative foster care, assisted living centers and stabilizing Oregon Project Independence;

§ Confronting the foster care crisis in Oregon by allocating $7.3 million for additional child welfare workers;

§ Developing a sufficient and sustainable water supply by providing $2.5 million for statewide grants and a recovery assessment of the Umatilla basin regional aquifer;

§ Authorizing 39 additional state troopers and investing $485,000 this biennium to move to 24/7 State Police coverage;

§ Protecting affordable housing with an investment of $2 million ($1 million in general fund, $1 million from the agency)

§ $6.6 million for the Oregon State Hospital;

§ $3.9 million for Measure 49 implementation;

§ $426,000 for Big Look Task Force Funding;

§ $1.6 million for debt restructuring at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry;

§ $500,000 to help local governments with disaster loans in situations like those recently experienced on the Oregon coast.