Rep. Sal Esquivel
The 2011 session was historic in many ways. This was the first time the Oregon House of Representatives was split between 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats. The session started with the inauguration of a third-term governor, another first. For all the early predictions of partisan gridlock, the 2011 session was one of the shortest in history. The Legislature passed hundreds of bills with bipartisan support, passed a balanced state budget, and even agreed on a new legislative redistricting plan for the next 10 years.
The 2011 session also represented a departure from the status quo. Unlike previous sessions, the Legislature worked hard to bring state spending under control. We did not raise taxes on Oregonians. State fee increases also were kept to a minimum as agencies were forced to justify their programs and finances. While this year did not bring the dramatic changes Oregon really needs, we helped put Oregon on the road to long-term fiscal and policy reform.
On education, we approved the 2011-13 K-12 budget in April, marking the first time in 14 years the Legislature passed school funding that early. Unlike previous sessions, when the K-12 budget was among the last to pass, we gave school districts increased certainty and more time to develop their own budgets for the next school year. This was also a good session for education reform. We eliminated dozens of unfunded state mandates and made progress toward supporting Oregon’s charter schools and giving parents and kids greater education choices.
Businesses and Oregon’s private sector fared much better in 2011 than in past sessions. During the 2007 and 2009 sessions, the Legislature passed billions of dollars in new tax and fee increases on businesses. Not only were we able to hold the line on taxes in 2011, we stopped dozens of anti-business mandates and regulations. The 2011 session offered many accomplishments for job-creation, including reforms that will help speed up the development of industrial projects throughout the state. Unfortunately, we were unable to provide relief from Oregon’s capital gains taxes that are among the highest in the nation.
I was proud to be a part of this Legislature’s most historic achievement. As a member of the House Redistricting Committee, I joined colleagues in traveling across the state to seek input from Oregonians on new legislative and redistricting boundaries. Redistricting is often described as the most partisan and political activity at the State Capitol. However, for the first time in 60 years, Republicans and Democrats agreed on a new legislative plan that was signed by the governor.
It took 60 years for the Legislature to agree on a plan and, at this rate, it will be 2071 before we do it again. Despite our agreement, Oregon still needs an independent, nonpartisan commission to draw future legislative and congressional plans. It’s time to take redistricting out of the hands of politicians and avoid political gerrymandering in the future.
This session did not end without some disappointments and some partisan bickering. However, as Oregon’s history is written, people will look to this session as a time when legislators and the governor worked together to tackle very difficult issues. We still have a lot of work to do to put Oregon back on the right track, yet citizens should be proud of this short and productive session.
