The last two weeks have been hectic ones for your representative. I missed my 
column deadline last time because my father had bypass surgery that day. At 84 
he is robust and doing well, but it will be a while before he is back to climbing 
Mt. Pisgah three times a week. Life does not stop because of legislative session. 
It just gets busier. 

Special Session Six: We finally finished "special session six" to balance the 
current biennium. I’m sure you have read about it elsewhere. It turned out that 
my predictions were very close. We did borrow great gobs (half a billion) of money 
to get out. Every dime of that will have to be repaid with interest and will come 
out of future funding for schools, health care, and public safety for several biennia. 
Counties and cities are also big losers since some of the funds they get from the 
state are in quarantine until May against the possibility of further losses. I argued 
and voted for the counties and cities but lost.

Bond Downgrade: As a part of our fiscal crisis two rating agencies downgraded us. 
Whatever their grading system, they really said we used to be an "A" performer. 
Now they are not sure about a C minus. That means our interest charges will be 
higher and harder to pay off. Their big concerns are that our tax system is too 
volatile (it is) and that our kicker, which no one else has, will prevent us from 
building the reserves in good times that we will need in bad (it does). Will this 
lead to action by the House Revenue Committee? Stay tuned….

Budgets and Schools: Some estimates put next biennium’s school budget at about 
$4 billion, more than a billion less than was budgeted last time. If so, schools 
are in worse trouble than they seem, and that is bad enough. Several new ideas 
for funding schools and healthcare are floating around and even Republicans have 
gotten into the act, although not as much as they will have to if we are to keep 
our schools funded. I am part of a group working on a plan to fund education without 
raising tax rates. Some people with lots of loopholes now will pay a little more. 
That plan will be released about the time you read this. 

PERS: The Public Employee Retirement System reform is moving surely forward. We 
must be done with the actuarial bills before May 1 if the fixes are to lower employer 
rates for next year. Since counties, cities, and schools are among the payers, we 
must meet the May 1 deadline.

Open Source Software: My little bill to improve government efficiency by requiring 
agencies to consider using open source, open standard software created a stir in 
the national technical press for a few days and generated email from as far away 
as Norway. Most reviews are favorable. The state could save some money, improve 
the security of its data, and improve the odds that its various databases could 
be used together to help Oregonians do our business with the state faster and more 
effectively. The bill, HB 2892, is in the House General Government Committee and 
may have a hearing soon. Every little bit helps.

Now is the time when committee hearings become a premium. Bills can pass only if 
a committee chair is willing to hold a hearing and work session and send the bill 
to the floor. That takes a lot of time and cooperation. A few of my bills will make 
it. As is true with everyone, most won't.

I appreciate all the letters and emails you are sending to me. Keep it up. 

Rep. Phil Barnhart can be found at room H-477 at the Capitol on weekdays. Capitol 
phone: 503-986-1411, District phone: 541-484-5119, email: rep.philbarnhart@state.or.us, 
web site: www.PhilBarnhart.com. When contacting Phil include your address and phone 
number so that he can contact you.