Legislative Accomplishments

• Provided $6 Billion budget for K-12 schools, a significant achievement in light of the global recession.
• Cracked down on metal theft across Oregon by imposing new fines and penalties on metal thieves and improving our law enforcement officers’ ability to combat metal theft across Oregon.
• Expanded use of the College Savings Account.
• Created easier access to certificates and technical degrees in high demand occupations.
• Created the Campus Veterans’ Service Officer Program.
• Enhanced protections under Service members Civil Relief Act.
• Outlawed secret agreements between school districts and employees who abused students.
• Increased taxes on cancer-causing chewing tobacco and prohibited marketing of such products to youth.
• Created licensing requirements and standards for child care providers.
• Banned dangerous toy-like lighters.
• Passed the Jobs & Transportation Act, which allocates $300 million a year to improve and expand our state’s transportation infrastructure, and creating 4,600 new jobs each year.
• Passed Health Care Reform by expanding coverage to more than 115,000 kids and adults, and streamlining government health programs into one state agency, reducing the cost of emergency room use, and creating 3,600 new jobs each year.
• K-12 Capital Construction, which creates 15,000 jobs each year.
• Established unemployment benefits for economically distressed workers in training programs.
• Established Energy Efficiency loan program to encourage investments in energy conservation and create green jobs.
• Added stronger protections against risky mortgage transactions and expedited foreclosures.
• Protected against fraudulent lending practices.
• Strengthened regulations on for-profit debt collectors.
• Strengthened DUII laws and protected crime labs, youth facilities, and courts from budget cuts.
• Added 139 new State Troopers to ensure 24-7 coverage on Oregon’s roads.
• Set aside future additional revenue for the Rainy Day Fund to protect against future economic downturns.
• Set new requirements for performance audits of state agencies.