Close
X
Freedom Foundation

Get in touch

Freedom Foundation
Opt Out Today
  • Blogs
  • Staff
  • Donate
  • Join Us
  • Profiting from a Pandemic
  • Why We Fight
  • Cigars
  • SCOTUS Appeals
Freedom Foundation
Opt Out Today
Freedom Foundation

Contact Info

New Legislative Rule Takes A “Step In The Right Direction”

right-direction-FEATURED.jpg Labor Oregon
  • Anne Marie Gurney
  • February 2, 2016

Since 2012, Sen. Alan Olsen (R-Canby) has been proposing a bill that would require bill amendments to carry the name of a legislator because–believe it or not–many don’t.

It’s a common sense reform he has repeatedly asked for over the years.

Following a string of government corruption episodes that came to a head last year with the resignation of former-Gov. John Kitzhaber, Oregon legislators are feeling pressure to pass transparency, ethics and good-government reforms.

Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) ordered a legislative rule this week in hopes of alleviating some of the citizen outrage. Her new rule steals from Olson’s former bill proposals and requires sponsor’s names on bill amendments.

Sort of.

Her new rule provides just enough wiggle room that legislators can avoid putting their name on controversial amendments if they choose.

Olsen responded in a press release, noting, “This is a step in the right direction, but it doesn’t go far enough. This rule change still allows for mystery amendments and doesn’t hold legislators accountable for their work. The Oregon government has a transparency problem, and the Democrats continue to stand in the way of a permanent fix. Oregonians deserve better.”

In fact, the new rule actually goes too far. It still allows for a committee or an organization to be listed as the requester–and last time we checked, committees and organizations are not elected to make laws, only legislators are. So it stands to reason that a legislator’s name should appear as the one requesting an amendment.

Providing additional information would be fine, but a bill amendment should at least contain a legislator’s name as an absolute requirement.

Kotek wrote in her press release, “Each amendment will identify the requester – either a legislator, committee, individual, organization, local government or state agency.”

Olsen has reason to feel slighted. His bill is clean and simple. It reads, “Requires name of member or committee of Legislative Assembly requesting set of proposed amendments to legislative measure to be identified on proposed amendments.”

He sponsored this bill in 2012 (SB1572), 2013 (SB596), 2014 (SB1572), and 2015 (SB435). Even though each bill has had tremendous support from both parties, they have all been killed in committee.

Olson has sponsored the same bill again this session (SB1560).

Kotek has been crowing about how transparent the Legislature is, and is trying to prove it with a new rule that appears to solve the problem. But in reality, the new rule will give legislators adequate anonymity when needed.

  • Oregon

Recent Blogs

Union Politics, Dollars Upended the Ohio State House
January 26, 2023
Freedom Foundation Reaction to Washington State Supreme Court Hearing on Capital Gains Tax
January 26, 2023
Freedom Foundation calls out federal schemes to expose more workers to union pressure
January 20, 2023
NJ public employees refuse to take no for an answer
January 20, 2023
Unionize management? Washington state is considering it.
January 17, 2023

Press Articles

  • Jul 06 — RedState — Janus at 4: Landmark Labor Ruling Helped but Still Needs to be Enforced More Aggressively

    Read The Article

  • Jun 28 — Ineptocracy Chronicles — Teacher Unions Fund Left Wing Politics

    Read The Article

  • Jun 25 — The Hill — States Should Protect Caregivers' Medicaid Funds from Union Skims

    Read The Article

  • Jun 15 — Legal Newsline — Freedom Foundation: 'Education Union Spent More Money on Political Activities than Worker Representation'

    Read The Article

  • Jun 09 — Southern California Record — LA Superior Court Court Reporter Accuses Union of Forging Her Signature on Membership Card

    Read The Article

  • General Inquiries

    Info@FreedomFoundation.com

    Media Inquiries

    avarner@freedomfoundation.com

    Follow Us

             

    Contact Locations

    Washington:

    360-956-3482
    P.O. Box 552 Olympia,
    WA 98507

    Pennsylvania:

    484-747-6072
    P.O. Box 1069 Kennett Square,
    PA 19348

    California:

    949-954-8914
    1442 E Lincoln Ave #440 Orange,
    CA 92865

    Oregon:

    503-951-6208
    P.O. Box 18146 Salem,
    OR 97305

    Ohio:

    380-207-3901
    P.O. Box 14210 Cincinnati,
    OH 45250

    © 2021 Freedom Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
    Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 94-3136961