Legislative Accomplishments
Highlights of Senator Walker's Work on
Issues Important to all Oregonians
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Children and Families Consumer Issues Creating Jobs Education Environment |
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Health Care Open Government Public Safety Tax Reform 2005 Session Bill Breakdown Chart |
Children and Families
2005 SessionSB 467 - Requires Department of Education to reimburse school districts, government agencies and community groups for lunches served during summer as part of summer food service program or national school lunch program. Governor signed.
SB 763 - Creates Veterans' Service Officer Expansion Program in Oregon Department of Administrative Services.
2003 Session
HB 3080 - Creates family leave benefits insurance program to provide benefits to employees taking family leave.
2001 Session
HB 3759 - Reinstates supplemental unemployment compensation through June 30, 2003, for dislocated workers in training programs whose unemployment results from high energy costs, extended drought, foreign trade, or production shifts.
1999 Session
HB 2599 - Expands conditions under which runaway child may be taken into protective custody. Governor signed.
HB 3194A - Allows birth parents to attach Contact Preference Form to adoptee's sealed file. Governor signed.
SB 1030 - Appropriates money from General Fund to State Commission on Children and Families for local relief nurseries.
Consumer Issues
2005 SessionSB 207 - Requires insurance company to receive return receipt when canceling or terminating auto or homeowners' insurance by e-mail. First bill of its kind in the nation. Governor signed.
SB 408C - Declares legislative findings regarding public utility tax. Prohibits utilities from collecting taxes from businesses and residential ratepayers that they don't pay. Estimated to put $150 million back into Oregon's economy each year. Governor signed.
2003 Session
SB 260 C - Restores fairness to use of credit scores. Requires insurer or agent to provide consumer with specific reasons for adverse underwriting decision when decision was based in whole or in part on credit history or insurance score. Governor signed.
SB 825 - Authorizes Governor to declare abnormal disruption of market by proclamation. Prohibits merchants from charging unconscionably excessive prices for essential consumer goods and services in cases of earthquakes, major floods like in the Gulf Coast, or other situations.
2001 Session
HB 2466 - Limits terms of loans and interest rates and fees for car title and payday loans.
HB 2807 - Creates regulations for predatory lending on home mortgages.
HB 3907 - Sets interest rates for payday and car title loans.
Creating Jobs
2005 SessionSB 323 A - Redefines 'independent contractor' for laws relating to income tax, workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, architects, landscape contractors, construction contractors and others. The law more accurately reflects modern-day economic realities of working out of the home with as little as a computer and a cell phone while preserving mandated benefits and protections under existing law for employers and empoyees. Governor signed.
SB 477 B - Requires public works project contractors, subcontractors, and staff to file public works bond with Construction Contractors Board ensuring payment of claims relating to worker wages. Governor signed.
Education
2005 SessionHB 3129B - Requires student who receives diploma from school district to complete at least 24 credit hours prior to high school graduation. Increases Math to 3 years and English to 4 years. Governor signed.
HB 3184 - Changes funding formula by 1/4%. Provides greater accountability by requiring ESDs to create local service plans. Establishes criteria under which ESD provides entrepreneurial services. Establishes pilot governance project in 3 ESDs (Willamette, NW, High Desert) where ESD board is selected by component school district boards. Governor signed.
SB 228 A - Establishes minimum amount of participation in physical education by kindergarten through grade 8 public school students. Specifies requirements for physical education instruction.
SB 300 A - Creates Expanded Options Program for students attending public schools in grades 11 and 12 or who are 16 years of age or older. Allows eligible students to enroll in post-secondary courses for credit at eligible post-secondary institutions. Prohibits institutions from charging student post-secondary course costs. Sponsored by Sen. Avel Gordly. Governor signed.
SB 414 - Allows school districts to offer half-day or full-day kindergarten. Provides for apportionment from State School Fund for full-day kindergarten.
SB 755 B - Requires school boards to adopt specified policies on reporting of child abuse. Places accused employee on leave; opens disciplinary records. "Billera Bill" resulting from sex abuse cases in the Salem-Keizer school district. Governor signed.
SB 1071 - Creates Oregon Virtual School District within Department of education to provide online courses to public school students. Governor signed.
2003 Session
SB 374 A - Requires school district to issue high school diploma upon request to veteran of World War I, World War II or Korean Conflict if person attended high school before serving in Armed Forces, did not complete high school because of service in Armed Forces and was discharged or released under honorable conditions from Armed Forces. Governor signed.
2001 Session
HB 2843 - Establishes maximum number of students in each kindergarten through grade three class.
HB 3898 - Expands Oregon prekindergarten program to include additional children.
Environment
2005 SessionSB 290 B - Pre-session filed by Sen. Ringo. Makes pesticide use reporting system permanent. Modifies requirement for reporting location of pesticide use. Governor signed. Fully funds Sen. Walker’s landmark HB 3602 from the 1999 session.
SB 962 - Includes certain brominated flame retardants in definition of "hazardous substance." Prohibits introduction or delivery for introduction into commerce of products containing certain amount of brominated flame retardants. These substances have been found in women's breast milk, and in particularly high concentrations in Oregon. Governor signed.
2003 Session
HB 3089 - Directs Oregon Department of Administrative Services to adopt rules relating to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles in state motor pool. Governor signed.
2001 Session
HB 3948 - Creates Sustainability Board within Oregon Department of Administrative Services. Governor signed.
1999 Session
HB 3602 - Directs State Department of Agriculture to establish pesticide use reporting system. Governor signed.
Health Care
2005 SessionSB 1 - Prohibits group health insurers from imposing treatment limitations, limits on total payments or financial requirements on coverage for chemical dependency, including alcoholism, and for mental or nervous conditions unless similar limitations or requirements are imposed on coverage of other medical conditions. Governor signed.
SB 311 B - One of the highlights of workers' compensation reform in a decade. Requires Director of Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt rules applicable to independent medical examinations for workers' compensation claims. Creates certification program to put an end to the IME mills and restore fairness to medical evaluations of injured workers. (For more information go to www.injuredworker.org) Governor signed.
SB 501 B - Requires each carrier offering a health benefit plan to submit annual report to Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. Allows for comparison shopping by consumers. Governor signed.
SB 598 A - Allows Office for Oregon Health Policy and Research to establish pharmaceutical patient assistance program.
SB 670 A - Requires Director of Department of Consumer and Business Services to review and approve certain treatment standards for care provided to injured workers by managed care organization. Ensures that injured workers are treated the same as other individuals under an MCO. Governor signed.
SB 756 - Requires health insurance coverage for prescription contraceptives.
2003 Session
HB 3654 - Enacts provisions of federal law relating to health insurance coverage for mastectomy-related services. Governor signed.
SB 401 A - Requires Department of Human Services to implement newborn hearing screening test registry and tracking and recall system. Governor signed.
2001 Session
HB 2820 - Directs Health Division to award grants tocounty health departments for school-basedhealth centers.
HB 3568 - Creates Senior Prescription Drug Benefit Program in Department of Human Services.
SB 9 - Creates Patient Prescription Drug Assistance Program to be operated by College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University. Governor signed.
SB 286 - Requires group health benefit plans to provide payment, coverage or reimbursement for diabetes-related supplies, equipment and self-management programs. Governor signed.
1999 Session
SB 588 - Modifies schedule for mammograms and gynecological examinations provided under health insurance policies. Governor signed.
Open Government
2005 SessionSB 197 - Prescribes deadline for individual nominated or elected by write-in votes to file form accepting nomintion or office. Requires write-in candidate to file Statement of Economic Interest by specified date. Governor signed.
SB 302 A - Limits number of terms to which member of Oregon Investment Council may be appointed. Governor signed.
SB 718 A - Directs members of Oregon Investment Council to declare conflicts of interest in writing not later than three business days after discovering conflict. Became law without Governor's signature.
SB 766 A - Limits amount of salary and benefits that school district, education service district or public charter school may pay administrator at end of contract.
2003 Session
SB 786 - Prohibits discrimination against persons in education, employment, housing, public accommodations and public assistance based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Public Safety
2005 SessionSB 287 A - Creates exceptions to prohibition on use of hearsay as evidence. Oregon joins 10 other states to adopt laws in response to a U.S. Supreme Court case Crawford v. Washington that limited the ability of battered women, seniors, and abused children to testify without fear or intimidation. Governor signed.
SB 324 A - Removes exception requiring confidentiality under certain conditions for terms of settlement or compromise of action involving public body and terms of mediation agreement involving public body. "Hush money" prohibition. Governor signed.
SB 983 - Directs Public Utility Commission to adopt rules relating to termination of local exchange residential telephone service that would significantly endanger certain persons. Allows battered women and vulnerable persons to enter into payment plan so they can have telephone service. Governor signed.
2003 Session
SB 8 A - Directs Department of State Police to work with law enforcement agencies, Department of Transportation and media to implement state Amber Plan. Governor signed.
SB 824 - Prohibits installation of wired glass in certain locations unless glass meets impact standards and labeling requirements. Legislation failed, but Sen. Walker and Advocates for Safe Glass changed state and national building codes to establish new safety standards (See www.safeglass.org).
HB 2449 - Increases civil penalties for abuse of elderly or incapacitated person to three times actual economic and noneconomic damages. Governor signed.
2001 Session
HB 2441 - Establishes a law enforcement committee to receive and analyze demographic data to ensure that law enforcement agencies do not engage in racial profiling. Amended into SB 415. Governor signed.
HB 2767 - Allows victims of domestic violence to collect unemployment benefits if health, safety or welfare would be endangered at current or available workplaces. Governor signed.
Tax Reform
2003 SessionSB 558 - Adopts graduated scale of increases in maximum amount of property tax exemption for disabled veterans that is based on certified percent of disability.
SJR 34 - Setting procedure for convening Seventy-second Legislative Assembly in special session and establishing Joint Interim Committee on Tax Reform. Filed with the Secretary of State
2001 Session
HB 3629 - Creates senior residence assessment that freezes assessed value of principal residence of senior citizen 65 years of age or older.
2005 Bill Breakdown Chart
Animal Issues - .07%
Children & Families - 2.87%
Civil Rights - 2.87%
Consumer Issues - 4.47%
Economic Development - 2.87%
Education - 20.86%
Elections - 2.16%
Environment - 2.16%
Health Care - 9.63%
Housing - 1.43%
Labor - 4.32%
Public Safety - 8.19%
Senior & Disabled Services - 1.43%
Taxes - 1.43%
Transportation - 3.59%
Worker's Compensation - 13.95%
Other - 17.70%
Bills Introduced:
Bills Introduced - 139
Sponsored Bills - 27
Co-Sponsored Bills - 70
Committee Bills - 40
Pre-Session Filed - 1
Bills Passed:
Bills Passed - 59
Sponsored Bills - 9
Co-Sponsored Bills - 32
Committee Bills - 17
Pre-Session Filed - 1
Bills' Resolution:
Introduced Bills Passed - 42%
Sponsored Bills Passed - 33%
Co-Sponsored Bills Passed - 46%
Committee Bills Passed - 43%
Campaign News
WE WON!!
Another Call for an End to Independent Expenditure AttacksRead Press Release
"Someone Who Cares is at the Door"
Read Steve Duin's Column in The Oregonian
Read Duin's Blog Entry
Walker to Torrey:
“Clinton Endorsing My Campaign. Remove Your Misleading Ads”
Read Press Release Here
Register-Guard Article
Oregonian Article
Senator Walker's Response Regarding Janyce Iturra Matter
Read the Facts Here
Eugene Weekly Cover Story on Dist. 7 Race "Pro-Bush, anti-abortion Republican takes on state senator"
Read the Story Here
Sen. Vicki Walker Calls for an End to Independent Expenditure Attacks. State Senator Vicki Walker sent a letter today to Lane County Democratic Party Chair Val Hoyle asking for her assistance to intervene and call for an immediate halt to independent expenditure campaigns made on behalf of her re-election campaign..
Read Press Release and Letter
Vote YES on Measure 20-115
- Maintain Bethel academic programs
- Launch a math enrichment plan
- Replace outdated textbooks
- Update classroom computers
Moose International, Inc.
2006 Annual Conference - Keynote Speech
Read Speech & See Photos
Willamette River Enhancement Initiative
See Photos
Read Vicki's Campaign Kick-Off Speech
