Oregon Legislature: 5 things to watch this week
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Here are five things to keep an eye on at the Oregon Legislature this week:
IMMIGRANT TUITION
After an emotional debate last week, a House committee is expected to advance a bill allowing illegal immigrants who graduate from Oregon high schools to pay in-state tuition at public colleges and universities.
Similar measures have failed in the House twice before after passing the Senate, but the effort seems likely to succeed this year. It has support from many Democrats and some Republicans.
Proponents say young people shouldn't be priced out of higher education because their parents made a decision to immigrate illegally. Critics say the state shouldn't subsidize tuition for people who can't legally work in the United States.
COLUMBIA RIVER BRIDGE
The long effort to build a new Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River accelerates as a legislative committee nears a vote.
Oregon has to chip in $450 million for the project, which would also get money from Washington state, the federal government and tolls paid by motorists. Legislative leaders want Oregon to act quickly to give Washington lawmakers time to figure out their own funding plans.
Legislators heard many hours of testimony on the issue last week — from critics who say it's a waste of money, and from proponents who think it will ease bottlenecks while creating quite a few construction jobs.
The most recent proposal would allow the state to sell bonds for the project. They'd be repaid initially from existing funds at the Department of Transportation, but there could be a new tax or fee created in the future.
SMOKING
Lighting a cigarette with a kid in the car could get far more expensive than the price of a pack of smokes.
A Senate committee on Thursday takes up a bill making it illegal to smoke in a car with a minor. A first offense would land a ticket for up to $250. A third could cost $1,000.
Proponents say children are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and shouldn't be exposed to it when they're trapped in a car.
CHILD PROSTITUTION
In the battle against child prostitution, police and child-welfare advocates are shifting toward treating underage prostitutes as victims rather than criminals while cracking down on pimps.
The House Judiciary Committee looks at three bills Monday that would move the state further in that direction.
One measure would require pimps — people who recruit children to work as prostitutes — to spend more time on parole after they get out of prison. Another would allow the state to take child prostitutes into protective custody while allowing the minor to use their age as a defense to prostitution charges.
FACEBOOK
A House committee will consider making it illegal for your boss to force you to become Facebook friends or a Twitter follower.
The measure would also make it illegal for employers to require workers or job applicants to provide the company access to social media accounts.
The Associated Press reported last year that some companies and government agencies were going beyond merely glancing at a person's public social media profiles, asking instead to log in as the job applicant and have a look around.
What else do you want to give them. They do not pay taxes, they get free medical, dental, food, housing and now higher education off of our taxes. I am a citizen and i can not afford to go to college so why should i pay for them to go. So the question is "What are you getting in return?" The white house gave some of them amnesty and got a lot of votes. You complain about the budget but continue to give money away to people who are not citizens of this country. So how much more of the half a trillion dollars a year ( and climbing) taken care of the illegals will it cost us. Must be some kind of machine in every capital building that wipes out common sence when they pass through the doors. Do me and all the citizens of this country a favor, take out all the machines, take a deep breath and clear your minds.
people shouldn't be priced out of higher education because their parents made a decision to immigrate illegally
Really?! Legal residents are being priced out of higher education already. Now they want to take what funding is available and give it to illegals? Stupid!
NOOOOOO dumb a$$es...Illegal is illegal period. You want to fine people who light up with a child in the car...while I have no problem with that I wonder how many more Officers will have to be hired to enforce that when they should be out after the drug pushing illegals....how did we get such stupid people in our government?
@minniemouse ~  Amazingly enough... we-the-voters (well, some of we-the-voters, anyway) ELECTED them..!  Depressing, isn't it..?
@margay1 @minniemouse Therein lies the problem. We all seem to be dissatisfied with the incumbents but we reelect 90% of them. Why? Are we so scared of change that we are unwilling to take a risk in an effort to improve our lot? The apparent answer is YES! Insanity is continuing to do the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.Â
Should you feel motivated to contact your State Representative or State Senator (I have):
1-800-332-2313 General Contact # for OR Legislature
"Find Your Legislator" page from OR official site:Â http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/home.htm
One thing people should never look for is an absence of idiotic legislation. Most legislators think the solution to every perceived problem is to make new laws despite the fact that many of the current laws go unenforced. No law is worth anything if it is not enforced.
One thing people can always count on is the legislature will try to take from those that are self-motivated, responsible, hard working, upwardly mobile, and contributors to society so they can give to those that aren't. Unfortunately there gets to be a point where the socialism is pervasive and it has robbed everyone of any incentive to strive for improvement.Â
How about the legislature look at returning to a safety net rather than the hammock they are now providing for so many? How about returning to a hand up, not a hand out? And how about placing a limit on how long people can be receiving welfare, food stamps, etc.?
Born in Vancouver, Washington pay out of state tuition but born in a foreign country get in-state tuition probley with grants from the federal government. Passage of this should help obamas third term
@Bert Unfortunately, you are wrong. Washington residents can get Oregon in-state tuition at many of the Oregon colleges due to a reciprocity agreement. Illegals still should have no right to in state tuition. Neither should they be allowed to get Federal or State financial aid.
They will probably just sit on their assets as usual.
I thought we were watching for:
1. Sleeping
2. Picking nose
3. Looking stupid
4. Checking the new girl out
5. Watching the clock
5 things? Â
1. Spend
2. Spend
3. Spend
4. Spend
5. Spend
Good. This means that they've solved that terrible budget issue, that they can worry about people smoking in their own cars.
"""""""Proponents say young people shouldn't be priced out of higher education because their parents made a decision to immigrate illegally."""""""
They are still in this country illegally!!!! It is wrong to reward illegal bahavior, its as simple as that......
"""""and from proponents who think it will ease bottlenecks while creating quite a few construction jobs.""""""
How can three lanes on the bridge be the bottle neck when IIRC doesn't southbound I5 go down to two lanes just south of the bridge?
"""""""A House committee will consider making it illegal for your boss to force you to become Facebook friends or a Twitter follower.""""""
sure hope the language is generic enough as who knows how long it will take for twitter and facesbook to become the next my space.
You know what is unfair..Having to put up with smokers when your an asthmatic .
Thanks to my father smoking I was blessed to have asthma..freaking sucks and as far as I am concerned to hell with the damn cigarettes . I don't want to be forced in to the E.R. e ery time I happen to be waiting for a bus, or out at a park enjoying my family. Do you think it is fair for those of us with asthma to have to pay the price every time some one lights up?
Plus almost all the smokers I have seen throwing there damn buts on the ground..I am thankful for bills like this, unless you the tax payers like to pay for peoples E.R. visits, for asthma related illnesses.
@lee986321Â Just a curiosity question, but does the exhaust from the bus aggravate your asthma?
@JTesla @lee986321 YES, save for the hybrid one we have here..as does Industrial areas like Fiber
@lee986321  Grouch is not the word I would use. Since so many things further screw you up because your dad was too lazy to step outside to smoke, go b*t$h at him and stay home. Our lives are already sufficiently trampled on by the few and weak who manage to get government to infringe on our rights. They have MUCH more important things that they should be dealing with..
@lee986321Â So someone smoking while you wait for a bus is unfair, but the bus itself... that's cool.
@lee986321 @JTesla What ever you do, just don't apply for and live off of disability. Our tax $ pays for that stuff.
@JTesla @lee986321 Oh and freaking fast food kitchens set it off to.. The residue from the oil and the like is what triggers it.. the vents suck out most of it , but the heavier stuff.. still lingers in the Air. So, I lost a 700 a week pay check cause my asthma, I can't work forest fires because of it, and fast food work is out of the question because I can't handle the residue from the oils and such.. NOW do you know why I am such a grouch all the time?
Five things? Only four, I'll betcha. Monday is a holiday!Â
So who are the people / special interest egging the legislature on to pass a backdoor amnesty for illegal kids because it certainly isn't / will never be the Oregon voter?
@TimBurr I know a woman who will argue aggressively that you're a racist and that those immigrants who are here face being enslaved and brought over to do forced labor, and that they deserve to have a public education and if there's no way to pay for it, well, find a way.
Fortunately, she moved to Washington, a single mom, probably on welfare. Great kid though.
@TimBurr ~  Well, Tim, "La Raza" comes immediately to mind... there are probably others in there with them, too... Â
@margay1 @TimBurr "La Raza" (trans. "The Race") - remind people early and often what lies in store for the future..
@TimBurr I can't help but laugh at your comment. Do you really underestimate the Oregon voter that much? Let's remember who you're talking about here. Heck, part of the state re-elected an incompetent clown in a tiger suit, put nothing past them.
@JTesla @TimBurr   """"""Heck, part of the state re-elected an incompetent clown in a tiger suit, put nothing past them. """"""
It would be the same folks that re-re-elected the  good Dr. ReRunÂ
@kramr @JTesla @TimBurr ~ You took the words right outa my mouth, kramr ...or off my keyboard, anyway... :-)
"A House committee will consider making it illegal for your boss to force you to become Facebook friends or a Twitter follower.
"The measure would also make it illegal for employers to require workers or job applicants to provide the company access to social media accounts." Â (from the story)
I'm afraid that my employment with any company would be VERY short-lived if they even brought up these 2 subjects... Â I don't happen to use either FB or Twitter (not even 100% sure what "Twitter" is), but I can't imagine intrusion like this into an employee's personal affairs... what's next, they want your bank account #s..? Â
That said, I can and DO understand an employer prohibiting or limiting use of social media by employees on company time... but, IMHO, Â what they're describing here is w-a-y over the line..! Â Â
I guess next it will be a crime to smoke in your house. I don't smoke, nor do I have kids, but if this passes I encourage all smokers if they have the urge to smoke, just stop on the side of the freeway and light up. This is a stupid law.
At the rate they're going the only people that will be allowed to smoke anywhere will be marijuana users......medical mj, of course!
@jpk Awesome!
@noneofyourbizzness @jpk AWESOME
@JLOÂ ~ Â I smoke, but my son is long-grown; no grand-kids... Â haven't had a kid in my car for 30+ years... Â but just on general principles, I am SO sick of the gov't sticking their noses into our private lives..!
(I do have 2 kitties in my house, but I only smoke at my desk... and I have a system there that vents the smoke outside...)