SALEM — Now that Oregon lawmakers have approved an additional $1.5 billion for spending on priorities such as job training, housing and child care, Gov. Kate Brown said it’s time for state agencies to get that money out to where it is needed now.

The Democratic chief executive spoke to reporters virtually on Friday, March 4, after the Legislature wrapped up its 2022 session and fulfilled all her major priorities. Among them were $200 million for Future Ready Oregon, a new effort to train would-be workers for future jobs in key sectors, and $400 million for programs to shelter people and build more lower-cost housing.

Both the training plan and the budget bill passed by big bipartisan margins, although another bill to end the exemption of farmworkers from overtime pay divided the majority Democrats from the minority Republicans. Only one Democratic senator voted against that bill; no Republicans in either chamber voted for it.

The session ended three days before the deadline of March 7. The next regular session will start in January 2023, after the Nov. 8 election that will produce members from newly redrawn districts.

This is the final regular session for Brown, a Democrat who will leave office Jan. 9 after serving almost two full terms.

Brown gave a preview of Future Ready Oregon at the Oregon Business Plan conference Dec. 6. The plan emerged as a result of support from business interests and the Governor’s Racial Justice Council, which she formed in the aftermath of racial justice protests in mid-2020.

“As I said in my state of the state address, I am going to use every moment to ensure that these dollars are being implemented in a way to lift up our families that are often left behind,” Brown said March 4.

“We have an incredible opportunity with Future Ready Oregon to make investments in career training and skills that provide Oregonians with the tools and resources they need to access good-paying careers in every corner of this state and make the most of that opportunity. We have to move quickly. The same is true with housing and child care.”

Help from feds

Brown mentioned a comment by John Tapogna, president of the Portland firm ECONorthwest, who said Future Ready Oregon is a good example of how states can spend federal dollars from last year’s American Rescue Plan Act.

Under that $2 trillion law, which President Joe Biden proposed for recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, Oregon got $2.6 billion, $500 million of which will be saved to balance a future state budget. The job plan draws $123 million from federal funds, matched with $76 million from the state’s tax-supported general fund.

Efforts will focus on three economic sectors generating jobs for the next decade — health care, construction and manufacturing — and on many workers who have been left behind in previous economic recoveries. The plan also will provide social supports, such as housing, child care and transportation, while workers undergo training.

Brown also secured legislative approval for bills that put into effect an agreement between the timber industry and environmental advocates about the future of Oregon’s 10 million acres of privately owned forest lands.

Once the farmworker overtime bill passed both chambers, Republicans dropped their effort to slow proceedings by having all bills be read aloud before final votes. This constitutional requirement is normally waived.

More money to spend

As record amounts of personal and corporate income taxes roll into state coffers, Brown and lawmakers had a lot of leeway and spent a total of $1.5 billion beyond what they approved in the two-year state budget.

House Speaker Dan Rayfield, a Democrat from Corvallis who presided over his first session, said the leaders of the Legislature’s housing committees and housing advocates focused their attention on programs that have proven their worth.

“I think it is an amazing package,” he told reporters at a separate virtual event. “I think we are investing in things that have been proven,” such as Project Turnkey, which has resulted in a total of 867 units from 19 conversions of former motels in about 18 months.

A chunk of the $400 million will go toward operation of shelters and other services and immediate needs.

There also is a special $1.5 million allocation for Bend, plus $400,000 for cleanup and public health costs.

For the metro area, Multnomah County will get a specially designated $10 million; Clackamas County, $2 million; Washington County, $750,000; Hillsboro, $1 million, and Beaverton, $750,000.

Rayfield, who became speaker when Democrat Tina Kotek of Portland left early to focus on her bid for governor, was most recently the House co-leader of the Legislature’s joint budget committee. He said there are always spending demands that lawmakers have to sort through.

“You have to make the best decisions you can in the moment for the crises we are seeing in the community,” he said.

Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat from Salem, said he is uncertain how much of an effect the money will have on a seemingly intractable issue of homelessness and housing shortages.

“We are throwing money at it,” he said. “We are trying to do things, but it’s a mystery.”

Courtney is wrapping up a record 38 years in the Legislature, including a record two decades as the Senate’s presiding officer. He has said the tougher task is not lawmakers approving money, but state agencies getting it out to where it is needed — and that Oregon had real difficulties with paying out unemployment benefits and emergency rental assistance.

“We have struggled with getting money out,” Courtney said “The Legislature isn’t the branch that is supposed to implement the laws. But too bad; the Legislature came up with the laws and money, so we’d better find a way to follow this money.”

The Legislature wrapped up its 2022 session Friday, three days ahead of its mandated deadline. While Democrats, who control both chambers of the legislature and all statewide elected offices, celebrated, Republican leaders urged caution. Here’s what they said.

House GOP Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson of Prineville, whose caucus numbers 23 of 60:

“Oregonians needed us to tackle our state’s rising cost of living, unchecked crime wave, and deteriorating education.

“I am proud of what Republicans accomplished this session to make life better for Oregonians across the state, but Democrats prevented us from accomplishing more. Instead, Democratic leaders blocked our additional efforts to help Oregonians while passing an eye-watering spending plan and harmful legislation we will need to fix next year. Our state cannot continue under this failed leadership. It is time for more balance in Salem.”

Senate GOP Leader Tim Knopp of Bend, whose caucus numbers 11 of 30:

“At a time when inflation is out of control, Democrats introduced a new sales tax and new spending. When Oregonians don’t feel safe in their homes, Democrats pushed an extreme soft-on-crime agenda that makes our streets more dangerous. As we close the book on the pandemic, Democrats clung to government overreach and mandates. They doubled down on blowout spending on failed government programs. Luckily, Republicans were able to kill many of the most harmful and extreme proposals this session.

“Even with our big disagreements, we got some good bipartisan things done for Oregon this session. Unfortunately, we left a lot of good policy on the table. Short sessions reveal priorities, and the majority’s priorities were misplaced in many cases.

“Republicans stood up for law enforcement and Oregonians’ safety, for better schools, more transparent and accountable government, better management of our forests, and fought government overreach. We will continue to champion innovative solutions to Oregonians’ most pressing problems and make our case directly to Oregonians. They deserve more balance in Salem.”