Joint Statement on Passage of Critical Education Bills

Thursday, June 23rd, 2011

Yesterday, OBA, Stand for Children, and Chalkboard Project released a joint statement on the recent passage of 14 education reform bills:

With the passage of a historic package of bills aimed at improving Oregon’s statewide education system, the Oregon Legislature made a strong statement that this state can and will do a better job of educating its students. These bills have the potential to improve the governance and efficiency of our school systems, to better prepare and support our classroom teachers, and to give students more pathways to success. We applaud the commitment of the Governor and leaders of both parties in working to reach a compromise on these important bills.

Throughout the session, the Chalkboard Project, the Oregon Business Association, Stand for Children and a small group of district superintendents worked in concerted support of positive changes to our education system, and it is our belief that Oregonians will be well served by this legislation.  There is much more work to be done if we are to truly transform our education system into one that can meet the needs of our state and our students, but these bills represent important first steps in a brighter, more hopeful direction.

To view the press release, click here.

Filed under: Legislative Agenda — KellyO

U.S. Secretary of Education to Keynote 2011 Statesman Dinner

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

As the Oregon Legislature considers a courageous package of education reforms, OBA has teamed up with Governor Kitzhaber to secure U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan as the keynote speaker at OBA’s 11th Annual Statesman Dinner on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

OBA has been tirelessly advocating for a statewide package of bills that will marry educational resources with results in Oregon’s classrooms and lecture halls, and we are excited to have Secretary Duncan speak to us about his efforts on the national level.  This will be Secretary Duncan’s first visit to Oregon.

This year’s dinner will be a unique opportunity to hear from a true reformer working to address critical education issues facing our country.  Be sure to save the date — preliminary details are below:

2011 OBA Statesman Dinner
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Oregon Convention Center
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
*Additional details TBA*

Filed under: Events — KellyO

OBA Luncheon with Congressman Schrader

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

OBA organized a luncheon last week with Congressman Kurt Schrader and members of the business community.

This event, the latest in a series of OBA meetings with the Oregon Congressional Delegation, provided a great opportunity for Congressman Schrader to receive feedback from business leaders on multiple issues facing Congress, including government regulation, economic recovery, trade issues, and the national debt.

We thank the Congressman for taking time out of his schedule to have a conversation with OBA members.

Special thanks to OBA member Ater Wynne for hosting the luncheon.

Filed under: Events — KellyO

New Washington Business Association Modeled after OBA

Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

The Washington Business Alliance (WaBA), which was modeled after OBA, has officially launched.

This new statewide business association espouses many of the values held by OBA – WaBA is a bipartisan organization whose public policy positions are derived through five member-driven public policy committees (environment, health, fiscal governance, education, and transportation).  Like OBA, WaBA takes a long-term, solution-oriented approach to public policy.  OBA congratulates WaBA on its launch and expects great things from it in the future!

Filed under: OBA in the News — KellyO

OBA in the News: OBA Corrections Op-Ed

Monday, June 6th, 2011

Last Sunday, The Oregonian published an opinion piece by OBA President Ryan Deckert on Oregon’s corrections spending.  Full text of Deckert’s commentary is posted below:

Stop Overcrowding our Budget with Prison Spending
By: Ryan Deckert
Sunday, June 2, 2011

Oregon’s prisons may not have the overcrowding problem of California’s prison system, but our spending on corrections is certainly overcrowding investments in other areas of the state budget. Oregon spends more on our prison system than on higher education, which does not bode well for our ability to compete in the global knowledge economy.

The legislature would be remiss to continue its 20-year trend of disinvestment in K-12 schools and post-secondary education, while allowing the prison population of non-violent offenders to increase – even while crime rates are at a 40-year low. The legislature should act to stop the growth in the prison population, and use more cost-effective methods of accountability for these non-violent offenders. We know from other states that utilizing technology like ankle bracelets and community detention not only costs less but also lowers rates of recidivism versus mandatory minimum sentences.  Prisons are the most expensive public safety tool in the toolbox, and not always the most effective one.

As the legislative session winds down, we need concrete actions to move our public safety spending in a smarter direction. The legislature can start by fixing Measure 73, delaying the most costly parts of Measure 57, and passing a package of other reforms that create tangible savings in corrections spending.

For the past decade, the entire country watched California create an outrageously bloated, expensive and ineffective prison system while the rest of its state infrastructure suffered. Oregon’s legislature should be proactive and show California that you unlock human potential with educational opportunities – not a mandatory minimum sentence.

Filed under: Legislative Agenda,OBA in the News — KellyO