House Republicans Highlight Education Reform, Tax Relief in 2016 Agenda

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

GoLocalPDX Politics Team

Oregon State House Republicans rolled out their agenda for the 2016 Legislative Session this week. The agenda highlights tax relief, education reform and government accountability measures among the GOP’s plans for 2016.

“House Republicans believe every Oregonian deserves an equal opportunity at success,” said House Republican Leader Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte). “The agenda we’ve created will ease financial burdens on working Oregonians, help them achieve their educational and professional goals, and ensure that their state government operates in a more transparent and accountable manner. I look forward to these bills receiving hearings and passing the Legislature to help Oregon’s working families.”

In the agenda, Republicans proposed allowing low- and middle-income Oregonians to keep more of the money they earn by reducing and modernizing Oregon’s lowest and middle income tax rates, some of the highest in the nation. They also plan to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit, “putting more dollars in the pockets of working families by encouraging and rewarding their hard work.’

For education, Republicans plan to eliminate the sunset on Oregon’s open enrollment law, establish the Student Loan Interest Tax Credit and “invest in our best and brightest educators by implementing a merit pay system that rewards teachers for their successes in the classroom.”

Republicans say their plans will “put more dollars in the pockets of working families, strengthen and encourage family choices in Oregon’s education system, increase oversight and transparency in state government, reduce red tape for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and provide a mechanism for clear and consistent measurements of carbon emissions.”

Related Slideshow: Who Won the Republican Debate?

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Rebecca Tweed

Political and Communications Director, State Street Solutions

Carly Fiorina. I think she spoke the most sincerely.

She answered questions as if there was no one else on the stage with her, which is how politicians should act when discussing these issues. I think you will certainly see a spike her poll numbers as a result of this debate.

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Bill Currier

Chairman, Oregon Republican Party

In a way, I think they all did.

I think the content was much improved from the first debate. It gave voters a chance to see the differences between them. They may come from the same base, but they showed they have different ways of making decisions.

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Jim Moore

Director, Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University

I think Donald Trump performed very well, as always.

We also saw promising things from Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz for the first time. The ones who shouted the loudest, I think, fared very well.

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Bud Pierce

Republican Candidate for Governor of Oregon

Donald Trump.

He speaks so plainly. You can’t help but notice the difference between the clarity of his points against the flowery prose we get from people who hold office. That's clearly been very attractive to voters.

With the country bedeviled by problems I think when people here that political language, its really a turn off.