April 25, 2006

Gov. Kulongoski visits a Rogue Valley school

Gov. Ted Kulongoski addresses questions from Roosevelt Elementary School students in Medford this morning. Kulongoski was in the Rogue Valley to sign House Bill 3510 allocating an extra $42 million for Oregon schools. Photos by Rob Werfel | For the Tidings

Schools cash a winner

Gov. in Medford to sign bill that gives $42 million

By Vickie Aldous
Ashland Daily Tidings

The Ashland School District will receive more than $200,000 in additional funding in the wake of Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s signing today of a bill that allocates an extra $42 million for Oregon’s schools.

Kulongoski was scheduled to sign House Bill 3510 at Roosevelt Elementary School in Medford this morning.

The Oregon Legislature met in a special session on Thursday to authorize the dedication of unanticipated lottery revenues for kindergarten through high school education.

At six hours, the session was the shortest in the legislature’s history, marking a change for the body that has often been locked in partisan fighting.

“It’s great to be able to make progress again,” said Rep. Peter Buckley, D-Ashland. He said the Ashland School District will receive a $215,267 increase to its budget, while the Phoenix-Talent School District will take in $224,527. The Medford School District will receive $937,495.

Oregon’s 198 school districts will benefit from the special session bill, according to staff members for the governor.

However, Buckley said it is unfortunate that Oregonians have been buying more lottery tickets since that is a sign of difficult economic times.

During the special session, legislators also toughened regulations on payday loan businesses and earmarked additional funding for the Department of Health and Human Services to meet a higher-than-projected caseload of people qualifying for the Oregon Health Plan.

“Oregon is adding jobs, but many are not paying enough,” Buckley said. “More and more people qualify for the Oregon Health Plan and are using payday loans.”

Lawmakers set aside $136 million to close the health and human services department’s budget gap, the Associated Press reported.

Additionally, they passed “Jessica’s Law,” which increases the minimum sentence for first-degree rape of a child, Buckley said.

Staff writer Vickie Aldous can be reached at 479-8199 or vlaldous@yahoo.com.

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