Republicans help Oregonians with fundamental issues during 2022 Legislative Session
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The following is a press release from the office of Oregon Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls).
SALEM, Ore. - House Republicans previously identified the cost of living, reducing crime, and improving education as priority issues for the 2022 Legislative Session.
Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) also sponsored legislation with his colleagues to challenge the Governor’s unchecked executive powers to bring more balance to Oregon’s state government.
“We had a simple mission this session,” said Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls). “Oregonians needed us to lower the cost of living, reduce crime, improve public education, and restore personal freedoms. That’s what we set out to do, and while we had some success, we were prevented from doing more. I look forward to more balance in the Legislature next year when we can truly tackle what’s most important to Oregonians.”
“Oregonians needed us to tackle our state’s rising cost of living, unchecked crime wave, and deteriorating education,” said House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville). “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 eyewatering 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.”
Republicans were successful this session in passing several important bills. Because of Republican efforts, police can stop riots again, and struggling local pharmacies are exempt from paying the corporate activity tax. Republican-sponsored legislation also ensures affordable dental care for veterans and prevents mothers from receiving surprise medical bills for out-of-network births.
Republicans also prevented a number of proposals from Democrats, including bills to let convicted criminals vote and seek early release, establish Oregon’s first sales tax, and an amendment to a bill that Republicans fixed which previously would have allowed the Oregon Health Authority to declare health emergencies and issue statewide mandates.
Additional Republican legislation that Oregonians are asking for were halted by the majority in the Legislature. Rep. Reschke and his colleagues plan to reintroduce these proposals in 2023: the option of self-service at the gas station, better protections from physical assault for hospital workers, appropriate justice for critically injured victims of violent crime, restoring Oregon’s reading, writing and math standards for graduation, transparent school curriculums, and $1,000 tax credits to volunteer firefighters to bolster the state’s firefighting capabilities, among others.