Westlund to seek another term

State Representative Ben Westlund, R-Tumalo, will seek another term in the Oregon Legislature if the term limits law is overturned.

The 1992 law mandating term limits was ruled unconstitutional by a Marion County judge on July 20; that ruling is currently under appeal.

Westlund served as House co-chairman of the Joint Ways and Means Committee this year, he has been given much credit for helping keep the lid on partisan bickering in the last session, which ended in July.

"I thought it was a great session... It was a very bipartisan effort that led to some of the best public policy the Legislature has produced in the last 10 years," Westlund said in an interview on August 5.

Westlund thought the biggest plum for Central Oregon was funding for the four-year degree branch campus of Oregon State University in Bend.

"That's a 50 year community dream, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time to make that a reality," said Westlund.

Westlund is also quite proud of the creation of a "cultural trust fund which "will move Oregon from 53 of 50 states and six territories, to the top..."

Westlund said the cultural trust fund is "important for every reason. Kids exposed to arts and culture learn better, so we are making better use of our precious K-12 dollars. Kids involved with art are less involved in crime, drugs and alcohol. (So we reduce) the cost in human lives and suffering, all the way to enrichment of personal lives."

To fund the trust, Westlund said, the state will sell two pieces of excess property for more than $15 million.

But the "real fund-raiser will be the most generous tax credit in the state. You give a thousand bucks to the trust fund, and between federal and state deductions and state credit, it only costs you $100.

"Half the money stays local and half goes to the trust, which is designed to cap out at $300 million."

Westlund said money from the program could benefit communities such as Sisters with support for programs "like the Sisters Folk Festival and probably Starry Nights or the Deschutes County Historical Society."

Westlund also said that the legislature was able to pass bonding to help Oregon Public Broadcasting to convert to a digital signal, a federal mandate.

"Sisters has the highest per capita membership of OPB in the state," Westlund said.

For seniors, there was funding for Oregon Project Independence, which will allow caregivers to come into the home to clean, cook and bathe for those who do not qualify for Medicaid.

They also upped by about 14 percent the allotment that the state gives to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and foster homes.

The Legislature provided $5.2 billion for K-1 schools, plus $600 million in federal funds, representing approximately a 10 percent increase overall for the state.

"Eighty-five percent of that is teacher salaries, but teaching schools is a very labor intensive business," Westlund said.

The Legislature was able to reorganize the Oregon State Police for an 30 additional forensic and detective officers and 15 road troopers without hiring another soul.

Westlund said he wants to return to the legislature because "I know I have much to offer and I enjoy it...I enjoy people. I don't mind disagreeing. It is not that you disagree, it is how you resolve your differences that is the hallmark if you're a good legislator."

If reelected, Westlund would very much like "to get a handle on how we fund schools. We do it very poorly. What is the K-12 funding solution? We don't have it yet."

He also feels that indigent defense reform is a priority.

Westlund said that health care and health insurance, while not his strong suit, is going to have to be addressed.

"One of these days, we in Oregon have to answer the question, 'Is health care a right?' In spirit and practice, health care in Oregon is a right, and I support that approach."

Westlund said the Oregon Health Plan is ingenious, "but the health plan we have now is a shadow of what voters approved because the (federal) Health Care Finance Administration won't let us move the line of health care depending on resources.

"Something has to be done."