HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

BUSINESS, LABOR AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS

 

 

February 17, 2003   Hearing Room E

8:30 A.M. Tapes  32 - 33

 

MEMBERS PRESENT:            Rep. Derrick Kitts, Vice-Chair

Rep. Diane Rosenbaum, Vice-Chair

Rep. Mary Gallegos

Rep. Jeff Merkley

Rep. Mike Schaufler

 

MEMBERS EXCUSED:            Rep. Betsy Close, Chair

Rep. Bill Garrard

 

STAFF PRESENT:                  Megan Palau, Committee Administrator

Mike Reiley, Committee Assistant

 

 

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD:            Informational Meeting – Unemployment Compensation

                                                HB 2161 – Public Hearing

HB 2162 – Public Hearing

                                                HB 2163 – Public Hearing

                                                SB 160  – Public Hearing

 

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules.  Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words.  For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

 

TAPE/#

Speaker

Comments

TAPE 32, A

003

Vice-Chair Kitts

Calls meeting to order at 8:37 a.m. Opens informational meeting.

INFORMATIONAL MEETING – UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

009

Greg Hickman

Deputy Director, Oregon Employment Department (OED). Submits and summarizes prepared testimony and information providing overview of OED (EXHIBIT A).

146

Rep. Schaufler

Asks about gains outlined in prepared testimony.

148

Hickman

Explains gains.

153

Graham Slater

Administrator, Economic & Workforce Research Division, OED. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony explaining OED and unemployment (EXHIBIT B).

327

Rep. Rosenbaum

Expresses support for OED. Asks about number of workers who have exhausted benefits and extensions.

340

Slater

Responds that he will obtain information.

345

Rep. Rosenbaum

Asks about magnitude of unemployment in Oregon.

350

Slater

Clarifies magnitude of unemployment and benefits in Oregon.

363

Rep. Rosenbaum

Asks about workers who do not quality for unemployment.

368

Slater

Explains unemployed and length of unemployment benefits.

379

Hickman

Offers further explanation.

384

Rep. Rosenbaum

Asks why number of unemployed who do not receive benefits is so high.

392

Slater

Explains why number is so high.

TAPE 33, A

007

Rep. Schaufler

Asks about of Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund gap.

013

Hickman

Explains that it is economy dependent.

021

Vice-Chair Kitts

Closes informational meeting. Opens public hearing on HB 2161.

HB 2161 – PUBLIC HEARING

024

Megan Palau

Committee Administrator. Summarizes HB 2161.

028

Renee Bryant

Unemployment Insurance Tax Manager, OED. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2161 (EXHIBIT C).

048

Vice-Chair Kitts

Closes public hearing on HB 2161. Opens public hearing on HB 2162.

HB 2162 – PUBLIC HEARING

050

Bryant

Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2162 (EXHIBIT D).

092

Rep. Rosenbaum

Asks about emergency clause and retroactivity.

096

Bryant

Answers that there is no effort toward retroactivity.

103

Vice-Chair Kitts

Closes public hearing on HB 2162. Opens public hearing on HB 2163.

HB 2163 – PUBLIC HEARING

106

Megan Palau

Committee Administrator. Summarizes HB 2163.

110

Tom Ewing

Chief Hearing Officer, Hearing Officer Panel. Testifies in support of HB 2163.

134

Vice-Chair Kitts

Closes public hearing on HB 2163. Opens public hearing on SB 160.

SB 160 – PUBLIC HEARING

145

Tom Byerley

Assistant Director for Unemployment Insurance, OED. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of SB 160 (EXHIBIT E).

185

Vice-Chair Kitts

Closes public hearing on SB 160. Adjourns meeting at 9:18 a.m.

 

 

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

 

A – Informational Meeting, written testimony and information, Greg Hickman, 53 pp

B – Informational Meeting, written testimony and information, Graham Slater, 8 pp

C – HB 2161, written testimony, Renee Bryant, 1 p

D – HB 2162, written testimony, Renee Bryant, 2 pp

E – SB 160, written testimony, Tom Byerley, 2 pp