HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

BUSINESS, LABOR AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS

March 19, 2003 Hearing Room E

8:30 A.M. Tapes 61 – 63

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Betsy Close, Chair

Rep. Derrick Kitts, Vice-Chair

Rep. Diane Rosenbaum, Vice-Chair

Rep. Mary Gallegos

Rep. Bill Garrard

Rep. Jeff Merkley

Rep. Mike Schaufler

STAFF PRESENT: Megan Palau, Committee Administrator

Mike Reiley, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: HB 2624 – 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 61, A
003	Chair Close	Calls meeting to order at 8:33 a.m. Opens public hearing on HB 2624.
HB 2624 – PUBLIC HEARING
017	Megan Palau	Committee Administrator. Summarizes HB 2624.
025	Rep. Bill Garrard	House District 56. Testifies in support of HB 2624. Explains differences between eastern and western Oregon regarding employment and growth.
046	Bill Perry	Oregon Restaurant Association (ORA). Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT A).
123	Rob Quackenbush	Restaurant owner, Klamath Falls. Testifies in support of HB 2624. Explains restaurant operations regarding minimum wage. Explains food bank operations.
209	J.L. Wilson	National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). Testifies in support of HB 2624. Explains the effect of minimum wage increase on Oregon’s economy.
329	Amil Reddy	Jack-in the Box restaurant. Member, Board of Directors, ORA. Testifies in support of HB 2624. Explains costs associated with restaurant operation and impact of labor costs.
TAPE 62, A
014	Tony Rufalo	Professor, Portland State University. Provides economic analysis of HB 2624.
081	Rep. Diane Rosenbaum	House District 42, Chief Petitioner Ballot Measure 25. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT B).
172	Dan Gardner	Commissioner, Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Submits and summarizes prepared testimony regarding HB 2624 (EXHIBIT C). Notes that BOLI is neutral on HB 2624, but he is in favor.
223	Tim Nesbitt	Oregon AFL-CIO. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT D).
346	Cassandra Garrison	Policy Advocate, Oregon Food Bank. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT E).
TAPE 61, B
015	Tyra Lynn	Childcare Provider. Testifies in opposition to HB 2624. Explains difficulties in finding childcare on minimum wage.
048	Ramon Ramirez	President, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United) (PCUN). Testifies and submits and summarizes letters from farmworkers in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT F).
The following testimony is translated from Spanish by Hector Villalobos:
077	Jose de Jesus Barajas	Farmworker. Submits and reads prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT G).
The translation of testimony from Spanish concludes.
147	Bob Schaffer	Manager, Noble Mountain Christmas Tree Farm. Testifies in support of HB 2624.
240	Paul Iverson	Farmer, Woodburn. Submits and reads prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT H).
322	Kathy LeCompte	Owner, Brooks Tree Farm. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT I).
TAPE 62, B
008	Phil Olson	Co-owner, Calyx Fruit. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT J).
095	Bill Townshend	Townshend Farms. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT K).
146	Dan Floyd	Oregon Grocery Association. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT L).
211	Jeff Thompson	Policy Analyst and Labor Economist, Oregon Center for Public Policy. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT M).
419	Sen. Tony Corcoran	Senate District 4. States opposition to HB 2624. Expresses support for SB 2. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in support of SB 2 (EXHIBIT N).
TAPE 63, A
013	Rev. Daniel Bryant	Public Policy Advocacy Committee, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT O).
073	Ellen Lowe	Legislative Advocate, Oregon Law Center. Testifies in opposition to HB 2624. Explains legislative history of minimum wage increases in Oregon.
162	Joseph McKinney	President, Oregon Roads. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT P).
191	Andy Saultz	Chief of Staff, Associated Students of Oregon State University; Vice Chair, Oregon Student Association. Submits and summarizes prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT Q).
226	Thomas Riser	Student Senator, Western Oregon University; Red Lobster employee. Testifies in opposition to HB 2624.
The following prepared testimony is submitted for the record without public testimony for HB 2624:
	Brent Searle	Special Assistant to the Director, Oregon Department of Agriculture. Submits prepared testimony in support of HB 2624 (EXHIBIT R).
	Robyn Steely	SEIU Local 49. Submits prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT S).
	Rev. D. Steven Witte	Executive Director, Oregon Farm Worker Ministry. Submits prepared testimony in opposition to HB 2624 (EXHIBIT T).
242	Chair Close	Closes public hearing on HB 2624.
245	Rep. Rosenbaum	Asks if there will another hearing scheduled on HB 2624.
248	Chair Close	States that it has yet to be determined. Adjourns meeting at 10:41 a.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – HB 2624, written testimony, Bill Perry, 27 pp

B – HB 2624, written testimony, Rep. Diane Rosenbaum, 2 pp

C – HB 2624, written testimony, Dan Gardner, 9 pp

D – HB 2624, written testimony, Tim Nesbitt, 5 pp

E – HB 2624, written testimony, Cassandra Garrison, 8 pp

F – HB 2624, written testimony, Ramon Ramirez, 3 pp

G – HB 2624, written testimony, Jose de Jesus Barajas, 1 p

H – HB 2624, written testimony, Paul Iverson, 2 pp

I – HB 2624, written testimony, Kathy LeCompte, 2 pp

J – HB 2624, written testimony, Phil Olson, 1 p

K – HB 2624, written testimony, Bill Townshend, 1 p

L – HB 2624, written testimony, Dan Floyd, 5 pp

M – HB 2624, written testimony, Jeff Thompson, 6 pp

N – HB 2624, written testimony, Sen. Tony Corcoran, 2 pp

O – HB 2624, written testimony, Rev. Daniel Bryant, 2 pp

P – HB 2624, written testimony, Joseph McKinney, 2 pp

Q – HB 2624, written testimony, Andy Saultz, 1 p

R – HB 2624, written testimony, Brent Searle, 4 pp

S – HB 2624, written testimony, Robyn Steely, 1 p

T – HB 2624, written testimony, Rev. D. Steven Witte, 1 p