HOUSE COMMITTEE ON TRADE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
March 19, 2003 Hearing Room D
1:00 PM Tapes
30 - 31
MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Patti Smith, Chair
Rep. Vicki Berger, Vice-Chair
Rep. Mary Gallegos, Vice-Chair
Rep. Mark Hass
Rep. Dave Hunt
Rep. Steve March
Rep. Dennis Richardson
STAFF PRESENT: Kimberly
A. Medford, Committee Administrator
Linda K. Gatto, Committee Assistant
MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: Informational Meeting
International Trade Day Presentation
HB 2300 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 30, A |
||
|
003 |
Chair Smith |
Calls the meeting to order at 1:12 p.m. and opens
the informational meeting. |
|
INFORMATIONAL
MEETING |
||
|
020 |
Rep. Hunt |
Introduces the presentation panel for International
Trade Day. |
|
035 |
Gary Neal |
Port of Morrow, General Manager. Provides insight on
the process of international trade.
(EXHIBIT A) |
|
082 |
Bruce Holte |
International Longshore and Warehouse Union,
President. Provides testimony on the need for channel deepening funding. (EXHIBIT B) |
|
155 |
Rep. March |
Comments on the importance of this issue. |
|
167 |
Pete Williamson |
Executive Director, Port of St. Helens. States that
they are in the industrial recruitment business. |
|
203 |
Williamson |
Discusses the Oregon Business Council Plan and the
Governor’s Grow Plan Executive Orders 1 and 2. |
|
223 |
Williamson |
Comments on the permitting and land use processes
that inhibit private industry. |
|
245 |
Williamson |
Comments on how ports can help create jobs for the
private sector but that programs are needed to assist them. |
|
260 |
Jonathan Schlueter |
Pacific NW Grain and Feed Association. Provides an
overview of who is represented by the Association. States challenges in
maintaining efficiency and improvements necessary to keep that volume of
grain moving and the ability to offer products to international markets. (EXHIBIT C) |
|
323 |
Schlueter |
Continues to testify. Discusses dredging the
Columbia River. |
|
354 |
Rep. Richardson |
Comments on the cost of dredging being shared by the
private sector. |
|
373 |
Rep. March |
Inquires about the depth of the Columbia Estuary
area. |
|
381 |
Schlueter |
Responds that it is currently 40 feet. |
|
381 |
Rep. Gallegos |
Asks how many jobs would be created if the dredging
was done. |
|
385 |
Schlueter |
Responds that he has seen the numbers and offers to
provide that information at a later date. |
|
TAPE 31, A |
||
|
003 |
Bob Applegate |
Senior Manager, Government and Media Relations -
Port of Portland. Testifies in support of HB 2267, Oregon Tourism Investment
Proposal. |
|
059 |
Rep. Richardson |
Asks if the provision in this bill is saying that in
the future cities will be pre-empted from adding any tourism tax or lodging
tax unless it is being used solely for tourism. |
|
072 |
Applegate |
Responds that the bill grandfathers existing rules
and allows cities to raise revenue on hotel/motel taxes and asks that those
taxes be dedicated to the promotion of tourism. |
|
085 |
Rep. Berger |
Requests information on how imports relate to our
exports and what the legislature may do to strengthen that sector. |
|
090 |
Applegate |
Comments that the issue is that steamship lines
carry containers for profit. Elaborates. Recommends:
|
|
142 |
Walter Evans |
Pacific Northwest International Trade Association.
Discusses several points on what the channel project means. (EXHIBIT
D). Comments that Oregon as a
state is dependent on the trade with Asia. |
|
229 |
Chair Smith |
Comments on the air-shed classification in the
Gorge. |
|
237 |
Evans |
Responds that barging is less damaging to the
environment than rail or truck and has the capacity of 35 rail cars. |
|
293 |
Rep. Berger |
Comments on transportation and highway systems being
sound. |
|
318 |
Larry Paulson |
Port of Vancouver, Washington – Executive
Director. Clarifies that the
container facilities, the ports, on the Washington state side are connected
with Oregon. States that Governor Locke is committed to the channel deepening
project. |
|
TAPE 30, B |
||
|
005 |
Chair Smith |
Closes the public hearing and opens the public
hearing on HB 2300. |
|
HB 2300
PUBLIC HEARING |
||
|
010 |
Mike Burton |
Oregon Economic and Community Development
Department, (OECDD). Begins on page 17, Section 30 of HB 2300 and provides information
on the cap of investment. |
|
081 |
Rep. Berger |
Asks if there is an amendment referring to this/ |
|
085 |
Burton |
Responds noting the change of removing “and” and
replacing it with “or”, (EXHIBIT E). |
|
087 |
Rep. March |
Asks about where distressed is defined. |
|
090 |
Burton |
Continues testimony refers to page 42, Section 23
and discusses vertical housing tax abetment programs. Explains that three have been approved, two are in Grants Pass. Comments on concerns with the data
available from the Employment Department.
Continues with Section 44, page 26 explaining the sunset extension on
market fund transfers. |
|
141 |
Burton |
Summarizes policy issues:
|
|
185 |
Ginny Lang |
QWEST. Reviews HB 2300-5 amendments (EXHIBIT F). |
|
224 |
Chair Smith |
Closes the public hearing and adjourns the meeting
at 2:40 p.m. |
EXHIBIT
SUMMARY
A
– Informational material, Columbia River Channel Coalition, 5 pp
B
– Informational correspondence, Bruce Holte, 4 pp
C
– Informational news article, Jonathan Schlueter, 2 pp
D
– Informational PNITA, Walt Evans, 19 pp
E
– HB 2300-4 amendments dated 3/17/03, staff, 13 pp
F
– HB 2300-5 amendments dated 3/17/03, Ginny Lang, 1 p