SENATE COMMITTEE ON GENERAL GOVERNMENT

March 10, 2003 Hearing Room B

3:00 p.m. Tapes 19-20

MEMBERS PRESENT: Sen. Tony Corcoran, Chair

Sen. John Minnis, Vice-Chair

Sen. Bruce Starr

Sen. Vicki Walker

STAFF PRESENT: Mark Ellsworth, Committee Administrator

Heather Gravelle, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD: SB 354 – Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 566 – Public Hearing and Work Session

HB 2317 – Public Hearing and Work Session

SB 830 – 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 19, A
005	Chair Corcoran	Calls meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. Opens public hearing on SB 354 and SB 566.
SB 354 and SB 566 – PUBLIC HEARING
010	Mark Ellsworth	Committee Administrator. Provides overview of SB 354 and SB 566.
028	Sen. Jason Atkinson	District 2. Testifies in support of both SB 354 and SB 566. Provides visual aids for SB 354 (EXHIBIT A).
045	Sen. Atkinson	Elaborates on SB 354 and expresses the need for construction of permanent toilet facilities on the Capitol Mall area.
070	Sen. Atkinson	Testifies in support of SB 566. Explains the need for skylights above the stairwells. Provides examples and history.
100	Chair Corcoran	Clarifies the intent of both SB 354 and SB 566. States the Capitol is the people’s building and it hasn’t been maintained.
120	Sen. Walker	Inquires how a toilet can be defined as a work of art to qualify under the cultural trust.
150	Sen. Atkinson	States the brass on the stairwells and the skylights are the works of art, not the toilets. States as a receptacle that all Oregonians are supposed to share, which is the intent of the cultural trust, the mall area does qualify.
165	Chair Corcoran	Closes public hearing on SB 354 and SB 566. Opens work session on SB 354.
SB 354 - WORK SESSION
175	Sen. Walker	MOTION: Moves SB 354 as amended to ways and means with a DO PASS recommendation.
		VOTE: 4-0
180	Chair Corcoran	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED. SEN. ATKINSON will lead discussion on the floor.
185	Chair Corcoran	Closes work session on SB 354. Opens work session on SB 566.
SB 566 – WORK SESSION
190	Sen. Walker	MOTION: Moves SB 566 as amended to ways and means with a DO PASS recommendation.
		VOTE: 4-0
194	Chair Corcoran	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED. SEN. ATKINSON will lead discussion on the floor.
195	Chair Corcoran	Closes work session on SB 354 and SB 566. Opens public hearing on HB 2317.
HB 2317 – PUBLIC HEARING
200	Mark Ellsworth	Committee Administrator. Provides overview of HB 2317.
225	Laurie Warner	Facilities Division Administrator, Department of Administrative Services. Testifies in opposition of HB 2317 as written, but will support HB 2317 if the amendments are adopted.
235	Chair Corcoran	Closes public hearing on HB 2317. Opens work session on HB 2317.
HB 2317 – WORK SESSION
260	Sen. Walker	MOTION: Moves adoption of the -1 amendments to HB 2317.
		VOTE: 4-0
265	Chair Corcoran	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED.
270	Sen. Walker	MOTION: Moves HB 2317 as amended to floor with a DO PASS recommendation
		VOTE: 4-0
275	Chair Corcoran	Hearing no objection, declares the motion CARRIED. SEN. CORCORAN will lead discussion on the floor.
280	Chair Corcoran	Closes work session on HB 2317. Opens public hearing on SB 830.
SB 830 – PUBLIC HEARING
285	Mark Ellsworth	Committee Administrator. Provides overview of SB 830.
295	Sen. Vicki Walker	District 7. Testifies in support of SB 830. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT B). Presents history of SB 830.
300	Sen. Walker	States the goal of SB 830 is to track the disposition of greyhound dogs. SB 830 is modeled after a similar bill in the state of Massachusetts, which passed in 2001.
325	Penny Troolin	Oregon Defenders of Greyhound. Testifies in support of SB 830 Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT C).
340	Troolin	Explains that Oregonians have a legitimate interest in monitoring the welfare of racing greyhounds. Adds there is no record of many dogs, which is a concern.
350	Troolin	Explains the need for a state law, as we cannot depend upon rules. Adds there is a clear precedent for this bill. Conveys eight other states require record keeping, Oregon is only state west of Mississippi who does not require this type of record keeping. States there is no fiscal impact.
TAPE 20, A
005	Connie Theil	Oregon Defenders of Greyhounds. Testifies in support of SB 830. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT D).
035	Theil	Explains they want standardized record keeping of what happens to the greyhound dogs. Adds there has been a big outbreak of diseases such as distemper, and this needs to be tracked as well.
040	Sen. Starr	Seeks clarification as to what is happening to the dogs.
045	Troolin	Indicates they have no idea what is happening to the dogs after racing season is over.
065	Sen. Star	Asks if the goal is to close the loophole in the public records law.
085	Troolin	Indicates public records law allows the agency who is the custodian of the records, to make the determination as to who to exempt the disclosure of those records. Articulates the goal is to close this specific loophole in the public records law.
130	Chair Corcoran	Asks how many dogs get adopted at the end of the racing season.
135	Theil	Expresses Oregon has a good adoption program. Approximates 250-300 dogs get adopted at the end of racing season.
145	Steven Walters	Chair, Oregon Racing commission. Testifies in opposition of SB 830. States the bill is not necessary. Explains the Oregon Racing Commission has rules, which require kennel owners to submit disposition reports on every greyhound that races at Multnomah Greyhound Park.
225	Walters	Explains the process of public records requests. Adds they will make the records available to the general public. Advises there are specific exemptions.
270	Chair Corcoran	Asks what the commission utilizes the information for.
275	Walters	Discloses to keep track of the dogs; if they have been adopted, or put down. Clarifies Oregon has a no kill law, unless authorized by a veterinarian. Adds their records also accounts for how many dogs were put down by veterinarian recommendation.
335	Sen. Starr	Inquires how long records are kept.
340	Walters	Indicates records are kept as according to the public records act.
TAPE 19, B
005	Sen. Walker	Asks if there is a specific form created to fill out when tracking the dogs.
010	Walters	Indicates there is a form created for tracking purposes.
015	Sen. Walker	Inquires who is responsible to fill out the form.
020	Walters	States the kennel owner fills out the form.
025	Sen. Walker	Asks what the disciplinary action is if the form is filled out incorrectly or with false information.
030	Walters	States disciplinary action is taken against the kennel owner’s license, which would take away any racing rights in Oregon or any other state for two years.
090	Sen. Walker	Inquires if someone lost their license could they reapply after a specific period.
100	Walters	Answers yes, they would be eligible to reapply, but doesn’t necessarily mean they would be approved.
180	Larry Campbell	Magna Entertainment, Multnomah Greyhound Park. Testifies in opposition of SB 830. Provides written testimony (EXHIBIT E).
200	Campbell	Clarifies position. States the bill is redundant. Reiterates confirmation is made to verify the location of the greyhounds after the racing season. Adds the Multnomah Greyhound Park is committed to ensuring the tracking of dogs is complete.
300	Paul Romaine	Attorney, Oregon Greyhound Association. Testifies in opposition of SB 830. Emphasizes the reason commission’s exist is to provide flexibility in regulations to allow for changes as needed. Adds Oregon does not have any problems with tracking the disposition of greyhounds after racing season.
370	Chair Corcoran	States the proponents of SB 830 has a genuine concern for the greyhounds. Adds there should be some way to share the data to interested parties in a non onerous way. Requests both sides to work together to ensure this happens.
390	Walters	Offers to make available examples of the disposition reports and injury reports.
400	Chair Corcoran	Closes public hearing on SB 830. Adjourns the meeting at 5:00 p.m.

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – SB 354, visual aids, Sen. Jason Atkinson, 6 pp

B – 830, written testimony, Sen. Vicki L. Walker, 1 p

C – SB 830, written testimony, Penny Troolin, 1 p

D – SB 830, written testimony, Connie Theil, 1 p

E – SB 830, written testimony, Larry Campbell, 3 pp