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Patridge bills include family care of infants By Dani Dodge Rep. Rob Patridge introduced 29 bills last week, ranging from child-care issues to a reading program to doubling up on prison bunk beds. "I think I�ve introduced about 40 bills," said Patridge, R-Medford. "About average for a member." Monday was the deadline for introduction of new legislation in Salem. More than 2,000 bills have been introduced in the Oregon House of Representatives and more than 4,000 were drafted. Patridge said he will push hardest to pass legislation that will toughen penalties against adults who inject minors with illegal drugs � a bill he introduced last week. But he�s also going to be working on child care measures and a new reading program. Among the bills Patridge introduced on Monday are: HB 3352: Makes sure that kids without books in their homes get some by establishing the Spread the Word Program in public schools, based on a similar program in Massachusetts. It adds one question to standardized tests that kids take in third-, fifth- and seventh-grade. The question asks if the child has reading materials at home. If they don�t, the state helps coordinate the donation of books to the child. HB 3444: Establishes an At-Home Infant Care Program that redirects money from low-income child-care assistance programs to low-income families who choose to raise an infant at home. "I believe bonding with your child between zero and 3 is important," Patridge said. "This bill says �We�ll give you 75 percent of what you would have gotten for child-care assistance if you are staying home with your kid.� " HB 353: Creates an Interim Task Force on Health Care Personnel to study the shortage of health care workers. The task force, made up of health care professionals and legislators, will report on solutions to the shortage in the next legislative session. HB 3903: Requires the Department of Corrections to maximize prison beds by "hot-bunking." This pilot program would involve at least 50 inmates who share bunks by working opposite shifts. It is intended to reduce the housing cost per inmate and the need to build more prisons. HB 3199: Creates an emergency fund to stabilize the state budget, which would only be accessible with a two-thirds approval of the legislative body. HB 3129: Extends civil immunity for the owner of a firearm if that firearm was taken without permission or stolen from the owner and used to cause injury. HB 3357: Allows overdue child support to be taken out of bail money posted by deadbeat parents immediately upon deposit with the court. Reach reporter Dani Dodge at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.