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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 21, 2006 Session kicks in school funding Jackson County schools will reap $2 million more in school support; Medford alone will receive about $900,000 By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Oregon lawmakers breezed through the state’s shortest special session in history Thursday, signing off on more money for health services and schools. "We got the job done, and we did a good job doing it," said state Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland. "A week and a half ago, people outside and inside had no confidence in our ability to control ourselves and stick to the issues." Of the $42 million approved for education from lottery dollars, Jackson County schools will receive almost $2 million in extra revenue. Medford schools alone will get more than $900,000. In the six-hour session, legislators approved $136 million to the state Department of Human Services to plug a funding gap. They passed other bills that crack down on so-called payday loans and gave Portland the green light for a property tax levy for schools. Sen. Jason Atkinson said he was particularly excited about the passage of a bill that would deal harsher sentences to sexual predators who prey on children younger than 12. Advertisement "We’ve wanted to get that through," said the Central Point Republican, who had been disappointed the bill wasn’t passed during the last legislative session. Atkinson voted against the Portland schools and health services bills. A veteran of six special sessions, Atkinson said he was relieved legislators got the job done quickly. "During the last special sessions I wanted to turn the air conditioning off so the pressure would build and we’d get things done," he said. Rep. Sal Esquivel said, "I was hoping for this kind of day. I told the leadership this better not be a long, drawn-out thing." Esquivel joined with Reps. George Gilman, R-Medford, and Dennis Richardson, R-Central Point, in voting against a payday loan bill, which limits interest rates to 36 percent per year. "It is a flawed bill," said Esquivel, a Medford Republican. "We’ve got enough bad laws without adding to them." Supporters of the payday loan restrictions say the short-term lenders preyed on the poor by charging rates that had no caps, often running several hundred percent or more depending on the term of the loan. Esquivel and Richardson both said they voted against the bill because lenders wouldn’t be compensated for legal fees or court costs if they were trying to recover on a bad loan. Richardson said there were 750,000 payday loans in Oregon in 2004, but only six complaints. The Central Point Republican said the bill will just force more people to turn to the Internet or pawn shops to get money and could put the loan companies out of business. "I don’t think its appropriate to shut down an industry in a special session," he said. Both Richardson and Gilman voted against the Portland schools bill. Richardson said the bill deprives the property owners in Portland the right to vote on a tax. "The taxation issue ought to be decided by the people going to pay it, not by the state," he said. Rep. Peter Buckley said the payday loan and health services bills both underscore the fact that more Oregon residents are struggling in low-paying jobs. "We have an economic recovery that is creating low-paying jobs," the Ashland Democrat said. "It colored everything we did today. There is just not enough for some people to survive." Buckley said it was remarkable that the session ended as quickly as it did. "If we could operate this way in regular session, they would only last two months," he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail Session kicks in school funding ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy Advertisement s