House Democrats Hold Their Own Budget Hearings

Capitol Currents:

The Ways and Means committee is halfway through a series of public hearings on the state budget. Only one of those hearings was in the Portland area. House Democrats, who are trying to drum up support for more funding for schools and seniors, figured a good way to bring more attention to their cause would be to hold additional budget hearings under the glare of the Portland and Eugene media markets. (Having covered the first hearing, I can certainly attest to a lack of television cameras at that event.)The House Democrats' caucus office emailed several advocacy groups this week alerting them to a series of three "town halls." House Democrats Communications Director Geoff Sugerman writes that Democrats "are working very hard at getting press coverage at these events and hope that you are all promoting this as an opportunity for your voices to be heard...whatever your budget message is."The meetings will include a budget presentation by Democratic Representative Peter Buckley, who is the House co-chair of the Ways and Means Committee. And while the meetings are sponsored by the House Democrats, Sugerman adds that Republicans have been invited to attend. Here's a list of the upcoming meetings:BeavertonMonday, May 2nd  7:00pmBeaverton City HallCity Council ChambersEugeneThursday, May 5th7:00pm Lane Community College Forum (Building  17) in Rooms 308 and 309. ClackamasWednesday, May 11th 6:30pmRex Putnam High School auditorium (4950 SE Roethe Rd., Milwaukie, OR 97267-5798).

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