Governor Kate Brown Provides Notice of Intended Vetoes

Press Release

Governor Kate Brown today provided notice that she will veto two bills and veto four-line item appropriations passed during the 2017 Legislative Session. Under Article 5, Section 15 of the Oregon Constitution the governor must provide at least five working days' notice before vetoing a bill.

Governor Brown will veto House Bill 3355 , Senate Bill 689 , and four-line item appropriations in House Bill 5006 .

HOUSE BILL 3355
HB 3355 authorizes the State Board of Psychologist Examiners to issue prescriptive authority to licensed psychologists who meets specified requirements.

"Access to appropriate and timely mental health services is a serious issue in Oregon," Governor Brown said. "I share the concerns about inadequate services that arose during the debate on this bill, particularly for children, vulnerable populations, and rural communities. Unfortunately, this is not a proven solution. There remains a lack of evidence that psychologist prescribing will improve access or quality of care. While prescription drugs may be appropriate mental health treatment for some patients, there are also significant health risks with some drug therapies. HB 3355 contains several flaws that prevent the policy from being implemented safely. I'm open to considering this policy in the future, but my concerns regarding services to underserved populations, an insufficient regulatory structure to prevent over-prescribing, and unclear lines of legal responsibility must first be addressed in order for me to consider signing similar legislation."

SENATE BILL 689
SB 689 Re-establishes the Task Force on Re-entry, Employment, and Housing.

"The Task Force on Re-entry, Employment, and Housing is intended to serve the same function as the Governor's Council on Re-entry," Governor Brown said. "Government should operate as efficiently as possible and having two task forces with the same goal is an unnecessary use of public resources and time. I would like to thank Senators Jackie Winters, Lew Fredrick, and Michael Dembrow for collaborating with my office to strengthen the Governor's Council on Re-entry by consolidating the intentions of SB 689 into the council's work."

HOUSE BILL 5006
HB 5006 determines amounts authorized for issuance of general obligation bonds, revenue bonds, certificates of participation and other financing agreements for the 2017-2019 biennium. Governor Brown will veto appropriations outlined in Section 83 for the SW Capitol Highway road project in Portland.

"I'm proud of the multi-billion-dollar transportation package we passed this session and the thousands of jobs it will create," Governor Brown said. "The SW Capitol Highway project is not included in the package that was negotiated in a bipartisan and careful manner. It should receive the same vetting process as other transportation projects and be evaluated on its own merits in future legislative sessions."

Governor Brown will also veto appropriations outlined in Section 4 for the Holly Theater, Harry and David Ballpark, and Bradshaw Drop Irrigation project in Medford.

"The cornerstone of all negotiations whether they occur in a public or private arena, is the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing," Governor Brown said. "I believe that each of these projects should be considered during the 2018 session to be evaluated on their merits."

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