The candidate for Oregon Secretary of State released proposed reforms yesterday to help get Oregon’s economy growing and assist the state’s small businesses. Buehler presented his proposal at PLi Industries, a small business located in Hillsboro, Oregon.
“Getting Oregonians back to work should be the top priority for every elected official in Oregon,” Buehler says. “To that end, as Secretary of State, I’ll turn the Corporation Division into a navigator for Oregon’s small businesses, helping them work through the rules, regulations and red tape of state government. I’ll require agency’s to review their administrative rules and I’ll be the leading advocate for reform of the Public Employee Retirement System.”
Job Growth & Regulatory Reform
As Secretary of State, Knute Buehler says his goal is to make Oregon a top ten state for small business owners. To achieve this ambitious goal, he will transform the Corporation Division, enforce the five-year review of administrative rules, and work to reform the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS).
1. Create a Small Business Navigator
Buehler says he will make the Corporation Division a hub for business development in Oregon instead of just a place to register your business and business name. He will reorganize the Corporation Division to create a Small Business Navigator within the Secretary of State’s allotted staffing budget.
The Navigator will:
● Ensure each state agency has an accessible and easy to use process for small businesses to comment on rules, regulations, fees, fines, and enforcement;
● Ensure each state agency has an accountable process for reviewing these comments and responding to them;
● Create an appeals process within the Corporation Division for small businesses unsatisfied with the agency review;
● Instill a culture of problem solving to enable and support small business in complying with rules and regulations;
● Assess the performance of state agencies in supporting small business;
● Present an annual Agency Report Card to the Oregon Legislature rating each
agency’s responsiveness, including timeliness, quality, and assistance with
compliance.
2. Enforce the Five-Year Administrative Rule Review
Buehler plans to ensure the required five-year review of administrative rules is enforced. ORS 183.405 requires agencies to review administrative rules no later than five years after their adoption. This review was designed to determine whether the rule had its intended effect, the actual fiscal impact, whether subsequent law changes require repeal or amendment of the rule, and whether the rule is even needed any longer. These reviews are not being done today.
3. Reform Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System
Government at all levels is being forced to divert more money from services like education, public safety and infrastructure to cover the ballooning costs of Public Employee Retirement System. The knee-jerk reaction is to raise taxes to cover these costs or make drastic cuts to services. Both are bad for economic recovery. “Until PERS is reformed, we cannot have a legitimate discussion of tax reform. Oregon needs a statewide elected official to lead the review and reform of the (PERS),” says Buehler.
Buehler added that current Secretary of State Kate Brown’s record shows no advocacy with state agencies. He said that as head of the Corporation Division, Brown has not enacted any meaningful policy reforms aimed at assisting Oregon’s small businesses.
“As Secretary of State, Brown has done nothing to enforce ORS 183.405, despite supporting HB 3238 as a legislator in 2005.
In her 20 years as a politician, Kate Brown has opposed major reforms to PERS.
– 1995: Opposed HB 2476 which created Tier 2 and raised the retirement age;
– 1999: Opposed SB 722 which scaled back pensions for future public employees and would save an estimated $4.8 billion over 30 years;
– 2003: Opposed HB 2003, the major reform bill that session, which had an estimated savings of $1.35 billion. This bill was supported by a diverse group including the City of Eugene, Portland Business Alliance, Associated Oregon Industries, and League of Oregon Cities, to name just a few.”
Knute Buehler is a business owner and physician in Bend who has helped build and manage a clinic that employs 170 Oregonians. An active civic leader, he serves on the boards of the Ford Family Foundation and the St. Charles Medical Center. He has worked for years on multiple initiatives to reform state election laws, and is the Republican nominee for Oregon Secretary of State. Knute lives in Bend with his wife Patty, and children Owen and Hannah.
Knute Buehler for Secretary of State
1863 Pioneer Parkway East
Suite 610
Springfield, OR 97477
541-915-3322
For more information, please contact Kevin Curry at kcurry@buehler2012.com or 503-805-6016.
