Now it’s up to the Governer to sign the bill, hottly contested by Republicans, that will issue $5 million to start the Oregon Educators Benefit Board, a State wide health insurance pool for Educators.
From the Oregonian Blog:
The issue has been one of the most politically divisive this session, with Republicans charging that Democrats fast-tracked a flawed plan at the request of the state’s largest teachers union. In a floor speech lasting nearly 13 minutes, Republican Rep. Susan Morgan of Myrtle Creek said supporters refused to take a modest time-out to calculate the fiscal effects of a proposal opposed by many school budget analysts.
Democratic supporters say the plan will save the state money by creating a powerful bargaining unit to negotiate with insurance companies. Right now, school districts pick their own plans with several offering one by the Oregon School Boards Association, which opposed the bill.
Sapien Games 