SALEM, Ore -- As Oregon educators watch Salem to see how education funding will fare in this year's negotiations, they also are keeping one eye on the uncertainty at the federal level.

A 2018 budget from the Trump administration is expected next week and most likely will include large cuts to domestic programs in order to balance the budget. Laurie Wimmer, government relations consultant for Oregon Education Association, said the federal budget won't affect what happens in Oregon classrooms too much, but it could hurt students in other ways - especially those from low-income families.

"We would expect that Oregon would do everything it could to compensate for the loss of those federal dollars,” Wimmer said; "not necessarily in our operational budget so much, but in trying to find a way to plug the holes, such as in student nutrition services."

How Oregon could plug these holes remains a mystery, though. This week, economists forecast Oregonians might receive a $400 million "kicker" when they do their taxes next year because of higher-than-expected revenue, but that won't do much to help the state's budget shortfall, which is around $1.4 billion.

The mystery for funding the state's education budget remains too. OEA supports House Democrats' proposal, which would raise taxes on businesses with sales of more than $5 million in Oregon, bringing in $2 billion for schools and other services over the next biennium. OEA president Hanna Vaandering said schools are under increasing pressure to graduate more students, but can't be expected to achieve higher results without an investment from the state.

"You can't demand things without actually making an investment to get it done,” Vaandering said. "No business could do that. Why does anyone believe that public education could do it?"

Oregon Republicans oppose the Democrats' tax proposal and say the state must rein in its spending.

However, teachers can see the budget crisis in the classrooms every day. Oregon has the third-largest class size in the nation. Springfield High School Spanish teacher Sara Thornton said her large class sizes take a toll on her and the education her students get.

"You teach a class of 25 a lot different than you teach a class of 35,” Thornton said. "You know, behavior management becomes an issue, as far as making as sure that all the kids are engaged and you're including as many as possible."

Oregon's per-student funding ranks 39th in the nation, according to Education Week.


get more stories like this via email

Even in a stable economy, consumers in Wisconsin and elsewhere still express pessimism and advocates said a key federal agency working on issues like unfair business practices cannot risk losing resources needed to help consumers.

To avoid a government shutdown, Congress has to approve a new federal budget by month's end. Over the summer, House Republicans floated cuts in certain areas, including a 27% funding cut for the Federal Trade Commission.

Erin Witte, director of consumer protection for the Consumer Federation of America, said the timing could not be worse for such a move.

"We've seen people talk a lot about feeling like their costs are increased in lots of ways," Witte pointed out. "The FTC's work is really aimed at trying to lower a lot of those costs, to bring some fairness back to the process."

Last month, the agency co-hosted the first meeting of a task force about whether companies are price-gouging and the effect on consumers. GOP leaders on the Appropriations Committee said they want a financial services bill prioritizing combating terrorism-money activity, maintaining the integrity of financial markets and spurring small business growth.

Witte contends the FTC has made progress in standing up for consumers with great efficiency. She pointed to the proposed "click to cancel" rule, which would remove barriers for people worried about recurring charges for an unwanted subscription for a service or product.

"That would make it as easy for someone to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up for it," Witte explained. "That proposal has gotten thousands of comments from consumers about how much time they are wasting on things like unnecessary subscriptions."

The state-level organization Opportunity Wisconsin has also cited concerns about consumer protections being gutted. It called on Congress to pass clean funding bills without extreme provisions it said would "hurt Wisconsin families." It is unclear if any of the budget ideas floated over the past several months will find their way into a final spending plan.

Congress is back from recess and lawmakers are hearing from producers about getting a new Farm Bill passed with the latest deadline looming.

North Dakota farmers were among those who traveled to Washington, D.C., to demand progress. More than two dozen North Dakota Farmers Union members were part of a large contingent getting face-to-face time with federal lawmakers this week.

The Farm Bill, last updated in 2018, needs to be reauthorized by the end of the month or elements of the current version will expire.

Bob Kuylen, a farmer from the western half of the state, said the uncertainty comes as small-to-mid-sized producers face the prospect of dwindling profits.

"Inputs are awful high and we're down there in prices quite a ways," Kuylen pointed out.

A glut of crops and other products on the market are resulting in smaller financial returns for the farmers who grow them. The Union said a stronger safety net in a new Farm Bill could make losses easier to absorb. However, with the fall election approaching and a federal budget also needing a vote, complications are mounting in getting the agricultural policy reauthorized.

The Farm Bill also funds key initiatives to address hunger relief like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Kuylen noted it shows the sweeping policy touches a lot of facets within the food production system, affecting many Americans.

"Eighty-two percent of the Farm Bill is nutrition," Kuylen explained. "Farmers get a very small part of the Farm Bill. You know, it covers things like conservation programs."

The statistic he cited is reported by the Congressional Research Service. Union voices said the urgency comes as farmers also deal with rising machinery costs and corporate consolidation within agriculture. Last fall, Congress approved a one-year extension of the Farm Bill, prompting fears lawmakers would again let negotiations drag on until the last minute.

West Virginia lawmakers will convene for a Special Session on Sept. 30, with the state's child care crisis, proposed income tax cuts and supplemental appropriations on the agenda.

The Mountain State's spending on child care is much lower than neighboring states and has steadily declined over the past decade, according to the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. It is estimated the parents of around 26,000 children currently lack affordable child care options.

Gov. Jim Justice is reiterating his push for child care tax credits.

"Absolutely try to get our tax break across the finish line with child care," Justice urged. "There's supplemental appropriations that need to be done, and we need to get the money out the door."

Previous bills proposing a child care tax credit for households with incomes less than $65,000 a year have stalled in the Legislature. The Biden administration has said the state needs to contribute between $20 million and $30 million to keep a federal subsidy program afloat for the next year, to direct money to child care centers, making costs more affordable for families.

The governor is also proposing another 5% income tax cut.

"We need another tax break," Justice contended. "I'm very, very hopeful and optimistic that we're going to be able to get it through."

According to state data, tax revenue collections for August were lower than expected at around $403 million and down from last August, when $410 million in tax revenue was collected.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Carnegie Corporation of New York.