Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon lawmakers plan to use about $330 million from the federal stimulus to bail the state out of a budget hole.

Even so, the Legislature will still have to make $360 million in additional cuts to plug a gap before the current fiscal year ends in June.  

Budget writers released a proposal Wednesday that among other things, could mean that many Oregon students will get out of school five days early this year.  

Education advocates immediately called on lawmakers to tap the state’s reserve funds.  But Democratic Senator Margaret Carter says the state went down that path too quickly during the last recession about six years ago.

Margaret Carter: “We had eight consecutive quarters where we went down, down, down, down, down. And this time, what our people are telling us, is that you might want to look very carefully because we are seeing the same pattern, but we think it’s going to be worse.”

Lawmakers plan to send the list of cuts to Governor Ted Kulongoski for his signature by early March.  A spokesman for Kulongoski said the Governor largely agrees with the plan.

Online:

Oregon Legislature’s Budget Rebalance Plan