The Oregon House of Representatives voted 36-20 on March 13 to pass Senate Bill 426, creating the Oregon Educators Benefits Board and a state-run mandatory health insurance pool for k-12 schools and ESDs. Having already passed the Senate, the bill now goes to the governor for signature. 

OSBA and its Health Insurance Trust will be exploring its options to help districts sort out their insurance questions and issues. It is our belief SB 426 will cost more -- not less -- which makes advocating for school funding now our top legislative priority for you.

Much work remains in this arena. For example, some key leaders are hinting the $6.3 billion state appropriation could be out of reach. We are shifting gears by focusing our legislative resources to change this opinion. But on the insurance front, I will be spending considerable time and attention to protect the interests of school districts as the health insurance market changes.

Our legislative staff has been working on a number of bills that impact schools, including monitoring developments on the state school fund. When the Ways and Means co-chairs release their budget in a couple weeks, we will contact you to help with your local legislators. 

In the mean time, please accept our gratitude for the great work you've all done to support the OSBA position on SB 426. 

Kevin McCann