State budgeting committee takes testimony April 25

The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Ways and Means committee will be meeting on the Klamath Community College campus Friday, April 25 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. They will meet in the commons room of Building 4. Attendance is open to the public.

The 23-member committee focuses on the budget spending and is one of the most influential in the Legislature. It’s subcommittees include capital construction, education, general government, human services, natural resources, public safety,  transportation and economic development.

It will be taking testimony from local government officials, students and ordinary citizens regarding appropriating state money to various projects. KCC President Dr. Roberto Gutierrez, School of Cosmetology Director Stacy Peterson and KCC Associated Student Body President Jacob Gonzales are among those registered to speak to the group about college funding, including capital money for a school of cosmetology building on campus.

Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot and Oregon Child Development Coalition CEO Donalda Dobson will speak about the planned Klamath Early Childcare Learning Center proposed for the campus.

The Ways and Means committee has been traveling the state for the past several weeks taking testimony for budget spending.

Committee members are: Co-chairs Sen. Kate Lieber and Rep. Twana Sanchez; co-vice chairs Sen. Fred Girod, Reps. David Gomberg and Greg Smith; Sens. Dick Anderson, Daniel Bonham, Anthony Broadman, Wlnsvey Campos, Lew Frederick, James Manning Jr., Mike McLane, David Brock Smith, Janeen Sollman, Reps. Ben Bowman, Vikki Breese-Iverson, Jami Cate, Christine Drazan, Paul Evers, Emerson Levy, Mark Owens, Ricki Ruiz and Andrea Valderrama.

On Saturday, April 26, the group will tour Kingsley Air National Guard Base at 8 a.m.; have a roundtable discussion with community leaders at Oregon Institute of Technology with community leaders at 10 a.m.; tour OIT at 11 a.m. with optional tours of Klamath County schools at noon at Shasta Elementary, Stearns Elementary at  1p.m., Mazama High School at 2 p.m. and Henley High School at 3:15 p.m. There will also be an optional ground-breaking ceremony at Klamath Works, 1930 S. Sixth St. at 2 p.m.

The event will be live-streamed as well at:

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/citizen_engagement/Pages/Legislative-Video.aspx

To register to testify:

Ways and Means Joint 2025 Regular Session - Oregon Legislative Information System

To submit written testimony:

Oregon Legislative Information System

For more information about KCC and its programs, visit www.klamathcc.edu.