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Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2007

Senate votes 75-22 to approve Wyden “county payments” plan

On Wednesday, the US Senate approved the $5 billion county payments plan proposed by Senator Ron Wyden.  The plan was the direct result of negotiations between Senator Wyden, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), and Senate Energy & Commerce Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-NM).

The proposal, formally known as the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act, was added to the 2007 emergency supplemental funding package.

Over $1 billion in funding will go to Oregon's local governments, ensuring that schools, libraries, and county governments stay open - and law enforcement efforts continue apace.  

From the Roseburg News-Review:

“Without this amendment, there is a real possibility that small counties in the West will fall off a cliff into the Pacific Ocean,” Wyden, D-Portland, told his colleagues from the floor of the Senate Tuesday.

To learn more about county payments, check out our easy-to-understand primer.