Senate votes 75-22 to approve Wyden “county payments” plan
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Mar 29
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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.
Posted on March 29, 2007.
