By SCOTT JORGENSEN

SALEM, Ore.- Two days after Oregon’s latest revenue forecast showed the state down an additional $35 million, the legislature’s Ways and Means Committee met to consider a key bill intended to transform the way health care services are delivered.

A work session was held during the Friday meeting regarding Senate Bill 1580. The bill, if passed, would provide legislative approval of Oregon Health Authority proposals for coordinated care organizations.

Legislators considered a series of amendments offered to SB 1580, with much of the debate characterized by sharp partisan divides on health care issues.

Very early on in the work session, several legislators expressed reluctance to decide such complicated issues so quickly. State Senator Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, said that doing so was “unfair” to legislators, who have to go back to their districts and explain those votes to their constituents.

That sentiment was echoed by State Representative Greg Smith, R-Heppner.

“I am very uneasy with this process right now,” Smith said.

Following a brief recess, Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls, attempted to move amendments regarding tort reform, saying that liability issues must be addressed.

Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton, a dentist, said that performing his practice in Canada familiarized him with that nation’s health care system.

Girod said that health care reform in Canada included medical malpractice measures and predicted bankruptcy for Oregon’s system if it is enacted without cost containment components.

Whitsett’s motion was put up to a vote and failed in the face of near-unanimous opposition from the Democrats on the committee. Representatives Mary Nolan, D-Portland, Peter Buckley, D-Ashland, Betty Komp, D-Woodburn, Tobias Read, D-Beaverton, Jean Cowan, D-Newport, Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, and Terry Beyer, D-Springfield, voted against the amendments, along with senators Alan Bates, D-Ashland, Rod Monroe, D-Portland, Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, and Chris Edwards, D-Eugene.

Breaking ranks with her fellow Democrats to vote for the amendment was Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose.

Rep. Dennis Richardson, D-Central Point, co-chair of the committee, stated that there have been many challenges for the state’s budget and that they have been dealt with in “increments.”

Around $650 million in assumed money is in the budget, Richardson said, including $239 million in anticipated savings from the health care transformation efforts.

Girod blasted those savings as being “hypothetical.”

Devlin said other states face similar budgetary challenges. He said appropriations committee chairs from around the country have told him they are dealing with growing Medicaid costs, which are busting budgets and displacing other services.

However, Devlin said, Oregon is leading the nation in its efforts to transform health care delivery systems. The state won’t receive $500 million in federal money to help pay for the transformation process if legislators do not pass SB 1580, Devlin said.

Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, stated that none of the legislators had seen any documentation from the Obama administration that the $500 million in question actually exists.

Bates acknowledged that although Oregon lawmakers “don’t have absolute assurance” that the federal money will be there, he was confident that it would become available prior to November’s presidential election.

Describing SB 1580 as a “landmark piece of legislation,” Bates said that he and his colleagues “need to pass it out now.”

A vote was taken on SB 1580, and it passed with several Republicans joining Democrats in supporting it. Negative votes were cast by Winters, Whitsett,            Sen. David Nelson, R-Pendleton, Rep. Jim Thompson, R-Dallas, Rep. Gene Whisnant, R-Sunriver, and Girod.

Girod took the added step of voting “hell, no” on the bill. That was immediately followed by a “hell, yes” vote from Edwards.

Johnson stated that although she voted for the bill, she reserved the right to vote against it on the Senate floor. Similarly, Whisnant said that his “no” vote could turn into a “yes” vote when SB 1580 reaches the House.

Committee members also voted to accept a series of reports from the state Department of Administrative Services. The reports included plans to reduce administration in the executive branch by 10 percent, conduct internal audits at the agencies and turn in underused state vehicles for reassignment.