Believe it or not, there have been some silver linings in the chaos since the inauguration. One we’ve both noticed is communities coming together to protect themselves against attacks on our critical programs. No matter where in Oregon you come from or who you once voted for, you’re speaking up and linking arms to protect Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP. You’re rallying behind our kids to improve public education. Now it’s time for us to come together behind an unassuming state bill that can help us support all these priorities and more. We’re talking about House Bill 3659, a proposal to reform the Oregon kicker.

We are Rep. Mark Gamba and Laura Labarre, and we’re writing this together because we believe in the power of kicker reform. HB 3659 came up almost immediately in our first meeting together. Laura is a federal policy professional who volunteers with the PTA Advocacy Committee at her kindergartner’s school in PPS. The school is in Rep. Gamba’s district. We met to discuss the alarming state of education. Rep. Gamba has a solid understanding of Oregon’s broken revenue system. We talked about why Oregon lacks the necessary revenue to fully fund our schools and other services. Rep. Gamba explained that he introduced HB 3659 to reform one part of the broken revenue system: the kicker. Right now, taxpayers get the “kicker” rebate when a prediction made over two years in advance for state revenue is off by even 2%. This mechanism has been bleeding state programs dry for decades. But it is an even graver threat with looming loss of federal grants under the Trump administration.

We know that a third of Oregon’s entire budget comes from federal grants that are now in limbo. These grants fuel systems that quite literally keep us alive. An estimated 34% of all Oregonians use Oregon Health Plan, our Medicaid program the State cofunds with the federal government. A whopping 57% of Oregon’s children depend on this program for their health care. In rural areas, it’s as high as 79%. As the federal government moves to gut Medicaid through a Trump-backed reconciliation package, it’s up to us Oregonians to make sure our kids can still go to the doctor.

We also know we grossly underfund public education in Oregon, and our kids pay the price. Laura shared about her kindergartner’s struggles learning to read in a classroom with 27 other young students and only one (however skilled) educator. Rep. Gamba has heard similar, heartrending stories from all over Oregon. This crisis will have ripple effects for decades as our kids emerge from schools disconnected and robbed of essential learning. Expensive and tragic problems like crime and drug addiction will increase. With federal education dollars quickly disappearing, it’s up to us to secure Oregon’s future.

Together, we’re calling for Oregon to stop purging money from its budget — especially when it goes mostly to folks who need it least.

Even in a flush year like 2023, the kicker for a middle class taxpayer is a drop in the bucket. A filer earning between $58,000 and $105,000 got a $1,500 kicker. That’s not enough to cover one trip to the ER (which Medicaid would cover). It’s certainly not enough for private school if our public schools are failing. That same year, those earning more than $570,000 got a $4,200 kicker! Oregon does not need wealth concentrated even more at the top. We need health care, quality schools, wildfire protection and more.

HB 3659, wouldn’t get rid of the kicker but rather, reform it. Under this proposal, if Oregon’s revenue came in even higher than the economists’ “best case” estimate we all still get rebates. But if the actual income falls below the “best case” estimate, that money goes toward paying down Oregon’s debts (like PERS), freeing up funds for our beleaguered critical programs.

A movement is afoot in Oregon. Communities are uniting to invest in our kids and each other. As a state lawmaker and an Oregon parent, we urge you to contact your legislators and call loudly for the passage of HB 3659. Let’s turn this low-profile tax bill into a catalyst for quality of life in Oregon.

Rep. Mark Gamba represents District 41, including Milwaukie and portions of Southeast Portland. Laura Labarre of Portland is director of communications at the anti-poverty advocacy organization RESULTS.