Oregon Sens. Gordon H. Smith and Ron Wyden visited Eugene on Tuesday to announce plans for bills on hunger and education, which are slated for introduction in the current legislative session.
Visiting Eugene simultaneously by coincidence, the senators made separate appearances and did not speak together.
Smith, a Republican from Eastern Oregon, announced his plan to introduce the State Hunger Assistance in Response to Emergency Act to a crowd of about 30 people at the Food for Lane County warehouse in west Eugene.
“There is no excuse for a state with as big a heart as Oregon to have such a hunger problem,” Smith said.
Surrounded by pallets stacked ceiling-high with banana boxes full of food, Smith reiterated his support for assisting the country’s hungry. His plan directs the money to each state’s Department of Human Resources for needs that “ought to be met.”
“There is abundant room at America’s table for everybody,” he said.
Smith referred to a recent study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on state-by-state hunger-incident averages to emphasize the need for federal aid. According to the study, Oregon residents have the highest per-household hunger rate in the United States, with 5.8 percent of families going hungry at some time.
“The important thing to remember is that there are human faces associated with these statistics,” Smith said.
Smith’s bill would eliminate a requirement that often prevents federal money from going to the 10 states with the highest rates of hunger. The requirement forces states to match government funding for hunger-prevention programs, but states that can’t match the funds don’t receive the federal aid. If Smith’s bill is ratified, the 10 hungriest states would receive federal aid even if they can’t match the funds.
“We’re going to drop the match, give them the money and reach the people,” Smith said. “The money will enable state officials to publicize places where people can come to eat.”
Joining Smith were representatives from local food distribution centers and families that would benefit from the bill.
Marge Williamson, a volunteer with Community Food for Creswell, expressed optimism about Smith’s proposal.
“The spirit around here is that we’re doing work, but we’re having fun doing it,” Williamson said. “The main thing is that we help.”
Sen. Wyden was also in town promoting legislation. He began his visit by touring Applegate Elementary School in Crow, where he introduced an education initiative that would provide extra funding for schools in rural, outlying areas.
The Rural Education Development Initiative would provide $300 million per year for a three-year period to eligible rural school districts nationwide. The legislation is being co-sponsored by both Republican and Democratic senators.
“There is no federal initiative that focuses on rural school districts,” Wyden representative Lisa Markgraf said. “Approximately 46 percent of schools are located in rural districts, but they only receive 22 percent of the education funding.”
To receive these funds, districts would be required to have 15 percent of students come from families below the poverty line. The plan would provide struggling districts with money to improve a range of categories, including technology improvements, academic enrichment programs and professional development for teachers.
Wyden concluded his visit to Eugene at the Eugene Hilton Conference Center, where he spoke on the availability of options for terminally ill patients. Wyden has long been involved with policy regarding options for the terminally ill. In 1998, he formed a working group to determine what role the federal government should play in end-of-life policy.
Smith also attended a Eugene Rotary Luncheon at the Eugene Hilton, where he discussed the reworking of an education bill that he has been collaborating on with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Other topics discussed related to natural resources, including an update on an agreement that he brokered last year regarding the Steens Mountain range.