Westlund takes reins of budget

The Bulletin's Legislative Coverage
February 11, 2001
By James Sinks

SALEM — On what was one of the biggest days of his political career, a grinning Rep. Ben Westlund strode into the governor’s office on Jan. 31 with a copy of his proposed version of the state budget.

It was a moment to savor.

From his first session in the Oregon Legislature in 1997, the Tumalo Republican was a likely candidate to lead the budget-drafting Joint Ways and Means Committee. Now that he has the job in his third and final term in the House, his first notable task was to come up with a budget blueprint, along with his counterpart in the Senate, longtime Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland.

But when Westlund arrived at the governor’s office to deliver it, incredulous staffers wondered what he was really up to.

After all, the 1999 co-chairs’ budget was kept under wraps as part of a partisan squabble until the session was five months old. And even in more typical sessions, the proposal wasn’t finished until late February at the earliest. They didn’t expect it so soon.

Westlund smiled. Actually, he said, he was selling Girl Scout cookies for his daughter — but then handed over a copy of the completed budget.
The governor still bought two boxes — Do-si-dos and Tre Foils.

The light-hearted exchange was a departure from the curt relationship of recent sessions between the governor and Republican legislative leaders, and reflects the less partisan mood at the Capitol this year. Helping to set that tone is the 51 year old agri-businessman, who’s earned a reputation as part budget hawk, part class clown, part workaholic and part political bridge-builder.

“If you want to be successful in this process, you need to make friends and you need to be approachable,” said Westlund.
“We are still going to have our disagreements, but we can do it civilly.”

But at least so far this year, disagreements have been hard to find. Even when the co-chairs unveiled their proposals to Democrats, the reaction was generally positive.
“In past sessions, there hasn’t been that kind of atmosphere here at all and I think Ben is a clear refection of that,” said Steve Marks, the governor’s senior policy adviser.
And Westlund is clearly enjoying his prominent role — one that allows him to protect Central Oregon priorities like a proposed university branch campus in Bend.

Until now, Westlund has labored behind the scenes, checking the tire pressure and the oil and topping off the radiator to make sure the budget process moves smoothly. But this year, he’s driving the budget bus, he said. “This is what I’ve been waiting to do.”

Still, given the financial outlook, it could be a rocky trip. Analysts say the state is more than $700 million short of what’s needed to maintain existing services at their current levels when the next two-year budget cycle begins on July 1.

And that means several worthy state-funded programs could be scaled back or eliminated. “Part of the job is carrying bad news to a lot of people,” he said. “That makes the demeanor a little more somber.”

Don’t expect the talkative Westlund to be dour, however.

He still earns his reputation as a good-natured prankster, pointing to the roll of crime scene tape on his desk. Soon, state Treasurer Randall Edwards will find his oil-spotted parking spot roped off and declared a hazardous waste site — payback for an offhand remark that Westlund’s GMC Yukon is a “gas-guzzler.”
But he’s also getting his share of ribbing.

Two Democrats are poking fun at his steadfast support of the proposed branch campus, announcing on the House floor this week that nominations are open to name the mascot of the “University of Westlund.”

Rep. Kurt Schrader, D-Canby, who has served with Westlund on several Ways and Means panels, said the co-chair is an example for lawmakers of both parties because he’s accessible and easygoing and yet is masterful in what many find to be an arcane process.

“He takes his job seriously but he doesn’t always take himself seriously,” Schrader said. “Of course, he can get a little imperious at times, but that’s part of his charm.”
Now that the co-chairs’ budget is finished, Westlund is back in his office, where spreadsheets cover his desk and constituents and lobbyists are lining up to ask for help on bills or for dollars for particular programs.

Former Sen. Neil Bryant, R-Bend, who served with Westlund in 1997 and 1999, said the lawmaker has grown into his role as budget chief. In past sessions, a legislator might wait several terms before getting a seat on the committee.

“Because of term limits, you have to bring people into the Ways and Means process immediately and Ben had an aptitude for it,” Bryant said. “He understands the budget and he’s pretty good at it.”

In his third session on the budget committee, Westlund has paid his dues. After being groomed by senior Republicans, he was in line to become co-chairman in 1999. But he lost the leadership post when his political ally and fellow moderate Lynn Lundquist was defeated for speaker of the House.

The conservative new speaker, Lynn Snodgrass, chose Leslie Lewis, R-Newberg, to head the committee, but Westlund played a major role in the budget details.

The 20-member Ways and Means Committee is unusual in that it is the only permanent joint committee, with nine representatives and nine senators, plus a co-chairman from each chamber. Although the final budgets must be approved by the entire assembly and approved by the governor, the committee enjoys enormous power over the line items.

To draft their budget, Westlund and Hannon spent long days downstairs in the fiscal office of the Capitol combing with fiscal analysts through the governor’s proposed budget line-by-line to come up with their alternate vision.

The co-chairs’ budget, which adds up to about $12.2 billion, reflects the priorities of the House and Senate budget chiefs, Westlund said, and not of the entire Legislature or even Republicans. Similarly, the governor’s budget blueprint, released Dec. 1, only offers an alternative proposal for the Legislature to consider.

When a final budget is approved before the session concludes, it won’t be the same as either of the early drafts — thanks in part to revised revenue forecasts to be released in March and May.

But typically the governor’s and co-chairs’ plans are the jumping-off point for the debate. Because the two budget proposals are remarkably similar this year, the budget process could move quickly.

“They got the co-chairs’ budget out very quickly ... and that’s very good for the process because it provides a clear counterpoint to the governor’s budget and a chance to really look at the issues that separate the governor and the co-chairs and the membership,” Marks said.

Rep. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, said the January release is the soonest anyone at the Capitol can recall.

In a key decision, Westlund and Hannon decided not to reduce the governor’s funding target of $5.2 billion for public schools, meaning the final budget allotment to K-12 education isn’t likely to change.

A vocal opponent of several tax-cutting measures on the November ballot, Westlund said he disagrees with many conservatives who say Oregon government is bloated and wasteful — but he also disagrees with the liberal stance that government should do everything for people.

“I believe in more efficient government, and government does a lot of good things,” he said. “Government is not the enemy.”

In the search for more money, Westlund and Hannon are asking Ways and Means subcommittee members to comb through agency budgets, with the idea that any saved money could help undo projected shortfalls elsewhere. Westlund calls it “looking for efficiencies,” but concedes that lawmakers are unlikely to find tens of millions unless revenue estimates rise sharply.

But the budget isn’t fixed in stone, and Westlund is encouraging lawmakers and the public to debate it. “The important thing is the budget is out in a timely manner and now we can have a fair and open discussion.”