Committee advances county fair funding package; several bills referred to Revenue and Ways and Means

The House Committee on Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade moved a group of county fair and state fair bills through work sessions April 2, advancing several measures to the next legislative stages and recording roll‑call votes.

The committee approved an appropriation of $2,500,000 to the Union County Fair Association for water and sewer improvements at the Union County Fairgrounds (House Bill 2,527). Vice Chair Diehl moved HB 2,527 to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation and prior reference to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. The clerk recorded the roll call: Representative Dobson — Aye; Representative Gliedly — Aye; Representative Osborne — Aye; Representative Scarlato — Aye; Representative Watanabe — Excused; Representative Juncker — Yes; Vice Chair Isidore — Yes; Chair Winn — Excused; Vice Chair Deal — Yes. The motion passed.

The committee then considered House Bill 2,145. The base bill provided funding for a county fair capital construction master plan and removed the annual limit on the county fair account; the dash‑1 amendment removed the appropriation for the master plan and changed the allocation to the county fair account from 1% to 0.9% (nine‑tenths of 1%). The committee adopted the dash‑1 amendment and then moved HB 2,145, as amended, to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation and referral first to the House Committee on Revenue and then to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Clerk roll call for the motion on HB 2,145 recorded: Representative Dawson — Aye; Representative Lively — Aye; Representative Wadsworth — Aye; Representative Scarlato — Aye; Representative Watanabe — Excused; Representative Juncker — Yes; Vice Chair Isidore — Yes; Chair Winn — Excused; Vice Chair Deal — Yes. The motion passed.

House Bill 2,171, which exempts certain small camping sites on county fairgrounds from the state transient lodging tax and permits certified camping sites to have tax withheld for use in operations or promotion, was amended (dash‑1) to add a certification requirement and a rulemaking directive for the certifying agency. The committee adopted the amendment by unanimous consent and moved HB 2,171, as amended, to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation and referral to the House Committee on Revenue. Clerk roll call recorded: Representative Dobson — Aye; Representative Lively — Aye; Representative Osborne — Yes; Representative Smolatos — Aye; Representative Watanabe — Excused; Representative Juncker — Yes; Vice Chair Isidore — Yes; Chair Winn — Excused; Vice Chair Diehl — Yes. The motion passed.

Finally, House Bill 2,304 — which included funding for county fair master planning and an appropriation to the Oregon State Fair and Exposition Center to be used as a regional evacuee center, and which also removed the annual county fair account limit — was amended with a dash‑1 appropriation of $2,500,000 to the Union County Fair Association for water and sewer improvements. The committee adopted the amendment and moved HB 2,304, as amended, to the floor with a due‑pass recommendation and prior reference to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Clerk roll call recorded: Representative Dobson — Aye; Representative Beigley — Aye; Representative Osborne — Yes; Representative Scarlato — Aye; Representative Buontenave — Excused; Representative Juncker — Yes; Vice Chair Isidore — Yes; Chair Winn — Excused; Vice Chair Deal — Yes. The motion passed.

Committee members commented that the package places several paths on similar appropriations to increase the likelihood that Union County receives water and sewer improvements for its fairgrounds; members described Union County as one of the few fairgrounds lacking those services and thanked sponsors and stakeholders for repeated advocacy. Several items carry fiscal or revenue lights and were referred to Revenue or Ways and Means for further review.