February 2, 2023 3:00 a.m.

Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp of Bend has introduced legislation that would ban taxpayer funded out-of-state travel reimbursements for state workers.

A release from Knopp’s office said in August of 2022, Willamette Week published a story which highlighted a Department of Administrative Services police allowing state employees to work remotely while living in states with no income tax, and having their travel reimbursed by taxpayers.  Knopp said the policy states that “employees who work under the full-time work remote model must be reimbursed by the agency for travel to and from a central workplace”. The Willamette Week story is linked: https://www.wweek.com/news/2022/08/17/new-state-policy-allows-senior-oregon-lottery-managers-to-live-in-sun-belt-states-with-no-income-taxes/

In response, Knopp introduced SB 853: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB853

Knopp said, “Last summer, I heard from taxpayers and state employees alike who were outraged at the practice of reimbursing travel for out-of-state, highly-paid government workers to be flown back to Oregon to do their job at taxpayer expense. It is a fundamental equity issue. Most local state employees don’t get paid to commute to work.

Knopp said he is thankful to have 29 Senate co-sponsors and impressive bipartisan support in the House: This legislation is part of the Oregon Senate Republican’s Equitable Oregon Agenda, which is linked: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/senaterepublicans/mediakit/EQUITABLE%20OREGON%202023%20Agenda.pdf