Oregon legislators are a bit stumped by the budget realities facing them.
State income is up, but preserving state services at current levels over the next two-year budget period will take nearly two billion dollars more than the state expects to take in.
One major culprit: increased payments to retired worker pensions through the PERS system.
Budget writers are taking the show on the road, asking for input in meetings across Oregon. Ashland gets one on Friday, February 24th; Eugene gets a meeting the next day. The state senate's top budget writer, Sen. Richard Devlin, lays out the process.
