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AMTA
Oregon Chapter Government Relations Info |
ISSUE ALERT…..CALL TO
ACTION
OBMT SUSPENSION
By Cindy Robert
AMTA-OR Lobbyist
ISSUE BACKGROUND:
Within his May 15, 2009 Portland City Club address,
Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski stated: Some government
functions have to go – at least for the foreseeable
future. Oregon state government can no longer be all
things to all people. That’s why I am asking the
Legislature to suspend a wide variety of agencies,
boards and commissions. These include: The Board of
Occupational Therapy, the Board of Massage Therapists
(OBMT), the Consumer Advisory Council, the Commission
for the Blind, the Board of Licensed Dietitians, and the
Advocacy Commissions – among others.
In June the Governor followed up on these statements by
sending a letter to legislative leaders asking them to
consider consolidation, elimination or suspension of 50
boards, commissions and advisory committees in the
February session. The list includes several
industry-specific boards, including Massage Therapists
and Cosmetology as well as several that oversee specific
social problems or interests, such as the Juvenile Crime
Prevention Advisory Committee. While some may indeed of
outlasted their intended purposes, others are regulating
professions effecting the life, health, safety and/or
welfare of Oregon citizens. Especially in difficult
economic times, Oregonians need assurances that they are
spending dollars on legitimate, high-quality, effective
goods and services.
It has been stated that restructuring state boards and
commissions will save Oregon money. Yet, history shows
that this is not true. Over the last decades, government
has cyclically expanded to reach more citizens and then
contracted to save money, but the saving money part has
never been realized. “Public perception” of streamlining
seems to be the real goal, not saving money.
Restructuring anything costs money up-front and,
certainly, absorption of semi-independent boards into
the state structure will have immediate and long-term
financial burdens for the state.
Less public safety, more money spent….how can that make
sense?
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS:
• To determine who your legislator is go to
http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ This
site will tell you your federal, statewide and local
legislators. It will also provide you with their mail
addresses, phone numbers and email addresses.
• Try making an appointment to see them in person, or
you could mail a letter, call or email using the
following as a template, but NOT as your exact wording
(please do not send form letters to our public
officials).
• Address them appropriately as “Senator” or
“Representative” and be sure to provide them with a
synopsis of the issue and its background – many will not
have heard about it yet.
• Be sure to provide your contact information in case
the have further questions.
TALKING POINTS:
Notice the question at the end of each bullet that you
might consider in order to add your own viewpoint and
experience to your conversations…
Issue #1: How can changes to OBMT save the state any
money when OBMT does not cost the state any money?
• OBMT is one of several semi-independent state boards
outside of the state budgeting process.
• OBMT is self-funding keeping it’s spending within
licensing fee collection.
• The legislative fiscal office has stated that licenses
fees will need to be increased to off-set additional
expenses caused by absorption of semi-independents and
the need for Boards to pay Dept. of Administrative
Services fees.
• Do you think the current funding structure (and
amount) is fair?
Issue #2: Suspending the OBMT will leave the
public unprotected.
• The Board of Massage Therapists regulates the practice
of massage by licensing, establishing continuing
education requirements, promoting education,
administering tests to establish minimum competency to
practice and enforcing professional behavior and
standards.
• There are currently almost 6,000 practitioners within
65 different modalities.
• Legitimate massage therapists may have to compete with
unlicensed, untrained individuals who have the potential
to harm clients.
• A suspended Board will leave room for unscrupulous
activities LMTs have worked so hard to distinguish
themselves from.
• Where have you seen OBMT step in to protect the
public?
If any of these members of legislative leadership are
your elected officials, please let Leah Bowder
(leahbowder@yahoo.com) or Cindy Robert
(zrgroup@aol.com)
know…
Sen. Peter Courtney
Sen. Richard Devlin
Sen. Betsy Johnson
Rep. Dave Hunt
Rep. Mary Nolan
Rep. Peter Buckley
Rep. Nancy Nathanson |
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For
Immediate Release Media Contact:
July 10, 2009 Ron Precht
847-905-1649
AMTA
Views NCBTMB Decision Not in Best Interest of the
Profession
Evanston, IL – The American Massage Therapy Association
(AMTA) is focused on its mission of serving its members,
the future of the profession and the ability of massage
therapists to be successful. There are many elements
needed to support and advance a profession, including
national certification. AMTA is disappointed that the
National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage &
Bodywork (NCBTMB) has announced plans to create an
organization to sell insurance, when its mission is to
define and advance the highest standards in the
profession “through a recognized credentialing program”.
AMTA
believes the announced plan for NCBTMB to create the USA
Massage Resource Alliance (usaMRA) will further erode
the value of NCBTMB certification in the profession and
the ability of certificants to set themselves apart in
the marketplace through higher credentials. We believe
NCBTMB’S recent action is not in the best interest of
the profession or of massage therapists.
“Certification is a core part or cornerstone of a
profession,” says AMTA President Judy Stahl. “That is
why AMTA, responding to the view of our members,
originally created the NCBTMB, has supported its mission
and used its certification as a membership criterion to
join AMTA. For NCBTMB to shift focus to attempt to
compete as a type of membership association selling
liability insurance is counterproductive for the
profession’s advancement.”
AMTA and
its chapters provide the most complete services
available to massage therapists, students and schools.
It will continue to pursue its mission as the largest
national non-profit association created to serve and
advance the profession. AMTA works to advance the
profession through ethics and standards, the promotion
of fair and consistent licensing of massage therapists
in all states, and public education on the benefits of
massage. The association is vibrant, strives to operate
in a forthright manner, is directed by volunteer massage
therapists, provides chapter and local involvement and
offers a variety of continuing education opportunities
for its members, unmatched by any other organization.
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 2009
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
By Cindy Robert
AMTA-OR Lobbyist
Taxes…Taxes…Taxes…A billion dollar session! While the
current biennium shortfall in revenue to achieve a
Constitutionally required balanced budget was filled
with grabs from various pots of money, agency cuts and
federal stimulus dollars, the projected shortfall of
approximately $4 billion in the next biennium led to
revenue raising measures that were passed with the help
of Democrat super-majorities in both the House and
Senate.
READ THE FULL REPORT |
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AMTA-OREGON House of Delegates
The House of Delegates (HOD)
is a representative body of the membership that approves
AMTA position statements, makes recommendations to the
National Board of Directors and hears reports pertinent
to the business of the HOD. The number of Delegates
allotted each Chapter is determined each year according
to National policy. A chapter may not have more than
five (5) delegates. The delegates and alternates are
elected annually at a Chapter meeting and the term of
office is from January 1 - December 31 of the year of
the HOD meeting in which s/he is a representative. The
HOD convenes annually at the National Convention.
Every year anyone can propose an AMTA Position Statement
through the HOD. However, proposals can only be
submitted by delegates. Proposals must be submitted to
delegates by February 1 of each year.
Our 2009 Oregon Chapter Delegates
On
Thursday, September 24, 2009, the House of Delegates
will be convening at the AMTA National Convention in
Orlando, FL. This year there are 2 recommendations and 4
Position Statements to be debated and voted on during
the HOD Meeting.
Four delegates from our OR Chapter will be there. We
would like to encourage the feedback of our members via
email about the recommendations and position statements,
please follow links below
www.amtamassage.org/member/recommendations.html
www.amtamassage.org/member/comment_position_statement2009.html |
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Check back from time to time for
current news updates! |
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