Now we know why Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has been harping on Congress to send billions more in coronavirus-relief money to states. She is counting on that money to balance our state budget for the next two years.

“We need the federal government to stand up and respond to this moment of crisis,” Brown said Tuesday afternoon during her videoconference announcing her 2021-23 budget recommendations.

For being a concrete document, the budget numbers can be interpreted in different ways. By my calculations, her overall budget proposal depends on more than $30 billion from the feds, a 17% increase from the current two-year budget that ends next July 1. The state’s core operating budget — the general fund and Oregon Lottery-funded programs — is recommended to be $25.9 billion, a 3.2% increase.

Brown’s constant drumbeat for more federal money has seemed odd, because I wondered who her audience was. Most governors and many economists already agree that Americans need renewed infusions of business loans, expanded unemployment benefits and other pandemic relief. Meanwhile, the six Democrats in Oregon’s congressional delegation already are supportive, and Brown’s words are unlikely to sway congressional Republicans or the Trump administration.

Her recommended budget counts on federal money for:

• COVID-19 testing, health services and the Oregon Health Plan;
• Rent forgiveness and mortgage relief;
• Renewed $600 payments in Pandemic Unemployment Insurance;
• Support for families facing new economic stresses due to rising winter COVID-19 cases and resulting business closures;
• Renewal of the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses;
• Child care assistance;
• Expansion of drug courts, rehabilitation programs and criminal justice reforms;
• Aid for schools and universities;
• Flexible funding for local and state governments, and;
• Continued help for Oregon’s wildfire-impacted communities.

Seeking equity in Oregon: Throughout 2020, Brown has emphasized equity in health care, education, economic opportunity and other areas. Her budget continues that focus, including $280 million quickly put together for programs sought by her Racial Justice Council.

“I believe the first step to creating opportunity is in recognizing that racism is endemic to our systems, impacting every part of our culture and our economy.

“Every difficult turn of this past year has only proven this point, further exacerbating existing disparities for Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American and Tribal communities,” Brown said.

“This budget delivers on decisive investments to begin the process of recognizing and undoing systemic racism in Oregon.”

Silence is not golden: The Legislature actually writes the state budget, and it’s always a question as to how much attention lawmakers will pay to a governor’s priorities.

It’s intriguing that neither of the presiding officers — Senate President Peter Courtney of Salem and House Speaker Tina Kotek of Portland, both Democrats — issued press releases on Tuesday to praise or even note Democrat Brown’s proposal.

The minority Republicans did speak out.

Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod of Lyons: “Governor Kate Brown’s proposal is a ship without a rudder. She panders to political interests but fails to support all hard-working Oregonians.

“Governor Brown demands Congress send Oregon money, however, millions of funds from the first federal coronavirus relief package have gone unspent. Money from the federal government has limitations, and there is no guarantee that federal money will go towards the holes left in the Governor’s budget. Clearly, the Governor has been asleep at the wheel.”

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan of Canby: “We are in the middle of an unprecedented public health crisis and Governor Brown has proposed direct cuts to our hospitals and health care services. Oregon’s budget is not facing a structural shortfall, this is [a] public policy choice the governor has made in her proposed spending plan for the state. She is making a mistake by cutting health care and the legislature should reject it. Health care should be prioritized, not put on the chopping block or punted to the federal government. …”

The budget did elicit appreciation from state Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle, a Democrat but who holds a nonpartisan office: “I’m grateful that Governor Kate Brown’s recommended budget makes significant, desperately needed investments in civil rights and workers’ rights enforcement. We also very much appreciate the investment recommendations for our business Technical Assistance division, which has been critical in communicating the rapidly changing landscape for small businesses in Oregon.”

The Bureau of Labor and Industries budget languished under Commissioner Brad Avakian. Hoyle has turned the agency around, gaining plaudits from Republican and Democratic legislators.

Mostly mum lawmakers: I am signed up for all the newsletters that legislators issue through their offices. As of Thursday afternoon, only a few newsletters this week mentioned what lawmakers call the GRB — Governor’s Recommended Budget. Most, including Kotek’s, have focused on the new COVID-19 ratings for counties.

An exception was the newsletter from Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who writes a daily report on the coronavirus in Oregon and sometimes other issues.

In his Tuesday evening newsletter, Dembrow explained the budget process: “The release of the GRB is of course just the first step in the budget process that will be much of the focus of the 2021 Legislative session that will go from January to June. Each of the specific budget proposals will need to be analyzed by the Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) and reviewed by a legislative budget subcommittee, which will hold public hearings on all the budget. Many are controversial and will be the subject of much discussion and debate. Some of the proposals will emerge more or less intact. Some will be reduced and others increased by legislative action. But overall the GRB is an important platform and framework.”

Budget tidbits: Brown’s overall budget proposal includes a nearly 21% increase for the state court system, including additional judges in Deschutes and Douglas counties. … The Secretary of State’s Office wants a 27.5% budget increase. … Oregon State Police would have 27 fewer employees. … Three minimum security prisons would close. … Brown included $190 million for increasing pay and benefits for state employees. … Construction projects include $10 million for mothers’ lactation rooms, wellness rooms and gender-neutral restrooms at Department of Administrative Services facilities.

The number of state employees would grow 3.2 percent, to 42,778 full-time equivalent. That figure does not include employees at Oregon’s public universities. The budget also notes that 12.4% of state positions were vacant as of July 1 this year.

The 480-page document is online at: budget.oregon.gov