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(Editor’s note: This piece originally ran in the May 19, 2011 issue of the Brifly Legal PDX e-newsletter)

Given the state鈥檚 budget crisis, Elizabeth Cushwa acknowledges, it鈥檚 a given that the Legislature is going to make some tough decisions about funding for public safety. Cushwa says the Oregon District Attorneys Association鈥檚 primary goal during this legislative session has been to simply to prevent politicians from snowballing difficult decisions into dumb ones.

鈥淲e feel really firmly about wanting to partner with the attorney general to give the best advice about public safety we can,鈥� says Cushwa, ODAA鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淥ur biggest concern is using a temporary budget crisis to make permanent changes to public safety policy.鈥�

Cognizant of the state鈥檚 financial restraints, the ODAA did not present specific legislation of its own this session. Instead, it partnered with Attorney General John Kroger and the Oregon Law Center to propose legislation that strengthens protections for children and victims of domestic violence.

ODAA also worked with the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association on bills that would substantially change controlled substance laws in Oregon and ease the punishment for small-time offenders.

Mostly, though, the ODAA has focused on helping legislators identify where budget cuts can be made to public safety with the smallest amount of damage.

鈥淓ssentially we鈥檙e just trying to be a resource for legislators and talk to them about the choices they are going to be making,鈥� Cushwa says. 鈥淭here are going to be bad choices and worse choices, so we鈥檙e working with them to make the least bad choices.鈥�