As the state faces a $1.8 billion budget gap, Oregon lawmakers are looking to residents for suggestions on which programs to cut and which to keep.

The Joint Committee on Ways and Means, the group of lawmakers tasked with crafting the state's budget, has scheduled seven meetings around the state in the next month. At each meeting, members of the public may sign up for three-minute slots to testify.

This legislative session, which began Feb. 1, promises to be particularly challenging.

Though the state has 8.4 percent more to spend in 2017-19 than it did in for 2015-17, it needs an estimated $1.8 billion more than that to keep programs operating at their current levels and comply with new voter-enacted measures. Growing costs of the state's public pension and Medicaid programs account for most of the shortfall.

The two co-chairs of the joint committee released a budget proposal in January that was intended to make the case to raise some taxes by showing the impact on education, healthcare, human services and public safety if the state were not to come up with additional revenue.

Gov. Kate Brown released her own budget proposal in December, which included several new taxes, as well as proposed cuts in the form of closing a state psychiatry facility and a state correctional facility. 

Top Democrats have said both of those plans are unworkable. Both Democrats and Republicans have said they're open to a budget with a combination of spending cuts and new taxes.

Here's the meeting schedule:

Salem
5-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10
Oregon State Capitol
Hearing Room F
900 Court Street NE

Portland
Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11
Portland Community College, Sylvania Campus
Amo DeBernardis College Center
12000 SW 49th Ave.

Hermiston
5-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17
Hermiston High School
Main Commons
600 S 1st Street

Madras
1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18
Madras High School
Performing Arts Center
390 SE 10th Street

Ashland
5-7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24
Southern Oregon University
Stevenson Union, Rogue River Room
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.

Eugene
1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25
Lane Community College
Forum (Building 17), Rooms 308-309
4000 E 30th Ave.

Tillamook
6-8 p.m. Friday, Mar. 3
Port of Tillamook Bay
Officers Mess Hall
6825 Officers Row

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com
503-294-5911
@annamarum

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