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The 2024 short session runs Feb. 5 through March 10th. Bills in most committees must be scheduled for a work session by Feb. 12 and acted on by Feb. 19th in the first chamber. The legislative calendar is posted on the Oregon Legislature website.
Climate Emergency Highlights
Planned League Testimony - Support
SB 1559 GHG Emission Modernization - Senator Dembrow: SE&E Public Hearing is scheduled for Tues Feb 13. One of the issues being discussed is using the word goal or aspiration goal. The most powerful legal term would be specific mandated reduction targets in 2030 or 2035 and 2040 with zero net emissions before 2050.
Budget Omnibus Bill - End of Session JW&M committee: Support funding for: Healthy Homes, EV Rebate and Climate-Friendly Micro-mobility transport Programs totaling $50 million.
Other Climate Emergency Bills
League testimony posted, or we are following and may have testimony:
Off-Shore Wind: League HB 4080 Testimony, Find discussion in NR Coastal Issues Leg Report.
Clean Tech Leadership Bill HB 4112 public hearing is 2/12 and planned work session 2/14.
Right to Repair: HB 1596 Find discussion in NR Leg Report, League Testimony
HB 4155 Infrastructure funding study - Rep Gamba in HEMGGV committee, Public Hearing was 2/8 and new 2/13
HB 4083 Coal Act Requires Oregon Investment Council and Treasury to divest from Thermal Coal investments. Work Session HEMGGV 2/13
Environmental Justice: Budget Omnibus Bill– End of Session: Continue Oregon Worker Relief Funding
Senate Energy and Environment
By Claudia Keith
Feb 8th meeting was taken up solely with the public hearing on Right to Repair (SB 1596). The committee was scheduled to hear testimony on SB 1581 (requiring PGE and PP to report to the legislature on their participation in a regional energy market) but carried that hearing over to Monday 2/12.
SB 1596: Chair Sollman defended her bill as a hard-won compromise that addresses the main concerns raised against SB 542 last year: data security, intellectual property, safety, and liability. OSPIRG strongly supports the bill with the -12 amendment. Google also supports the bill as do dozens of small businesses including Free Geek. OBI is neutral, citing significant improvements: stronger protections for intellectual property and trade secrets and the removal of the right of private action (consumer lawsuits).
Apple remains the heavyweight opponent, demanding the removal of the prohibition on parts pairing. Repair Done Right Coalition also opposes and the Consumer Technology Association has critical concerns about unintended consequences.
SB 1581: Appears non-controversial. PGE is neutral since the -1 amendment would simply require the utilities to deliver an oral presentation before the appropriate legislative committee, rather than a formal written report, by January 15 each year.
Other Budget
Senator Dembrow‘s recent newsletter details his understanding of the status of current budget priorities.
Climate Litigation
DOJ Files Petition for Wit of Mandamus to end Juliana Climate Litigation - The Justice Department is wasting no time seeking to put this zombie litigation out of its misery, and the plaintiffs are not happy about it. Reason. COM. Our Children’s Trust Response. It is unclear at this time how the League’s (LWVUS and LWVOR) will oppose this new filing.
News
This Is Oregon Scientists’ Plan to Save the World – Portland Monthly
The radical proposal of Oregon State University researchers aims to avoid climate change via greater biodiversity and more forestlands—and a no-growth economy. January 20 2024.
Scientists outline a bold solution to climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice’ PHYS.org.
Senator Merkley: Take Climate Impacts into Consideration when Reviewing New Fossil Gas Infrastructure Projects - Merkley. Merkley, Colleagues: Allocate Dedicated Inflation Reduction Act Funding for Independent Methane Monitoring - Merkley
https://phys.org/news/2024-01-scientists-outline-bold-solution-climate.html
Climate Emergency Volunteers Needed
Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy areas:
• Natural Climate Solutions, specifically Oregon Dept of Agriculture (ODA)
• Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust
• Public Health Climate Adaptation (OHA)
• Regional Solutions / Infrastructure (with NR team)
• State Procurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services)
• CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets
• Climate Migration
• Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment
We collaborate with LWVOR Natural Resource Action Committee members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: Training for Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.