Legislative Report - Week of 5/5
Governance Team
Coordinator: Norman Turrill
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Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill
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Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone
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Election Systems: Barbara Klein
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Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey
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Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley
Please see Governance Overview here.
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Campaign Finance
By Norman Turrill
HB 3392 is said to be the vehicle for a gut and stuff of the technical fixes for HB 4024 (2024). This bill is currently a study of campaign finance by the Secretary of State. Amendments are under discussion but not yet posted on OLIS.
Supporting a Task Force for a state transactions’ portal, other updates:
By Becky Gladstone
We may address several bills appearing in hearings the week of May 5th; see next week’s report.
HB 3931 was heard on May 2 in the Joint Committee on Information Management and Technology, to create a Task Force to consider a coordinated state portal for licensing, applications, etc. League testimony in support was abridged for verbal presentation in the hearing (time limit), also updated to include new information from the staff summary on the background of state websites. A 10-year master contract for an e-government web portal, and secure electronic payment services, extended after 2011, is set to expire on November 21, 2025. Despite winning awards, our agencies have a range of technology vigor, with some sorely needing assistance. A full review is in order to assess needs and costs.
The Electronic Portal Advisory Board (EPAB) monitors e-government services, with League member Rebecca Gladstone as an appointed public member since 2019.
The Secretary of State (SoS) manages the Business Xpress License Directory to help Oregon residents and businesses with business licenses, permits, and registrations, or to connect with state agencies, cities, or counties for assistance. A review would help to know where coverage is limited, as the SoS and Treasurer are separate from the Legislature.
The DAS cataloging work described in the preliminary staff summary will be a big help, surely needs updating.
HB 2008 A has a public hearing on May 5 in Senate Judiciary, after getting unanimous support from House Commerce and Consumer Protection, and then also on the House Floor. This personal data bill is detailed, basically about protecting personal data for teenagers.
SB 470 A has a work session in House Judiciary on May 7, after passing unanimously on the Senate Floor (Sen Woods excused). League testimony supported the original bill to protect lodgers’ privacy from illicitly taken videos.
SB 1191 A has a work session in House Judiciary on May 7, after passing a Senate vote 28 to 1 League testimony supports. SB 1191 excludes the act of informing another person of their civil or constitutional rights from the statute defining “commits the crime of obstructing governmental or judicial administration”. This is relevant as League voter service activities and advocacy issues are newly vulnerable to Executive Order classification as domestic terrorism if not aligned with recently changed federal preferences. The League will continue to support legislation for DEI, climate change, immigration, access for voter registration and election process information, protecting our natural resources, and more.
SB 952 passed on the Senate Floor, along nearly partisan lines, 26 to 13, to require the Governor to make interim US Senator appointments within 30 days of a vacancy, League testimony in support.
Elections
By Barbara Klein
The overview of SB580 (before amendment) required each city or county filing officer “to make publicly available on the county or city website within two business days certain election documents that are filed with the filing officer.” The bill was introduced by Senator James Manning; it had a public hearing on April 2nd and a work session on April 28th. The dash-2 amendment was established after negotiations with the City of Portland and the County clerks. SB 580-2 was approved by the Senate Rules Committee on 4/28/2025. It captures some of the nitty-gritty details of how filing officers can respond to requests while offering more transparency to voters.
The amendment accommodated different challenges within counties. Some small counties have no webmaster and can more easily provide a physical copy of information than a digital posting (they have the same time to provide a physical copy, for which they can charge a small fee, unless the request was for a digital copy). In large areas, like Portland, the opposite is true. The amendment allows longer time for more verified information (aside from posting name and office for the candidate, or withdrawal). Additionally, there are exceptions for candidacy declarations for precinct committee persons.