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Legislative Priorities

LWVOR Legislative Action Team
2023 Session Priorities

We continue to protect democracy and our representative government. Our priority emphasis is on housing,
health, safety, and providing safety net services to the most vulnerable. It is important to assure all workers have a safe environment with adequate pay to allow Oregon to also generate adequate revenue for essential services. Continued work on the climate emergency, on Oregon’s water needs, and addressing homelessness and otherunderserved communities is integral to Oregon’s future.

PROTECT DEMOCRACY by supporting campaign finance reform statutes to implement the

M 107 constitutional amendment. Advocate for an independent citizen redistricting commission as in IP 13 or 14. Expand automatic voter registration and fund up-to-date, efficient and secure election software that can support alternative voting methods.

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SUPPORT STRATEGIES TO ASSURE HOUSING FOR ALL by increasing investments in rental assistance, new affordable rental, and home ownership homes, permanent supportive housing, preserve existing affordable housing, and homeless shelters, navigation centers, and Project Turnkey operations.

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ADVOCATE FOR ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMS AND HEALTH CARE REFORMS by preserving adequate Medicaid funding to build on Oregon’s innovation to cover all kids and vulnerable adults. Focus on services for seniors, people with disabilities, and foster youth. Expand accessibility to behavioral health services focused on addiction and mental health treatment.

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PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURES by seeking effective strategies to achieve a fairer and more equitable criminal justice system and to successfully implement gun safety laws and violence prevention programs.

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ASSURE ADEQUATE REVENUE for essential services while promoting equitable and progressive tax policy. Access federal funds for infrastructure and other Oregonians’ needs.

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ADDRESS THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY by supporting 2017-2021 Carbon/Climate Executive Orders, net zero greenhouse gas emissions before 2050 while ensuring environmental justice with a just transition for workers and impacted communities.

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SUPPORT STATEWIDE PLACE-BASED WATER PLANNING to assure all Oregonians, aquatic creatures, agricultural economy and other businesses have abundant clean water in the future.

Alice Bartelt, LWVOR President, and Rebecca Gladstone, LWVOR Legislative Action Chair, along with our team of volunteers listed below, are available to provide clarifications on League positions.

 

Call our office at (503) 581-5722 or directly contact portfolio chairs in specific areas listed below. LWVOR Action team members are experienced, unpaid volunteers. Our advocates focus on the broad areas of Climate Emergency, Governance and Protecting Democracy, Human Services, Public Safety, Health Care, Housing, Natural Resources, Education, and Revenue.

Advocacy Sub-Categories

We work and advocate to make sure that the public/citizens have access to the process (at all levels)

 

Contact:

Portfolio Coordinator: Paula Krane

Climate Emergency

Advocates year round  for a variety of agency rules, policies and budgets that are consistent with the best available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations. ( returning to < 350 C02 PPM and < 1.5 Degree Celsius warming by 2100). LWVOR supports the Our Children’s Trust/Crag Environmental Law Center state and federal lawsuits and we oppose expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure.

 

Contacts:

Portfolio Coordinator: Claudia Keith

 

Clean Renewable Energy and GHGE mitigation: Kathy Moyd

Climate Friendly Equitable Communities:  Nancy Rosenberger 

NWL Forestry : Josie Koehne 

Efficient & Resilient Buildings: Kathy Moyd

Fossil Fuel Infrastructure LNG & NG: Shirley Weathers

Environmental Justice: Shirley Weathers  and Claudia Keith

Our Children’s Trust : Claudia Keith

Climate Change Budget : Claudia Keith

Transportation: Vacant

Public Health: Vacant

Education

Follows student success, early learning, career technical programs (CTE), PK-12 and higher education. We advocate minimizing barriers impacting education for children at risk or historically underserved and underachieving youth. We advocate for best mental health practices for teachers and students in an ever changing environment.

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Contacts:

Portfolio Member: Anne Nesse

Gun Safety And Justice Issues 

Contacts: 

Portfolio Coordinators: Marge Easley

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Volunteers:

Justice Reform: Karen Nibler 

Gun Safety: Marge Easley

Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley

Governance, Protecting Democracy

Governance issues include ethics, efficiency, citizen participation and access, public access law, and contemporary privacy and technology issues. Election policies include statutes and administrative rules, campaign finance, redistricting, and alternative voting methods.

 

Contacts:

Portfolio Coordinator: Norman Turrill

Election Security and E-Portal Advisory Board Rep, Becky Gladstone, Tom Messenger
Public Access, Paula Krane

Redistricting, Chris Cobey

Voting Methods, Barbara Klein

Natural Resources

Works year-round on improving air quality, combating climate change, coastal management, clean energy, proper disposal of hazardous materials and solid waste, conservation, land use, parks, clean and abundant water supply for all, wetlands protection and other resource preservation, and budgets related to Oregon’s 14 natural resource agencies.

 

Contacts:

Portfolio Coordinator: Peggy Lynch

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Volunteers include:

Air Quality, Climate Change & Clean Energy: Kathy Moyd

Columbia River Treaty: Phillip Thor

Coastal Issues, Christine Moffitt;

Drinking-Water Advisory Committee Representative: Amelia Nestler;

Hanford Cleanup Board Representative/Nuclear Waste: Marylou Schnoes;

Northwest Energy Coalition Representative: Robin Tokmakian;

Radioactive Waste: Shirley Weathers;

Toxics: Paula Grisafi

Land Use/Housing, Water and Natural Resource Agency Budgets: Peggy Lynch

Wildfires: Carolyn Mayers

Social Policy - Human Services, Public Safety, Health Care, Housing, Immigration

The broad Social Policy area includes: housing, adult corrections, judiciary, juvenile justice, public safety, gun safety, violence prevention, health care, mental health, immigration and refugees, foster care, social services, and women’s issues. Actively lobbies for anti-poverty programs to help low income and at-risk people move toward financial stability.

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Contacts:

Many volunteers work in this area. Contact them specifically to collaborate:

Housing: Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona (nancy.donovan@icloud.com)

Criminal Justice Reform and Gun Safety: Marge Easley (marge.easley@frontier.com)

Behavioral Health and related Public Safety issues: Karen Nibler (niblerk@comcast.net)

Health Care: Christa Danielson, MD (chrdan@comcast.net)

Women’s Issues and Death Penalty Repeal: Alice Bartelt (alicebartelt@comcast.net)

Immigration, Refugees, and other Basic Rights: Claudia Keith (ca.keith@comcast.net)

Tax and Revenue Policy

Addresses fair, equitable, and stable tax and revenue policies to adequately fund services and functions critical to Oregonians, including climate emergency investments. Consider extra revenue needs due to COVID-19 and wildfire for affordable housing and economic recovery for impacted small businesses, communities of color, and undocumented workers.

 

Contacts:

Portfolio Coordinator: 

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