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The State League pays monthly for a Pro Zoom account, which lets us host meetings of up to 100 participants with no limit on meeting time. State Zoom account is available on a first come, first served basis. Default meeting time is one hour - please contact us at lwvor@lwvor.org if you need more time.

Date:  February 25, 2026 To: All LWVOR Members From: Barbara Klein, LWVOR Acting President Jean Pierce, LWVOR Action Chair Take Action Contact your Legislators about important bills this Legislative Session! Click here to find your legislators DEADLINE: ASAP Action Items Contact Your Legislators Find Your Legislators Here! Talking Points Many important bills have been approved in the first chamber of the legislature and are now in the second chamber. Bills are moving quickly in this short session, and your legislators could be asked to vote on them SOON . Please click on the links to learn how you can advocate concerning bills which LWVOR is supporting or opposing this term. Bills are organized by  LWVOR Legislative Priority .   Click on a bill for details and talking points . ⬇️   ASSURE ADEQUATE REVENUE   ​ SB 1507 A:  Partial Disconnect from Federal Taxes - SUPPORT   PROTECT DEMOCRACY   ​ SB 1509:  Replacing Faithless Electors in the Electoral College - SUPPORT HB 4018 : A “Technical Fixes” to Campaign Finance - OPPOSE   SUPPORT HEALTHCARE/BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SB 1598:  Health Benefit Plans cover recommended vaccines - SUPPORT HB 4088 A:  Legal Protections for reproductive or gender-affirming care - SUPPORT   SUPPORT FUNDING FOR EDUCATION SB 1538 A:  Provide Education for Immigrants - SUPPORT HB 4149 A:  Enroll and Provide Services for Homeless Students - SUPPORT   SUPPORT NATURAL RESOURCES   HB 4134 A:  Increasing State Lodging Tax to Protect Wildlife - SUPPORT SB 1586:  Omnibus Land Use, Tax Credits and Changes in Permitting - OPPOSE HB 4153 A:  Use of farm land for commercial stores – OPPOSE HB 4105:  Set Timber Harvest Levels on State Forestland - OPPOSE   ADDRESS THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY   SB 1526 A:  Fund for Oregon Resilience, Growth, and Energy - SUPPORT SB 1541:  Make Polluters Pay - SUPPORT   PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY  SB 1530:  Threatening a Public Official is Harassment - SUPPORT HB 4114 A:  Rules for Operations of Federal Agents or Agents from Another State in Oregon - SUPPORT HB 4145 A:  Modifies Firearm Permit Provisions of Ballot Measure 114 - SUPPORT HB 4138 A:  Requires IDs and Prohibits Face Coverings for Law Enforcement Agents - SUPPORT For questions and to volunteer, please contact  lwvor@lwvor.org .

Our 2026 League of Women Voters of Oregon Council Meeting is scheduled for a single day, Saturday May 16, at the Historic Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 661 in Salem, Oregon. Battlefield Veterans Post Commander Rick Breen, Vice Commander Dean Howes, Women’s Veterans Outreach Coordinator Margaret Estella Garcia and Veterans’ Services Representative Rosy Macias will be enthusiastically welcoming us all at opening ceremonies. We again hope to have the Girl Scouts Color Guard, which may be joined by the Boy Scouts this year. This is an important addition, since one focus of our new President Mark Kendall and Board Member Evan Tucker is to feature the importance of male members in our organization.  Several items of importance:   Hosting:  We are developing a local LWV-Marion Polk and friends “Host B & B” option, to provide members traveling long distances with friendly accommodations. Travel is expensive.  Local hosts are so much appreciated.  To offer to host, please contact me with your particulars at eileen.lwv@gmail.com .  Please put 2026 LWVO COUNCIL B&B HOST OFFERING  in the subject line.  Need Hosting:  If you need hosting, please contact me at eileen.lwv@gmail.com  with NEED HOSTING: 2026 LWVO COUNCIL Hotel/Motel Accommodations : I will also be working on researching hotel/motel accommodation close to our meeting site for discounts for those of you traveling with families, etc. Please stay tuned. Eileen Burke-Trent LWVOR Events Chair

⭐LWV of Clackamas County  LWV of Clackamas County Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Coos County  LWV of Coos County Events Calendar March 7 - 10:30am to 12pm at Umpqua Hall on the SWOCC Campus in Coos Bay The League of Women Voters of Coos County will be hosting a discussion with the Honorable Megan Jacquot, Judge of the Oregon Court of Appeals, and the Honorable Martin E. Stone, Judge of the Circuit Court of Coos and Curry Counties.  The judges will offer their insights on the Constitutional role of the courts within the structure of government. Click here for more information. ⭐LWV of Corvallis  LWV of Corvallis Events Calendar March 4 - 6:30pm to 8:00pm at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library The League of Women Voters of Corvallis is co-sponsoring a Town Hall on Universal Health Care. This interactive session will explore: What are the current gaps in our health care system? What additional challenges may arise with cuts in federal funding? What is Oregon’s Universal Health Plan Governance Board proposing? Community members will have the opportunity to hear directly from experts engaged in this work and to submit questions in advance or during the event. Click here for more information. ⭐LWV of Curry County LWV of Curry County Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Deschutes County   LWV of Deschutes County Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Klamath County   LWV of Klamath County Events  ⭐LWV of Lane County  LWV of Lane County Events Calendar March 24 - 11:30am to 1:00pm at Marquis Community Room Speaker Series: Representative Lisa Fragala, Oregon House District 8. Click here for more information. ⭐LWV of Lincoln County  LWV of Lincoln County Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Linn County Unit  LWV of Linn County Unit Facebook page ⭐LWV of Marion and Polk Counties  LWV of Marion and Polk Counties Events Page ⭐LWV of Portland  LWV of Portland Website March 4 - 6:30pm to 8pm, via Zoom Our March 2026 Community Education Panel: Empowering Voters and Defending Democracy. Registration is required for all members and the public. Click here for more information. ⭐LWV of Rogue Valley  LWV of Rogue Valley Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Union County Unit LWV of Union County Unit Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Umpqua Valley LWV of Umpqua Valley Events Calendar ⭐LWV of Washington County Unit  LWV of Washington County Unit Facebook page

The LWVOR Board adopted this completed restudy on February 10th, 2023. You can find the downloadable copy of the study here.  Election Methods Study Update 2023 About the Study The LWVOR Board adopted this completed restudy on February 10th, 2023. You can find the downloadable copy of the study here. At Convention 2021, LWV of Portland proposed a restudy of LWVOR's 2016 Election Methods Study. It would examine the STAR voting system and would last one year or less. The goal would be to inform League members about the benefits and limitations of the STAR voting option that is being promoted by a group of advocates. It would also be to determine whether or not the League could support or should oppose the adoption of STAR voting in Oregon. The LWVOR Board adopted this completed restudy on February 10th, 2023. You can find the downloadable copy of the study here . In May 2023, LWVOR issued a statement regarding STAR (Score Then Automatic Runoff) Voting. Election Methods Position - Adopted 2017 The League of Women Voters of Oregon recognizes that election methods affect how voters participate in our democracy, who can run for office, and who can get elected. Therefore, the League supports election methods that: Encourage voter participation and voter engagement. Encourage those with minority opinions to participate. Are easy to use. Are verifiable and auditable. Promote access to voting. Promote competitive elections. Promote sincere voting over strategic voting. Discourage negative campaigning. Prevent political manipulation (e.g. Gerrymandering). Are compatible with vote-by-mail elections. The League of Women Voters of Oregon does not believe that plurality voting is the best method for promoting democratic choice in all circumstances. For single-winner systems, the League supports ranked-choice voting; we do not support range or approval voting. The League of Women Voters of Oregon supports election systems that elect policy-making bodies–legislatures, councils, commissions, and boards–that proportionally reflect the people they represent. We support systems that promote stable government, but we do not support systems that protect the two-party system. The League of Women Voters of Oregon supports enabling legislation to allow local jurisdictions to explore alternative election methods. If an alternative election method is adopted, then funding for startup and voter education should be available. The League of Women Voters of Oregon does not support nonpartisan elections for state legislators. (Previous position) Adopted 2009 The League of Women Voters of Oregon believes that any election method should be evaluated on its ability to: Promote voter participation. Be simple and easy for voters to understand. Be verifiable and auditable. Promote access to voting. Promote competitive elections. Prevent political manipulation. Be compatible with vote-by-mail elections. The League supports enabling legislation to allow local jurisdictions to explore alternative election methods, e.g. instant runoff or fusion voting. If a local jurisdiction adopts an alternative election method, that jurisdiction should bear the costs of startup and voter education. Only after experience and evaluation at the local level should the state consider alternative election methods for statewide adoption. The League does not support nonpartisan elections for state legislators. Election Methods Study Update Election Methods Study Update , PDF, 52 pages Links Positions From Other Leagues – Election Methods Update (7 pgs; pdf) 2008 – Election Methods Executive Summary (3 pgs; pdf) Previous Next

The League of Women Voters of Oregon conducts voter education and pro-democracy advocacy, and believes it is critical to understand the potential consequences of the recall process as part of our elections framework. Assessing the Recall Process In Oregon About the Study The League of Women Voters of Oregon conducts voter education and pro-democracy advocacy, and believes it is critical to understand the potential consequences of the recall process as part of our elections framework. What is recall? Oregon voters in 1908 amended the state Constitution to allow for recall of public officials. A recall election enables voters to remove an elected official from office before the official's term has ended. A total of 19 states now permit recall of state officials, while 39 states allow recall of public officials at the local level. Procedures differ greatly across the country. This study examines Oregon law and process, as well as practices in other states where recall is permitted. Voters and the courts have since modified Oregon’s recall process several times since 1908 to clarify who is subject to recall, the number of valid signatures required to qualify a recall petition, procedures for filling vacated seats, and the role and methods of elections officials overseeing the recall process. Article II, Section 18, of the Oregon Constitution establishes requirements. Assessing the Recall Process In Oregon Full study: Assessing the Recall Process In Oregon , PDF Links The Historical Development and Use of the Recall In Oregon , PDF Voters' Pamphlet 1984 , PDF Previous Next

The LWVOR Board adopted a completed restudy of the Pesticides and Other Biocides position on January 19th, 2023. Pesticides and Other Biocides 2021 About the Study The LWVOR Board adopted a completed restudy of the Pesticides and Other Biocides position on January 19th, 2023. Pesticides and Other Biocides Position - Study Completed 2021 - Position Adopted 2023 The League of Women Voters of Oregon affirms that pesticides and other biocides should be managed as interrelated parts of life-supporting ecosystems, and their use should be controlled in order to preserve the physical, chemical and biological integrity of ecosystems and to protect public health, and that agriculture policies should promote farm practices that are environmentally sound and sustainable. LWVOR Supports: • Initial pesticide and biocide testing for registration has proven insufficient for preventing harm. We recommend increased testing by governmental agencies and third parties. We must identify and weigh benefits that balance safety versus toxicity, protecting food security while safeguarding public health and the environment. • Decisions for testing should be based upon a timeframe between 5 to10 years, or as new scientific data dictates. Varying weather conditions can greatly influence pesticide drift, impacting nearby bodies of water, schools, and communities including agricultural workers. The registrant of the Pesticide or Biocide currently bears the burden of proof for safety however the current regimen of tests is insufficient. • When approving the use of a Pesticide or Biocide we must consider: Risk to humans, animals, the environment, economic harm, cost to business, impact on food security, and the spread of invasive species and disease. • Pesticide labels should be improved to include: Regulations restricting use, hazards of use, best practices of use to minimize harm. Labels should be clearly written and easy to see and understand in multiple languages and use graphics to clarify explanations. • Federal and state agencies bear the responsibility for pesticide policy, based on research by pesticide manufacturers. These government agencies should also contribute to pesticide research with support from other groups. • We support using adaptive pesticide management, focusing on continual observation of current regulatory practice outcomes. As scientific advances reveal environmental and health impacts, as well as impacts on food security, the system should include the ability to rapidly react to new risk assessment data. Pesticides and Other Biocides Pesticides and Other Biocides Study (PDF opens in new window, 73 pgs) Links Read the whole study here (PDF opens in new window, 73 pgs) Downloadable copy of the Pesticides and Other Biocides position Previous Next