Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 4/14 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: vacant Energy Policy: Claudia Keith Environmental Justice: vacant Natural Climate Solution Forestry: Josie Koehne Agriculture: vacant Community Resilience & Emergency Management: see Governance LR: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: see NR LR Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Please see Climate Emergency Overview here. Jump to a topic: Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment Environmental Justice Bills Climate Priority Advocacy Groups Climate Priorities with League Testimony , League Endorsement Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package Climate Treasury Investment Bills Natural and Working Lands Other Priorities Other Climate Bills: New Priority Bills That Died In Policy Committee Transportation Climate Emergency JWM Budget Concerns Senate EE and House CEE Policy Committee Notes (4/7 - 4/10) Example of recent Chamber votes News and Commission Meetings Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust Oregon Climate Policy The Trump administration actions including project 2025 and other partisan issues are and will continue to effect Oregon financial stability including Climate / Energy policies and funding. April 10, 2025: ‘Trump targets climate laws with order that could derail Oregon’s efforts ‘ | OPB. “Meredith Connolly, Oregon-based director of policy and strategy at nonprofit advocacy group Climate Solutions, said the executive order could target almost all laws that focus on climate, renewable energy and environmental justice that any city or county in Oregon have passed “even if there isn’t a constitutional or legal basis for it.” Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment At this point in the session, it is unclear if SJR 28 will move out of Sen Rules. SJR 28 proposed -1 amendment , Environmental Rights Constitutional amendment (ERA) S enate Joint Resolution - with referral to the 2026 ballot, public hearing was 3/26 . The League provided support with comments testimony . The bill is in Senate Rules , so the Legislative first chamber deadlines are not applicable. A Work Session is not yet scheduled. The -1 a mendment is a partial rewrite and may address the League’s concerns. LWVUS has provided guidance since over 26 states have - or are in the process of voting on green / environmental rights constitutional topics or initiatives. These usually take the form of a legislative–referral to the people. The New Mexico green amendment campaign focuses on racial justice. Environmental Rights Amendment News: March 27, ‘ Oregonians ask Legislature to let voters decide on constitutional right to healthy climate - A hearing for Senate Joint Resolution 28 was packed with children and seniors asking legislators to refer to voters a constitutional amendment enshrining climate rights’| OCC Oregon Capital Chronicle. Find ERA coalition Q and A here. March 27, 2025: Oregonians Urge Senate Rules Committee to Refer SJR 28-1 to the Peopl e (Constitutional Environmental Rights Amendment) Environmental Justice Bills HB2548 : establishes an agriculture workforce labor standards board, League Testimony . Work Session was held 4/9 passed with no amendments, no recommendation and referred to House Rules. Climate Priority Advocacy Groups For the first time, this year most of our priorities are included in the bipartisan 2025 Legislative Environmental Caucus Priorities , Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Priorities and/or Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) priorities . OCN is the only formal environmental lobby coalition group in the capitol. Consequently, for some of these bills (especially those in a package) the League may just join coalition sign-on letters rather than providing individual testimony. Climate Priorities with League Testimony with League Endorsement and Still Alive HB 3170 : Community Resilience Hubs and networks : Work Session 3/4, passed to JWM, DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. League testimony 
 
 
 Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package The following four bills are part of a package which was the subject of public hearings February 27 and March 6 in the House Energy Management, General Government, and Veterans Committee: HB 215 1: Testimony ; appears dead 
 HB 2152 : Testimony ; work session held, passed, moved to Joint Ways and Means (JWM) with -1 and -2 amendments Staff Measure Summary (SMS) . HB 2949 : T estimony ; work session held, passed to JWM w -5 amendment new SMS . HB 3450 A Testimony , work session held, 4/8 passed adopted amendment -1 . S ee CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis ( The study, Impacts of Fuel Releases from the CEI Hub, is intended to characterize and quantify the anticipated damages from the CEI Hub in the event of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) Earthquake.) CEI energy storage transition plan Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package HB 3081 ( League testimony ) work session held 4/8, adopted -1 amendment, awaiting transfer to desk, creates an active navigator to help access energy efficiency incentives all in one place 
 
 SB 88 ( League testimony ) work session was 3/24, limits the ability of utility companies to charge ratepayers for lobbying, litigation costs, fines, marketing, industry fees, and political spending. 
 Moved to Sen Rules on 3/28. In addition to our testimony, LWVOR joined the Oregon Conservation Network, coordinated through the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, in sign-on letters supporting both HB 3081 and SB 88. PH 3/4 3/4 Climate Treasury Investment Bills SB 681 : Dead: Treasury: Fossil Fuel investment moratorium, Senate Finance and Revenue, PH 3/19. testimony. Sen Golden. 
 
 HB 2200 -1 , work session was 4/8, bill was requested by previous Treasury Sec Tobias and supported by Treasurer Steiner, related to ESG investing , identified as the compromise bill. League – NO Comment, moves to the floor, no JWM required. HB 2966 A: Establishes the State Public Financing / public bank Task Force, Work Session 3/6/2025 passed to Joint Ways and Means (JWM), League Testimony , Representative Gamba, Senator Golden, Frederick, Representative Andersen, Evans Natural and Working Lands HB 5039 financial administration of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; JWM NR SC, League testimony 
 
 
 
 HB 3103A – work session 3/31. Moved to JWM, Overweight Timber Harvest , , League Testimony , new adopted -5 amendment . 
 Other Priorities HB 2566A : Stand-alone Energy resilience Projects , Work Session was 3/20, moved to JWM, Rep Gamba was the only nay. At the request of Governor Tina Kotek (H CEE), DOE presentation 
 
 
 
 
 
 HB 3365 A: work session was 4/9, moved to floor with adopted amendment -4 . climate change instruction /curriculum in public schools, House Cm Educ, PH was 3/12, League Testimony , NO Fiscal noted , Chief Sponsors: Rep Fragala, Rep McDonald , Rep Andersen, Gamba, Lively, Neron, Senator Patterson, Pham, Taylor. 
 
 
 SB 688 A: -5 , Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, PH 3/12,& 3/19, work session was 3/24, $500K fiscal, moved to JWM , League testimony , Sen. Golden, Sen. Pham, 
 
 
 
 SB 827 : Solar and Storage Rebate , SEE Work session 2/17, Gov. Kotek & DOE, Senate voted 21-7, moves to House 3/4 

 first reading. 
 referred to H CEE 3/10 
 
, PH 4/22 HB 3546 , -3 the POWER Act , work session was 4/8, bipartisan vote, moved , awaiting transfer to desk. PH was 3/6, The bill requires the Public Utility Commission (PUC) to create a new rate class for the largest energy users in the state. (data centers and other high-volume users). These regulations would only apply to customers in the for-profit utility's service areas of PGE, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power. NO Fiscal, on its way to the floor. The League has approved being listed on a coalition sign on advocacy letter . 
 
 
 
 Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation to rein in utility bills | KPTV , Citizens Utility Board CUB presentation here . 
 
 
 
 SB 1143 : -3 , moved to JWM, with bipartisan vote, PH was 3/19, Work session was 4/7 SEE, PUC established a pilot program that allows each natural gas Co to develop a utility-scale thermal energy network (TEN) pilot project to provide heating and cooling services to customers. Senator Lieber, Sollman, Representative Levy B, Senator Smith DB, Representative Andersen, Marsh. Example: Introduction to the MIT Thermal Energy Networks (MITTEN) Plan for Rapid and Cost-Effective Campus Decarbonization. 
 Other Climate Bills: New HB 3609 work session 4/8, moved to JWM. The measure requires electric companies to develop and file with the Oregon Public Utility Commission a distributed power plant program for the procurement of grid services from customers of the electric company who enroll in the program. H CEE, PH 3/11 HB 3653 work session 4/8 passed unanimous awaiting transfer to desk. Allows authorized state agencies to enter into energy performance contracts without requiring a competitive procurement if the authorized state agency follows rules that the Attorney General adopts, negotiates a performance guarantee, and enters into the contract with a qualified energy service company that the ODOE prequalifies and approves. Priority Bills that died in policy committee Some of these related to funding may appear in the end of session reconciliation (“Christmas tree”) bill. HB 3477 : Update to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Goals. League testimony . House Climate, Energy, and Environment (CEE), Sponsored by Rep GAMBA, Sen Frederick, Golden, Patterson, Pham K, Taylor 
 
 
 
 SB 54 : Work Session was cancelled. The bill required landlords provide cooling for residential units . The League endorsed and added our name to a OJTA Oregon Justice Transition Alliance, sign-on letter . 
 Energy Trust of Oregon neutral testimony includes a presentation slide deck posted to OLIS on March 19, 2025. “ Energy Trust of Oregon does not support or oppose SB 54, and this is in accordance with Energy Trust’s contract with the Oregon Public Utility Commission which prohibits Energy Trust from lobbying. We are a neutral party per agreement with PUC.” SB 1187 new Climate cost recovery Liability interagency bill , PH 4/7, Sen. Golden, Senate Energy and Environment 
 
(Replaces SB 679 and SB 682 : 
 
 SB 680 : Climate Science/Greenwashing , Sen. Golden and Manning, moved to Sen Judiciary , no recommendation, S NRWF PH was 2/26, sponsors: Campos, Frederick, Gorsek, Patterson, Prozanski, Taylor 
 
 
 
 Transportation This ODOT video gives a good overview of the history and current status /challenges with Transportation funding and management strategic issues. Oregon Democrats unveil $1.9 billion transportation funding plan The plan includes raising the state gas tax to 60 cents per gallon, higher DMV fees, higher bike taxes and more. | *Oregon Capital Chronicle (OCC). ODOT answers to budget presentation questions an 18-page document dated March 13. ODOT budget presentation package detail materials can be found Here. The League is concerned with federal guidelines: “McLain and Gorsek said they’re confident in Oregon’s ability to continue to receive federal transportation grants, despite directives from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy that federal funding should go toward states with high marriage and birth rates, no vaccine or mask mandates and that are committed to working with the federal government to enforce Trump’s immigration policy — all areas that don’t apply to Oregon.” See OCC article . KGW NEWS: What it could cost you to rescue Oregon's transportation funding | The Story | April 4, 2025 Climate Emergency JWM Budget Concerns In order to stay on track, the Legislature must prioritize investments for vital environmental justice, climate and community protection programs (CPP). Without additional appropriations this session, the following existing successful climate, CPP and environmental justice programs may run out of funding: Community Renewable Energy Grant Program (ODOE) 
 
 
 Rental Home Heat Pump Program (ODOE) 
 
 
 Community Heat Pump Program (ODOE) 
 
 
 Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program/Charge Ahead (DEQ) 
 
 
 Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles Rebates + Infrastructure Grants (DEQ) 
 
 
 Community Resilience Hubs and Networks (ODHS) 
 
 
 Climate Change Worker Relief Fund (DAS) 
 
 
 Oregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program (ODOE) 
 
 
 Natural & Working Lands Fund (OWEB) 
 Senate EE and House CEE Policy Committee Notes (4/7 - 4/10) The committee reported out many energy- and environment-related bills at the deadline, sending the following bills to Joint W&M with "lite" fiscal notes: HB 3081-1 (on OCN hot list and supported by LWVOR with written testimony ) – One-Stop Shop 2.0, creating an online navigation program at ODOE to help Oregonians obtain information on federal, state, local, and utility incentives in a single place. HB 2062-1 (on OCN hot list) – Requires producers of batteries or battery-containing products to join a battery producer responsibility organization and implement it to collect and recycle batteries. The -1 amendment is a substantial replacement of the introduced bill. HB 3868 – Requires ODOE to study avoided costs paid to qualifying facilities under the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) compared with the costs incurred by investor-owned utilities to acquire or maintain renewable energy generation facilities. HB 2038-3 – Requires ODOE et al. to study a broad range of nuclear energy topics, including legal pathways for the disposal of nuclear waste. The amended bill is less focused on drawing out positive aspects of nuclear energy. HB 2410-2 – Allows EFSC to issue a site certificate for a small modular reactor nuclear facility demonstration project in Umatilla County, subject to a referendum of county residents. The amendment adds requirements for consultation with tribes that have lands in the county and prohibits temporary storage of high-level radioactive waste on tribal lands without prior consultation. Republican members characterized the bill as an agreement to “start the conversation” with tribes in the county. Their votes in favor prevailed against the opposing Democratic votes. HB 3539 – Requires EQC to contract with a third party to study and determine a GHG reporting emissions factor for electricity purchased from unspecified sources. HB 2065 – Establishes a process for interconnecting microgrids and community microgrids with a public utility’s distribution or transmission system, including timelines and procedures for review and approval. Applicants could use either utility-conducted or third-party studies, and utilities would have to provide requested technical data. HB 2066-2 – Directs the PUC to investigate and establish a regulatory framework to allow ownership, deployment and use of microgrids and community microgrids. The amendment greatly expands the scope of the required investigation and gives the PUC 18 months from the effective date to establish the regulatory framework. Chair Lively noted that the PUC will need flexibility in the study timeline, as increasing demands on the commission to study policy issues will increase its workload significantly. HB 3609 – Requires each electric utility to develop a distributed power plant program for the procurement of grid services to be provided by distributed energy resources. The committee moved the following bills to the House floor with a do pass recommendation (minimum fiscal impact): HB 3546-3 (on OCN hot list) – Requires the PUC to provide for a classification of service for large energy use facilities rated at 20 MW or more (such as data centers). PUC would have to require utilities to enter into a 10-year contract with these users to pay a minimum amount or percentage for the contract term, which could include a charge for excess demand. HB 2961-7 (on OCN hot list) – Increases the percentage of electrical service capacity for EV charging that must be installed in parking areas of new multifamily and mixed-use buildings with privately owned commercial space and 10 or more residential dwelling units. The amendment limits the bill’s application to the Portland metro area. The committee moved HB 3597-1 to Joint Transportation and W&M without recommendation. The amendment replaces the original “study” bill with policy changes to the EV rebate program, allowing DEQ to adjust Charge Ahead Program rebate amounts based on available funding and expanding rebate eligibility. It also requires the EQC to allocate at least $500,000 per biennium from the Zero-Emission Incentive Fund for outreach and education, but directs DEQ to suspend activities if the fund balance falls below $1 million. NOTE: The committee removed HB 3119 from the agenda -- this is the bill that would prohibit DEQ from implementing or enforcing the Advanced Clean Trucks regulations before January 1, 2027. By a 41-13 vote, the House passed HB 3336 (Gamba), which would declare state policy that electric companies must meet the required clean energy targets in ORS 469A.410; develop sufficient resources to meet load growth; create efficiencies and resilience in the transmission system; and maintain energy affordability. It would require electric companies selling more than 2 million MW annually to file strategic plans with the PUC to use cost-effective grid enhancing technologies (GETs, defined in the bill) and update the plans every two years. An electric company would have to carry out its first filed strategic plan by January 1, 2030. By a 17-10 vote, the Senate passed SB 726 A (Gelser Blouin), directing the EQC to adopt rules requiring the use of advanced methane detection technology to monitor surface emissions at municipal solid waste landfills. Landfill operators would have to use approved technologies to monitor emissions across the landfill surface, report results in a standardized format to DEQ, retain monitoring records for at least 5 years, and conduct follow-up monitoring within 10 days of any exceedance. In case of an exceedance in an active landfill area, operators would have to submit a mitigation plan to DEQ. Per the fiscal impact statement, the advanced technology specified in the bill would cost local governments operating landfills approximately $5,000 per monitoring event, or $20,000 annually per landfill. Example of recent Chamber votes The originating chambers today passed two bills listed as OCN Bills of Support: By a 41-13 vote, the House passed HB 3336 (Gamba), which would declare state policy that electric companies must meet the required clean energy targets in ORS 469A.410; develop sufficient resources to meet load growth; create efficiencies and resilience in the transmission system; and maintain energy affordability. It would require electric companies selling more than 2 million MW annually to file strategic plans with the PUC to use cost-effective grid enhancing technologies (GETs, defined in the bill) and update the plans every two years. An electric company would have to carry out its first filed strategic plan by January 1, 2030. By a 17-10 vote, the Senate passed SB 726 A (Gelser Blouin), directing the EQC to adopt rules requiring the use of advanced methane detection technology to monitor surface emissions at municipal solid waste landfills. Landfill operators would have to use approved technologies to monitor emissions across the landfill surface, report results in a standardized format to DEQ, retain monitoring records for at least 5 years, and conduct follow-up monitoring within 10 days of any exceedance. In case of an exceedance in an active landfill area, operators would have to submit a mitigation plan to DEQ. Per the fiscal impact statement, the advanced technology specified in the bill would cost local governments operating landfills approximately $5,000 per monitoring event, or $20,000 annually per landfill. News and Commission Meetings Oregon Climate Action Commission to Meet Virtually on April 11, 2025 — Agenda , includes 2025 Legislation update, Transmission Policy issues, 
Federal Funding Status, Energy Strategy, Closing remarks and next steps. Climate Solutions : Thermal Energy Networks win win : 
 
 Carbon sequestration/storage: See DOGAMI Agency Budget– Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Interactive Map | U.S. Geological Survey ( usgs.gov ) .
 (see Natural Resources Legislative Report which covers both these topics and Geothermal Drilling. 
 pics and Geothermal Drilling. Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust Here is one example of how to track ODEQ Climate Protection Program cases. Basically, there are a number of active federal lawsuits , March 2025 2 updates : March 27, 2025 Climate Litigation Updates (March 2025, Part 2) March 10, 2025: Climate Litigation Updates (March 2025, Part 1) Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 85 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon. Our Children’s Trust : Recent Press Releases and News Coverage April 4, 2025: Youth Plaintiffs Ask Alaska Supreme Court to Intervene in Closed Door Transfer of Alaska LNG Project, Hear their Claims in Court March 24, 2025: Supreme Court Denies Cert in Juliana; Legacy of Youth-Led Climate Lawsuit Lives On April 2, 2025 – KLCC : Our Children's Trust: What now? April 2, 2025 - OPB - Think Out Loud ‘Founder of Our Children’s Trust on what the end of Juliana v. US means for youth and climate policy Founder of Our Children’s Trust on what the end of Juliana v. US means for youth and climate policy Oregon Climate Policy - Historical Abbreviated Outline: AI Opinion with footnotes: 4/9/25: Oregon aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with goals to achieve 50% reduction by 2035 and 90% by 2050 , through initiatives like the Climate Protection Program (CPP) and investments in carbon capture projects. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] Here's a more detailed look at Oregon's climate, energy, and carbon reduction efforts: Climate Action Goals: [ 4 , 4 , 5 , 5 ] 2035 Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% below 1990 levels. [ 4 , 4 , 5 , 5 ] 2050 Goal: Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% below 1990 levels. [ 4 , 4 , 5 , 5 ] Executive Order 20-04: Established the 2035 and 2050 goals. [ 5 , 5 , 6 ] Oregon Climate Action Commission: Tracks emissions, recommends strategies, and prepares communities for climate change impacts. [ 7 , 7 ] Climate Protection Program (CPP): Aims to reduce emissions from fossil fuels used in Oregon. [ 2 , 2 ] Natural and Working Lands: Oregon aims to increase carbon capture and storage in forests, grasslands, and other natural areas. [ 1 , 1 , 8 , 8 ] Energy and Carbon Reduction Strategies: [ 9 ] Clean Energy Targets: Require utilities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from electricity sold in Oregon. [ 9 ] Oregon Clean Fuels Program: Reduces the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by encouraging cleaner alternatives. [ 10 , 11 ] Carbon Reduction Program: A federal grant program to fund transportation projects that reduce emissions. [ 12 ] Renewable Energy: Encourages the use of wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. [ 13 ] Carbon Capture Projects: Investments in projects that capture and store carbon in forests, grasslands, and wetlands. [ 1 ] Decarbonization: Fossil fuel companies are expected to gradually decarbonize their energy supply. [ 13 ] Key Actions and Programs: [ 5 ] House Bill 3543: Established initial climate change goals in 2007. [ 5 ] Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC): Adopts rules and programs to reduce emissions. [ 2 , 4 ] Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ): Tracks greenhouse gas emissions and publishes reports. [ 14 , 15 ] Oregon Global Warming Commission: (Now Oregon Climate Action Commission) tracks trends in greenhouse gas emissions and recommends strategies. [ 7 , 14 ] TIGHGER Project: Analyzed the feasibility of achieving accelerated climate goals. [ 6 ] Oregon Climate Action Roadmap to 2030: Provides recommendations for state climate action. [ 6 ] Carbon Cap-and-Trade Program: A program that places a declining cap on emissions associated with fossil fuel combustion in the state. [ 16 ] Generative AI is experimental. [1] https://www.opb.org/article/2024/01/29/oregon-climate-environment-action-commission-greenhouse-gas-investment-pollution/ [2] https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/cpp/pages/default.aspx [3] https://www.oregon.gov/dogami/geology/pages/carbon_seq.aspx [4] https://www.nrdc.org/bio/hilary-firestone/oregon-acts-carbon-cap-and-trade-administrative-rule [5] https://climate.oregon.gov/meeting-our-goals [6] https://climate.oregon.gov/reports [7] https://climate.oregon.gov/ [8] https://climate.oregon.gov/natural-working-lands [9] https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/pages/clean-energy-targets.aspx [10] https://oeconline.org/climate/ [11] https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/cfp/pages/clean-fuel-pathways.aspx [12] https://www.oregon.gov/odot/climate/pages/carbonreductionprogram.aspx [13] https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/11/21/oregon-commission-approves-redo-of-landmark-climate-program-after-lawsuit-derailed-it/ [14] https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/pages/ghg-oregon-emissions.aspx [15] https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/pages/ghg-inventory.aspx [16] https://www.c2es.org/document/us-state-carbon-pricing-policies/ Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Event page for the LWVOR Fall Workshop. Event is closed. Fall Workshop 2023 Thank you for attending LWVOR's Fall Workshop! Please let us know about your experience at the event. Submit your evaluation form here . Agenda 10:00 AM Welcome from Board and guest speakers, coffee and pastries 10:10 AM LWV Liaison for Oregon: Alexis Juday-Marshall 10:20 AM Membership and Leadership Development (MLD) Update 10:30 AM Voter Service Update: Peggy Bengry, Ballot Measure Chair 10:45 AM Outreach Circle presentation (virtual) 11:15 AM Lunch 11:30 AM Keynote Speaker (Elections Director Molly Woon) through Lunch (virtual) 12:30 PM Youth Council / Oregon Student Mock Election / Youth Outreach Workshop + Facilitated Q&A 1:45 PM Closing remarks Program Printable program available here , featuring speaker bios and full event agenda. Keynote and LWVUS Speaker Biographies Molly Woon (she/her) - Elections Director Molly is the Elections Director and is responsible for the administration of Oregon's vote by mail elections system by working closely with state agencies, 36 counties throughout Oregon, and the division’s dedicated staff. She oversees the state initiative, referendum and candidate processes, as well as campaign finance regulations and state voting resources. Born and raised in the Northwest, this is Molly’s second stint working in the Secretary of State's Office. In 2015 and 2016, she served as the Communications Director for Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins, overseeing communications for implementation of the Oregon’s first-in-the-nation system of automatic voter registration, Oregon Motor Voter. Read more. Alexis Juday-Marshall (she/her) - LWV Liaison to Oregon Alexis Juday-Marshall joined the League of Women Voters in late 2018. During her time in the Washington State League, Alexis was a member of the Observer Corps, which presented an opportunity to see government in action and to promote transparency and accountability in government processes. As a climate action guide and co-chair of the Environmental Committee of King County/Seattle, she collaborated with other members and local officials to increase public engagement on climate change matters. She also served as a Delegate for the LWVUS for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland. Read more. Luana Chaires (she/her) - LWVUS Digital Relational Organizing Manager Luana Chaires is a digital relational organizing manager with the League of Women Voters where she is using her direct-service and advocacy experiences to increase equity in democracy by working closely with League affiliates. Additionally, Luana works directly with state and local Leagues to strengthen their digital organizing muscle and oversee the development and rollout of League In Action nationwide. You can learn more about Luana and her colleagues' work here . Luana holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from St. Edward’s University. Throughout her undergraduate career, Luana became committed to better understanding the principle of fair equal representation. As a Ronald McNair scholar, Luana focused her undergraduate research on evaluating the impact of independent redistricting commissions have on voter turnout and level of competition in congressional elections. Read more. Youth Council Speaker Biographies Celine Ioffe (she/her) - LWVOR Youth Council President Celine is a high school senior in Portland and LWV Washington County member who is passionate about reproductive justice and our legal system. She is actively involved in Columbia Willamette Teen Council, a peer education and leadership program where members learn medically accurate and inclusive sexual health information, lead classroom presentations and organize events in schools and their communities around sexual health awareness. Celine interned for a DUI and domestic violence law firm last summer, and plans to attend university and law school after graduating in summer of 2024. She will be leading a diverse team of Youth Council members to build effective power in their communities to achieve their goals. Read more. CHRIS WALKER (he/him) - LWVOR Off-Board Liaison and Youth Council Vice President Chris Walker is a Legislative Scholar advocating for more affordable higher education at the University of Oregon while majoring in Planning, Public Policy and Management, with a minor in Business Administration. Chris ran a nonprofit serving disadvantaged Oregon youth, has interned in Congress, and on Friday, February 10th, 2023 he was appointed to a ground-breaking role as a strong, influential voice as the League of Women Voters of Oregon Youth Liaison. Chris feels a definite stake in the commitment of our state and local Leagues to encourage youth leadership, and is mentoring a new LWVOR Youth Council inviting youth across Oregon to get connected and involved by emailing him at youthcrew@lwvor.org or messaging on their Instagram at @lwvoryouthcouncil Read more. NIVEDITA GIANI (she/her) - LWVOR Youth Council Advocacy Chair Nivedita Giani is attending Sunset High School and is a member of the League of Women Voters of Portland. She is passionate about advocating for climate justice, reproductive rights, and workplace equity. She is currently the national delegate for Sunrise PDX, an organization committed to combating climate change. She is actively involved in a local campaign as well as a national campaign to help make public transportation more accessible and widespread. She is a staunch advocate for the Green New Deal due to the prospect of decarbonization and sustainable good paying union jobs for all. Read more. DEENIE BULYALERT (they/she) - LWVOR Youth Council DEIJ Co-Chair and Events Chair Deenie is the DEIJ co-chair and Planning and Events Chair of the League of Women Voters of Oregon Youth Council and they are excited to build effective civic engagement in Oregon communities. They are passionate about nonprofit work and advocacy for marginalized communities, specifically LGBTQ+, BIPOC and disabled youth. Deenie believes in the fight for improved mental health access for all and runs a coalition to support their efforts in these areas. Read more. MILANA SLOAN (she/her) - LWVOR Youth Council DEIJ Co-Chair and Youth Vote Committee Mila Sloan is attending University of Oregon majoring in Public Planning, Policy and Management and is a member of the League of Women Voters of Oregon. She is passionate about social justice for marginalized communities and has active volunteer and nonprofit experience with HIV Alliance in Eugene with formal training on Diversity, Equity, Harm Reduction, and Inclusive Language in relation to sexual orientation and health. Read more. DEIJ Toolkit A DEIJ Resource for League Members Learn more about DEIJ practices for your League and community. Get the Toolkit Youth Council Slides Learn more about Youth Council Book a Youth Council speaker! Youth Council Fall Workshop presentation slides Outreach Circle/League In Action Resources More about League In Action/OutreachCircle Thank you to our sponsors and supporters! Members of the League of Women Voters

Learn more about Oregon's safe and secure Vote-By-Mail process. / Voting / Vote By Mail / Vote By Mail Best Practices In Oregon Oregonians love Vote By Mail! 💌 Oregon was the first full Vote by Mail (VBM) state. Of course, we can vote in-person at Elections offices. LWVOR encourages voters to save Oregon taxpayers the prepaid postage cost. Use the ballot dropboxes (Oregon Drop Box Locator ) 🗳️ when you can! The League posts this map on our site during election seasons. Put in your address to find your nearest ballot dropbox, and find your ballot information on Vote411.org . See Oregon’s Vote By Mail Procedures Manual . It is posted with other elections’ manuals and tutorials . We hope these videos and FAQs will help you! Please contact us if we can help, lwvor@lwvor.org . Watch Election Security With Vote by Mail This video is about Election Security with the Vote-by-Mail process in Oregon. Watch Now FAQs about voting in Oregon BIPOC Support & Voter Turnout Measuring Effectiveness Best Practices Counting Timelines Securing Ballots Public Messaging Who are key allies for supporting VBM? Do they include BIPOC groups, the disability community, etc.? The ACLU, Common Cause, and political parties are regulars, and they may not work directly with LWV. Disability Rights Oregon is very active but strictly advocates for their limited constituency, not to benefit voters overall. The State Library, TBABS, Talking Books and Braille Services, works directly for vision-related concerns. Keep in mind those advocating for current ballot measure issues, eg League of Conservation Voters, education communities, etc. What research or data can you share to show that voting by mail actually increased turnout, especially among underrepresented groups? See The SoS Election Statistics page for general, primary, special election turnout, and ballot return history since 2000. OR VBM statistics, a comprehensive history, from 1981 up to 2006. Watch The Path of a Ballot in Multnomah County Have you wondered what path your ballot takes from being produced, cast and counted? Here are some answers. Watch Now More Resources 🎥 Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess talks Voting Security 🎥How Lane County Elections Processes Your Ballot 🎥 LWVM-P & Oregon's Elections Director on VBM

League 'plug and play' talking points. / Plug and Play Talking Points / Plug and Play Talking Points Jump to Talking Point Topics Plug and Play Talking Points LWVOR Communications Team has launched a new project we’ve nicknamed Plug & Play. Research shows people respond best to information from their own communities. With that in mind, Plug & Play was created as an optional tool to help you serve your communities more easily. We know League members are volunteers, often juggling many demands. Even when we want to do more for the League and our communities, time is limited. Every efficient shortcut helps. The Communications Team will periodically send ready-to-use content—talking points and social media posts —centered on one timely issue, developed with input from the Action Committee. These talking points can be submitted as Letters-to-the-Editor, or adapted for your local context, or even expanded into Op-Eds. Social media posts (with graphics) are also included for easy sharing. How it Works Our first set, on Executive Overreach and Orders, was sent only to leaders. We received several requests to share with all members. However, only League leaders may speak for the League. That’s how we maintain our strong, unified voice. The solution? Two versions: one set for leaders (referencing the League), and one focused purely on the issue for members. If you are not a designated spokesperson, please refrain from using the leaders’ materials. Remember: this project is optional. We hope it helps strengthen your outreach and makes your work more effective and convenient—while keeping us united in purpose and voice. View our topics list below. States' Rights, the 2nd Amendment, and Military Deployment to Cities Plug and Play Talking Points: Toolkit Including LTEs and Social Media Book Bans Plug and Play Talking Points: Book Bans and the Freedom to Read Social Media Toolkit: Book Bans and the Freedom to Read Medicaid Plug and Play Talking Points: Medicaid Social Media Toolkit: Medicaid Immigration and Due Process Plug and Play Talking Points: Immigration and Due Process Social Media Toolkit: Immigration and Due Process Our Plug and Play Talking Points are also linked in the Member Resources Knowledge Base.

Never sign a petition “just to get it on the ballot so people can vote on it.” / Voting / Think Before You Ink / Think Before You Ink YOUR SIGNATURE IS VALUABLE ONLY SIGN PETITIONS YOU SUPPORT! Never sign a petition “just to get it on the ballot so people can vote on it.” Just as voting in primaries has more impact than voting in general elections, signing petitions has more impact than ballot measure voting. HOW MANY SIGNATURES ARE NEEDED? The threshold number for statewide petitions to become ballot measures is defined by the number of votes in the last Governor’s race for a full term. “Certification” is randomly sampling petitions, comparing signatures in the Oregon Certified Voter Registration (OCVR) database. Invalid or duplicate signatures are not counted. WHAT ARE PETITIONS? Petitions can send decisions to ballots as ballot measures, if enough certified signatures are collected. INITIATIVE Registered voters can put issues on ballots to change laws, Oregon Revised Statutes, or to amend the Oregon State Constitution. REFERRAL The Legislature can refer an undecided issue or a bill they passed to voters for approval. Any bills that amend the Oregon Constitution must be referred to voters and do not require petition signatures. REFERENDUM Registered voters can try to reject (veto) bills passed by the Legislature by petitioning to put a referendum on the ballot. A referendum may only be filed once a bill has passed in both legislative chambers and has either been signed by the Governor or the Governor's veto deadline has elapsed. Note: A referendum petition allows voters to adopt or reject any nonemergency Act or part of a nonemergency Act. Think Before You Ink Campaign Toolkit Get It Here LOOK UP WHO IS BEHIND IT Chief Petitioners are listed on the Oregon Secretary of State Initiative, Referendum, and Referral Search page . Chief petitioners and funders of ballot measures are not required to be Oregonians. Search ORESTAR for ballot measure, candidate, and PAC (political action committee) official filing and financial information. Print or Request Think Before You Ink Brochures Print brochures in English or Spanish . Or request printed copies below. Email Us

Read testimony from the League of Women Voters of Oregon. Search Testimony Filter by Year Filter by Category Search Reset Natural Resources Support for Marine Ways System Charleston - LWV Coos View letter Sep 13, 2026 Governance Secretary of State Payment Processing Costs – SUPPORT View letter Sep 8, 2026 Access Recommendations for Improved Transparency and Access_LWVOR View letter Aug 24, 2026 Revenue Governor Kotek’s Prosperity Council Recommendations - Comments on Taxation Proposals View letter Jul 13, 2026 Natural Resources Deschutes Groundwater Mitigation Program - Questions and Concerns View letter May 15, 2026 Natural Resources Deschutes Groundwater Mitigation Program proposed Legislative Concept Draft View letter May 15, 2026 SB 1538 A - Provide Education for Immigrants - Action Alert View letter Feb 24, 2026 HB 4134 A - Increases State Transient Tax by 1.25% to pay for Wildlife - Action Alert View letter Feb 24, 2026 HB 4018 A - “Technical fixes” to Campaign Finance Law - Action Alert View letter Feb 24, 2026 HB 4138 A - Requires IDs and Prohibits Face Coverings for Law Enforcement Agents - Action Alert View letter Feb 24, 2026 HB 4153 A - Use of farm land for commercial stores - Action Alert View letter Feb 24, 2026 HB 4114 A - Rules for Operations of Federal Agents or Agents from Another State in Oregon - Action Alert View letter Feb 24, 2026 1 2 3 ... 85 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 ... 85

Tutorials as seen in Canva's Design School for Nonprofits. / Canva Tutorials / Canva Tutorials Canva's Design School Canva Pro for Nonprofits Canva helps you create beautiful designs and create change in the world. If you’re a registered nonprofit you can unlock the power of ‘Canva Pro for Nonprofits’ for your team at no cost at all. Find out how to apply and get started in Canva. See the Course Getting started with Canva A quick overview of where to start in Canva. See the Tutorials Highlights for Leagues Getting Started Canva is a free and easy-to use graphic design platform. Organizations that are 501c3s can access premium features for free , but anyone can create an account at the basic level regardless of nonprofit status . We recommend these tutorials if you are new to Canva: Start Designing Brand Kit Set Up Easy Editing Canva Templates for League Use Here are a few templates produced by LWVUS and LWVOR that Leagues are free to use! Click "Use Template" near the bottom of the design. This will save the template to your account so you can safely edit your own version. 📌First, check out LWVUS guidance on using Canva Templates . LWVUS Templates LWV Education Fund: Grantee Data Graphic Templates VOTE411 Card Design VOTE411 Event Template LWVOR Templates LWVOR Event Graphic Printable Grad Flyer LWVOR Event Graphic Join League Template Printable 18th Bday Flyer

Frequently asked questions about donations to the League. / Donation FAQs / Donation FAQs Donate Online You can participate in smaller monthly giving programs to the League of Women Voters of Oregon by clicking on the appropriate button at the top right of this page. Mail If you wish to mail a check, please print this donation form, fill it out, and then mail to the LWVOR office. Checks should be made out to LWVOR. Planned Giving Planned Giving offers a variety of tools to provide supp ort for the League of Women Voters of Oregon: For more information please download our Planned Giving brochure pdf . Corporate LWVOR urges corporate leaders and small business owners to join with other civic-minded individuals and groups to help us empower Oregon citizens to participate meaningfully in the democratic process. Sponsorship opportunities are available, and include acknowledgment in our publications. All gifts to the League are fully tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. Contact LWVOR for more information on any of the above or ask about stock contribution donations. Donations to LWVOR are tax-deductible and support the following: Your Action Team – League members who follow the Capitol and Legislature carefully and take action when position and support allow. The Action Team also reports to membership through publication of Legislative Reports provided during the annual sessions. Legislative Report production and publication Promotion of good government practices through testimony and other methods. Good government practices include: Fiscal responsibility of state government Adequate funding of government services Citizen involvement in the legislative process Administration of services to local Leagues and League members Voters’ Guide production, printing and distribution Statewide studies & Comprehensive, unbiased reports Oregon Student Mock Election Unbiased, nonpartisan citizen information Litigation to help clarify laws in the public interest And more…

How to navigate the LWVOR website. / Website Tutorials / Website Tutorials Navigating the LWVOR Website Website Member's Section Webinar This webinar takes you step-by-step through the process of signing up, logging in, and accessing the resources in the password protected area of our website. Watch the Webinar

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 2/20 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona The Legislature is introducing bold and innovative bills to address critical issues facing our state, including homelessness, evictions, social inequities, and a severe affordable housing shortage. Both chambers are working responsively to advance bills that address the Governor’s housing emergency in order to provide for Oregonians most in need. SB 702 - Appraiser Certification - Passed! This bill proposes new educational requirements for appraisers and appraiser assistants, to comply with state and federal fair housing laws and implicit bias, including racial bias. National studies have identified race-based disparities in appraisals. In Oregon, appraisers are covered by Oregon’s fair housing statutes and the federal Fair Housing Act (1968), however, current appraiser education requirements do not specifically cover racial bias or appraiser responsibilities under state or federal fair housing laws. In 2022, the legislature appointed a Joint Task Force on Addressing Racial Disparities in Home Ownership. The Task Force proposed amending ORS 674.310 to insert language to include these new appraiser education requirements. Senate Housing and Development passed the measure on 2/20 with 24 voting yes, and 6 voting no. SB 799 - Eviction Reform and Reduction This bill would prevent a landlord from delivering a notice to terminate a tenant for nonpayment of rent for 60 days, while a rental assistance application is pending. Landlords would be required to deliver a notice specifying the tenant’s rights and available resources. It would extend the 72-hour timeline for issuance of notice of nonpayment and intention to terminate a rental agreement to 10 days and extend the 144-hour timeline to 13 days. Senate bill 799 has been incorporated into HB 2001-1 , Oregon Housing and Community Services Governor’s spending package. HB 2456 - Support for At-Risk or Homeless Youth This bill would allow the Housing and Community Services Department to award grants to organizations that provide evidence-based services for youth experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. Under the bill, the agency’s housing assistance programs would provide services and assistance to school-aged children experiencing or at risk of homelessness. It also modifies eligibility requirements for applicants for grants from homeless youth services enhancement program and host home project program. This bill has been incorporated into HB 2001-1 , Oregon Housing and Community Services Governor’s spending package. A public hearing was held on 2/23. SB 599-A - Child Care in Rental Homes - Passed! Senate Housing and Development passed this bill on 2/15, with 27 voting yes and 3 voting no. It requires landlords to allow tenants to use their units for childcare if the home is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care, the tenant has notified the landlord, and the home does not violate zoning regulations or an association’s governing documents. Lack of access to childcare is a significant barrier for all parents, but particularly to women’s participation in the workforce. Criminal Justice By Karen Nibler The House Judiciary heard HB 2405 on fitness to proceed evaluations this week. The bill stipulates that those committed to the Oregon State Hospital for an Aid and Assist evaluation be returned to the committing county for court disposition on these cases. The Marion County Commissioners and the Association of Oregon Counties supported this bill since these patients are frequently released in the Salem community. The Criminal Defense Attorney Association supported this request to return patients to the county of commitment where their legal cases can be resolved. Disability Rights Oregon was opposed and requested return back to their home county where services may be available for discharged patients. The home county may not be the county where criminal charges and commitment were ordered. The criminal charges may not be dismissed until the defendant is returned to the county of jurisdiction, and or the criminal charges are prosecuted if found able to aid and assist. The Public Safety Ways and Means Subcommittee reviewed the Oregon Youth Authority Budget SB 5541 over 3 days this week. The agency director reported that fewer youth were committed in the past 4 years. Residential facilities also closed, losing 70 beds for youth residents. The Governor’s Budget for the agency was decreased for the lower numbers of residents. The Juvenile Justice Information System, operated by the Oregon Youth Authority and used by the County Juvenile Departments, was built in 1997 and is due for modernization. This project is estimated to cost $3.4 million.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Note: Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE . Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2025 Social Policy bills . Jump to topic: Behavioral Health Criminal Justice Education Healthcare Behavioral Health Trish Garner Senate Interim Committee on Human Services LC 68 is one of a number of proposals which appear to have caught the attention of Senator Sara Gelser Blouin, Governor Tina Kotek and Democratic leadership which relate to foster care. It began in 2021 with SB 710 proposed by Senators Gelser Blouin and James Manning, Jr. which placed a number of restrictions on the use of restraints and/or seclusions in foster care settings, described when and how abuse complaints could be brought against staff, and defined processes required for out-of-state foster care placements. A number of bills were introduced in 2025 which sought to modify the impact of that legislation. They included SB 3835 which authorized seclusions and/or restraints if the child’s behavior posed a reasonable risk of imminent “serious physical harm” as opposed to the SB 710 standard that required a threat of “severe bodily injury.” Proponents of SB 3835 argued that SB 710’s rules regarding investigating complaints against residential treatment staff for abuse were also so onerous that numerous licensed residential facilities had closed. SB 1113 was also filed by Senator Gelser Blouin in 2025. It essentially went in the opposite direction from HB 3835 and was never voted on by either the House or Senate. HB 3835 remained in the Ways and Means Committee upon adjournment. Senator Gelser Blouin also introduced SB 875 and SB 736 in 2025. Each passed in the legislature but Governor Kotek vetoed both. HB 875 would have modified the Oregon Foster Children’s Bill of Rights to cover children who are awaiting placement. Among other provisions, it defined a process to protect these children from abuse, outlined what constitutes an inappropriate use of restraint or seclusion, and mandated that children in foster care have access to personal belongings. SB 736 would have expanded the definition of a child in care to include any child in legal or physical custody of ODHS, including children living at home with their parents during in-home safety plans or trial reunifications. This would mean that the child abuse investigation framework would apply in these situations. Neither of these bills became law. Governor Kotek’s veto was sustained regarding SB 736. The Senate voted to override the Governor’s veto SB 875, but the motion was tabled in the House. Returning to the 2026 Session, LC 68 is an omnibus bill that seeks to re-introduce many of the legislative ideas introduced in the 2025 Session. For example, LC 68 follows SB 875’s (2025) effort which sought to expand the Oregon Foster Children’s Bill of Rights by providing that foster child “essential” rights include the rights to be protected from abuse, exploitation, neglect, intimidation or wrongful use of restraint or seclusion, and that children in foster care have access to personal belongings. One can recognize SB 736 (2025) in LC 68’s definition of “child in care” to include a person under 21 who is in the “physical or legal custody” of the state which would include children living with their parents but under ODHS custody. LC 280 is an omnibus measure that modifies provisions relating to out-of-state care of children. It also modifies requirements for DHS to impose license conditions on a residential or long-term care facility based on a preliminary finding. LC 281 is similar to HB 3835 (2025). It deals with duties of care to a child in residential facilities and foster homes. Senate Interim Committee on Early Childhood and Behavioral Health An informational hearing presented LC 216 . It arose from Governor Kotek’s request to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) which is chaired by First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson. It provides that the previously free-standing State Board of Licensed Social Workers (BLSW) will be placed under the regulatory and administrative jurisdiction of the Mental Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The BLSW joins the OR Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists and the Oregon Board of Psychology on the MHRA. LC 216 also seeks to streamline credentialing for behavioral health workers by requiring OHA to develop a centralized process for doing so. LC 216 requires OHA to work with providers in reducing paperwork and to report to the legislature and the Governor every 2 years about progress on this requirement. In seeking to address the lack of access to clinical supervision, LC 216 requires the MHRA and BLSW to develop rules allowing for master’s level licensees to be supervised by any fully qualified behavioral health supervisor rather than requiring that a clinical supervisor have the same license as the supervisee. [An informational hearing on this LC was also heard in the House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health.] LC 111 creates a new behavioral health provider called a Licensed Behavioral Health and Wellness Practitioner licensed by the Board of Psychology. LC 282 requires operators of artificial intelligence platforms to provide clear and concise notice to users that they are interacting with AI-generated output. Operators are required to develop and publish protocols for detecting output that consists of suicidal or self-harming ideation. There are additional requirements if the user is believed to be a minor. LC 289 relates to labeling of marijuana products. For example, marijuana items that contain industrial hemp-derived cannabinoids must bear a label describing the risks. House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health At first glance LC 202 (2026) looks like a simple technical fix bill, but it contains significant changes, particularly regarding the relationship between OHA and others in the public behavioral health care system. It arose from a work group that came from a wide variety of stakeholders – coordinated care organizations, providers, and payors. LC requires the Oregon Health Authority and coordinated care organizations to ensure that access to behavioral health treatment and documentation standards is no more burdensome than access to medical or surgical treatment. Changes to outdated language are also proposed in LC 202, such as replacing “emotional disturbance” with “health or substance use disorder.” Further modifications to LC 202 are anticipated in this Session, including the process of payment for civil commitment services. LC 229 requires employers to create safety plans, including improved training and safe staffing levels. These plans must include plans for workers working alone and structural safety plans must be specific to a work site. Employers must provide a copy of this information to new employees. LC 181 modifies the definition of “transition aged youth residential home” to clarify that it applies to young adults beginning at age17 rather than 17 and 1/2. House Interim Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services LC 266 provides that ODHS is required to investigate a report of child abuse if the alleged perpetrator is the child’s parent, caregiver, guardian, child care provider, educator or an adult who has similar access to a child. It modifies the definition of “child abuse” by requiring that a threat of harm to a child be an imminent rather than a substantial risk of harm. LC 266 also raises the standard to substantiate a finding of child abuse from a reasonable cause to a preponderance of the evidence. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley & Sharron Noone Several legislative concepts (LCs) introduced during recent interim House and Senate Judiciary Committee hearings are of interest to the League. LC 97 modifies the 2022 law ( SB 1584 ) related to compensation for wrongful convictions, which passed with support from the League. It creates a new post-conviction process for convictions based on expert testimony that was based on now-discredited forensic science. LC 64 makes changes to the death investigation process in cases of domestic violence or child abuse. LC 106 adds new provisions to the crime of “aggregated harassment” to include making serious threats to a public official or a member of the official’s family. LC 92 , a public safety omnibus, contains at least four unrelated provisions. We will monitor this catch-all bill and expect amendments during session. LC 238 expands the ability of the Department of Human Services to take action against child-caring agencies following certain findings. Besides ongoing litigation from the Oregon Department of Justice, the League will be monitoring a flurry of bills this session from Senate and House Democrats that prioritize “protecting democracy, our elections, and the civil rights of Oregonians from federal overreach.” We expect bills that restrict the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, expand Oregon’s sanctuary laws, protect immigrant rights, mandate parental notification of ICE activity on school campuses, and limit mask use and standardize identification for all law enforcement. Education K-12 Public school districts around the state are submitting preliminary recommendations for reducing spending . Portland’s proposal to cut $50 million would eliminate 180 positions in schools and 108 positions in the central office. Eugene’s district would cut $30 million, eliminating as many as 159 positions. Salem Keizer has plans to cut $25 million. The cuts are being attributed to decreasing enrollment, increasing costs of labor, special education, and retirement payments. The Senate and House Education Committees are both promoting legislative concepts directing schools to develop policies related to immigration enforcement. In addition, the House Education Committee heard Rep. Finger McDonald describe one of her legislative concepts, which would require schools to notify parents when ICE is present on school grounds. She noted that this would be more accurate than relying on social media. House Education Committee This committee heard several presentations relating to the time spent in school. Currently, the law states that at least 80% of the students at each school must receive at least 900 hours of instructional time in K-8, 990 hours in grades 9-11, and 966 hours in 12 th grade. Dr. Matthew Kraft, from Brown University, reported data from 2017-18, revealing that Oregon ranked 47 th among the 50 states in total hours of time in school during an academic year. Furthermore, more than 25% of the existing instructional time is lost due to external interruptions (e.g. intercom announcements) and to inefficient practices such as transitions between activities and teacher absences. The committee heard that increased time is related to higher test performance, but Kraft did note that increased time is most effective when steps are taken to maximize the use of the time. When a committee member noted the high rate of absenteeism in Oregon schools, Kraft observed that is related to graduation rates. In addition, teachers are less likely to introduce new material when a critical mass of students is absent. The Committee also heard a presentation from the Legislative Policy and Research Office, observing that different methods are currently used to measure student poverty. Previously, poverty rates were estimated based on the number of students receiving free and reduced lunches. But that is no longer an accurate measure since currently free lunches are provided for all students in schools with high poverty rates. Instead, Oregon calculates poverty in two different ways, depending on the use of the data: Students Experiencing Poverty includes families up to 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and is based on student characteristics such as eligibility for SNAP or TANF, students in foster care, those who are houseless, and students receiving migrant education services. The Oregon Department of Education considers this when it is important to address the needs of specific students or schools. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates includes families up to 100% of the FPL, and is based on Census data, tax returns, Social Security, etc. This is used to determine education funding for low-income districts. Finally, a memo prepared by the Legislative Policy and Research Office reported that the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) documented that in the 2023-24 school year, at least 4,439 incidents of restraint and/or seclusion occurred in Oregon, with the vast majority of incidents involving restraint. Both of these practices are controversial. Physical restraint is defined in Oregon statute as “the restriction of a student’s movement by one or more persons holding the student or providing physical pressure upon the student.” Students have also been restrained chemically or mechanically. Seclusion is “the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room from which the student is physically prevented from leaving.” Twelve percent of the restraint and seclusion incidents involved staff injuries, while 2% involved injuries to students. During the same time period, the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) determined that 20 of the incidents, involving 16 program staff, were considered abusive. It was also concerning to hear that 7% of the incidents between 2019 and 2024 involved at least one untrained staff member. Joint Public Education Appropriation LC 43, being proposed by the Joint Committee on Public Education Appropriations, is an overhaul of school funding based on recommendations made by the American Institutes for Research. The legislative concept would replace the Quality Education Commission (QEC) funding model with a contracted body that meets with professional judgement panels statewide to make recommendations regarding funding needs. While there has been much discussion about replacing the QEC, there are other provisions of the LC that committee members questioned – notably plans for modifying the state’s quality goals for public education and creating a new definition of a standard school district. Committee chairs assured the members that approving the LC would simply enable them to have a conversation about the goals and standards. Higher Education In response to a request from legislators, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) created a public university spending efficiency report . The report noted that public universities in Oregon have taken steps to lower student costs while increasing graduation rates. However, the state has a history of disinvesting in higher education, and according to the State Higher Education Finance report Oregon spends $3000 less per full-time-equivalent student than the national average. This, combined with federal spending cutbacks and increasing personnel costs led to some challenging recommendations from HECC, including partnerships and mergers. The report also mentioned the highly controversial step of asking HECC to audit university degree programs periodically. Healthcare LC 300 This legislative concept would require health insurance companies to inform a health care provider of the service each time the service is automatically downcoded by AI. (The process of downcoding reviews, reduces, and reassigns medical billing codes to a lower level of complexity than originally submitted by a healthcare provider.) LC 300 also requires insurers to make the appeals process available to the provider. The League is committed to transparency in health care transactions. The bill would not eliminate AI downcoding or automatic denials of services, but would allow more tracking of AI used in this specific situation. Hopefully this is a first step and there will be more to follow. LC 241 This will be the omnibus bill put forward by the House Health Committee. It is meant to be measures that are easy to agree about, actionable and do not involve money from Ways and Means. It does cover 65 different sections, all the way from Anesthesia coding to Psilocybin facilitators. It covers dental choice of provider, health insurance mandate advisory committee and automatic primary care assignment repeal along with many other health related concepts. It is very ambitious, but it appears that the league will be able to support many of the provisions. LC 100 This legislative concept would allow colposcopy after initial abnormal PAP to be covered as a screening procedure. LC 100 requires health insurance carriers to fully cover cervical cancer screenings and follow-ups without deductibles, coinsurance, copayments or other out-of-pocket expenses. Many women are unable to proceed to further work-up of an abnormal pap because of cost. But the PAP smear does not adequately reflect what treatment protocol is reasonable. In these days of very high deductible health plans women frequently cannot pay for further screening from an in office procedure leading to an increase in worsened diseases. Recently the Health Resources and Services updated cervical cancer screening guidelines to include additional cervical testing. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed. We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning Juvenile justice Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Natural Resources , and Revenue report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - November Interim Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Jump to topic: Behavioral Health and Public Safety Housing and Homelessness Immigration Behavioral Health and Public Safety By Karen Nibler The Joint Interim Addiction and Community Response Committee held an in-depth discussion on the controlled substance crimes of unlawful possession, manufacture or delivery of illegal drugs during November interim legislative days. Felony and misdemeanor crimes were reviewed, and Class E possession of small amounts of drugs were explained under BM 110. Sentencing for Class E violations (BM 110) could draw a fine of $45 to $100. Screening or treatment cancels the citation. Failure to respond draws no consequence. The police and sheriff representatives held that addiction and mental illness are health issues and they have no tools to abate. They need places to take drug users for services and need tools to shut down public use and open markets. City and county law enforcement requested that the legislature consider new legal options for diversion and drug treatment. The BM 110 providers are not connected with law enforcement. The Court system has diversion and treatment options but the inadequate availability of public defenders continues to be problematic. Expect these issues to be examined in the 2024 legislative session. Public Defense Services Commission The Ways and Means Public Safety Subcommittee heard reports on PDSC salary plan increases and classification changes. In January new members will join the commission and the agency will move under Governor’s Office oversight. Current court system actions are to reduce the number of filings, speed up case disposition, hire additional attorneys, and increase the capacity of attorneys in the system. The Criminal Justice Commission staff are monitoring district plans and implementation now. House Judiciary heard a progress report on a Restorative Justice Grant that serves crime victims in 7 areas for one year. The grant was set up and is monitored by the Criminal Justice Commission. The Mental Health Courts Workgroup is scheduled to report to the 2025 session on the civil commitment procedures and assisted outpatient treatment in the state court system. Statistics submitted showed 8,000 cases in 2022 with only 6% committed to the hospital, 15% in diversion programs, 29% dismissed after investigations, and 61% dismissed prior to investigation. The Oregon State Hospital has been at capacity due to Aid and Assist evaluations resulting in efforts to treat locally. Community Mental Health Programs in counties bear the responsibility for patients discharged from the state hospital who need housing or secure facilities. State funding is needed for these services as well as case management. Marion County District Attorney commented on the numbers of homeless persons released from the OSH. Many of these patients are currently unserved in the Salem community without follow-up care after leaving the hospital. It was estimated that Marion County bears a $2 million cost for released patients. School Based Health Center supporters testified in the House Behavioral Health Committee on the preventive services offered by nurses in school based health centers on public school campuses. The nurses managed chronic conditions, preventive options, mental health and physical health referrals. Continued funding for nurses is requested for school clinics. Housing and Homelessness By Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan The Oregon Housing Alliance is gearing up to propose its 2024 legislative priorities and concepts. On 11/16 it held its annual membership meeting in Salem. Representing the League of Women Voters, a member of the Housing Alliance, were Nancy Donovan, LWV of Oregon and Beth Jacobi, LWV of Deschutes County. The following guest speakers provided overviews of the 2024 legislative session: · Representative Maxine Dexter, Chair of the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness, · Policy staff from Governor Kotek’s Office on Housing and Homelessness: Housing and Homeless Initiative Director, Taylor Smiley Wolfe, and Housing Advisor, Matthew Tschabold. · Christopher Allanach from the Legislative Revenue Office reviewed the newly released 11/15 quarterly state revenue forecast. The Housing Alliance presented their proposed 2024 legislative priorities and strategies below for the 2024 short session. The Housing Alliance did not ask meeting members to vote at this early juncture. Homeownership 1. Individual Development Accounts (IDAs): $10-12 million from the general fund to provide Individual Development Accounts and financial education for additional 600-700 households statewide. 2. Housing Production: $7-15 million from the general fund, to be paired with the state’s Local Innovation and Fast Tract (LIFT) bonds to build new homes for first-time buyers in the state. 3. Mortgages for homebuyers with Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs) to remove barriers to mortgage lending for borrowers to use their ITIN numbers to establish their identity. Affordable Housing Preservation 1. $125 million to keep Oregonians housed by acquiring and or renovating buildings, including those with expiring affordability restrictions. 2. $2 million for tenant outreach, education, and resource navigation. Grants would enable community-based organizations to help residents in buildings that are scheduled to lose their affordability restrictions. Homeless Prevention and Shelter Operations 1. (TBD) million to keep Oregonians housed by providing emergency rent assistance. Due to the high cost of rent, over 80% of evictions are for non-payment. 2. (TBD) million to maintain homeless shelter operations in Bend, Cottage Grove, Eugene, Medford, and Salem, which were established using American Rescue Plan Act money. The Senate and House interim committees on housing and homelessness met during the Legislative Committee Days in early November. The topics below provide a preview of possible hot topics to be considered during the upcoming short session. Interim committees are authorized by the Legislative Assembly to study subjects between sessions. The House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness held an interim informational meeting on 11/17. The housing and homeless topics presented by organizations are below. · Medicaid 1115 Waiver Housing Component Implementation · Homelessness Response Strategies · Regional Homeless Services Coordination · Land Readiness and Infrastructure in Cities · Manufactured Housing: Stability and Affordability for Residents · Urban Unincorporated Areas in Metro Counties Workgroup The Senate Interim Committee on Housing and Development met on 11/6/2023. The following housing topics were discussed during the meeting. · Statewide Eviction Landscape · Joint Task Force on Addressing Racial Disparity in Homeownership · Land Availability within the Faith Communities Immigration/Refugee/Asylum By Claudia Keith There continues to be growth in Oregon Immigration and Refugee populations that will affect a number of state agencies. This policy topic will likely not be addressed in 2024 however given the favorable revenue forecast additional funding may be added during the 2024 short session. LWVUS Joins Letter Urging President to Finalize Rule on Health Coverage for DACA Recipients | League of Women Voters Oregon has $3.6 million in grants to help refugees from Afghanistan – Oregon Capital Chronicle, Immigrants' Rights | ACLU of Oregon, Unaccompanied Children Released to Sponsors by State | The Administration for Children and Families

LWVOR follows governance-related policy in the state legislature. Governance Overview The League of Women Voters of Oregon is actively working toward a more accessible government, better educational resources, statewide privacy protections and more. Read More Governance Reports Sep 21, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 9/21 Please read our September Legislative Days Governance reports; these reports felt urgent! Read More Jun 29, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 6/29 Legislative Days hearings included many issues relevant to Governance. Attending hearings in person, in the renovated Capitol building, helped restore our in-person networking! Read More Mar 9, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 3/9 Though the session has concluded, our work continues as bills that succeeded or failed influence upcoming policy and budget considerations. Read More Mar 2, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of March 2 League governance work is intensifying and focusing on campaign finance, with legislative drama also around the gas tax referendum. Only one week remains in this short session. Read More Feb 23, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 2/23 The editorial board of the Oregonian featured the League opposition to HB 4018 8, which revokes campaign finance reforms, “Editorial: A complete betrayal on campaign finance”, Feb 22, 2026. Read More Feb 16, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 2/16 We have filed testimony on more than half of the governance bills we’re following. Informational hearings in Joint Committee Information Management Technology are well worth watching, this week for protecting local journalism and data breach policy. Read More Feb 9, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 2/9 We worked on an assortment of bills this week including elections, artificial intelligence, law enforcement, privacy rights, and funding. League testimony was filed for 6 of the 20 we tagged for Governance that were heard in committees Read More Feb 2, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of 2/2 Catch up on interim news and highlights of some of the 40 governance bills we've identified, out of 700 bills so far this session. We’re preparing testimony for seven of them in the session’s first two days so expect more individual reports next week. Read More Jan 26, 2026 Legislative Report - Week of January 26 The Joint Committee for Information Management and Technology (JCIMT) will focus for the 2026 session on a comprehensive strategy to strengthen digital transparency and public infrastructure against evolving technological threats, by modernizing state AI and data security policies. Read More Dec 1, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of December 1 LWVOR has a hand in LWV litigation, and Governance is observing. Read More Oct 21, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of October 13 Federal pressure on Oregon resonated throughout legislative hearings and made news for national guard activation against small peaceful ICE protests. Read More Aug 11, 2025 Legislative Report - Sine Die - Week of 8/11 This sine die report summarizes the Governance portfolio work that took place over the 2025 Legislative Session. Read More Jun 30, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 6/30 In the last few days of the legislative session, we saw extraordinary machinations on campaign finance reform. Read More Jun 23, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 6/23 HB 3954 was revived last week after a League letter called for action on the bill, for the Adjutant General to not allow the Oregon National Guard to be called to active service, except for certain reasons. This bill became more relevant with the California National Guard being called to action by the President in Los Angeles, overriding the Mayor and California Governor. Read More Jun 16, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 6/16 HB 3954 tells the Oregon Adjutant General not to allow the Oregon National Guard to be called to active service, except for certain reasons, timelier now with the California National Guard in the news. HB 3954 had a May 5 public hearing, but no subsequent work session. We wrote a commenting letter and sent it to the Governor's staff, the Attorney General, Chair and House Rules Committee members, and bill sponsors, to urge action on this bill, considering amending if it is needed. Read More Jun 9, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 6/9 HB3936 A bans the use of AI on state assets if the AI is developed or owned by a covered (foreign) vendor. It has already passed the House 52 to 0. It is now scheduled for a final debate and vote on the Senate floor on June 9. Read More Jun 2, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 6/2 The Elections Division of the Secretary of State is asking the public for feedback on draft administrative rules that would implement HB 4025 (2024). It has also appointed a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to work on these new administrative rules. Read More May 26, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 5/26 The Elections Division of the Secretary of State is asking the public for feedback on draft administrative rules that would implement HB 4025 (2024). It has also appointed a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to work on these new administrative rules. Read More May 19, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 5/19 HB 3766 had a second public hearing in the Senate Judiciary after passing unanimously from the House Floor. League testimony supported the bill as written to allow civil action against an adult who, unbidden, digitally sends intimate images (cyber-flashing) with the intent to harass, degrade or humiliate. Updated League testimony was filed and presented to address amendments quantifying defendant age and limiting damages to $10,000. We recommended reading Criminalising Cyberflashing. Read More May 12, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 5/12 We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance, privacy/consumer protection, elections, and artificial intelligence. Read More May 5, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 5/5 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. Read More Apr 28, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 4/28 Bills with League testimony are progressing, reported here, and several not addressed in the first chamber will be considered for testimony in the second chamber. Read More Apr 21, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 4/21 SB 1180: Requires the Secretary of State to submit to the Legislative Assembly, by November 1 of each odd-numbered year, a list of each prospective statewide initiative petition that has been filed for the next general election. Read More Apr 14, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 4/14 The League continues to follow the bills listed on the March 17 agenda of the Senate Committee On Rules since some of the bills relate to the process of rulemaking. After legislation is passed, agencies are required to implement those laws. That action often requires rulemaking to clarify the details around that implementation. But the League is concerned when legislators “get a second bite at the apple” by relitigating the legislation when rulemaking is only meant to implement, not change policies. Read More Apr 7, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 4/7 We are following numerous bills relating to initiatives, rulemaking, and elections. Read More Mar 31, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 3/31 We are following numerous bills relating to initiatives, broadband/vote-by-mail privacy, and elections. Read More Mar 24, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 3/24 We are following numerous bills relating to redistricting, broadband/vote-by-mail privacy, elections, government ethics, and rulemaking. Read More Mar 17, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 3/17 We are following numerous bills relating to redistricting, broadband/vote-by-mail privacy, and elections. Read More Mar 10, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 3/10 We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance and elections, courts and privacy, and government ethics. Read More Mar 3, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 3/3 We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance and elections, courts and privacy, government ethics, and revenue. Read More Feb 24, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 2/24 We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance reform, federal concerns and privacy, and government ethics. Read More Feb 17, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 2/17 We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance reform, immigration, bias and hate crimes, and government ethics. Read More Feb 10, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 2/10 We are watching for AI and further cybersecurity and privacy bills, welcoming two new volunteers who will have AI bill reports soon. Read More Feb 3, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 2/3 We are following numerous bills relating to immigration, discrimination, bias and hate crimes, including as they relate to privacy. Read More Jan 20, 2025 Legislative Report - Week of 1/20 A CFR workgroup called by Rep. Fahey that began in June is still working to identify technical adjustments needed to ensure successful implementation of HB 4024 (2024), to recommend legislative fixes for 2025, and to consider broader policy improvements for future sessions. Read More Dec 20, 2024 Legislative Report - December Interim 2024 The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week. Read More Oct 1, 2024 Legislative Report - September Legislative Days The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week. Senate Rules met Sept. 24 to consider various executive appointments. Read More Jun 10, 2024 Legislative Report - Interim Week 6/10 The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week. House Rules met May 31 to hear from representatives of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy. Senate Rules met May 20 to consider various appointments. Read More Apr 22, 2024 Legislative Report - Sine Die 2024 Since this was a short session things seemed to move quickly. In the beginning there seemed to be adequate notice on hearings and bills to be heard, changing as the session progressed. Read More Mar 4, 2024 Legislative Report - 3/4 An amazingly historic thing happened with campaign finance reform as explained here in the Capital Chronicle. Read More Feb 26, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/26 During the 2/29 public hearing on the -3 amendment to this placeholder bill, HB 4024, good government groups severely criticized the amendment for leaving huge loopholes for special interest organizations to still make 6-figure campaign contributions. Read More Feb 19, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/19 A placeholder bill, HB 4024, is being pressed into service from unusual partners, labor (which is otherwise promoting IP 42 against IP 9), and business. Read More Feb 12, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/12 SB 1538 is an election law clean-up bill that makes many changes, was amended in several details and passed out of the Senate Rules Committee on 2/15. Read More Feb 5, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 2/5 For the first week of session, this news includes committee bills we’re working on / watching and news from the quarterly EPAB Meeting. Read More Jan 15, 2024 Legislative Report - Week of 1/15 The Interim Senate Rules and Executive Appointments Committee met 1/10/24 and introduced three legislative concepts (LCs) for the Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) to study public records requests fees charged (LC 196); make youth sporting events grants available (LC 195); and to make many changes in an election law clean-up bill (LC 194). Read More Nov 13, 2023 Legislative Report - November Interim The LWV of Oregon has endorsed and is actively circulating IP 9 on Campaign Finance and IP 14 on Redistricting. Read More Oct 2, 2023 Legislative Report - September Interim The LWV of Oregon has endorsed and is actively circulating IP 9 on Campaign Finance and IP 14 on Redistricting. We urge you to download, print, sign and return petitions by mail from Honest Elections for IP 9 and People Not Politicians for IP 14. Read More Aug 18, 2023 Legislative Report - Sine Die In the final days of the legislative session only one bill, SB 166, the SoS’s omnibus elections bill, passed that included any campaign finance provisions. Read More Jun 26, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 6/26 In the final days of the Legislative session, only one bill, SB 166 Enrolled, passed that included many subjects. Read More Jun 12, 2023 Legislative Report - Week of 6/12 The OR Senate walkout from May 3 finally ended on June 15, with a quorum present. 394 bill actions were scheduled including 40 from the House, which suspended rules to increase by 10. 144 bills have already been signed by the Governor. Read More

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - November Interim Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Campaign Finance and Redistricting County Elections challenges, EPAB-Broadband Equity, SCR, and Capitol update Election Methods Election Signs for Sale By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Campaign Finance and Redistricting By Norman Turill The LWV of Oregon has endorsed and is actively circulating IP 9 on Campaign Finance and IP 14 on Redistricting. Petitions can be downloaded, printed*, signed and returned by mail from the Honest Elections website for IP 9 and the People Not Politicians website for IP 14. Both initiative petition filings are due to the Secretary of State by July 5, 2024. *Be sure to print both sides! County Elections challenges, EPAB-Broadband Equity, SCR, and Capitol update By Rebecca Gladstone Legislative efforts reported here tend to be large projects better addressed in long sessions, so short sessions are often for urgent needs or to adjust and implement the Oregon Revised Statute (ORS) into Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR). Elections manuals are up for review and multiple election rulemaking hearings are set for December. Recent interim news includes: Oregon’s county elections staffing study Recommendations to House Rules included improving support with direct communications between the Elections Division, the Oregon Association of County Clerks (OACC) and the clerks themselves. As law enforcement i nvestigated elections office threats around the country, including in Lane County, House Rules heard a county elections staffing study presentation that found county elections working intensely for at least 8 months in even years, with inadequate and uneven funding to address more complex rules, technology, and safety efforts. Unusually heavy public records requests accompanied abuse, threats, and harassment. Retirements and unusually high resignation rates make understaffing worse. Pay is low for the stress and public scrutiny in the antagonistic political environment, “…the In-N-Out Burger across the street can out-pay me”. LWVOR has called for local Leagues to reach out in appreciation to their county election offices and is inquiring to LWVUS advocacy, as they discuss pushing the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee to increase support to protect elections workers . This LWVOR testimony includes lists of earlier support: SB 166 , ( testimony ) to protect elections workers SB 167 , ( testimony ) elections procedural updates HB 3073 , ( testimony ) home address privacy HB 3111 , ( testimony ) personal information privacy HB 4144 , ( testimony ) home address privacy HB 3047 , ( testimony ) doxing, harassment and injury SB 293 , ( testimony ) elevate state government privacy, confidentiality and data security The House Rules meeting materials included experts we consulted for our LWVOR Elections Methods studies. See the updates in 2023 , 2016 , and the 2008 in our archives. Oregon Data Literacy Framework Work Group update From the Dept of Administrative Services (DAS), the data literacy framework and final report is open to accept comments until January 31, 2024. The Chief Data Officer and Oregon Data Literacy Work Group and Chair will review comments to inform future implementation, expansion, and/or adjustments to the overall framework. SCR, Senate Commemorative Resolution for Alice Bartelt Senate President Rob Wagner requested League support in compiling and processing a resolution commemorating Alice Bartelt, our recently deceased LWVOR President. The draft was submitted to Legislative Counsel and will be presented during the 2024 session. The Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance, and Safety (CAMS) Project An update was presented to the Joint Legislative Administration Committee, describing completed work, what should be done in time for the 2025 session, and work continuing on after the 2025 session. For the 2024 session: Both chambers will be in use and accessible from the wings as during the 2023 session. Hearing Rooms A-F, 170 & 174 will be in use for committees. All three entrances on State Street and both garage entrances will be available. EPAB, Oregon Digital Equity Plan The Oregon Electronic Portal Advisory Board ( EPAB ) November quarterly meeting included a broadband equity report. The Oregon Broadband Office (OBO) has issued a Oregon Digital Equity Plan Report , with Strategy 1–Put People First, to identify Oregonian’s digital government needs and to continue updating the Oregon.gov platform. OBO welcomes all to submit comments on the draft via the OBO Public Comment Portal by 5pm PST, December 16, 2023. The draft Oregon Digital Equity plan: Addresses Oregon’s digital equity challenges. Will be submitted for implementation funding to the National Telecommunication & Information Administration (NTIA), with multiple E-Government Program and EPAB references. Describes the program services scope. Includes statewide Accessibility Guidance for Oregon.gov websites. Is an Enterprise accessibility testing/quality assurance tool for websites. Is a collaboration with PSU Hatfield School of Government to study online needs for Oregonians (2022) and the state’s communities of color (2023). BACKGROUND: OBO maintains an online, interactive map of Oregon broadband availability , created in 2009 with a new version launched in 2019. Data layers include service providers, broadband technologies, service speeds, service availability reported by providers to the FCC, population density, and anchor institutions. Oregon has funding from the U.S. Economic Development Administration and with OSU partnership, the map will be upgraded to include an application portal, dig once map, and data submission portal. The map has several information layers to enable OBO to support Oregon’s Digital Equity Plan. New upgrade layers include a map of maximum available download speed, locations lacking service, and separate layers for each of the following community anchor institution categories: community support (government and non-government), library, hospital, fire station, law enforcement, school (K-12), higher education, inclusive of a covered population layer. EPAB advises the State Chief Information Officer about Oregon’s web services, websites and e‑commerce. Rebecca Gladstone is the appointed public member. The Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance, and Safety (CAMS) Project An update was presented to Joint Legislative Administration, describing completed work, what should be done in time for the 2025 session, and work continuing on after the 2025 session. For the 2024 session: Both chambers will be in use and accessible from the wings as during the 2023 session. Hearing Rooms A-F, 170 & 174 will be in use for committees. All three entrances on State Street and both garage entrances will be available. Election Methods By Barbara Klein No bills were taken up during this interim legislative session that relate to election systems. There were rumors of some efforts to oppose Ranked Choice Voting via legislation or the ballot, but as of yet, it is unclear whether this will materialize. Due to the decision of the legislature in June 2023, Ranked Choice Voting will be on the 2024 general ballot (for implementation in 2028). Election Signs for Sale The LWV of Umpqua Valley has 3 different kinds of signs. They are double-sided, printed on sturdy paper, coated to make them rain-proof, and 18 inches by 12 inches (not self-standing). See LWV Umpqua Valley for more information and photos of the signs: 1) End Gerrymandering Now and on the back #Fair Maps 2) Vote411 and on the back Register to Vote 3) Voting is People Power and it’s blank on the backside The signs are $5 each plus UPS shipping. Contact them at info@lwvuv.org .

The League of Women Voters of Oregon seeks to empower voters to understand governmental issues and to participate in the political process. STAY INFORMED! Sign up for all League communications and newsletters here! Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy. Youth Civic Engagement Join the League Legislative Reports Read Our Studies Latest News League Promotional Items For Sale League Updates Announcing the Winners of the Promote the Vote Poster Contest October 2026 President's Update Read More LWV Urges Congress to Exercise Its Authority Read the Letter To become a member, join one of 15 local Leagues and Units in Oregon. Learn more about join ing Oregon's Sanctuary Law: Know Your Rights Learn more Attend An Event See Events Check out upcoming public events happening around the state. Events are hosted by LWVOR and other Oregon Leagues.

Climate Emergency reports from the LWVOR Action Committee. Climate Emergency Overview The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and our planet. Read More Climate Emergency Reports 9/21/26 Legislative Report - Week of 9/21 With the Legislature out of session, nearly all climate and energy action came from Governor Kotek's office, state agencies, the Public Utility Commission, the courts, and the September 8–10 Interim Legislative Days. Read More 6/29/26 Legislative Report - Week of 6/29 The 2026 short legislative session (Feb. 2–Mar. 6) adjourned Sine Die having navigated a ~$750M budget shortfall driven by federal funding cuts from the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill. Read More 3/9/26 Legislative Report - Week of 3/9 The League will be very active in 2027 on Climate Emergency: mitigation, adaptation and climate migration / Human Rights related advocacy. Read More 3/2/26 Legislative Report - Week of March 2 A number of Climate bills with fiscals are in JWM or Rules, the League is not clear if any of these bills will move. Read More 2/23/26 Legislative Report - Week of 2/23 Please contact your legislators, asking them to support SB 1541 A and SB 1526A. Leadership and JWM committee must move these bills to the floor for a vote this session. Oregon has an opportunity to join other states, modeling critical climate fiscal legislation. Read More 2/16/26 Legislative Report - Week of 2/16 Many Climate Emergency priority policy and or funding bills the league supports are expected to move to JWM or the floor Read More 2/9/26 Legislative Report - Week of 2/9 Many Climate Emergency priority bills the league supports are likely to move from the first chamber by Feb 16 deadline, find details below Read More 2/2/26 Legislative Report - Week of 2/2 A League SB 1541 Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program Alert is planned for Feb 3. There are a number of other Climate Emergency bills during 2026 short session. Read More 1/26/26 Legislative Report - Week of January 26 This is a short 5-week Legislative session, most bills must have work sessions scheduled in the first chamber by mid Feb to stay active. There are now many Legislative Concepts waiting for Bill numbers for Environment / Climate Legislative soon to be posted to OLIS by no later than 28th of January. Read More 12/1/25 Legislative Report - Week of December 1 The primary climate/carbon issues during the 2026 short session will be related to budget issues primarily caused by Federal funding and policy decisions. Read More 10/13/25 Legislative Report - Week of October 13 Several energy-related bills from the 2025 session became effective in late September 2025 (91 days after the session's conclusion on June 27). Read More 8/11/25 Legislative Report - Sine Die - Week of August 11 This sine die report summarizes the Climate Emergency portfolio work that took place over the 2025 Legislative Session. Read More 6/30/25 Legislative Report - Week of 6/30 The League is pleased that Oregon now joins a few other states addressing Climate related risk investments, referring to Treasurer Steiner supported, Oregon Investment Council HB 2081. Read More 6/23/25 Legislative Report - Week of 6/23 There are less than 7 days until the end of session and a number of bills and state agency funding priorities are still waiting to move. The League expects some funding for existing agency climate programs in the reconciliation bill. Read More 6/16/25 Legislative Report - Week of 6/16 There are less than 17 days until the end of session and a number of bills and agency funding priorities are still waiting to move. The League expects some funding for existing state agency Climate related programs will be in the end of session reconciliation bill. Read More 6/9/25 Legislative Report - Week of 6/9 Early in the 2025 legislative session, the Oregon League testified in support of what are now HB 2949 A and HB 2152 A. Each bill focused on the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub. Recently both bills passed out of the House Emergency Management, General Management and Veterans Committee, chaired by Representative Tran. HB 2949 passed with unanimous approval. Read More 6/2/25 Legislative Report - Week of 6/2 The League joined many other organizations this past week to oppose the Transportation Budget Cap and Trade proposal. The League is open to the idea that a west coast cap and trade solution may be viable in the future; however, the details related to this idea and how it affects CPP Climate Protection Plan, still need a robust public process. Read More 5/26/25 Legislative Report - Week of 5/26 The League is very concerned about the recent announcement from Legislative leadership. The Transportation Cap and Trade idea has not had any public review including a comprehensive OCN perspective. Read More 5/19/25 Legislative Report - Week of 5/19 While the primary focus of the LWVOR Action Committee is on Legislation in Oregon, what is happening at the federal level is likely to affect budgeting and other decisions in our state. These climate/energy-related Trump admin policy and budget related executive orders if implemented would drastically affect global UN COP efforts in all fifty states, including Oregon’s climate-related legislation (policy and budget), state agencies, and community climate action plans/state statutes/ targeted outcomes. Read More 5/12/25 Legislative Report - Week of 5/12 While the primary focus of the LWVOR Action Committee is on Legislation in Oregon, what is happening at the federal level is likely to affect budgeting and other decisions in our state. These climate/energy-related Trump admin policy and budget related executive orders if implemented would drastically affect global UN COP efforts in all fifty states, including Oregon’s climate-related legislation (policy and budget), state agencies, and community climate action plans/state statutes/outcomes. Read More 5/5/25 Legislative Report - Week of 5/5 This year, the Oregon Legislature will be considering a transportation package that will provide ongoing funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation. (ODOT). Emissions from transportation make up over one-third of Oregon's total emissions. This session provides an opportunity for the Legislature to increase access to multi-modal transportation and expand options for all Oregonians to get around without a car. The Environmental Caucus is championing a package that prioritizes transit, safety, and climate accountability. Read More 4/28/25 Legislative Report - Week of 4/28 A few federal court rulings have favorably affected Biden admin IRA funding despite the current administration’s attempt to freeze the minutes. ‘The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act‘, provides an expanded overview of funding in Oregon. Read More 4/21/25 Legislative Report - Week of 4/21 For the first time, this year most of our priorities are included in the bipartisan 2025 Legislative Environmental Caucus Priorities, Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Priorities and/or Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) priorities. OCN is the only formal environmental lobby coalition group in the capitol. Consequently, for some of these bills (especially those in a package) the League may just join coalition sign-on letters rather than providing individual testimony. Read More 4/14/25 Legislative Report - Week of 4/14 For the first time, this year most of our priorities are included in the bipartisan 2025 Legislative Environmental Caucus Priorities, Citizens Utility Board (CUB) Priorities and/or Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) priorities. OCN is the only formal environmental lobby coalition group in the capitol. Consequently, for some of these bills (especially those in a package) the League may just join coalition sign-on letters rather than providing individual testimony. Read More

STATE BOARD MEETING MATERIALS Filter by Date April 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials April 2023 June 2022 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials June 2022 July 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials July 2023 January 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials January 2023 July 2022 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials July 2022 June 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials June 2023 December 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials December 2023 September 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials September 2023 November 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials November 2023 October 2022 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials October 2022 October 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials October 2023 August 2023 LWVOR Board Meeting Materials August 2023

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Sine Die Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley/Sharron Noone • Education: Jean Pierce • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Jump to topic: Housing Criminal Justice Gun Safety Rights of Incarcerated People Immigration and Basic Rights Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona In 2023, it became clear that the housing crisis is now a statewide issue. In communities throughout Oregon people are living on the street and many of those who are housed are at risk of losing their homes because they can’t afford to pay their rent. Before the start of the legislative session, Governor Kotek made clear that addressing the unmet need was one of her top priorities. The Governor signed HB 2001 into law on March 29, a hopeful start to the session. Early in the session, the Governor assembled a package of bills under HB 2001 that addresses some of the state’s critical housing needs. The bill supports Oregon Housing Needs Analysis and associated housing production targets and reporting requirements. Funding of $25 million will help combat homelessness and those at risk of becoming homeless. The bill modifies the emergency housing assistance and state homeless assistance programs to provide services and assistance to school-aged children experiencing, or at risk of homelessness. $20 million will provide loans and grants for modular housing development with priority given to housing people displaced by natural disasters, and for the construction of low- and middle-income housing. $613,925 will fund moderate-income housing predevelopment loans; and $5 million is targeted for agricultural workforce housing. Renter notification requirements are extended when rental agreements will be terminated for non-payment, and eviction records can be sealed in certain circumstances. Emergency procurement authority was granted to Oregon Housing and Community Services to address homelessness and provide services within the OR-505 Balance of State Continuum of Care. $3 million will help nonprofits access low-cost financing by issuing bonds for affordable housing including financing to local governments or housing developers for predevelopment costs, including infrastructure, site acquisition, planning, reports, surveys, and consultants. $5 million in grants will be used to improve agriculture workforce housing. Homelessness Response and Prevention The growing humanitarian crisis of homelessness caught the attention of people around the state and prompted passage of legislation aimed at assisting people living on the street or preventing people who are experiencing housing instability from losing their homes. The 2023 – 25 FY state homeless budget includes the following: $96 million for housing and long-term rent assistance for unhoused Oregonians, $81 million for emergency rent assistance to prevent evictions and homelessness, including a 30 percent set-aside to be deployed by culturally specific organizations, and $72.2 million for shelter operations, homeless services navigation centers, and Project Turnkey transitional housing. HB 5019 is an appropriation bill of $128.2 million to provide funding to address the homeless emergency in the OR 505 Oregon Balance of State Continuum of Care. The funds will support services to homeless youth. The League provided testimony in support. Another key legislation is SB 611 that modifies the maximum annual rent increase percentage for the following calendar year as the lesser of 10%, or 7% plus the September annual 12-month average change in the Consumer Price Index. It also limits rent increases to no more than once a year. Affordable Housing Preservation and Development Oregon does not have enough housing affordable for its residents and, until the shortfall is eliminated, there will be Oregonians paying more for rent than they can afford or who are unable to find stable and suitable housing. The Legislature allocated the following resources for development of new, and preservation of existing low-income housing: · $604 million in bonding for new affordable housing development · $50 million in bonding to preserve existing regulated affordable rental housing, and mobile home parks HB 3042 provides protections for households renting publicly subsidized units in buildings with expiring affordability restrictions. Rent increases and terminations will be limited for a three-year period to give tenants time to find alternative housing. Also, legislation was signed into law that would facilitate development of additional affordable units. HB 2761 expands OHCS' ability to finance a portion of certain housing developments that are affordable to households earning at or below 120 percent of area median income. Additional Legislation HB 3215 authorizes OHCS to support replacement, reconstruction, or rehabilitation of residential units damaged or destroyed by disaster. It establishes a Disaster Housing Recovery Fund. In addition, passage of HB 3462 will make individuals affected by disasters eligible for housing assistance regardless of their immigration status. SB 599 allows tenants to operate home-based childcare by requiring a landlord to allow a renter to use a dwelling unit for a family childcare if it is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care. The landlord can require a tenant to pay for improvements necessary for certification and carry some form of liability coverage. HB 3151 limits improvements that landlords of manufactured dwelling parks may require of tenants. It expands affordable housing that is developable on nonresidential lands. It also expands the manufactured dwelling park preservation loan program to allow loaned funds to be used to develop new parks. HB 2680 requires residential landlords to refund applicants for screening charges within 30 days, subject to certain conditions. The measure requires landlords to promptly notify an applicant once the screening has taken place, their right to a refund of the screening charge, and recovery of damages if the landlord fails to provide the refund within 30 days. Homeownership SB 702 allows the Appraiser Certification and Licensure Board to require real estate appraiser training on implicit bias and state and federal fair housing laws. The League submitted a t estimony letter in support. Representative Ricki Ruiz sent a note thanking the League for its support. Unfortunately, HB 3487, which could have addressed racial disparities in homeownership did not pass. It would have required a biannual report to the Legislature on changes to racial disparity, require OHCS to partner with culturally responsive or culturally specific organizations to convene peer training programs for housing counselors, and require OHCS to develop culturally specific and multilingual financial literacy materials for distribution by mortgage brokers and bankers. Fair Housing HB 3309 directs OHCS to study and incentivize accessible units in OHCS-funded affordable housing units by providing financial support and increasing the quantity and quality of accessible units. In another loss, funding for fair housing investigation, enforcement, and education did not pass. Fortunately, however, SB 702 did pass as described above. Mortgage Interest Deduction Reform Unfortunately, the Mortgage Interest Deduction Reform bill did not advance. According to a 2022 Oregon Secretary of State a udit , this tax expenditure primarily benefits higher income households living in urban counties. The League and a number of organizations have been working for several sessions to reform the tax credit so that savings can be used to assist moderate- and low-income homebuyers and address homelessness. SB 976 , the Mortgage Interest Deduction Reform bill, has received a lot of interest because, if passed, the state’s largest housing subsidy would see some of the savings redirected away from higher earning homeowners to instead benefit low- and moderate-income home purchasers. In addition, resources resulting from reducing the subsidy would be used for homelessness prevention. The League submitted testimony in support of the reform. Oregon Housing and Community Services Budget SB 5511 is the Oregon Housing and Community Services budget bill. The total funds budget is $2,558,608,558 and 441 positions. This is a 28.5% increase from the 2023-25 current service level. OHCS’ budget from the General Fund includes the following: · $111.2 million to continue shelter and rehousing services that were funded in HB 5019 in response to the Governor’s emergency declaration on homelessness. · $24.1 million to provide operating support to existing shelters. · $55 million for rental assistance. · $6 million for services to tenants. · $10 million in down payment assistance. · $2.5 million for the decommissioning and replacement of manufactured housing. · $9.7 million to capitalize a predevelopment loan program within OHCS, and expenditure limitation and position authority were added to revamp the process the Department will use to approve affordable housing finance applications from developers, which are intended to shorten the time between project approval and construction, while helping smaller developers and projects. · $136.8 million is included in this budget in federal funds related to wildfire recovery efforts and supported by a $422 million federal grant. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley Despite the Senate shutdown, some significant pieces of criminal justice legislation were able to make it through the session. The League focused this advocacy primarily on bills related to domestic violence, sexual assault, and juvenile justice. We submitted testimony on 13 bills and reported on the progress of many, many others. Bills related to gun safety and the rights of incarcerated people are discussed under separate headings in this report. In the area of domestic violence and sexual assault, we were pleased to support the passage of bills to extend the length of restraining orders from one year to two years ( SB 816 ); create the crime of sexual abuse by fraudulent representation, spurred by the case of the West Linn doctor who abused scores of young women in his examining room ( SB 974 ); increase the statute of limitations from 12 years to 20 years for sex abuse offenses in the first degree ( HB 3632 ); expand the crime of subjecting another person to involuntary servitude ( SB 1052 ); expand the list of harassment offenses that require sex offender treatment ( SB 339 ); and allocate $10 million from the General Fund to assist victims of domestic violence or sexual assault ( SB 5506 ). The League also supported the following legislation to improve Oregon’s juvenile justice system: expand the automatic expungement of records for youth under the jurisdiction of juvenile court ( SB 519 ), require confidentiality between Oregon Youth Authority (OYA) employees and peer support team members ( SB 212 ); require county juvenile departments to conduct sex trafficking screening ( SB 745 ); allow those over 20 years of age to remain under the jurisdiction of OYA during the appellate process ( SB 902 ); regularly review demographic data to ensure OYA programs are culturally appropriate ( SB 903 ); and establish a Juvenile Justice Policy Commission to provide data-driven policy recommendations ( HB 2320 ). Gun Safety By Marge Easley Only one firearm bill made it through the gauntlet this session, due to last minute compromises to lure Senate Republicans back to the floor. HB 2500 originally contained three separate regulations, but after both an age restriction of 21 and an expansion of gun free zones were dropped from the bill, a ban on unserialized firearms (ghost guns) was the only part of the bill to successfully pass. Oregon is now one of 11 states to regulate ghost guns. Another disappointment was the failure of SB 348 to pass this session. The bill would have provided details for the implementation of Measure 114 (2022), which requires a permit to purchase a firearm and places a ban on high-capacity magazines. Meanwhile, given changes in federal firearm law as a result of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, Measure 114 is in the midst of constitutional challenges by firearm advocates. It passed one hurdle on July 14 when U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut ruled that the provisions of Measure 114 are in keeping with “the nation’s history and tradition of regulating uniquely dangerous features of weapons and firearms to protect public safety.” A state court trial will be held in Harney County in mid-September. Appeals are expected, and gun safety advocates across the country are closely watching the progress of this precedent-setting case. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley The League’s interest in the rights of incarcerated people continued this session as we provided support for the passage of several bills to improve the lives and recidivism rates of those housed in Oregon’s correctional facilities. These bills facilitate the provision of a wide array of drug treatment programs in correctional facilities ( SB 529 ); require publicly accessible data on the use of segregated housing ( HB 2345 ); and authorize the Department of Correction to enter into agreements to offer higher education academic programs to adults in custody ( SB 270 ). The League was disappointed that SB 579 , allowing incarcerated people in Oregon to vote, did not advance this session. We will continue to advocate for passage in future sessions. Immigration and Basic Rights By Claudia Keith HB 2905 : Approved: Expands the list of individuals whose histories, contributions and perspectives are required to be included in social studies academic content standards and in related textbooks and instructional materials. House Speaker and Senate President signed this bill June 24. Passed unanimously. The governor signed 7/18. SMS: Adds requirement that academic content standards for history, geography, economics, and civics include instruction on individuals who are of Jewish descent. Requires adopted textbooks and instructional materials to adequately address the contributions of men and women of Jewish descent. SB 610 A : Did not move from JW&Ms. It would have Established Food for All Oregonians (regardless of documentation status) Program within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Fiscal, Staff Measure Summary. The fiscal may show up in the end-of-session budget balancing bill. Recent News: ‘ Dozens of advocacy groups disappointed food assistance bill fails’ – Oregon Capital Chronicle HB5045 Budget reBalancing measure. “Legislature approves $7.5 million for Oregon Food Bank with COVID food benefits gone | Jefferson Public Radio” and governor signed 4/6/23 SB 216 A 5/8 governor signed . Related to data collected by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), request of Governor Kate Brown. OHA set a goal of eliminating health disparities by 2030 including those based on race, ethnicity, language, or disability (REALD) and sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI). Other Topics Oregon announces it will stockpile abortion drug – 4/20/23 - Oregon Capital Chronicle. The Washington legislature passed a bill related to this topic Governor Inslee administration submitted the request and drugs were purchased in March. Lawmakers briefed on WA plan to distribute abortion pill | The Seattle Times. Washington state purchases three-year suppl y of abortion pill | 4/4/23 - Reuters. LWVOR corresponded with Oregon Planned Parenthood on Apr 11 concerning this topic. LWVWA supported SB5768 . The Washington bill was posted 4/5 and signed by the governor 4/27. End of Session Full JWM Budget Reconciliation Bill HB5506 A tentative list of Immigration/Refugee + related line items: - $2M OHA Healthcare Interpreter - universal representative fund / Oregon worker relief $8.6M DAS. Section 264 and 265 - Universal rep (legal) and legal services…. $4.8M section 85 & 86 - Language interpretation services $.5M section 76 - Latino Comm Ctr Pdx/Gresh. $4.1M - Immigration legal Services Oregon State Bar $800K - Migrant Bilingual educ team $2.2M - Afghan Refugee $2.5M League of Women Voters of the US on social media - June 23, 2023: “This SCOTUS decision rightly leaves in place guidelines that do not target undocumented immigrants for arrest & deportation if they don’t threaten public safety. LWV stands with immigrants and partners to support polices to provide a path to citizenship.” Where is the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program Now? | League of Women Voters By State-Funded Health Coverage for Immigrants as of July 2023 | KFF Court to Weigh Effect of Justices’ Enforcement Ruling on DACA | Bloomberg Law Supreme Court immigration ruling allows Biden's deportation policy | Washington Post, Biden asylum restrictions at Mexico border can stay in place for now , appeals court says | Reuters HB 2957 A in JW&Ms, -4 Staff Measure Summary . Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Fiscal. League Testimony .

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week 1/30 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Parks and Recreation Department: Jim Buck Oregon Dept. of Transportation: Janice Thompson Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Agriculture Air Quality Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Land Use/Housing Toxics Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team We have two new volunteers for Natural Resources: Paula Grisafi is providing testimony on Toxics bills. She worked on the Pesticides and Biocides Study and can now put the new positions to use. Carolyn Mayers is following Wildfire issues. She followed the Wildfire hearings at the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development and has concerns with residential buildings in the Wildland Urban Interface. Consider joining them covering issues of your concern. Agriculture The League has been invited to present information at the February Board of Agriculture meeting. We have provided a letter sharing our natural resource area priorities for 2023, along with the full League Action Committee Priorities . On Jan. 31 st , the Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee heard a report from the Dept. of Agriculture on the Oregon Disaster Assistance Program (with slides ). While there was success in helping farmers and ranchers as they dealt with drought, floods, ice storms and excessive heat, there was discussion on a future focus of resiliency programs for agriculture. Look for another Drought package to be introduced this session. Learn more about dry land farming in Western Oregon here . Air Quality By Kathy Moyd SB 488 , the Medical Waste Incinerator Bill (Covanta), is scheduled for a hearing in early February. LWVOR and LWV Marion Polk have provided testimony with concerns about the Covanta facility in past sessions. You might j oin Beyond Toxics, 350 Salem, and Clean Air Now on Feb 6th at 7:00 pm for an overview of the bill (Medical Waste Incineration Act) and hear about upcoming action alerts and how you help reduce air toxics in Oregon! Register here. Budgets/Revenue Governor Kotek’s first biennial budget is here . For natural resource agency budgets, start on page 143 of the web document. The Ways and Means (W&Ms) Subcommittees will begin hearing agency budgets as soon as the bills are introduced. Look for the Parks budget Feb. 7 th . The Governor’s budget is “balanced” with the use of the ending fund balances of $765 million from 2021-23 that would have gone to the Rainy-Day Fund. Oregon’s reserves are at $2 billion and those funds are not expected to be used, nor is the kicker money expected to be returned to taxpayers. More information on potential kicker distribution amounts will be provided during the Feb. 22 nd Revenue Forecast. Kicker amounts won’t be finalized until the 2021-23 budget is closed in Sept. The House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee held an informational hearing on Jan. 23 rd with experts who provided insight into the potential federal programs that Oregon might access from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. LWVOR continues to encourage the Governor and the Legislature to provide staffing to search for and write grants and assure we have staff to implement any programs funded by these federal dollars. The Governor’s budget seems to provide some staffing at the agency level for this work. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See Climate Report in the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt Peggy Joyce, a “public” representative on the Ocean Policy Advisory Council shares a report from their January meeting: All six of the Rocky Habitat Management strategy proposals approved at the December meeting will now begin their journey toward implementation with a recommendation letter to the Land Conservation and Development Commission. The six proposed and approved Territorial Sea Plan Part Three Rocky Habitat Management Strategy programs are: Ecola Point as a Marine Conservation Area; Chapman Point as a Marine Education Area; Cape Lookout as a Marine Conservation Area ; Fogarty Creek as a Marine Conservation Area with an allowance of subtidal research and a preference for observational research; Cape Foulweather Complex as a Marine Conservation Area with no change to commercial invertebrate harvest and Blacklock Point as a Marine Conservation area. The Board also received an update on the Territorial Sea Plan Part Four Workgroup process on underseas cable placements along the Oregon coast that should be wrapped up after its next group meeting, Feb 1 st . A comprehensive update was presented to the Council by the Elakha Alliance’s efforts to re-introduce sea otters along the Oregon coast. A great deal of research and study along with the hiring of an Executive Director (Jane Bacchieri) last summer has boosted the confidence of the Alliance that they will be able to begin relocation efforts in 2024. Dept. Of Environmental Quality The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission will meet next February 9 and 10 , for a special meeting to interview the two finalists (Leah Feldon and Jamie McLeod-Skinner) for DEQ Director. The special meeting will be held by Zoom, with a toll-free telephone option for audio-only connection, and more information about the interviews and EQC process are available at the agenda webpage . League members engage in this agency’s multiple missions and will be interested in the Commission’s decision. Elliott State Research Forest By Peggy Lynch On Feb. 1 st , the Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee heard a presentation from the Dept. of State Lands on the establishment of the Forest and the nexus with Oregon State University ( calendar links provided ). The League shared our December 2022 State Land Board testimony with committee members. The OSU Board of Trustees is expected to consider the terms of a potential agreement on the role of OSU in the Elliott at its April 14 meeting. If adopted, the resulting agreement would be voted on by a new Elliott State Research Forest Authority Board of Directors anticipated to be formed by the state on Jan. 1, 2024. An advisory Authority Board was appointed by the State Land Board at its December meeting to help shepherd this process. Emergency Services Governor Kotek’s Housing Executive Order 23-02 included a role for the newly formed separate agency: the Oregon Dept. of Emergency Services (ODEM). The agency has 90 staffers. Interim Director Matt Garrett shared in a committee hearing that they have been asked to “Create a construct to receive requests” and will work with OHCS. After rural counties expressed concern that they were not included in ExO 23-02, the counties were instructed to submit a letter to ODEM with information on the extent of and growth of homelessness in their counties from 2017 to 2022. The Governor has since requested $1.8 million to “support the emergency response being coordinated by…” ODEM as part of her urgent budget request on Jan. 26 th . Fish and Wildlife On Jan. 31 st , the Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee heard a presentation from the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife on the success of funding projects related to drought and the effect on our aquatic creatures. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch The League provided testimony on HB 2983 in support of manufactured housing and testimony on SB 534 in support of a pilot $3 million fund to provide financing for the development of infrastructure and other costs, usable only for housing to remain affordable to moderate income households for at least 30 years. HB 2487 allows weddings or other events east of the summit of the Cascades on EFU lands. LWVOR did not testify, but has real concerns that this law change will affect ranching in Eastern Oregon. These properties are also served by water wells, septic systems and rural farm-to-market roads. SB 70 will have a hearing Feb. 8 th in Senate Natural Resources . The bill amends the definition of high-value farmlands for residential rezoning of lands within the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region from SB 16 (2021). LWVOR opposed SB 16 due to conversion of EFU lands and the need for water and septic systems for rural housing; however, it did pass in 2021. Because Malheur County has concerns about implementing SB 16 EFU definitions, SB 70 has been filed this session. We continue to be concerned. More land requests being considered by the Semiconductor Committee: two each 500 acres, 4 each of 50 acres and 8 each of 15 acres. Unfortunately, much of this acreage would be at the loss of agricultural lands—the second most important and most stable economic engine in Oregon. HB 2889 : Establishes Oregon Housing Needs Analysis within Housing and Community Services Department. LWVOR supports. You can watch a presentation of this concept in the House Housing Committee on Jan. 17. This is a Priority housing bill for LWVOR this session. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) has provided to the Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) a first draft of proposed rules for Division 050 Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) on radioactive waste and a matrix presentation of results of a member survey done last year. Members have until March 1, 2023 to submit informal comments to staff. The precise schedule of activities after that point, including a public comment period on the more advanced draft, has not yet been announced. Recycling By Kathy Moyd The Right to Repair bill, SB 542 , will have a hearing Feb. 9 th at 1p. We hear an amendment will be submitted. See the Senate Energy and Environment hearings on Feb. 14 th for bills related to polystyrene and plastics. Toxics By Paula Grisafi LWVOR will follow the Toxics Free Schools bill when it is filed. More to come. Water By Peggy Lynch LWVOR has a statutory seat on the OHA’s Drinking Water Advisory Committee and we need a volunteer! The Secretary of State (SOS) did an advisory report on water. The Oregon Capitol Chronicle provided a good article on the issue. LWVOR participated in a year-long process to consider water processes. A report was provided to the legislature with a series of recommendations. Of particular note is Section 1: Overarching Recommendations. OPB points to the issue of enforcement and decentralized water management. The 2017-2022 Integrated Water Resources Strategy Progress Report provides a list of funding requests. The SOS did a presentation to the House Agriculture, Land use, Natural Resources and Water Committee on Jan. 31 st . Crook County has declared a state of drought emergency for the fourth consecutive year. The measure was taken so that its residents can tap into state funds to alleviate the financial burden brought on by the exceptionally dry conditions. The Governor has to officially declare these drought emergencies. According to the US Drought Monitor, nearly 64% of Oregon is experiencing moderate (D1) to exceptional (D4) drought conditions. Changes over recent weeks include a number of improvements and degradations. Reservoir storage contents in most U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (including Klamath) projects are measuring well below average, with many showing similarities to the past couple water years. The League is reviewing HB 3100 , a bill that updates requirements for the Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS). Section 1 of the bill has many positive additions but Section 2 requires yet another standing Advisory Committee. Committees take staff time and resources and the Water Resources Commission provides adequate oversight. We’ll listen to others as we consider testimony on this bill, but we wholeheartedly support the guidance of the IWRS as it links multiple water agencies towards “abundant clean water for all”. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” V isit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. We have an on-going drought throughout Oregon and League members may want to check the U.S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers See hearings on Feb. 6 th in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources for bills related to wildfire. Volunteers Needed Above you can see the names of League volunteers who covered one or more issues. V olunteers are needed. What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. The 2023 legislative session is at hand with over 2,000 bills already filed. Help! Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 2/3 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Social Policy, Immigration, Hate Crimes Government Ethics Election Systems Social Policy, Immigration, Hate Crimes By Becky Gladstone We are following numerous bills relating to immigration, discrimination, bias and hate crimes, including as they relate to privacy. We are following national executive orders and memos that relate to our December action alert, anticipating developments. See the LWVOR alert and the LWVUS press release . HB 2341 : The League’s was the only testimony filed. We supported adding email address access for certain veterans and service member correspondence, based on “efficiency in government”. The bill passed unanimously in work session, from H Comm On Emergency Mngmt, Gen Gov, and Veterans . SJM 1 : We are preparing testimony on this bill, urging Congress to protect rights of armed forces and their families. It mentions bias and hate crimes. A work session is scheduled in Sen Comm On Vets, Emergency Management, Fed and World Affairs on Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 1pm to return the bill to the Senate President for committee reassignment. SB 5535 : Time allowing, this DAS agency budget bill may be addressed, public hearing Wed, Feb. 5. New LWVOR Action Committee volunteers have joined to work on artificial intelligence and other cyber issues. Government Ethics By Chris Cobey The House Rules Committee heard five bills from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (OGEC) on Jan. 27. The OGEC Director Meyers said that these bills are “simply efforts to clean up inconsistencies and eliminate confusion with respect to the application of the statutes.” HB 2923 specifies some business roles that must be included on a Statement of Economic Interest disclosure form. HB 2927 permits the OGEC to prolong an investigation into alleged ethics law or lobbying violations by no more than 60 days. The current 30 days allowed is ineffective since it would not extend to the next OGEC meeting. HB 2928 removes the prohibition on offering gifts in excess of $50 per calendar year to a public official, candidate, or to a relative or member of their household. This is the OGEC’s most controversial proposal since they justified it with a 2009 court case that overturned this statute. However, later written testimony said that a 2020 court case “abrogated” the 2009 decision. See Oregonian, Should special interests get to offer Oregon officials luxury gifts? Four people opposed this bill, and the League will also likely oppose it. HB 2930 applies conflict of interest laws to people who live in the same house as a public official. The only two witnesses (OGEC executive director and another OGEC employee) were in favor of the bill. Two public comments were received (one from Dan Meek on behalf of the OR Progressive Party), both in support of the bill. HB 2932 allows a public official to get paid for teaching at certain schools, even when related to their public office. Election Systems By Barbara Klein A bill related to Open Primaries ( HB 3166 ) on which LWVOR has been working, has not yet been amended. The anticipated amendments may change LWVOR support (or no support) status. It has been moved to the Rules committee. HB 2876 seeks to conform all county election structures statewide, making every county commission a nonpartisan board of five (5) commissioners (unless voters of the county choose not to do so). It is currently in Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans.