Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 6/12 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 Gun Safety Immigration, Refugee, and Other Basic Rights Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona On June 6, the Legislative Fiscal Office and the Joint W&Ms issued their recommended budget to the Transportation and Economic Development Subcommittee on SB 5511 , the Housing and Community Services Department (OHCS) budget: Legislative Fiscal Office's analysis . The Subcommittee recommends a total OHCS budget of $2,558,608,558 with the addition of 441 positions, a 28.5% increase from the 2023-25 current service level. The suggested budget includes: $111.2 million in General Funds to continue OHCS’s shelter and rehousing services that was funded in HB 5019 in response to the Governor’s emergency declaration on homelessness. $24.1 million in General Funds to provide operating support to existing shelters. $55 million for rental assistance, and $6 million for services to tenants. $10 million in General Funds for down payment homeownership assistance. $2.5 million for decommissioning and replacing manufactured housing. $9.7 million in General Funds to capitalize OHCS’s predevelopment loan program and revamp the process to approve affordable housing finance applications from developers to shorten the time between project approval and construction, while helping smaller developers and projects. $136.8 million in Federal Funds expenditure related to wildfire recovery efforts, supported by a $422 million federal grant. Housing advocates are concerned that this recommended budget bill does not fully support the Governor’s end-of-session investments of an estimated $1 billion in bonding for new affordable housing developments to move the state towards reaching the goal of producing 36,000 in new housing units per year. Their priorities include: New rental and homeownership: $770 million in Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) bonds to Oregonians transitioning out of homelessness, seeking to buy their first home, or just needing an affordable place to live. This is especially true in rural areas that lack housing affordable to workers who provide critical services like education, public safety, and firefighting. HB 5005 and HB 5006 Market Cost Offset Fund: to increase housing production in support of the Governor’s request of up to $40 million in LIFT bonding to recapitalize the Market Cost Offset Fund (MCOF) for projects that have faced cost overruns due to market volatility. Permanent Supportive Housing: $130 million to LIFT for new construction, rental assistance, and wrap-around service delivery designed to reduce chronic homelessness. HB 5005 and HB 5006 Preservation of expiring regulated housing: $100 million in Lottery Funds to save and reinvest in some 163 apartment projects with 7,735 units that are at risk of losing affordability due to the expiration of 30-year affordability restrictions. The people who live in these homes are seniors, people experiencing disabilities, and families just starting out. HB 5030 New homes for homeownership: $100 million in LIFT and the General Fund to affordable homeownership developers who need a combination of LIFT bonds and general fund resources to build homes in all parts of the state. General fund dollars paired with LIFT will ensure that mission-driven developers can build hundreds of homes for first-time buyers, directly addressing the persistent racial homeownership gap. Acquisition and rehab of manufactured housing parks: $35 million in Lottery funds. HB 2983 Gun Safety By Marge Easley As part of the compromise agreement for the Republican’s return to the Senate chamber, the three-part gun safety bill, HB 2005 B , was considerably altered at a Senate Rules work session on June 15. The -B12 amendment was adopted, which includes only the ban on unserialized firearms (“ghost guns”) and removes the provisions raising the minimum age of firearm purchase to 21 and the ability of cities to establish gun-free zones. The bill is now in the Senate for passage. The compromise agreement also included the stipulation that a workgroup will be established to study policy solutions to gun violence and suicide prevention and $10 million will be invested in the Community Violence Prevention program. Immigration, Refugee and Other Basic Rights By Claudia Keith SB 610 A : Now in JW&Ms. Establishes 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 HB 2905 : 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. At Senate Desk awaiting Third Reading.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 3/6 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 Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Land Use/Housing Recycling Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Policy bills that are priorities for committees are seeing public hearings—even work sessions—and going to chambers for votes or to Ways and Means to be funded by end of session--maybe. For now, most bills are bipartisan. But the session is beginning to heat up. All this amidst the very real limited revenue for anything other than current programs and a few Leadership and Governor priorities such as housing. The next important session date is March 17 when policy bills will need to be scheduled for a Work Session or they are dead for the session unless they are in Revenue, Rules, or a Joint Committee. Budgets/Revenue We provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) budget ( HB 5020 ), expressing concern that staffing for climate change issues around forest management and urban forestry weren’t included in the Governor’s budget. We also provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Energy (ODOE) budget ( HB 5016 ), requesting additional agency programs that were not included in the Governor’s budget. The League provided support for the Land Use Board of Appeals budget ( HB 2028 ) that was heard March 6. The Dept. of State Lands budget ( HB 5037 ) was heard Mar. 7 with public testimony on the 9 th . The League provided testimony in support. The Columbia River Gorge Commission budget will be heard March 13—both agency presentation and public testimony. The Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA) budget ( HB 5002 and HB 5003 ) is scheduled for March 14-16. Public testimony on the 16 th . Oregon Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) budget ( SB 5509 ) week of March 20. Dept. of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) ( HB 5018 and HB 5019 ) week of March 27. Here’s the DEQ one-pager . Tentative date for the Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) budget ( HB 5043 ) is early April. Here is their one-pager . The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) budget ( SB 5539 & SB 5540 ) is tentatively scheduled the week of April 10. SB 5543-1 Bond Authorization, SB 5544-1 Capital Construction, SB 5545-1 2021-23 Allocations Bill and HB 5045-3 , Budget Rebalance were all heard in Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction March 3. Funding for housing/homeless needs ( HB 2001 A ) with the A14 amendment and HB 5019 with the -3 amendment were heard in the JW&Ms Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development on March 7. SB 4 , semiconductor funding requests, has a -3 amendment posted and was heard on March 6 and 8. A -2 amendment by Sen. Knopp requests that the funding come from the General Fund while the -3 has money coming from the Rainy Day Fund. SB 4 is meant to help Oregon access federal CHIPS Act monies. The Full W&Ms met March 10 to address most of the bills above. SB 4 was not included in this meeting, but currently has a $210 million price tag. Lastly, the Office of Economic Forecast provided sobering data on Oregon’s population. Without an increase in young people—with in-migration--our need for a variety of long term care services will explode without the incoming revenue to pay for those services! Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch Last week we reported on HB 3382 , a bill to provide certain Ports with an exception from our land use planning system to allow dredging and other activities around these Ports without the current public process and federal consistency requirements. The bill has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation . We understand that the reason the bill has been filed by the Ports Association is in response to a Land Use Board of Appeals decision around the Jordan Cove project. Here is an article about that case. Currently the Coos Bay/North Bend area is in the process of updating their management plans for the Bay. (See past Legislative Reports on this issue.) State agencies that administer permits that could be affected by the legislation are discussing the implications of the proposed legislation. HB 2903-1 , a bill that directs certain state agencies to implement the recommendations of the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) around marine reserves, protected areas and other management areas and provides $800,000 for that work. The League also supported this bill as a continuation of previous testimony on OPAC’s recommendations. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch Last week we expressed concern around provisions in SB 4 that includes “supersiting” authority by the Governor for many acres of farmland “just in case” the semiconductor industry might want to build a new facility in Oregon. We provided testimony in opposition only to Section 10 of the bill. Since our testimony, a number of amendments have been proposed and two public hearings have taken place. At this time no amendments have been adopted. See above in the Budget/Revenue section of this Report for the status of last week’s housing bills and also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report for details. Reduce/Recycle By Kathy Moyd A Work Session was conducted on March 7 in Senate Energy and Environment for SB 545 , one of our priority Zero Waste bills. A -1 Amendment had been posted. The original bill directed the State Department of Agriculture and Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules allowing consumers to use their own containers for refilling with food at a food establishment. Because the amendment had been posted just before the start of the Public Hearing, the League’s written testimony dealt only with the original bill. The -1 Amendment is a complete replacement of the original bill. It removes the State Department of Agriculture and limits the bill to restaurants, not all food establishments. It removes the administrative details, leaving them up to the Oregon Health Authority, although the following statement may leave too much ambiguity: “The Oregon Health Authority shall adopt rules allowing for a restaurant to allow a consumer to fill a consumer-owned container with food.” The amendment was adopted on a unanimous vote; the amended bill, SB 545-1, was passed by a vote of 4 - 1. No referral was made to Ways and Means. HB 2531 prohibits the sale or distribution in this state of new screw- or bayonet-base type compact fluorescent lamps on or after January 1, 2024. It prohibits the sale or distribution in this state of new pin-base type compact fluorescent lamps and linear fluorescent lamps on or after January 1, 2025. Repeals statutes related to mercury in lighting products. It was passed on March 6 with no amendment and goes to the chamber floor. Water By Peggy Lynch It’s been a busy week for water bills for which the League provided testimony or followed with others. HB 3163 would create a special Fund for place-based planning efforts. The League testified in support of the Fund. We are working with others on the specific criteria listed for qualifying for access to the Fund. The League has strong positions on water quality and the importance of wetlands so it was easy for us to support HB 2238 , allowing for rulemaking to increase removal/fill fees. The bill was pulled from the March 7 committee agenda and no new hearing date has been set. HB 3207 was scheduled for a public hearing on March 7 related to domestic water well testing but was pulled from the agenda. We understand it may not get a public hearing this session. HB 3208 that would expand the Environmental Quality Commission’s authority to annually adjust additional water quality fees up to 3% per year was heard and a work session on this bill is scheduled for March 9. HB 2813 A , a bill that directs OWEB to provide grants to protect drinking water sources and for which the League provided testimony in support was sent to W&Ms. The fiscal impact statement has a $5 million price tag. This money might also be able to be used as a match for federal grant opportunities. The Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) is being updated . Go to the website for opportunities to participate. The League is engaged in discussions on HB 3100 related to the IWRS. A public hearing was set for March 9 . The League supports the IWRS but has concerns about the current bill . Lastly, we are aware of a newly filed bill, HB 3368 , that would stop all future water permitting applications until Oregon determines the amount of surface and groundwater water available for use that has not already been appropriated. We have no idea where this bill might go this session, but here’s a helpful Oregon Capitol Chronicle article that explains the reasoning behind Reps. Helm and Owens’ filing this bill. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit 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 The League monitored the March 3 meeting of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council. The meeting purpose was to review a letter to the Legislature, the composition of which was assigned to a task force of the Council at their January 2023 meeting. The purpose of the letter is to advise the Legislature on a number of recommended adjustments to the Wildfire Risk Map to help ensure a successful next roll-out. Recall the original Map associated with SB 762, the 2021 wildfire bill, was withdrawn after widespread opposition to a number of its components, and work is underway to determine the best path forward. This is part of that effort. Among the recommendations made were to change the name to Wildfire HAZARD Map, which it was noted is the language California uses. Also, while emphasizing the importance of the integrity of the eventual final product, the group decided to eliminate hard deadline dates for completion of the new map that were in the original letter. It was determined there were too many variables beyond their control to set firm dates, including a number of wildfire related bills that could influence the final version of the Map. It was speculated that Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) could be used as a platform to keep work moving forward in the interim. In addition, the Council felt it was important to allow sufficient time for the community engagement process which was not successful the first time around. The final letter can be found here . On March 8, Senate Natural Resources amended SB 509 on defensible space and the CWPPS mentioned above and the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s responsibilities and sent it to W&Ms. They also amended SB 82 related to fire insurance and sent it to the chamber floor. More on these bills next week. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The 2023 legislative session is almost halfway over. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round 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 Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 2/17 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 Child Care Criminal Justice Education Housing Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum Public Safety Behavioral Health By Stephanie Aller On February 10, the House Committee on Education held a work session on HB 2596 (Interstate Licensure Compact for School Psychologists). The Committee voted to move the bill to the floor with a “Do Pass” recommendation. Rep. Neron will be the carrier of the bill on the floor. On February 11, the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care held public hearings on HB 2013 and HB 2041 . HB 2013 would amend ORS 743A.168 to include outpatient treatment clinics that employ certified alcohol and drug counselors (CADCs) as providers for purposes of mental health insurance coverage. Phil Broyles of Teras Intervention and Counseling testified that most private insurers will not reimburse CADCs for doing the same care as other providers. This has limited access to care because CADCs are a significant part of the workforce for substance use disorder treatment. HB 2041 would require insurers to reimburse mental health providers at the same rate as physicians and other medical providers when performing the same services. Representatives from insurance companies testified in opposition to the bill stating that it would drive up costs. The representative from the Oregon Psychological Association (OPA) testified that OPA was neutral on the bill but stated that the problem of low reimbursement rates is the major factor limiting access to care. Due to the low reimbursement rates, behavioral health providers opt out of participating in the insurance networks. HB 3185 was scheduled for a hearing on February 13, but the hearing was cancelled due to the weather. The bill involves a pilot program for students from Portland State University and Eastern Oregon University. The students receive a tuition reduction and placement at a non-profit . HB 3185 would prioritize those students whose studies focus on underserved fields such as behavioral health, housing insecurity, and K-12. On February 11, the Senate Committee on Health Care began a public hearing on SB 140 . At the hearing, behavioral health executives from hospitals testified about their reimbursement rate problems and discussed ways to better coordinate care and streamline processes in the system. The hearing was carried over to February 13, but that was cancelled due to the weather. Child care By Katie Riley The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education held an informational meeting on Monday, February 10 to review the Oregon Department of Education's (ODE) three reports on the results of the 2024 Legislative session on HB4082 which provided $30 million for 2024 summer learning and set up a task force to plan for the future of summer and after school. They include a Final Report on the task force as well as a report on the process of implementing funding and a participant survey . The ODE review in the legislative committee was glowing about the results of summer school activities; however, the Oregonian reported concerns about inadequate and uneven tracking of goal outcomes. In addition, there was no split between summer school outcomes and after hours care spending and outcomes. Reporting on the use of community-based organizations did not differentiate between care and enrichment organizations, and there was no attempt to look at their effectiveness. Funding is key to providing adequate care during non-school hours. SB896 was heard the previous week. It would allocate funds for after-school care. HB3039 which provides for summer funding has not been heard yet. Neither bill has a funding amount attached at this time although the Governor has proposed $78.5 million for summer funding. ODE’s HB4082 final report included $50 million per year for the next two years. League Testimony supported HB3011 which Establishes the Early Childhood Education Workforce Development Fund and appropriates moneys in the fund to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to provide funding to community colleges and public universities in this state that offer early childhood education degrees and certificates. No funding was attached to the bill. Potentially, these funds could also support afterschool staff. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley The League submitted supportive testimony on February 13 for HB 2233 , which continues funding for a legal services program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. The Re*Membering program, established by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, provides legal assistance to adults in custody or those newly released for civil matters that are barriers to successful reentry into the community, such as child custody, divorce, domestic abuse, debt, housing, employment, or property. Education By Jean Pierce Testimony was prepared for two bills which were scheduled for a Public Hearing in the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development on February 13. But since all committee meetings were cancelled due to inclement weather, the testimonies will be filed at a later date. HB3182 directs the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to award grants to nonprofit organizations that provide affordable housing support to low-income students. A 2023 survey of Portland Community College students revealed that 56% were dealing with housing insecurity. HB3183 would appropriate money to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for the Open Educational Resources Program which provides no-cost, low-cost textbooks and course materials for higher ed students. A single textbook can cost as much as $600, so a 2022 survey of students at Oregon State University revealed that 61% had not purchased textbooks due to the cost. Open Oregon Educational Resources data collected over six years from Community College students in the state have revealed that “the average materials cost for the two-year Associate of Arts Oregon Transfer degree in 2021 was $1,143.62, a 47% drop since the study began in 2015”. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Public hearings have been held on several housing-related bills to address our state’s low homeownership rate. According to Census data, Oregon’s homeownership rate is approximately 64%, ranking Oregon 43rd in the nation [ American Census Survey Homeownership Data ]. In addition, of the 74% of Oregonians who rent, 48% consider achieving homeownership a top priority. These numbers are even higher among younger generations, Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X (81-88%), and Black, Indigenous, Latino/a/x, and People of Color (96%). Oregon Realtors Statewide Housing Survey . Listed below are housing priorities of the statewide Housing Alliance, of which our League is a member. HB 2090 currently in the House Committee on Revenue is proposing to extend the manufactured dwelling park closure tax credit for displaced residents. The bill would mitigate the cost to manufactured dwelling park households who are forced to move due to market forces, development, or landlord closure. The tax credit sunset would be extended from 2026 to 2032 and allow for a refundable income tax credit of $5,000 for residents of manufactured dwellings who rent space and are displaced when a park closes. HB 3236 is a housing tax credit for lending for affordable homeownership. It expands the Affordable Housing Lender Fund to provide funds for origination and servicing of mortgage loans and related costs for eligible homebuyers. The state Department of Revenue is to allow a tax credit against taxes to a lending institution that makes a qualified loan to the Lender Fund to assist eligible home buyers. HB 3235 The state Housing and Community Services Department would award grants to organizations to support first-time home buyers to purchase residential property to build equity ownership in the residential property through below market interest rates and accelerated loan terms. This program would provide a new resource for homebuyers by blending private bank capital with state funding. HB 2698 sets a goal of attaining a statewide homeownership rate as determined by the American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau. It requires the Housing and Community Services Department to track goal progress as part of the Housing Needs Analysis. It is required to update a publicly available statewide housing production dashboard of progress toward the homeownership goal based on the homeownership rate and in the aggregate, and by race and ethnicity. Immigration By Becky Gladstone We are researching this immigration-related bill, not yet scheduled for a hearing. SB 703 directs DHS to give service providers grants to help noncitizens change their immigration status. Public Safety By Karen Nibler The House Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee scheduled a hearing for HB 3079 , which would require the Department of Human Services and the Housing and Community Services Department to study options for allocating 30 percent of their respective budgets in the 2027-2029 biennium toward reducing the number of youth aging into adult homelessness. Due to cold weather, the February 13 hearing will be rescheduled. The newly-emancipated youth at 18 can rarely afford to pay current rents without family or agency assistance. Those without family support require highly-paid jobs to afford current rent prices. Those in college programs can apply for rental assistance, but those without resources are not able to pay current rents. The Joint Addictions Subcommittee heard testimony on SB 782 on February 12, 2025. This bill is a follow-up on HB 4002 (2024) which provided funds for deflection programs within county mental health programs. However, those who testified reported that the initial funds through the Criminal Justice Commission grants were not sufficient to operate county-wide programs for housing, jail space and behavior health treatment programs. These programs are needed for those charged with alcohol and drug offenses and subsequently supervised by county probation staff and state parolee staff.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 2/10 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 Jump to a topic: Climate Priorities Natural and Working Lands and Energy At this point in the session, we have identified a few League policy and/or budget Climate Emergency priorities, and some of those now have League testimony. This year most of our priorities are included in the 2025 Legislative Environmental Caucus Priorities . 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 HB 2966 Establishes the State Public Financing Task Force (see 2023 HB2763, vetoed by the governor) Representative Gamba, Senator Golden, Frederick, Representative Andersen, Evans , was Jan 28 1PM, House Committee Commerce and Consumer Protection, League Testimony HB 3170 League testimony Community Resilience Hubs and networks: DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. Other Priorities HB 3477 Update to Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Goals. LC 1440. Bringing back SB 1559 (2024) moved to House Climate, Energy, and Environment committee 2/6 Sponsored by Representative GAMBA; Senators Frederick, Golden, Patterson, Pham K, Taylor SB 681 Treasury: Fossil Fuel investment moratorium HB 2566 Stand-alone Energy resilience Projects – Governor Tina Kotek SB583 Study/Task Force on public banking/financing ( 2024 HB 4155 ) SJR 28 Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment Leg Referral - Senator Golden, Representatives Andersen, Gamba, Senators Manning Jr, Prozanski, Representative Tran SB 682 Climate Super Fund, Sen. Golden, Rep. Andersen, Gamba, Sen. Campos, Pham SB 679 Climate Liability, Sen. Golden SB 680 Climate Science / Greenwashing, Sen. Golden and Manning SB 688 Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, Sen. Golden, Sen. Pham, (Senate Energy and Environment - SEE) SB 827 Solar and Storage Rebate, Gov. Kotek & DOE, SEE Carbon sequestration/storage see DOGAMI , Agency Budget (see Natural Resources Legislative Report) – Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Interactive Map | U.S. Geological Survey ( usgs.gov ) . Natural and Working Lands ( OCAC NWL Report ) (see below) Transportation package that prioritizes climate, equity, and wildlife : This package would build on the historic gains of HB 2017 (which included investments in public transit, safe routes to School, and vehicle electrification), to shift the focus to multimodal, safety, and climate-forward investments. This promises to create a system that saves money over time and builds a more resilient, equitable, and healthy future for all Oregonians. (see OCN Press Rel ) Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package * ( HB 3081 , SB 88 , LC 1547): Oregonians are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing utility bills in the face of ever-worsening climate impacts. HB 3081 would create an active navigator to help Oregonians access energy efficiency incentives all in one place. SB 88 limits the ability of utility companies to charge ratepayers for lobbying, litigation costs, fines, marketing, industry fees, and political spending. SB 553 LC 1547 ensures that large energy users (i.e. data centers) do not unfairly burden Oregon households. (*see OCN Press Rel ) Natural and Working Lands and Energy By Josie Koehne On Feb 3, the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment heard two Biennial report summaries, one from the Oregon Dept of Energy (ODOE) and the other from the Oregon Climate Action Commission (OCAC) on the Natural and Working Lands Fund, which only got a few minutes, so that presentation will reschedule in the future. The ODOE presentation on the highlights of the report was very informative, and the full 267 page detailed report can be found here . This graph summarizes our progress in various sectors since 1990 with the thin straight horizontal lines showing target goals by various dates: "Transportation is Oregon’s largest source of emissions by sector, just above that of the residential and commercial sector. While transportation emissions have fluctuated year over year, they have remained relatively constant over the last 30 years with 2022 emissions levels about the same as they were in 1990 (Table 1, Figure 2). Following a slight pandemic-related decline in 2020, Oregon’s transportation emissions have since rebounded to 20 million MTCO2e in 2022, contributing 34 percent of the state’s total 2022 emissions. Emissions from Oregon’s industrial sector have remained largely flat over the past decade, while emissions from the residential and commercial sectors declined by approximately 1 million MTCO2e over that period. Emissions from Oregon’s agriculture sector have declined by 2 million MTCO2e since 2012." Catherine MacDonald, Chair of the OCAC, outlined the charges of the committee for its 2024 OCAC Biennial Report in her OCAC presentation . She said the committee was charged with reporting on: • Impacts of climate change across Oregon’s economy and landscapes • Policies and programs being advanced in Oregon to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase sequestration in Natural and Working Lands • The state’s progress in reaching our GHG emissions reduction goals • Recommendations for actions necessary to ensure Oregon stays on track and accelerates progress in reducing emissions and increasing net sequestration In the Meeting Materials, she included the 2024 Natural and Working Lands Fund Biennial Report (discussed in our previous testimony ) that was established in 2023 by the omnibus bill HB 3409 but she did not have time to report on it, and she was invited to return to go over it. She requested that the funds be continued as the work has just begun to bear fruit. Legislative Environmental Caucus Climate Priorities and Members In 2025, the Environmental Caucus is supporting a robust package of bills that address issues on environmental health, wildlife, land use, and transportation. Members are committed to policies on the environment and climate that uplift communities, support Oregon’s economy, and invest in a future where all Oregonians have access to clean air, water, and land.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 1/16 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 DEQ DSL FORESTRY GOVERNANCE HANFORD LAND USE/HOUSING NWEC OWEB RECYCLING TRANSPORTATION WATER WILDFIRE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Overview Bills have been filed, “first read” and assigned to committees. But this does not guarantee they will receive public hearings. That decision first rests with the Committee Chairs in consultation with their Vice Chairs. Final determination is always with Legislative Leadership. Filing deadline is Feb. 21 for most bills. AGRICULTURE Bills being reviewed by the League: SB 47 : Directs Environmental Quality Commission and Department of Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding to allow the department to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over air quality laws, water quality laws and land quality laws that apply to agricultural lands, operations and equipment. HB 2121 : House version of SB 47. SB 399 : Would limit water use for confined animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs. HB 2667 : Would put a pause on all new CAFOs for the next several years. AIR QUALITY Our friends from Neighbors for Clean Air have set their 2023 agenda : Particulate Air Pollution. BUDGETS/REVENUE We are all awaiting Governor Kotek’s Governor’s Recommended Budget (GRB)—due by Feb. 1. The next Revenue Forecast is Feb. 22. The House Revenue Committee provided an overview/audio of Revenue issues. The meeting is worth listening to. CLIMATE By Claudia Keith and Team See Climate Report in the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. HB 2236 : P rohibits governor and specific agencies from taking measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions unless authorized by Legislature. COASTAL ISSUES By Christine Moffitt Bills being reviewed by the League: HB 2190 (Relating to offshore wind). DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) On January 19, the Environmental Quality Commission announced two finalists for consideration to become the new Director of the Dept. of Environmental Quality: Current Interim Director Leah Feldon and Jamie McLeod-Skinner, regional emergency coordinator with the Oregon Department of Human Services and is also founding partner and attorney with MS Sage Consulting in Central Oregon. The Commission will hold a special meeting in February for the Commission, staff and the public to engage before the Commission makes its decision. Bills being reviewed by the League: SB 47 : Directs Environmental Quality Commission and Department of Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding to allow the department to exercise exclusive jurisdiction over air quality laws, water quality laws and land quality laws that apply to agricultural lands, operations and equipment. HB 2121 : House version of SB 47. DEPT. OF STATE LANDS (DSL) By Peggy Lynch Bill possibly supported by the League: HB 2238 : Fees related to removal or fill permit applications, wetland delineation reports and general authorizations. FORESTRY On February 7 from 1 – 4 p.m. there will be a virtual meeting open to the public to learn more about the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Forest Management Plan (FMP) and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). This meeting will provide an update on the FMP, the HCP, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. A proposed agenda and additional details will be provided closer to the meeting date. RSVP is requested; you can do so by clicking here. More information is available online at the Western Oregon State Forest Management Plan Website and the Western Oregon State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan Website . See “Wildfire” below for a report on the Oregon Wildfire Council. GOVERNANCE By Peggy Lynch Bills being reviewed by League members: HB 2480 : new or increased fees adopted by state agency do not become effective unless approved by three-fifths of each chamber of the Legislative Assembly. LWVOR opposes. SB 660 : No new/increase in agency fees unless approved by legislative assembly. LWVOR opposes. SB 43 : Requires agencies to post certain information about rulemaking on agency websites and a long list of other requirements. LWVOR opposes. HANFORD By Marylou Schnoes) The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board will hold a virtual meeting on January 18. A full meeting agenda, including how to participate, and other meeting materials is available on their website . LAND USE/HOUSING By Peggy Lynch Bills being reviewed by League members: HB 2203 : Allows RVs used to provide security of farm use to be sited on lands zoned for EFU. Public Hearing 1/19. LWVOR has concerns around waste disposal, drinking water availability and other services. HB 2889 : Establishes Oregon Housing Needs Analysis within the Housing and Community Services Department. LWVOR supports. You can watch a presentation of this concept in the House Housing Committee on Jan. 17. SB 70 : A “correction” to SB 16 (2021 ), a bill that would have allowed 100 homes on farmland and which we opposed , but passed yet never implemented. At first glance, we will oppose SB 70 as well. HB 2211 : Redefines "historic home" to include dwellings built before 1974 for the purpose of serving as accessory dwelling unit to home newly constructed on rural residential lands. LWVOR opposes as we have in past sessions. HB 2749 : C hange the RR lot size for ADUs from 2 acres to 1 acre or 1/2 acre. LWVOR has concerns. HB 2758 : Change the RR lot size for ADUs from 2 acres to 1 acre or 1/2 acre. LWVOR has concerns SB 534 : Requires Oregon Facilities Authority to provide financing for infrastructure and predevelopment costs for moderate income housing. LWVOR may support. HB 2258 : Extends sunset of Oregon Industrial Site Readiness Program. LWVOR has supported this data-driven program. HB 2027 : Requires Housing and Community Services Department to study housing —a potential “gut and stuff” bill. Expect major amendments. HB 2202 : Prohibits counties from allowing use of certain new dwellings on resource lands as vacation occupancies. SB 580 : Relating to climate rules for land use planning. HB 2207 : Limits standing in appeals of land use decisions. HB 2260 : Relating to system development charges impacting housing . HB 2210 : Relating to parcel sizes of resource lands. HB 2487 : Allows lands zoned for exclusive farm use to be used for weddings or events east of the summit of the Cascade Range. HB 2659 : Requires LCDC to update rules adopted in response to the Governor's executive order on climate to address specific issues. HB 2406 : Directs Energy Facility Siting Council to adopt standards for siting, construction, operation and retirement of energy facilities that generate electricity from renewable energy sources, addressing impacts of energy facility's equipment waste recycling and disposal needs over lifetime of energy facility. HB 2989 : Directs ODOE & DLCD to convene work groups to examine barriers, opportunities and other issues related to renewable energy and transmission project siting in Oregon. SB 673 : Requires Deschutes County to approve certain applications to develop manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle parks outside the urban growth boundary. LC 3914 is a redraft of HB 2701 (2021). It creates a pilot program under the bill and allocates $1.5 million into an Systems Development Charge fund. Pertains only to cities under 15,000 and small population counties. Allows a developer to build multi-family housing with a waiver of SDC’s provided the City agrees and the developer and subsequent owner enters into a covenant with the State whereby the rent cannot be increased above a statutory threshold for at least 10 years. With the agreement, the State reimburses the City or County for the full cost SDC’s. A bill ( HB 2659 ) for the City of Springfield regarding “Climate Friendly & Equitable Community” rules (not yet first read). The Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee (CIAC) is meeting Jan. 27. The agenda and meeting materials for a CIAC joint meeting with the Land Conservation and Development Commission are now available online. This is a hybrid, virtual and in-person meeting. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. NORTHWEST ENERGY COALITION (NWEC) By Robin Tokmakian 2023 Priorities for NWEC: RE-Building Task Force: The RE-Building Task Force was established during last year’s legislative session by SB 1518 . The task force has been hard at work to determine how to reduce emissions from new and existing buildings in the state. The task force released a draft report earlier in December. Bills will be developed from the concepts considered by the task force and will be introduced when the legislative session starts in January. Clean Lighting Bill: Appliance Standard Awareness Project (ASAP) has proposed a bill to phase out the use of linear fluorescent lamps due to their mercury content . The bill would also result in energy savings and emissions reductions, and follows similar legislation recently adopted in California . Other things to keep an eye on: Portland General Electric Securitization Bill : We expect Portland General Electric to propose a bill around securitization. A bill draft that was shared with NWEC seeks to allow a utility, with the approval of the Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC), to issue bonds and securitize debt for costs and expenses associated with events subject to federal or state declaration of emergency (think fires or ice storms). PGE has been discussing the issue with many stakeholders and we expect the bill to come up early in the session. Oregon Siting Bill: As in Washington, there are many discussions in Oregon about clean energy siting. NW Energy Coalition has been, and will continue to, engage and assess any proposals that may arise from discussions. Oregon Budget : Congress’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will provide a massive amount of new funding to the state of Oregon. There will no doubt be many discussions about how to allocate those new federal funds. OREGON WATERSHED ENHANCEMENT BOARD (OWEB) OWEB will hold a virtual 2-day meeting, on January 24 and 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The agenda and staff reports for the meeting are now available. RECYCLING By Kathy Moyd New: Zero Waste Package aims to reduce Oregon’s waste and includes these five bills: Right to Repair ( SB 542 ): Will reduce electronic waste and save people hundreds of dollars a year by allowing them to repair their own electronics. Styrofoam Phase Out ( SB 543 ) : Phases out the use of styrofoam in food to-go containers, as well as bans the use of highly carcinogenic PFAS chemicals in food packaging. Reduction of Single-Use Packaging ( SB 544 ): A bill that will require a 25% Reduction of Single-Use Packaging in 10 Years. Reusable Containers ( SB 545 ) : Updating Oregon law to allow for reusable containers to be used in the bulk section of the supermarket and for eating out. No New Permits for Chemical Recycling Plants : While the name might sound nice, chemical recycling leads to localized air pollution and is not healthy for people or the environment. Bill not yet filed. TRANSPORTATION T here will soon be new sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, curb ramps and more to make walking and rolling to school safer, easier and more accessible for all. ODOT Commissioners 1/12 approved 26 Safe Routes to School projects totaling $32.4 million, with a focus on under-resourced neighborhoods: all awardees are Title 1 schools (schools where 40% or more of the student population is low-income). WATER By Peggy Lynch An update to the Morrow/Umatilla County nitrate contamination issue: Morrow and Umatilla counties have long faced nitrate pollution in some people’s drinking water. The federal funding aims to establish a long-term fix. A follow up article with resident frustrations. Bills being reviewed by League members: HB 2647 : Harmful Algal Blooms. SB 399 : Limiting water for livestock use. HB 2813 : Relating to sources of drinking water. SB 710 : Relating to groundwater use decisions affecting surface water sources SB 553 : Requires Department of Environmental Quality to study water reuse. HB 2023 : Salmon Credits . LWVOR had concerns with this bill in 2021. HB 2248 : Requires Water Resources Department and Department of Environmental Quality to study impacts of wildfire on water quality of streams and tributaries. HB 2929 : Authorizes WRD to seek injunctive relief if person has engaged, or is about to engage, in activity that is or will be in violation of certain water laws. HB 2590 : Requires DEQ to study both requirements related to subsurface and alternative sewage disposal systems that create barriers to siting and construction of accessory dwelling units in areas outside urban growth boundary and solutions to eliminate barriers. HB 2988 : Establishes Community Benefiting Water Infrastructure Investment Program. HB 3002 : Requires LPRO to study water service rates and rate schedules. LWVOR is interested in this bill. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. A news release explains the signs you should note. “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit 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. Oregonians need to celebrate the early snowfall and the rain these past weeks. But we must hope that the snow stays on until well into May or June. WILDFIRE The Wildfire Programs Advisory Council was scheduled to meet Jan. 20. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Above you can see the names of League volunteers who covered one or more issues. Volunteers are needed. What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. If not actually serving on a rules advisory committee (RAC), you could simply monitor and report back on their work. 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 Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 4/7 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 Priority Bills That Died In Policy Committee Transportation Climate Emergency JWM Budget Concerns House and Senate Energy Climate Committee Notes House CE&E - March 25 Summary of Northwest Energy Coalition (NWEC) News and Commission Meetings Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment SJR 28 now with -1 amendment , Environmental Rights Constitutional amendment 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 Sen Rules , so the Legislative deadlines are not applicable. A Work Session is not yet scheduled. The 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 having green / environmental rights constitutional topics or initiatives. These usually take the form of a legislation–referral to the people. The New Mexico green amendment campaign focuses on racial justice. News: 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. Environmental Justice Bills HB2548 : establishes an agriculture workforce labor standards board, League Testimony . Work Session is now 4/7. 
 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 now 4/8 HB 2949 : T estimony ; work session now 4/8 HB 3450 : Testimony , work session now 4/8, see also CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis CEI energy storage transition plan, HEMGGV. Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package HB 3081 ( League testimony ) work session 4/8, 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. 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 Climate Treasury Investment Bills SB 681 : Dead: Treasury: Fossil Fuel investment moratorium, Senate Finance and Revenue, PH 3/19. testimony. Sen Golden. 
 HB 2200 work session now 4/8 requested by Treasury Sec Tobias ESG investing, identified as the compromise bill. League – NO Comment, HC EMGGV, PH was 3/13. 
 HB 2966 A: Establishes the State Public Financing Task Force, Work Session 3/6/2025 passed to Joint Ways and Means (JWM), Representative Gamba, Senator Golden, Frederick, Representative Andersen, Evans , House Commerce and Consumer Protection (H CCP) 
 League Testimony 
 
 
 
 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 : work session 4/7, climate change instruction /curriculum in public schools, House Cm Educ, PH was 3/12, League Testimony , Chief Sponsors: Rep Fragala, Rep McDonald , Rep Andersen, Gamba, Lively, Neron, Senator Patterson, Pham, Taylor. 
 
 SB 1187 new Climate cost recovery Liability interagency bill , PH 4/7, possible work session 4/9, Sen. Golden, Senate Energy and Environment 
 
(Replaces SB 679 and SB 682 : 
 SB 680 : Climate Science/Greenwashing , Sen. Golden and Manning, moved to Judiciary , no recommendation, (SJ) PH was 2/26 Campos, Frederick, Gorsek, Patterson, Prozanski, 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 
 HB 3546 , the POWER Act , work session 4/8, PR 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. 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 : NEW bill , PH was 3/19 and Work session now 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. Priority Bills that died in policy committee Some of these related to funding may appear in the end of session reconciliation (Xmas 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 . 
 Transportation 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. | *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) (excerpt from OCEN network message) 
 
 House and Senate Energy Climate Committee Notes The Senate E&E Committee moved SB 726-3 to the House floor with a do pass recommendation. The bill would direct the EQC to adopt rules requiring the use of advanced methane detection technology for monitoring surface emissions at municipal solid waste landfills. The advanced technology is estimated to cost $20,000 per year for each landfill operated by a local government. The committee voted unanimously to move SB 1160-1 to Joint W&M with a do pass recommendation. It would require ODOE, assisted by the PUC, to study the financial costs and benefits of developing qualifying small power facilities under state and federal law, as well as small-scale renewable energy projects of 20 MW or less, and report to the interim energy committees by Sept. 30, 2026. ODOE expects to contract with a third party to support the study at an estimated GF cost of $250,000. Senate E&E has a dozen Possible Work Sessions scheduled for April 7, along with a public hearing on SB 1102 carried over from the April 2 meeting. The proposed -2 amendment to SB 1102 would authorize the PUC to impose a fine on an electric utility that fails to comply with statutory clean energy targets or to demonstrate continual improvement. It would set a new interim target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction at 50% below the baseline emissions level by 2028. The committee posted a Possible Work Session for this bill on April 9, as well as for the pro-nuclear bills SB 215 and SB 216 and for SB 1187 , establishing the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program. The House CE&E Committee moved HB 3336 to the House floor with a do pass recommendation. It would require electric utilities to file strategic plans with the PUC for using grid enhancing technologies (GETs, defined in the bill) where doing so is cost-effective, and update the plans every two years. A utility would have to carry out its first filed strategic plan by January 1, 2030. The committee moved the following bills to Joint W&M: HB 2370 would increase the statutory cap on the fee PUC may charge public utilities from 0.45% to 0.55% of a utility’s gross operating revenues in Oregon in the preceding calendar year. If the PUC were to adopt the full 0.55% rate, Other Funds revenue could increase by $13.6 million in the 2025-27 biennium. The PUC would need legislative approval to implement a fee increase. HB 2067-2 would require ODOE to establish a rebate program to incentivize commercial contractors, landscape construction professionals, and landscape contractors to buy battery-powered leaf blowers to improve energy efficiency and reduce noise pollution. It would appropriate $2 million GF for deposit into the new Commercial Landscape Equipment Rebate Fund. LFO says it will prepare a more complete fiscal analysis for Joint W&M. The committee moved HB 3747 to Revenue. It would create a refundable income tax credit for the purchase of battery energy storage systems and solar photovoltaic electric systems. Further fiscal analysis is required. The committee has 28 Work Sessions and Possible Work Sessions scheduled for April 8. No Work Session was scheduled for HB 2064 , so it died in committee. The bill would have required the PUC to take certain actions to support the operations of microgrids and community microgrids. HB 3927 also died; it would have required ODOE to study the need to expand electric transmission infrastructure in Oregon. Proposed amendments would have appropriated $1.6 billion to $8 billion over the next five biennia for deposit in the Oregon Electric Transmission Expansion Fund. House CE&E March 25 HB 3823 Revenue without recommendation. The bill would provide a property tax break for personal property used by a business to generate or store energy for consumption by the business on its premises. Rep. Gamba asked for the record that Revenue clarify whether diesel generators installed at data centers would also be included in the exemption – he believes they are real property and thus would still be taxed -- and whether the exemption would apply to actual battery storage systems. Chair Lively carried over work sessions on the following bills because expected amendments are not ready yet: HB 3336 – Declares state policy for electric utilities to a. Meet the required clean energy targets set forth in ORS 469A.410; b. Develop sufficient resources to meet load growth; c. Create efficiencies and resilience in the transmission system; and d. Maintain energy affordability. Utilities would have to file strategic plans with the PUC for using grid enhancing technologies (defined in the bill) where doing so is cost-effective and to update the plans every two years. A utility would have to carry out its first filed strategic plan by January 1, 2030. HB 2961 – Increases the percentage of electrical service capacity for EV charging that must be installed in parking garages or other parking areas of new multifamily and mixed-use buildings with privately owned commercial space and five or more residential dwelling units The committee voted unanimously to move HB 2063-1 to Joint W&M with a do-pass recommendation. It would create the Agrivoltaics Task Force staffed by DLCD. Fiscal impact estimate is $238,978 for 0.75 FTE to manage the project. The committee held a work session on HB 2961 , which would raise the percentage of EV charging capacity that must be installed in parking garages or other parking areas of new multifamily and mixed-use buildings with privately owned commercial space and five or more residential units. The proposed -4 amendment would raise the threshold for installation from 5 residential units to 10, a concession to rural communities. Rep. Osborne strongly opposed the bill, saying it will raise the cost of housing, and pushed the -2 amendment, which would delay the mandate until criteria for new housing construction, housing costs, homelessness, and electricity rates are met for four consecutive years. The committee could not agree on whether to vote on the amendments. Chair Lively said more amendments are not feasible as “we’ve overloaded Lege Council.” He carried over the WS to allow more discussion offline. The chair also carried over another half dozen work sessions on bills for which amendments and/or fiscal impact statements were not available. These included HB 3336 , requiring electric utilities to file strategic plans with the PUC for using grid enhancing technologies (GETs), which had been carried over previously. Summary of Northwest Energy Coalition (NWEC) By Robin Tokmakian Oregon Mtg of Apr 1, 2025 Major OR Leg. Bills watched by NWEC Wildfire related concern from NWEC that there is not a balance between who pays the costs … ie. —- what is “fair share" HB 3917 Utility Wildfire Fund - the bill creates the Catastrophic Wildfire Fund to pay for property damage (80%) and noneconomic damages (capped at $100k) claims arising from catastrophic wildfires that are ignited by the facilities of a public utility. See U tility wildfire guidance. https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/03/31/pacificorp-involved-in-bills-in-oregon-western-states-limiting-utility-wildfire-liability-damages/ HB 3666 - this bill would create applications of utility wildfire safety certificates for Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) and Consumer-Owned Utilities (COUs) under the Public Utility Commission (PUC). Ratepayer cost related HB 3546 – POWER Act: bill to ensure data centers and crypto pay their fair share instead of the rest of us subsidizing their energy costs. HB 3792 - increases the amount of the energy assistance charge designated to reduce disconnections. Allows the PUC to review the charge in relation to rate increases over the previous two years and adjust it upwards if they deem it necessary. * HB 3179 & SB688 are “paired” HB 3179 – Fair Energy Act: bill helps keep energy bills low by allowing regulators to set the lowest possible rates and shifting increases away from winter when usage is highest. It also improves transparency and gives utilities flexibility to use low-cost financing to minimize customer impacts. See: https://oregoncub.org/news/blog/new-amendments-to-the-fair-energy-act/3112 2. Environmental Rights bill needs more support from Enviro Groups (one Dem legislator withholding support until he sees more support) 3. Utilities and PUC Pacific Corp (PAC) is slowly walking various items it needs to get down to comply with HB2021 (Clean energy and climate goals.). Extending coal plants’ lives in Idaho and Utah (from which OR maybe getting electricity). It is writing its Integrated Resource Plan as a 6-state plan and submitting the same plan for all 6 states (OR, WA, ID, CA, UT, and WY). PAC will take longer now to transition to clean energy 4. Wildfire Webinar sponsored by NWEC will be recorded.. Wildfire and Utilities: This webinar will cover the intersection between wildfire and utilities, policymakers, and communities. Increased fire risk is threatening communities as utilities work to mitigate risk and policymakers are deciding how to regulate them. We will explore this intersection, and the role advocates can play in the development of utility regulations, legislation, and wildfire mitigation plans that will do the most to protect Northwest communities. Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/o2eW2lFPQpOzbJhjCN7oTg#/registration 5. Bonneville BPA LWV OR/WA/ID/MT BPA is pushing to approve joining an investor-led “day-ahead energy market”. NWEC is opposed to their choice and supports the alternative market. See This letter from the US Senators of WA and OR News and Commission Meetings Oregon Climate Action Commission to Meet Virtually on April 11, 2025 — Energy Info 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. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 5/29 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 By Claudia Keith, Climate Emergency Coordinator Some good news from State Senator Michael Dembrow’s May 28th Update from SD 23 . Many LWVOR climate related priority and other bills are listed in the drafted Legislative Climate Funding Package, not yet posted to OLIS. Here’s an excerpt: “ Legislative Counsel is finishing up the drafting of the amendments to these placeholders, which will become the final bills. The amendments should all be posted on OLIS early this week. I expect that they will be assigned to Ways and Means subcommittees and passed to the full Ways and Means Committee by the end of the week. Funding Package #1 : Climate Action The first funding package that I worked on will be HB 3409, which brings together and funds a number of bills related to climate action. The package invests nearly $100 million in crucial climate action this session, though it has the potential to draw down many times that amount in federal funding that has become available. Here are the programs and policies that are included in this package. I’ll provide more explanation and the final funding levels in the future. Here are the bills included in the package: · REBuilding Bills (SB 868, 869, 870, 871, HB 3166) · State Energy Strategy and Resilience Planning (HB 2534 & 3378) · Community Resilience Hubs (HB 2990) · Community Green Infrastructure Act AKA TREES Act (HB 3016) · Woody Biomass for Low-Carbon Fuels (HB 3590) · Environmental Justice and Tribal Navigator (SB 852) · Medium and Heavy-Duty EV Incentives (HB 2714) · Renewable Energy Siting (HB 3181) · Natural Climate Solutions (SB 530) · Climate Action Modernization (SB 522) · Residential Solar Rebate Program Extension (HB 3418) · Residential Heat Pump Program Extension (HB 3056) · Climate Protection Program Fee Bill (HB 3196) · Harmful Algal Blooms (HB 2647) · Community Renewable Energy Grant Program (HB 2021, 2021) In addition, there are a number of Agency Policy Option Packages (POPs) and new climate-related programs included in the Climate Package. Again, though, the future of this package, like all the others, remains up in the air.”

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 6/29 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: June Interim Legislative Days Climate Executive Orders Clean Energy Greenhouse Gas Mitigations Natural and Working Lands Public Health Clean Buildings Transportation Oregon Climate Lawsuits Climate Migration and Environmental Justice 2027 Legislative session Data Centers 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. Climate advocates in Oregon called it a 'defend and deliver' moment that ultimately 'left climate behind' — but state-level executive and regulatory action continued robustly through June. This report covers the 2026 session outcomes, June 2026 Legislative Days, Governor Kotek's executive orders, active litigation, and looks ahead to 2027. JUNE 2026 INTERIM LEGISLATIVE DAYS The Oregon Legislative Assembly held June 2026 Interim Legislative Days (June 16–18) in Salem. Interim committees heard informational presentations and agency reports on topics expected to shape the 2027 long session. Climate-relevant hearings included: Senate Interim Committee on Energy & Environment: Received the Department of Environmental Quality ( DEQ) update on the Climate Protection Program (CPP) rulemaking and the status of the April 2026 Oregon Business & Industry lawsuit. Also heard Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) briefings on grid reliability impacts from rising data center demand. Oregon Climate Action Commission (OCAC): May 15 virtual meeting (preceding June Days) featured an expert panel on climate-related transportation issues; input on DEQ's new Environmental Justice mapping tool (per HB 4077); and presentation of the 2026 update to Oregon's consumption-based emissions inventory. The EJ mapping tool is designed to identify communities 'unrepresented in government processes and harmed by environmental and health hazards.' Joint Committee on Transportation: Reviewed ODOT's performance benchmarks and early concepts for the 2027 Transportation Package, emphasizing safety, climate impact, and infrastructure maintenance scoring aligned with 2026's SB 1542 (Measure What We Drive — did not pass). House Interim Committee on Climate, Energy & Environment: Received briefing on Governor Kotek's Data Center Advisory Committee recommendations timeline (due October 2026) and early findings on siting criteria. GOVERNOR KOTEK'S CLIMATE EXECUTIVE ORDERS Governor Kotek issued major climate executive orders in late 2025 that continue to drive agency work through the 2026 interim. Together they form Oregon's primary climate governance framework as federal protections erode. EO 25-26 — Natural & Working Lands (Oct. 23, 2025) Directs Oregon's 14 natural resource agencies to accelerate climate-resilient strategies on public and working lands. Key mandates: Protect or restore 10% more of Oregon's most climate-resilient lands and waters within 10 years (the '10 by 10' directive). Streamline programs to help farmers, foresters, and fishers adopt climate-friendly practices. State Resilience Officer to develop the Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO) addressing wildfire and flooding. Expand forest treatments and prescribed burns; improve air quality alerts during fire season. EO 25-29 — Clean Energy & Carbon Pollution Reduction (Nov. 19, 2025) Directs agencies to implement the Oregon Energy Strategy's five least-cost pathways — electrification, energy efficiency, clean electricity, low-carbon fuels, and resilience — with a focus on grid reliability and affordability. Agencies to streamline siting, permitting, and interconnection for clean energy projects. Explores public-private partnerships for enhanced geothermal, offshore wind, and energy storage. Mandates transparency through coordinated climate tracking and reporting. CLEAN ENERGY 2026 Session Results Bill Title Status Notes HB 4031 Accelerating Wind & Solar — renewable energy siting before federal tax credits expire PASSED Capture of critical federal IRA dollars while they remain available. Bipartisan. HB 4086 Industrial Symbiosis — circular manufacturing; one company's waste becomes another's input PASSED Reduces pollution; strengthens local manufacturing supply chains. SB 1582 Virtual/Distributed Power Plants — rooftop solar, batteries, smart thermostats as grid resources DID NOT PASS Would have expanded local energy assets; did not advance due to budget constraints. HB 4046 Nuclear Energy Study DID NOT PASS Opposed by 350PDX and others; failed to advance. Existing law keeps Oregon nuclear-free. HB 4080 Plug-In Solar DID NOT PASS Did not advance; expected to resurface in 2027. POWER Act (HB 3546, 2025): Signed into law Aug. 2025. Requires Oregon PUC to create a separate rate class for data centers and large energy users (>20 MW). In May 2026, PUC finalized rules for Portland General Electric — the first utility in Oregon to implement POWER Act rules. New data centers can only connect to PGE's grid when sufficient emissions-free power is available. PacifiCorp proceeding underway; decision expected November 2026. GREENHOUSE GAS MITIGATION (GHG) Climate Protection Program (CPP) Oregon's flagship cap-and-invest program — arising from EO 20-04 and restarted in 2025 after a 2023 Court of Appeals ruling on procedural flaws — is again under legal challenge . The program aims to reduce GHG emissions 50% by 2035 and 90% by 2050 (from 2017–19 baseline) by capping carbon from transportation fuels, natural gas, and propane and requiring compliance instruments. Status: A coalition of 28+ groups — led by Oregon Business & Industry (OBI), NW Natural, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Forest Industries Council, and labor unions — filed a petition for review on April 16, 2026 in the Oregon Court of Appeals. They argue the program 'oversteps the Environmental Quality Commission's limited authority under Oregon law'. Environmental and community groups moved to intervene in defense of the CPP. Oregon Environmental Council, Climate Solutions, Verde, and Oregon Just Transition Alliance publicly opposed the suit, noting that over 10,000 Oregonians participated in the public rulemaking and that one-third of Oregon counties are already under state drought emergencies. Oregon is two years behind its own GHG schedule . If the CPP is invalidated, the state would have no operational mechanism to meet its statutory goals. Ruling timeline: unknown; both sides have requested expedited proceedings. Make Polluters Pay / Climate Resilience Superfund (SB 1541) This bill would have required out-of-state oil and gas corporations to pay into a fund compensating Oregon for climate damage. It achieved a historic milestone — passing out of committee for the first time ever — but died in the Joint Ways & Means Committee due to budget politics. Two states (New York, Vermont) have passed similar legislation. Expect a stronger 2027 push from the Make Polluters Pay coalition. NATURAL & WORKING LANDS EO 25-26 (see above) sets the overarching framework. Key agency actions underway: Oregon Department of Land Conservation & Development (DLCD) released the 2026 Land Use Legislation Report and is finalizing rules implementing the Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) standards — transportation and land-use rules that allow communities to reduce car dependence and GHG emissions. 1.25% for Wildlife (HB 4134) — SIGNED: Increases the transient lodging tax by 1.25%, generating ~$38M/year for non-game species conservation. $27.4M/year supports ODFW's State Wildlife Action Plan and Oregon Nearshore Strategy. Called a 'historic win for conservation.' Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB): Full 2025–2027 budget protected in the HB 5204 rebalance, including Oregon Aquatic Habitat Program grant funds. Department of Forestry also protected, preserving the Private Forest Accord Adaptive Management Program. SB 1545 (Corner Crossings) — SIGNED: Protects members of the public accessing public lands via corner crossings from trespass claims, while protecting landowners. Wildfire: HB 4077 (wildfire/climate adaptation) — SIGNED. Governor's Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO) framework is now in development under the State Resilience Officer. Oregon counties already facing highest-risk wildfire season; drought affects one-third of Oregon counties. PUBLIC HEALTH Climate change has direct, documented health consequences for Oregonians. Multiple state actions address heat, air quality, and community resilience: Oregon Health Authority (OHA): Continued implementation of climate-health programs tracking heat-related illness, wildfire smoke exposure, and heat island effects in urban low-income neighborhoods. OHA received updates at June Legislative Days on OHA-climate program integration. Heat & Workers: Oregon OSHA heat protection standards — directed by EO 20-04 — remain in effect, protecting outdoor and agricultural workers during extreme heat events. Environmental Justice Council: Developing a statewide EJ mapping tool (per HB 4077) to identify communities harmed by environmental and health hazards, for use by state agencies in prioritizing programs. Previewed at the May 15 OCAC meeting. Air Quality & Wildfire Smoke: EO 25-26 directs improved air quality alert systems during fire season. Oregon consistently faces weeks of hazardous air quality from wildfires. Smoke disproportionately harms outdoor workers, children, elderly, and people with lung disease. Housing & Climate Resilience: Interim committees heard a presentation on Housing Stabilization: Climate and Health Resilience in Housing, addressing manufactured housing’s vulnerability to floods, heat, and wildfire — an environmental justice priority area. CLEAN BUILDINGS Upgrade & Save (proposed financing tool for 2026, did not advance): Would have allowed households and small businesses to finance energy efficiency upgrades and electrification with no upfront cost, repaid through utility bills. Widely supported; died in budget crunch. A top priority for the 2027 session. Oregon's State Energy Strategy (released 2025) identifies building electrification as one of five least-cost pathways. EO 25-29 directs agencies to implement these pathways, including reducing building emissions through codes, incentives, and financing tools. Oregon Building Codes Division is expected to present updated energy code proposals during fall 2026 interim Legislative Days, with potential 2027 legislation to set appliance and building efficiency standards that go beyond federal baselines (which have been rolled back by the Trump administration). Community Energy Project and Columbia Riverkeeper, representing low-income communities, advocated at the PUC for a data center surcharge funding energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households — secured in the PGE POWER Act rulemaking. TRANSPORTATION Oregon is already two years behind its GHG schedule , and the transportation sector is Oregon's largest source of emissions. The 2026 session fell short on transportation climate action: Bill Title Status Notes SB 1542 Measure What We Drive — transportation project scoring system (safety, climate, maintenance, cost) DID NOT PASS Strong climate coalition support; died in budget crunch. High priority for 2027. HB 4125 Kicker Reform — directs excess funds toward wildfire, state emergencies, capital projects PASSED Modest budget tool; helps backstop climate emergency costs. HB 4032 Fuel Storage Diversification — ODOE to identify emergency fuel reserve sites PASSED ODOE required to report 2027 prioritized fuel storage site list to Legislature. HB 4100 Risk Bonds / Financial Assurance for bulk fuel terminals DID NOT PASS Would require terminals to show financial responsibility for spill response. HB 4125 FORGE Act (transportation revenue options) DID NOT PASS Would have addressed ODOT funding gap; did not advance. Major 2027 issue. ODOT is facing a major structural funding crisis — with the FORGE Act and transportation revenue options stalled. The Joint Committee on Transportation is beginning to lay groundwork for a comprehensive 2027 Transportation Package. Climate Solutions and OEC are advocating that any package include climate performance metrics and transit investment, not just road maintenance. Climate-Friendly and Equitable Communities (CFEC) rules: DLCD has finalized rules requiring larger Oregon cities to allow more housing near transit and reduce minimum parking requirements, reducing vehicle miles traveled over time. STATUS OF ACTIVE OREGON CLIMATE LAWSUITS Case Forum Status Summary OBI et al. v. DEQ / Climate Protection Program Oregon Court of Appeals 🔴 ACTIVE / PENDING Filed April 16, 2026. 28+ plaintiffs (OBI, NW Natural, OR Farm Bureau, labor groups) argue CPP exceeds EQC authority and imposes unconstitutional economic burden. Conservation groups moving to intervene. Both sides seek expedited review. This is the highest-stakes active climate case in Oregon. Juliana v. United States (Oregon connection) 9th Circuit / U.S. District Court (Oregon) 🟡 ON REMAND Youth climate plaintiffs; constitutional right-to-a-stable-climate claim. Case continues on remand. Oregon-based youth plaintiffs; watched nationally as potential precedent-setter. OR LCDC / CFEC Rules Challenges LUBA / Oregon Courts 🟡 MONITORING Challenges to the Climate-Friendly & Equitable Communities rules at the Land Use Board of Appeals. Some local governments have contested implementation timelines and parking reduction requirements. CLIMATE MIGRATION & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Oregon is increasingly a climate destination state — receiving internal climate migrants from drought-stricken California, wildfire-ravaged Southwest communities, and coastal areas facing sea-level rise. At the same time, Oregon's own communities face climate-driven displacement from wildfire, flooding, and extreme heat. Climate Migration DLCD is examining how Oregon's land use planning system accommodates in-migration from other climate-stressed regions — a topic expected to receive formal interim committee attention in fall 2026 and potential 2027 legislation. Rural Oregon communities in eastern and southern Oregon face out-migration pressure as drought and heat reduce agricultural viability. OEC's Water and Rural Partnerships program is tracking these dynamics alongside EO 25-26 implementation. Oregon's Cascadia Subduction Zone risk intersects with climate resilience planning — a climate-displacement event from earthquake-triggered flooding or wildfire could displace hundreds of thousands. The State Resilience Officer is charged with developing the Plan for a Resilient Oregon (PRO). FEMA risk mapping updates and the end of federal NFIP flood insurance subsidies are creating affordability crises for coastal Oregon homeowners — a slow-burn climate migration driver. Environmental Justice (EJ) Oregon Just Transition Alliance (OJTA), Verde, and PCUN are tracking federal rollbacks of environmental justice programs under the Trump administration — including the dismantling of EPA EJ offices — and calling for stronger Oregon state EJ protections. The Oregon Environmental Justice Council is developing a statewide EJ mapping tool (per HB 4077) to identify communities disproportionately burdened by environmental harms. Tool was previewed at the May 15 OCAC meeting; finalization expected 2026–27. The CPP's Community Climate Investments — community-based grants flowing from large polluters' compliance costs — are a key environmental justice mechanism at risk if the current OBI lawsuit succeeds. SNAP/Food Security: OEC tracked the federal 'One Big Beautiful Bill's' Medicaid and SNAP cuts as climate justice issues — food insecurity and health care access are direct climate vulnerability amplifiers for low-income Oregonians. Immigrant communities: EO 25-26 and state climate programs are being explicitly connected to immigrant farmworker vulnerability — extreme heat, wildfire smoke, and pesticide exposure — by coalition partners including PCUN. LOOKING AHEAD: 2027 LEGISLATIVE SESSION (LONG SESSION) The 2027 long session (up to 160 days) is Oregon's primary opportunity to advance major climate legislation. Based on interim activity, advocacy positions, and Governor Kotek's executive order framework, here are the priority climate bills likely to be in the works: High-Priority Climate Bills Expected in 2027 Make Polluters Pay / Climate Resilience Superfund (SB 1541 relaunch): Strongest momentum in years; national movement growing. Expect a better-funded coalition and stronger legislative strategy. Upgrade & Save (Energy Efficiency Financing): Broad support; died only due to 2026 budget crisis. Expected to be a top priority as federal IRA incentives continue to be clawed back. Measure What We Drive (transportation scoring): Held over from 2026. Likely to be part of a comprehensive Transportation Package. Clean Buildings / Appliance Efficiency Standards: To replace rolled-back federal standards; agencies developing proposals for 2027 introduction. Data Center Siting & Water Rules: The Governor's Data Center Advisory Committee reports to Kotek by October 2026. Recommendations are expected to become legislation in 2027 covering siting criteria, water use limits, and greenhouse gas requirements for new facilities. Grid Modernization & Transmission: EO 25-29 directs agencies to bring 2027 proposals for grid expansion, interconnection reform, and expanded storage capacity. Transportation Package (FORGE Act successor): Full biennial transportation investment package with climate performance requirements. Urgently needed given ODOT's structural funding crisis. Distributed Power Plants / Virtual Power Plant Act: SB 1582 relaunch — policy framework for community energy resources. Environmental Justice Act: Possible codification of the EJ mapping tool and agency EJ obligations into statute, strengthening what EO and HB 4077 began. Natural and Working Lands Funding: Potential bonding measure or dedicated fund to implement EO 25-26's '10 by 10' conservation goal. ⚠️ Budget warning: Ways & Means co-chairs have already signaled that the 2027–29 and 2029–31 biennia will face even larger structural deficits due to federal funding losses and Oregon's tax kicker mechanism. Climate bills requiring new appropriations face a difficult fiscal environment. SPECIAL FOCUS: DATA CENTERS & OREGON'S ENERGY FUTURE Governor Kotek's Data Center Advisory Committee (established January 20, 2026) is one of the most consequential climate-energy policy developments of the Oregon interim. Oregon is ranked in the top five states nationally for data centers — including Amazon's second-largest data center hub in the world in Hillsboro. Data centers now represent one of the primary drivers of Oregon's rapidly rising electricity rates, with PGE bills up nearly 50% over five years, and grid reliability under increasing stress from AI-driven demand growth. Committee Structure: Co-chaired by Margaret Hoffmann (Northwest Power and Conservation Council; former energy adviser to Governors Kitzhaber and Brown) and Michael Jung (ICF Climate Center). Members include Umatilla County Commissioner Dan Dorran — whose county has experienced 554% demand growth at Umatilla Electric Cooperative from Amazon data centers — and energy law expert Greg Dotson (University of Oregon). The committee holds at least one public meeting per month through October 2026, with policy recommendations due to the Governor by October 2026. POWER Act Implementation (May 2026 Milestone): The Oregon PUC issued a landmark order in May 2026 requiring Portland General Electric to create a new rate class for data centers (and cryptocurrency miners) using more than 20 MW — ensuring these facilities pay the full cost of grid infrastructure they require, rather than spreading costs across all ratepayers. Key provisions include: Data centers pay their own infrastructure and capacity costs — ending cross-subsidization by households and small businesses. New data centers can only connect to PGE's grid when sufficient emissions-free electricity is available — directly linking data center growth to Oregon's 100% clean electricity goal (2040). 10- to 30-year contract terms (based on facility size) and deposit requirements for new connections. A modest surcharge on data centers over 100 MW funds energy efficiency upgrades for low-income households. PacifiCorp (Pacific Power) rulemaking under POWER Act proceeding at PUC now; decision expected November 2026. Water & Environmental Justice Concerns: Data centers are also major water users for cooling. Verde and other environmental justice groups presented 'Water Justice Principles' to the Advisory Committee in March 2026, warning that data center water withdrawals in eastern Oregon — already under drought stress — threaten rural communities and Indigenous water rights. The Advisory Committee is expected to address water siting criteria in its October recommendations. Recent Data Center News Land-use advocates sue over data center tax breaks in Washington County - Oregonlive.com 2027 Legislation Likely: Climate Solutions and OEC have stated publicly that translating the Advisory Committee's recommendations into law is 'a big focus in the 2027 legislative session.' Likely elements include: statutory siting criteria for data centers near vulnerable farmland, wetlands, or aquifers; mandatory community benefits agreements for large facilities; GHG and clean energy requirements as a condition of state permitting; and water use reporting and limits. Oregon's POWER Act is already being cited as a national model — at least 18 other states have introduced similar legislation in 2026. "In the preparation of this report, AI was used to summarize and synthesize background data. The final analysis, interpretations, and conclusions were reviewed, verified, and edited by the author to ensure accuracy and alignment with our organizational standards." VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Climate Emergency ? You can help. V olunteers are needed. The short legislative session begins in January of 2026. Many State Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of climate or natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, or Claudia Keith Climate Emergency at peggylynchor@gmail.com Or climatepolicy@lwvor.org . Training will be offered. Clean Energy Buildings Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture Transportation and ODOT state agency Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s TrustDA Public Health Climate Adaptation (OHA) Regional Solutions / Infrastructure (with NR team) State Procurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services) CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment Environmental Justice Climate Migration Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report section

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 1/23 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 Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Land Use/Housing Toxics Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed Natural Resources By Peggy Lynch Everyone is awaiting Governor Kotek’s first biennial budget. Ways and Means Subcommittees can’t begin hearing agency budgets since agencies have to follow the Governor’s requests. Her budget needs to be “balanced” with the revenues forecasted back on November 16 unless she proposes additional revenue. BUDGETS/REVENUE Want to know how the legislative budget process works? The Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO) provided a document to help legislators and the public understand. 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 Coos County, City of Coos Bay, and City of North Bend have been working on updates to the Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (CBEMP). The County file number assigned to this project is AM-22-005 . Here is a link to the LWV Coos Study and meeting s and a link to a memo by League member Moffitt. At this time, LWV Coos is asking stakeholder agencies to review the Draft Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (Parts 1 and 2) and the Coos Estuary Map Atlas for concurrence with the agency’s requirements and interests. Comments submitted by February 20, 2023 will be addressed as possible in the document draft submitted for the post-acknowledgement plan amendment process to DLCD on March 1. Comments outside of the current work scope, including comments associated with a Full Plan revision, are welcome. These comments will be included in the packet provided to staff as part of the final draft. Please send comments to: Amanda Ferguson, IPRE, (541) 409-2522, afergus4@uoregon.edu AND/OR Jill Rolfe, Coos County Community Development Director, jrolfe@co.coos.or.us The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) hosted a virtual meeting on January 27. Agenda . ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST By Peggy Lynch On Jan. 20, the Oregon State University (OSU) Board of Trustees received a presentation on the projectstatus and OSU’s work. The Board will need to formally approve OSU’s participation in the next few months. The Forest will become a separate public entity on July 1 with its own Board of Directors. LAND USE/HOUSING By Peggy Lynch On Jan. 23 Senate Housing and Development received a presentation on System Development Charges—used to pay for infrastructure needed for new development. LWVOR supports state help for these charges for low-income and even middle income (up to 80% AMI) developments. Duncan Wyse, Oregon Business Council, shared with the Joint Committee on Semiconductors that Oregon needs to set aside two parcels of land that are at least 500 acres and ready for development by a semiconductor manufacturer, as well as several smaller plots of land for similar purposes. A legislator pointed out the need for land for more housing if new manufacturing plants are built. KGW provided good meeting coverage . The League wants to remind legislators that Washington County’s prime agricultural land is also an industrial land usage and cannot be replaced! HB 2899 : Building on wetlands is cost prohibitive—and from the League’s view should not be allowed. This bill removes certain lands from definitions of buildable lands for purposes of urbanization, including floodways, wetlands, and special flood hazard areas. This ensures that the state has a more accurate calculation of buildable lands. The League will be watching this bill. We support the concept, but have concerns about implementation. HB 2203 : Allows RVs used to provide security of farm use to be sited on lands zoned for EFU. Public Hearing was held on 1/19. LWVOR has concerns around waste disposal, drinking water availability and other services. However, the testimony focused on the ability of forestry to use this provision in law so the agricultural industry should be able to do the same. HB 2889 : Establishes Oregon Housing Needs Analysis within the Housing and Community Services Department. LWVOR supports. You can watch a presentation of this concept in the Jan. 17 House Housing Committee. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. TOXICS By Paula Grisafi HB 3043 LWVOR joined others in support of the Toxic Free Kids Act Modernization bill. Thousands of chemicals lurk in products our kids use every day, and children are far more vulnerable to toxic chemicals than adults. And parents should not have to be expert chemists or have to shop in specialty stores in order to obtain safer products. Read LWVOR testimony . WATER By Peggy Lynch 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, 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 The League monitored the Senate Committee on Natural Resources January 18th meeting with an update on SB 762 (2021). Meeting summary can be found here . Meeting materials, including detailed reports may be found here . “ We no longer have a fire season. We have a fire year.” Mark Bennett, Chair, Wildfire Programs Advisory Council. An update on the progress of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council was presented by Chair Bennett. Highlights included a summary of work completed in 2022, and a statement that future work will include increased emphasis on Community Wildfire Risk Reduction. Homeowners’ cultural traits should be considered when promoting wildfire mitigation efforts, OSU study finds: About one-third of housing in the lower 48 states of the U.S. now lies in the wildland-urban interface, where they are more susceptible to wildfires, prior research has found. A survey answers: Should Oregonians be allowed to build homes in areas of high and extreme risk? Jan. 25 th News Update on the Wildfire Exposure (Risk) Map—a postponement. HB 2898 : A wildfire recovery bill that continues the allowance that recreational vehicles may remain on a lot with a single-family dwelling that was damaged by natural disaster. It extends this allowance until December 30, 2030 for dwellings destroyed in 2020 wildfires. The League has concerns about wastewater and other services that are needed and that this bill might perpetuate these vehicles where long term housing should exist. 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. Carolyn Mayers/Wildfire and Paula Grisafi/Toxics have joined the team. Thanks! 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 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 Education Gun Policy Housing Legislation Immigration Behavioral Health By Trish Garner HB 2005 - Dash 4, 5 Amendments In this Session the legislature has been working on significant changes about when and how mental health care is provided to those experiencing serious mental health issues. While the resulting bills certainly involve increased funding, there has also been a clear effort to bring a wide array of stakeholders together to examine the practicalities and details of treatment rather than just appropriating funds. There has also been a recognition that there is a need for comprehensive, rather than piecemeal, action to deal with Oregon’s interrelated mental health care systems. The infrastructure set out in this legislation seeks to help people get the help they need and to do so more quickly in order to avoid escalation to higher needs for care and use of resources. Much of this action likely reflects the pressure that US District Judge Adrienne Nelson has exerted on Oregon with her imposition of fines for noncompliance with her order that Oregon take “all reasonable steps” to admit criminal defendants to the state hospital within 7 days of being determined by a court to be unable to “aid and assist” in their defense due to mental incompetence. [ OPB article about court ruling ] These are the patients who currently represent over 95% of patients currently in the Oregon State Hospital. This bottleneck complicates the treatment of those who are or should be civilly, or involuntarily, committed. Judge Nelson set the fines at $500.00 per day per “aid and assist” individual. In a move that is likely related to this pressure from Judge Nelson’s order, two bills relating to mental health treatment were just combined and packaged into one 142-page omnibus bill ( HB 2005 - Dash 4 and 5 Amendments ). One of these bills is HB 2467 - Dash 3 Amendment which addresses civil commitment. HB 2481 - Dash 11 Amendment takes on the “aid and assist” process. HB 2005 also requires local governments to allow licensed residential treatment facilities within an urban growth boundary without requiring a zone change or conditional use permit for certain properties. HB 2005 – Dash 5 Amendment has passed the Joint Ways & Means Committee with a “do pass” recommendation. For more detail, HB 2005 incorporates HB 2467’s definitions of the specific factors that a court can consider when determining whether someone should be civilly committed., i.e. danger to self or others, or being unable to provide for basic personal needs. A person is dangerous to self if their mental disorder resulted or likely will result in “serous” physical harm to self in the “near future.” Dangerousness to others is similarly defined but there is no requirement for the harm to be “serious.” Importantly, “near future” clarifies the current legal standard that the harm be “imminent.” The bill also outlines court procedures for determining incapacity. HB 2481’s contribution to HB 2005 (beginning at p. 92) is an itemization of factors that courts may consider when determining whether defendants are mentally competent to proceed in their defense. These include, for example, prior evaluations, evidence of a prior diagnosis by a certified evaluator or qualified mental health practitioner, prior commitments, and/or the defendant’s conduct as observed in court. It also requires courts to appoint counsel for these defendants and if the defendant is unable to afford counsel, the court will appoint one at state expense. HB 2481 places specific limits of the amount of time a person can be involuntarily committed to a facility such as OSH depending on the nature of the crime and the interface with community treatment. The Judicial Department is also mandated to study the interactions between the state and tribal entities regarding behavioral health treatment and involuntary commitment procedures in these communities. The HB 200A-5 – Amendment appropriates $5,400,000 to the OR Health Authority for payments made to community mental health programs regarding civil commitments and $1,100,000 to the OR Public Defense Commission to provide public defense to financially eligible persons. This appropriation is part of the effort to make a make a greater impact on mental health treatment. Other bills, including HB 2015, 20224, 2059, described below, also add funds to this process. HB 2015A - Dash 4 Amendment seeks to modify current practices in residential treatment facilities such as those relating to early transition programs, nurse staffing and grouping patients who have similar needs for services in the same facilities and thereby optimize care. It passed the full Ways and Means Committee with a “do pass” recommendation and an appropriation of $2,250,000. With one negative vote (Senator Daniel Bonham) the full Ways & Means Committee passed HB 2024A - Dash 6 Amendment with a “do pass” recommendation. The bill establishes a grant program that supports the recruitment and retention of behavioral health workers at treatment facilities. The appropriation was initially set at $45,000,000 but the final bill provided for $7,000,000. The full Ways & Means Committee passed HB 2059A - Dash 4 Amendment with a “do pass” recommendation. It appropriates $65,000,000 to increase access residential health care services. OHA is directed to establish a unit that will develop plans and provide funding for the construction and staffing of these facilities in collaboration with regional partners and practitioners. At the time of this report (6-19-25) HB 3294 - Dash 3 Amendment was passed in the House with only one “nay” vote (Representative Jami Cate) and its First Reading has taken place in the Senate. It proposes changes to previous laws regarding hospital staffing plans and minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. Education By Jean Pierce SB 1098 , the Freedom to Read bill, was signed into law by the Governor. LWVOR provided testimony in support. Senate Bill 5516 is headed to the Governor for a signature. The bill will increase the budget for Oregon’s State School Fund by more than 11% from the last biennium. Unfortunately, this increase is needed simply to keep funding at current service levels. According to the American Institute on Research (AIR), in order to provide adequate funding for education, Oregon would need a 30% increase, with more attention to equitable spending for the education of low income and high needs students. SB 5525 -3, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission budget, was approved by the Senate and received a Do Pass Recommendation from Ways and Means. For the most part, the proposed budget maintains the Current Service Level, (CSL). It is important to note that the Oregon Opportunity Grant and Benefits Navigators would at least be maintained at CSL, but legislators expressed concern that funding for the Outdoor School Program would be cut. The allocation is 6.2% below the last biennium, so this bill does nothing to address the fact that Oregon has been ranked 46th in the nation for state investment in higher education. They recognized that in future sessions, the thinking needs to shift from CSL to setting a higher target. How the Federal Reconciliation Bill May Affect Oregon K-12 School Vouchers: The Senate version of the Reconciliation bill retains the House provision that households earning at or below 300% of a given area's median gross income could receive a $5000 tax credit for private school tuition. The League of Women Voters opposes using public funds for private education. If this federal budget is passed, $20 billion will go to funding tuition credits for private schools and will not be available for public education. According to edtrust.org , the total 2025 Estimated Federal Education Budget for Oregon is over $1.8 Billion. Higher Education – Student Loans: Sameer Gadkaree, president of The Institute for College Access & Success, released the following warning about current provisions of the Reconciliation BIll : “The proposed overhaul of the student loan repayment system would take the unprecedented step of eliminating existing protections for borrowers. It would implement an overly complex plan that departs from decades of precedent by forcing the lowest-income borrowers to make unaffordable payments and extending the repayment term to 30 years. Taken together, this will likely drive many more borrowers into default, which comes with severe penalties, including the seizure of Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit refunds and wage garnishment.” According to the Student Borrower Protection Center , there are currently more than 530,000 Oregonians with federal student loan debt, owing more than $23 billion to the federal government. In January of this year, with a 15% borrower delinquency rate. According to the Attorney General’s office , “ The average Oregon student loan borrower owes over $36,091 by the time they graduate.” Gun Policy By Marge Easley SB 243 C was passed by the Joint Ways and Means Committee on June 20. This newly amended version of the bill will ban rapid-fire devices, allow cities and counties to ban firearms in public buildings, and stipulate March 15, 2026, as the implementation date for Measure 114 (2022). HB 3076 A , which creates an Oregon gun dealer licensing program, was passed out of the Joint Ways and Means Committee on June 20 with a A-5 Amendment. At least two of the votes were “Courtesy Yes-es,” to permit the bill to receive a hearing on the floor. The amendment states that licensing will be required of large-scale gun dealers starting July 1, 2027, and will be expanded to all dealers the following year. It also provides a sliding scale for the licensing fee based on the average annual firearm sales of the dealer during the previous three years. Passage of this bill has become increasingly important with the announcement that the number of federal gun dealer inspectors, under the auspices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, will soon be slashed by two-thirds. A recent Capital Chronicle article by Daniel Webster, a highly respected researcher at Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, provides strong justification for Oregon to have its own gun dealer licensing program. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Bond Funds for low-income housing preservation and development The Oregon Housing Alliance is urging the Legislature to dedicate General Obligation bonds in SB 5505 for the following: LIFT Affordable Rental Housing Program: $600 million LIFT Affordable Homeownership Program: $100 million Permanent Supportive Housing Program: $80 million Preservation of existing affordable homes: $100 million Significant effort is being devoted throughout Oregon to moving unsheltered individuals and families into housing. Meeting with success is particularly challenging because of the overwhelming shortage of housing affordable to extremely low-income households. These investments are key to making more permanent housing available to people most in need. Lottery Bonds -- SB 5531 Housing Infrastructure Fund: $100 million Stabilize affordable housing and manufactured home parks: $185 million Low-income housing developers identify the cost of building the infrastructure to support their developments as a barrier to producing more housing units. These lottery bonds would be deposited in the Housing Infrastructure Fund for the purpose of providing grants to support key community infrastructure investments including transportation, water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure that will make feasible development of affordable housing for households with very low, low, or moderate incomes. Lottery bonds would also be used to provide financial assistance to aid in the acquisition, renovation, or maintenance of existing regulated low-income housing undergoing significant recapitalization, to publicly supported housing, or to preserve affordability of manufactured dwelling parks. Homelessness Prevention Funding A recent Oregonian article highlighted concerns about the impact of the significant cut to the Governor’s proposed budget for eviction prevention. According to the article, the cuts would reduce the number of people the program could assist with emergency rent assistance, legal aid, and other services from 27,713 over the last two years to 4,331 in the upcoming biennium --Source: Legislative Fiscal Office. Advocates and providers make the point that shelter beds are much more expensive than providing rent assistance. Maintaining a shelter bed for a year can cost up to $50,000. The article states that in Multnomah County, the average annual cost is more than $21,000. Prevention services, such as rent assistance, cost $11,000 per person served in Multnomah County in the last fiscal year. In addition to the cost, keeping people in their homes avoids trauma and disruption. Bills passed HB 2964 A Enrolled requires OHCS to award loans for the predevelopment costs of affordable housing and a grant to assist nonprofits receiving grants or loans. The bill passed the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness on April 15. It was then referred to the Senate Committee on Housing and Development. On June 13, the speaker signed the bill and the Senate president signed it on June 16. It is awaiting the Governor’s signature. LWVOR testimony supported passage of this bill. HB 3054 A Enrolled will limit rent increases and sales constraints by a landlord in a home park or marina, which can threaten residents’ ability to stay in their homes. It creates an exception for certain infrastructure upgrades approved by a vote of the tenants. It will fix at six percent maximum rent increases for rental spaces in larger facilities and will limit to 10 percent the maximum increase in rent paid by the purchaser of a dwelling or home in a facility. It will prohibit a landlord from requiring aesthetic improvements or internal inspections as conditions of sale. The bill passed the House, and the Senate Committee on Housing and Development held a work session on May 19 and recommended passage. On June 16, both the speaker and Senate president signed the bill. It is awaiting the Governor’s signature. LWVOR submitted a letter in support. HB 3521 is now headed to Gov. Kotek’s desk for her signature. It will allow Oregon renters who haven’t signed a lease agreement to have their deposits returned if the home has mold, unsafe electrical wiring, or other defects making it uninhabitable. With so few rentals available for prospective tenants, “hold deposits” can help renters secure a home. However, some landlords have taken advantage of the system to pressure renters to accept residences that do not meet health and safety standards. Landlords will have five days to return deposits or face a fee equivalent to the deposit they charged or more. The bill passed the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness on April 17 in a 33-18 vote, and on June 12, it passed the Senate Committee on Housing and Development in a 20-8 vote. When enacted, the bill will apply to deposits received on or after Jan. 1, 2026. Bill Progressing The Joint Committee on Ways and Means held a work session on SB 829 B on June 13 and recommended passage by a 21–0–2 vote with an -A3 amendment. It passed the Senate on June 18 by a 24–5 vote. The third House reading was scheduled for June 20. The bill would require the Department of Consumer and Business Services to establish an Affordable Housing Premium Assistance Fund to help eligible entities with the costs of paying property insurance or liability insurance premiums for affordable housing, shelters and other facilities. It also requires the department to study the feasibility of creating and operating a state reinsurance program or devising another solution to support price stability in the market for insurance to cover affordable housing. Immigration By Becky Gladstone and Claudia Keith The League is hopeful that it is likely some existing immigrant related agency social service programs will receive additional funding at the end of the session reconciliation bill. Highlights Refugees and Asylum Seekers - American Immigration Council A Trump Executive Order Could Affect Ukrainian Refugees in Iowa - The New York Times 5th asylum seeker detained after immigration hearing in Portland | kgw.com Legislative Bulletin —Wed June 18 , 2025 - National Immigration Forum Oregon Legislature BIPOC Caucus - Social Media Link Oregon Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement Click Scroll Bar on Bottom of Table to View All Columns Bill # Description Policy Committee Status Fiscal M$ Chief Sponsors+ Comments SB 149 A Immigration (support services) JWM waiting for Fiscal Y Sen Jama -3 amendment SB 599A Immig status: discrimination in RealEstate transactions Gov Signed Eff 5/28/2 5 N Sen Campos SB 611 A Food for All Oregonians - for undocumented JWM 8 Sen Campos Rep Ruiz amendment -1 SB 703 a bipartisan immigration status update funding bill JWM 6 Sen Reynolds, Rep Neron, Ruiz, Smith G Testimony HB 2548 Agricultural Workforce Labor Standards Board. Study Bill, see -7 amend JWM moves 0.6 Rep Valderrama, Nelson , Munoz League Testimony Fiscal -7 Amendment HB 2976 funding for interpretation of indigenous languages. JWM 1.5 Rep Hartman HB2788 funding to nonprofits to assist w lawful permanent resident status / legal aid - HC ECHS - JWM dead Rep Neron, Ruiz, Sen Reynolds * likely end of session Reconcilation Bill HB 2586 A nonresident tuition exemption for asylum seekers. Gov Signed RepHudson, SenCampos League Testi mony HB 2543 funds for universal representation and gives funds to Oregon State Bar for legal immigration matters HC Jud dead 15 Rep Valderrama, Sen Manning Jr, Rep Walters, Andersen, McLain, Sen Campos DAS - see sb 703 HB3193A Farm Worker Relief Fund JWM 10 Rep Marsh, SenPham, RepValderrama OHA HB 5002 Oregon Worker Relief Fund (Prev yr legal rep funds eliminated) JWM WS was 5/29, passed LFO d etails Amendment Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Natural Resources , and Revenue report sections.

Revenue Read Our 2025 Priorities Here LWVOR Advocacy Positions Note: these are condensed versions. See the complete positions in Issues for Action . 2026 Legislative Priority ASSURE ADEQUATE REVENUE from all levels of government to provide essential services while promoting equitable and progressive tax policy. Address changes in federal taxation. Consider new revenue to fund services Oregonians need. Positions Governance Economic Development Revenue Bonds LWVOR supports the authority to issue Economic Development Revenue Bonds by the state, ports, and cities with more than 300,000 population. 2. In addition to the Economic Development Revenue Bond program, LWVOR supports other state and local economic stimulants Fiscal Policy Evaluating Taxes —any tax proposal should be evaluated with regard to its effect on the entire tax structure. Fiscal Responsibility —local government should have primary responsibility for financing non-school local government. Local services mandated by the state should have state funding. Income Tax—i ncome tax is the most equitable means of providing state revenue. The income tax should be progressive, compatible with federal law and should apply to the broadest possible segment of Oregonians. Sales Tax— A sales tax should be used with certain restrictions Property Tax —local property taxes should partially finance local government and local services. Exemptions to the general property tax include: a. Charitable, educational and benevolent organizations, etc. b. School District Financing. The major portion of the cost of public schools should be borne by the state, which should use a stable system to provide sufficient funds to give each child an equal, adequate education. Previous Legislative Reports Next

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 2/6 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 Campaign Finance Reform Redistricting Elections Election Methods Rights of Incarcerated People Public Records Law By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Campaign Finance Reform There have been no new bills filed and no public activity for CFR. Redistricting By Chris Cobey and Norman Turrill Nothing new this week. See previous LRs. Elections By Tom Messenger Both SB 804 by Senator Manning and SB 499 by Senator Weber would move the Presidential Primary to Super Tuesday. Things are in the works now to merge these two bills into one. Election Methods By Barbara Klein Based on LWVOR positions, the League has decided to support the Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) bill HB 2004 sponsored by Rep Rayfield, Fahey, Reynolds, Marsh, Senator Sollman; and regular sponsors, Rep Pham K, Senator Dembrow, and Golden, which is currently in House Rules. We will participate in coalition meetings and have approved use of the LWVOR logo for coalition efforts led by Coalition of Communities of Color and Oregon RCV. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley Prison work requirements and fair labor compensation remain topics of nationwide discussion. The ACLU published a study in June of 2022 entitled “Captive Workers: Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers,” that states in the introduction: “Our nation incarcerates over 1.2 million people in state and federal prisons, and two out of three of these incarcerated people are also workers… Incarcerated workers are under the complete control of their employers, and they have been stripped of even the most minimal protections against labor exploitation and abuse.” In Oregon, the passage last year of Measure 112, which repealed language in the state constitution allowing slavery and involuntary servitude, was a step in the right direction. However, incarcerated workers in Oregon continue to receive no wages. Instead, compensation is paid via the Performance Recognition and Award system, through which workers may receive points that may be converted to a monthly monetary award, translating to $8 to $82 per month. Thus, it is noteworthy when a February 7 Oregonian article (“Proposed bill would pay incarcerated workers minimum wage in Washington”) reports that Washington state lawmaker Rep. Tarra Simmons, who spent time in prison and was paid 42 cents an hour for her labor, just introduced a bill in the Washington Legislature called the “Real Labor, Real Wages Act,” to pay incarcerated workers minimum wage for doing their jobs. Passage will most likely be an uphill battle. According to the article, Colorado is the only state to pay minimum wage for incarcerated labor, while similar legislation has failed to pass in seven other states. Public Records Law By Rebecca Gladstone We resurrected testimony this week, along with our standing advisory comments from 2017 bills, all enrolled, for the most public records law reform seen in Oregon in thirty years: HB 2101 , HB 481 , and SB 106 . This week, Senate Rules Chair Lieber agreed with our urging, and after a hearing, instructed the group of lobbyists addressing Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) issues to work together to pass solid improvements this session. We recommend watching this hearing video . SB 417 Public Records Requests. We support this detailed PRAC bill to increase efficiency in processing public records requests, considering fee waivers, defining “media”, waiving records request fees when made in the public interest, and considering malicious intent in placing requests. See our testimony . SB 510 : This companion bill to SB 417 would improve efficiency and calls for estimating costs and budgeting, and for sustainable funding for the PRAC. See our testimony in support . SB 160 There was firm opposition to this bill suggesting fee waivers, reducing fees by percentage for public records requests. We urged for attributes addressed in other bills to be considered here, or for the other bills to consider possible benefits from SB 160. See our testimony comments , not supporting or opposing. HB 3111 : This privacy protection bill exempts some personal information for some Oregonians. As we advocated for SB 293 Enrolled (2021), we urge for less piece-meal privacy protection. See our HB 3111 testimony in support, repeating our previous calls for improvements. SCR 1 : This Joint Resolution expresses support for our County Clerks and local elections officials, condemning violence and threats of violence, lacking specific proposals. We reiterated from our HB 4144 92022) testimony , that voting is a fundamental right of citizenship, including protection from harassment and intimidation, for all involved in the process. See our SCR 1 testimony . Informational hearings continue with public hearings being set for bills we support. We are comparing bill lists and collaborating with others, signing group letters. We welcome volunteers who can bring their expertise to watch hearings and share summary observation, learn the ropes and join our Action Team. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Worthy causes go unaddressed for lack of League volunteers. If you see a need and can offer your expertise, please contact our staff at lwvor@lwvor.org .

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 5/15 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 Jump to a topic: Air Quality Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Land Use/Housing Radioactive Waste Recycling Toxics Urban/Rural Divide Water Wildfire Natural Resources By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team We’ve got money! The May 17 Revenue Forecast declared an additional $1.96 billion available for the 2023-25 session. And the crazy “kicker” is up to about $5.5 billion!! It could be about 50% of your 2023 Oregon taxes—shown up as a credit in 2024! Now we’ll see what the legislature does with all that money! We expect a package of climate bills and a water package. The League will advocate for the slew of bills in Ways and Means we supported earlier in session. Air Quality LWVOR joined with others in support of HB 3229 , to modify federal air quality (Title V) operating permit program fees. The bill sits in Ways and Means without recommendation. SB 488 A , relating to the Covanta medical waste incinerator, sits in Ways and Means. BUDGETS/REVENUE: Here it is: The May 17 Revenue Forecast . You can listen to the presentation here . $1.96 billion more to spend on Oregon’s needs! Here are the Governor’s spending requests . We’ll soon learn what our legislators decide as to their spending priorities. We hope that the bills listed in Ways and Means in this report will be among those gaining funding and we understand there will be packages for climate and water investments. The Oregon Center for Public Policy shared: “We estimate, based on Oregon Department of Revenue data, that the richest 100 Oregonians will get kicker rebates averaging more than $800,000.” State Economist Mark McMullen said rebates will come close to a record 50% of state tax liability (for 2023). Last week’s budgets were considered in Full Ways and Means on May 19. The Governor signed HB 5046 , to allow state agencies to continue to operate until Sept. 15 at current levels. This bill is usually done every biennium, but later in the session, as some budgets aren’t always finished until the last few days. This year, if the Senate Republicans don’t provide a quorum, the bill provides a short-term extension. SB 538 A , mentioned in last week’s report, would allow DOGAMI and other agencies to offer permittees the ability to use a credit card to pay fees and the agencies can charge for the processing costs charged by those card businesses. It passed out of committee on May 11 and is headed to the House floor. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team The Climate Emergency and Natural Resources sections of this Legislative Report overlap. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt and Peggy Lynch HB 3382 moved to House Rules with the -7 amendment late in the evening of May 18. After many meetings and conversations, the League agreed to not oppose the -7 amendment to HB 3382 that limits the bill to ONLY the International Port of Coos Bay, places requirements around proof of financial viability and report on the number of jobs to be created to be submitted with any actual project application. Only the Port and tribes would be qualified to submit an application. We don’t support the bill, but the votes seemed to be there for a bill, so we worked to make it as narrow as we could. Any project application would be for a new Goal 16 exception and would go through the usual local land use processes. Also, all the other federal and state agency permits would be required for any process. On May 14, LWVOR issued an Action Alert to oppose the bill. As a result of ours and others who did the same, there were many opposition testimonies filed and a second public hearing was allowed on May 16 where more League members and others testified in opposition. The -7 amendment was negotiated on May 17 and was posted by noon on May 18 for the night’s work session in the Joint Committee on Transportation. The bill has been amended but was moved to House Rules without an explanation. The League will continue to monitor the bill. One additional amendment that would be appreciated is clarity that no fossil fuel projects would be allowed to be approved. (Remember Jordan Cove?) The -7s “save” the Yaquina and Astoria estuaries, but could do damage to the Coos Bay estuary, even though the amendment requires no net loss of important environmental values. A major expansion of the navigation channel can not help but do damage. If you want to listen to the sausage making, go to the 1 hour mark here. The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) will hold a meeting on May 23 from 9am - 3pm at the Oregon Department of State Lands in Salem. Remote participation will also be available ( Zoom Registration Link ) Meeting materials and the draft agenda are forthcoming. Contact: Andy Lanier, Marine Affairs Coordinator @ Andy.Lanier@dlcd.oregon.gov . HB 2903 A , funding continuing work on marine reserves, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . You might find this ODFW news release interesting about how the marine reserves program unlocks secrets of ocean temperatures and oxygen levels. This 10-year-old program now has support by a diverse set of interests in the coastal communities. Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) The Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) met on May 18 and 19, meeting agenda . Staff reports are often valuable resources. A League member participated in the 2023 Water Quality Fee Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) as in past years to provide a “public” voice to the RAC. Here is the WQ Fee RAC Meeting Summary link - May 5, 2023 . The EQC delegated authority to approve this rulemaking for 2023 to DEQ Director Feldon on May 19. SB 835 A , as amended, would require DEQ to adopt rules to clarify when a single septic system can be used for both a primary residence and an ADU. It sits in W&Ms. LWVOR testimony concerns were addressed by the amendment. Dept. of State Lands HB 2238 originally filed to provide permission for robust rulemaking to increase fees for the removal/fill program is back! The bill was amended in the House to remove the fee increase and instead allows the Dept. of State Lands to get rid of personal property collected during cleanup of DSL-owned property after 30 days. A new amendment has been filed to bring back the original purpose of the bill. The League continues to support . The bill was amended and passed out of committee on May 17. It will need to go back to the House for “concurrence”—to agree with the Senate amendment. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch SB 161 was amended and passed out of the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water Committee. The amendment increased a deadline for work being done on the transfer of the Elliott to the new Authority to Dec. 31, 2023. The bill adjusts some timelines as provided by the Dept. of State Lands’ April 25 testimony . The League understands there is a request for some monies in the end-of-session bill to help the new ESRF Authority move forward the first 18 months of their existence since logging to provide funding will take time to plan and execute. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch Unfortunately, there are a number of land use planning bills sitting in the Senate and House Rules Committees. Those committees are not subject to deadlines until the Leadership closes those committees so we wait and watch—holding our breath that these bills are not trade bait should the Republican Senators return to their chamber to vote before the end of session. SB 1096 would “expand development into farmland”, referred to Senate Rules. The bill, similar to SB 1051 which the League vigorously opposed and has died, is a topic of discussion. The bill continues the false narrative that simply adding land to urban growth boundaries will solve Oregon's housing crises. HB 3414 would create a new Housing Accountability and Production Office in DLCD and also includes a Section 2 related to processing of variances under certain circumstances. Variances are used to address exceptions to a code’s “clear and objective standards”. It is unclear how this provision will change a community’s control over residential development. The bill had a public hearing in House Rules where the Governor advocated for the -6 amendment while a number of cities advocated for the -5 amendment , but it was clear that more negotiations will occur, so we should look for yet another amendment. The League has concerns about the burden being placed on cities under the -6 amendment. Local governments need to provide findings to explain why they might want to deny the variance instead of the applicant proving the need for the variance. Your Oregon News has a good article on the cities’ concerns. Of note is mention of a -7 amendment that would deal with land supply advocated by the Homebuilders Association and the Oregon Realtors. No new news on SB 1087 , filed on behalf of a farm in Lane County where they want to add a “café” (with seating for 250-300 people) on their Exclusive Farm Use (EFU)-zoned property. The League opposes this overreach of our land use program. The bill is in Senate Rules. SB 70 A would allow housing on acreage in Malheur County. The League provided testimony in opposition on Feb. 8. On April 3, the bill was moved without passage recommendation to Senate Rules. LWVOR still opposes it. SB 1013 would allow a recreational vehicle to be sited on a rural property. It was amended by the -4 amendment and passed out of committee to the House floor on May 18. The League worked with the sponsor and Sen. Hayden to assure that, should a recreational vehicle be allowed, issues of sewage and clean drinking water would be addressed by the counties. Rep. Helm also stated that for the record in committee which the League appreciated. HB 3442 A to allow coastal communities to develop in hazard areas under certain conditions, passed to the Senate floor on May 10. The amended bill responded to League concerns on the original bill. HB 2983 A to help with manufactured housing and housing parks, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers In accordance with the plan announced at the end of the April 24 meeting of the Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) on Radioactive Waste, Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) staff distributed on May 16, a second draft of what was designated as Part I of recommended rules for OAR 345-050 designed to implement SB 246 (2021). The deadline for RAC member input is June 15, after which ODOE staff will prepare materials for a report to EFSC for a July council meeting. It is expected that a public comment period on that segment of proposed rules will follow that meeting. Staff indicated in the transmittal email of May 16 that RAC members will be notified when a path forward for the more controversial “Part II” pathway exemption section of the rules is identified. Discussions and other activities related to the Waste Management proposal presented during the April 24 meeting will proceed and likely will include more meetings. A link to the agenda and the video of the final hour of the meeting are posted on the ODOE Rulemaking page for this RAC ; the PowerPoint presentation prepared by Waste Management outlining their alternate proposal and the video of the first half of the meeting will be posted soon, per ODOE staff. The League will follow up on the remaining meeting materials, comment on the Part I draft, and continue to participate in the proceedings. Reduce/Recycle Oregon’s Recycling Modernization Act will improve recycling systems in communities across Oregon by requiring producers of packaging, paper products, and food serviceware to share responsibility for an effective and responsible recycling system. A new Recycling Council advises DEQ and the producer responsibility organizations on key recycling system elements. Contact information is posted at RecyclingAct.Oregon.gov . SB 542 A (Right to Repair) continues to sit in Senate Rules until more amendments are made or until there are enough votes to pass it in the full Senate. The League provided testimony in support on Feb. 14. Toxics By Paula Grisafi HB 3043 A was amended by the A3 amendment and passed out of Senate Energy and Environment to the Senate floor. The bill revises provisions relating to chemicals in children’s products. SB 546 A (toxic free cosmetics) was sent to W&Ms, although there was NO fiscal for the 2023-25 session because, although the measure takes effect January 1, 2024, all substantive portions of the bill are not operative until January 1, 2027. SB 426 A (toxic free schools) was sent to W&Ms without clarity on the fiscal impact. The bill’s advocates are working to assure that the fiscal impact statement is not over inflated by agency staff. Urban/Rural Divide This article from the Oregon Capitol Chronicle is worth a read: According to Oregon’s 2023 Economic Outlook report , rural economies are leading growth in the state, with metro areas lagging. Rural areas have something to teach the rest of the state about protecting vulnerable populations. For example, according to a 2020 report by the Portland-based Oregon Community Foundation, seven of the 11 Oregon communities where children were most likely to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty were rural and primarily in eastern Oregon. The report also showed that growing up in northeastern Oregon had the most positive impact on future income for low-income children: “On average children who grew up in low-income families in Wallowa, Baker or Grant counties earned 26% more than children in similar families in Jefferson County and 14% more compared to children in Multnomah County”. Growing economies and increased economic mobility for low-income children are just a few examples of the value our rural communities bring to the state. Better understanding our rural communities and their assets would help to unify Oregon. Water By Peggy Lynch It’s time to engage in the Integrated Water Resources Strategy 2023 update. See the survey link on the webpage and meetings around the state, including a new May 31 virtual meeting opportunity. HB 3124 , a major water bill, was moved to House Rules without passage recommendation. The bill is a $250 million Drought Relief and Water Scarcity package and includes some of the other bills we’ve seen this session. The League provided comments on the bill, including a list of our priorities, using our participation in the HB 5006 Work Group as our guide. HB 3163A, a League priority, renews the Place-Based Planning program with a Fund to help groups participate in this program, was sent to W&Ms. The League participated in a Work Group last year to help develop sideboards on the program and provided testimony in support. HB 3100 A , addressing the Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS), is in Ways and Means. The League provided testimony when the bill had its public hearing. Then we worked behind the scenes to provide guidance as the IWRS is updated. We support the bill. HB 3207 A , related to domestic well testing and data collection, is in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . HB 2813 A , creates a grant program to protect drinking water sources, is in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . HB 3125 would create a Ratepayer Assistance Fund to help low income people pay for sewer and water bills, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit 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. The League supports HB 2647 A to continue to address this public health issue. It sits in Ways and Means. Thanks to a substantial snowpack, our drought in many parts of Oregon has lessened. However, the recent hot weather has begun to melt that “storage”. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations under ORS 536 for the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco and Harney counties. Lake and Sherman Counties have requested a drought declaration. In addition, many counties in eastern and southern Oregon have received Secretarial Disaster Designations from the US Department of Agriculture due to continuing drought conditions. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers Senate Natural Resources held a Work Session on HB 2192 A -A6 , a portion of which pertains to requiring destroyed or demolished structures rebuilt in High or Extreme wildfire hazard zones having to comply with home hardening requirements in the Oregon Residential Specialty Code, whether the new wildfire hazard map is available yet, or not. It was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. This was followed by an informational session on various topics including a number of methods used for early detection of wildfire by Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), including infrared enabled aircraft, cameras and remote monitoring at detection centers. One interesting tidbit was that of the 69 wildfires detected by aircraft, all 69 fires were kept below ODF’s 10 acre measure of success. This speaks to the effectiveness of this particular investment in wildfire response, most of which came from SB 762 , the sweeping 2021 wildfire legislation. Then the Department of Human Services discussed their work, largely in collaboration with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), who also presented, around their “Cleaner Air Centers” and other actions taken to help Oregonians remain safe and healthy during wildfire smoke events, and ongoing monitoring of air quality. It was made clear that all work done in these areas was one-time funding, and if the work was to be ongoing, as it should be, new funding would be needed. Finally, there was an ODF presentation about prescribed fire and how they are planning on using this mitigation tool much more extensively than in the past. This plan does have a potential large obstacle in the form of a recent EPA study showing a higher level of harmfulness to humans from wildfire smoke than anticipated, or previously believed. See meeting materials. Oregon’s fleet of remote fire-watching cameras has grown following passage ofSB 762 (2021). The camera program expanded from 74 cameras at 58 sites now to 110 cameras at 94 sites. Teams at detection centers watch for signs of smoke the cameras pick up. With recent lightning events, the cameras have proved their worth. A fire spotted by camera in deep forest was put out within hours and only burned ½ an acre! HB 5025 the omnibus Higher Education Coordinating Commission budget bill is now in W&Ms.The League provided testimony in support of Oregon Conservation Corps fundin. SB 80 A , the omnibus Wildfire Programs bill, is in W&Ms as is SB 509 A , which aims to scale out neighborhood collaboratives to help whole neighborhoods reduce risk. LWVOR provided support for SB 509 A. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The 2023 legislative session is halfway over. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round 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 Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 2/6 By Anne Nesse, Education Portfolio House Education Meeting 2/6/23 3PM, takes an important look at locally elected school board responsibilities and the non-discriminatory rights of all students. We submitted written and virtual testimony on SB 2750 , which prohibits charging fees or requiring participation in fundraising activities as a condition of participating in interscholastic activities. The law also includes authorization to use moneys in Statewide Education Initiatives, Account for costs incurred by school districts, and public charter schools as result of this law. The law does not prohibit communities from raising such monies needed to fund the law. Our testimony made clear that the LWV, since its founding, has believed in the fundamental right of equal rights by law, to a non-discriminatory public education, without asking families to pay additional fees for education or recreational services. There was only positive testimony on this Bill, with some concern about the high potential cost. A number of school districts have already begun, and are succeeding in eliminating “pay to play” fees. Here is a link to the live recording of this hearing, with LWV testimony in the last few minutes. I was able to add my personal experience of coaching after school interscholastic activities, in two areas: team critical thinking and problem solving competitions in Odyssey of the Mind, and instructing after school string orchestra. Here is the recording of public hearing of this Bill , held first on the agenda. A public hearing was held on HB 2751 , to establish a Task Force to study and collect data on school starting times. Much convincing long term medical, health, and educational data was presented, as to why High School and Middle School students should not start school before 8:30AM, while younger grade levels can usually adapt. A public hearing was held on HB 2753 , allowing a district school board to choose to provide directors with a monthly stipend, and requires the board to provide reimbursements for actual and necessary expenses if board does not provide stipend. There was little data presented about the difficulty of filling school board vacancies. The amount of work required to be a school board member was considered significant enough to warrant a modest salary of some kind. Details and potential consequences of this Bill have yet to be worked out. A public hearing was held on HB 2669 , declaring children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind have the same rights and potential as children who are not. Requires school districts to provide children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind with hearing and vision screenings and assessments, communication and language support and access to relevant services and programs at the earliest possible age and throughout education experience. Our next news in education will cover 2/7-2/13, as we are changing our sequence of reporting.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 6/29 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 Please see Governance Overview here. Jump to a topic: Overview Critical Energy Infrastructure Campaign Finance Reform EPAB: Electronic Government Portal Advisory Board ORMap Advisory Committee Overview Rebecca Gladstone, Governance Coordinator Legislative Days hearings included many issues relevant to Governance. Attending hearings in person, in the renovated Capitol building, helped restore our in-person networking! About 6 people stopped us to say Thank You to the League, they're depending on us! Please pass it on! Thank you to our volunteers reporting below, please thank them and follow up with any questions, and offers to help! Last week we learned… Speaker Fahey staff advised that Rep Ben Bowman and Sen Kayse Jama, both Majority Leaders, will be working on campaign finance reform legislation going forward. Stay tuned. League of Oregon Cities is interested in supporting our Recall Elections reform efforts, see position adopted in 2025. They want our help to support a revenue reform coalition. SoS staff, including Connor Radnovich, who worked for Sen President Rob Wagner, is now with the SoS as Comms Specialist. DAS staff asked to resume our mutual work from last summer, waiting to hear. We were pleased that our CEI Hub reporter, Nikki Mandell, spoke as an invited community advocate, her LR below. Note that ORESTAR funding descriptions differ between Secretary of State staff, limiting work and costs to requirements statutorily required for completion by 2027, and Honest Elections, including costs being added for a complete ORESTAR overhaul. Hearing Notes- a governance work selection: From the Joint Information Management and Technology Committee: Data Privacy See the hearing video , an impressive array of speakers, including national ACLU attorney Chad Marlowe, about 4 minutes into the video, see ACLU Oregon - Data Privacy . Cyber Breach notification legislative work will continue, deferred to the long session. Data Centers We will be following discussion of impacts on Oregon communities, evolving transitions with the use of resources.See What Data Centers Mean for States , from the NCSL, National Conference of State Legislatures. From House Commerce & Consumer Protection Antitrust Action nationally See this report from Attorney General Dan Rayfield staff: Competition in Oregon: Antitrust Enforcement in the Face of a New Federal Landscape . The hearing covered national corporate consolidation effects on Oregonians, perspectives from Oregon businesses, and the Federal Government Retreat from Antitrust Enforcement. We discussed working together with their legislative policy staff for the 2027 session. From the House Emergency Management and Vets: Oregon’s National Guard cuts A US Army Transformation Initiative discussion covered loss of facilities, staff, pilots’ training, certification, and mentoring. This may be partisan federal retribution. Rep Evans was pleased with increased cyber protection, based in Portland. Elections processing and protection We meet with the Secretary of State Staff for ongoing updates. They appreciate coordinating with our local league Voter Services around Oregon for educating voters: “Their 2026 Election Toolkit is a series of nonpartisan voter education materials covering five key issue areas such as the voter registration process, signing and returning your ballot, how to fill out your ballot correctly, and knowing your rights as an Oregon voter. It can be accessed and downloaded for your use at OregonVotes.gov/toolkit .” For Advocacy, we discussed ongoing concerns. Election Security. Three Elections platforms have ongoing cybersecurity attention, the Motor Voter System, the Oregon Centralized Voter Registration System (OCVR), and ORESTAR, the Oregon Elections System for Tracking and Reporting. See the February JCIMT SOS Cybersecurity Briefing (go to 1:17:23 in the video ) and presentation slides to the Joint Info management and Tech Comm. Stakeholders need to know that ORESTAR modifications will be limited to meeting 2027 campaign finance modifications required by HB 4018 (2026) to modify HB 4024 (2025). Those 2027 updates will cost more than the allocated $1.6M. Two election compliance specialists are being hired to respond to campaign finance reforms, how to implement rules correctly and the complaint timing process, amid an uptick in requests and complaints filed. See the HB 4018 Fiscal Statement . Protecting elected officials’ addresses privacy SB 224 Enrolled (2025), ( LWVOR testimony ) requires redacting addresses in ORESTAR. Since it is such old software, it is hard to redact across the board, not a magic switch, and they are currently unable to say that those addresses are not visible anywhere from ORESTAR. Their IT Team is working to protect addresses entered through contributions, which uses different input forms than candidates use to run for office. Another public comment period will be opened, details to follow. Fed Overreach Concerns LWV is fighting voter suppression . See LWV Voting Rights , United States of America v. Oregon, LWVOR and the ACLU of Oregon as amici, updated May 19, 2026. We follow Oregon’s multi-state legal action with AG Dan Rayfield’s Oregon Dept of Justice Federal Litigation Tracker . Federal CISA cuts For the Secretary of State, concern is more tied to federal resource cuts to funding used to fight election security threats. Feds aren’t trying to get access to systems but to data. CISA, “America’s Cyber Defense Agency” funding to counties has been cut. AI Bots are sending many more cyber threats. Knowing these cuts are happening, they’re reallocating election staffing money to focus on county coordination & best practices, but not actual cyber support. They will be asking for $2M for critical equipment & OCVR software upgrades, mostly not visible to voters, but system updates and debugging. Elections Director Dina Dawson has recommendations to better tackle this, long term. Consumer Data Privacy related to LWVOR and ACLU amici status to protect voting data, the Joint Info Management and Technology hearing featured Data Privacy: Impacts on Oregon Consumers and Communities. See the ACLU overview including protection advice, data broker controls, evading warrant requirements, mass privacy waivers, surveillance and vehicle tracking. Critical Energy Infrastructure [CEI] Hub By Nikki Mandell The Interim House Emergency Management and Veterans Committee [HEMVC] devoted a portion of its June Legislative Days hearing to the CEI Hub ( Agenda & Recordings ). Rep. Thuy Tran (HD 45), HEMVC chair, has become the lead champion of CEI Hub legislation in Salem, picking up the torch from Sen. Michael Dembrow who retired in Jan. 2025. At leadership’s direction, Rep. Tran focused the hearing on oversight, requesting that testimony not propose legislation or new programs. The CEI Hub hearing portion featured testimony from the Oregon Dept. of Energy (overview of fuel flow and storage in OR), Dept. of Environmental Quality (description of the Fuel Tank Seismic Stability Program and macro-summary of facility reporting), Nikki Mandell, community advocate (limits of DEQ’s FTSS program and need for a plan to geographically diversify fuel storage), Mike Koretenof, community advocate and retired DEQ program manager (OR’s underground storage program in the 1990s as a guide for an above ground storage diversification program). After the hearing, Nikki and Mike met with Rep. Tran to discuss potential 2027 legislative concepts. The goal is to jump-start action toward decentralizing fuel storage to (1) ensure fuel access in other parts of the state if/when the CEI Hub becomes inoperable due to any of a myriad of hazards (seismic, fire, derailment, sabotage, human error, pipeline break), and (2) for that decentralized storage to reduce the amount of fuel stored at Portland's CEI Hub. Two key challenges will be financing and ensuring that any new or expanded storage does not endanger local communities. Contacts and conversations with League members in coastal or east-central Oregon would be most welcome. Please feel free to email lwvor@lwvor.org . Coordinator’s note, see their handout filed on OLIS. Campaign Finance Reform By Norman Turrill The Montana Plan This proposal is named for the state that started the idea. Supporters in Montana recently submitted enough signatures on a statutory initiative petition to likely force it onto the Montana November ballot. The Hawaii legislature also recently passed a statute implementing it for that state . The idea originated with a former Federal Election Commission staffer. It stems from the recognition that all corporation powers and privileges have been granted by state and federal laws but not by their constitutions. The U.S. Supreme Court created a new corporate power with the Citizen United case that gave corporations the right of free speech. The Montana Plan proposes to revoke all corporate powers and privileges granted by the state, then reinstate these without including campaign finance privileges. The Montana Plan defines an “ artificial person ” as any entity that is not an individual. This is a very comprehensive term that includes every type of corporation: for-profit, nonprofit, union, trust, trade association, foundation, religious organization, partnership, unincorporated association, etc. Each of these types of corporations has a separate section in Oregon statutory law, but they are never mentioned in the Oregon Constitution. The Honest Elections Oregon (HEO) organization, with which the League has been collaborating for years, is now drafting a proposed Oregon constitutional amendment initiative to implement the Montana Plan. HEO believes this must be a constitutional amendment because the Oregon Legislature has shown for decades that it is hostile to any attempt to reform campaign finance. PROS CONS • Broad bipartisan support – 74% of Montana voters back it, including Republican majorities • Legal challenges are near-certain; likely to face federal court battles immediately • Legally creative: targets corporate power grants, not speech rights – designed to survive Citizens United • Montana Attorney General (Republican) has actively opposed it; already blocked one version • Grassroots-driven; gathered signatures without paid collectors • Constitutional version rejected twice on procedural 'single subject' grounds – drafting complexity is a real hurdle • Could become national template for other state campaigns • Could deter corporate investment in Montana if enforcement is aggressive • Precedent: Montana's 1912 law held for a century; deep democratic tradition here • Only Montana statutory version (not constitutional) cleared for signatures – easier to repeal by future legislature Campaign Finance HB 4018 (2026) on campaign finance is now law, rammed through by the House and the Senate during the last legislative session. Because the Legislature betrayed the deal made in 2024 with HEO for withdrawing Initiative Petition 9 in exchange for passage of HB 4024 (2024) , HEO now believes that it has no choice but to draft a new constitutional amendment initiative on campaign finance. HEO believes this must be a constitutional amendment because of the hostility that the Oregon Legislature has shown to any attempt to reform campaign finance. In the meantime, the Elections Division under the Secretary of State is struggling to implement these bills’ requirements by January 1, 2027. In testimony to House Rules in June , SoS representatives said it will be difficult and require more money to meet this deadline. HEO believes this is because they are also trying to replace ORESTAR at the same time and are conflating the two projects. Even though HEO believes that ORESTAR should be replaced, it believes that the parts of HB 2024 and HB 4018 required to be implemented by January 2027 do not require modifications to ORESTAR. EPAB: Electronic Government Portal Advisory Board Rebecca Gladstone Oregon Electronic Portal Advisory Board This state website (portal) advisory board, meeting quarterly, has had increased leadership transitions. As a public member appointed in 2018 , Rebeccca Gladstone requested increased privacy disclaimer visibility and user tracking notices, highlighting the importance of opt-out options and transparency, particularly in light of new payment services and interagency data sharing. The new legislative member, Rep Edwards, mentioned interest in this during the JCIMT legislative days meeting (video). ORMap Advisory Committee Rebecca Gladstone The ORMAP Project has not met for over two years and doesn’t currently have policy questions for the Advisory Committee that Peggy Bengry Rebecca Gladstone serve on, Peggy for the technical group and Rebecca for policy. The goal is to develop a statewide cadastral map, for coordinated (geospatial) districting across the state. We were invited to include our concerns for accurate elections’ districting, along with Secretary of State Elections Division staff, who is no longer listed. It is convened by the Oregon Dept of Revenue. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to Legislative Report Revenue Legislative Report - Week of 4/14 Revenue Team Coordinator: Josie Koehne Please see Governance Overview here . Jump to a topic: Revenue Updates Revenue Updates By Natalie Briggs HB 2089 House Bill 2089 was created in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on Tyler v. Hennepin County in 2023 which rules that when counties foreclose properties to repay delinquent property taxes, the government may not take property beyond what is needed to satisfy the debt. Bill 2089 establishes a process in Oregon for former property owners to claim surplus value after foreclosed property is sold by the county, ensuring that individuals who lose their property due to delinquent taxes can benefit from any excess funds generated from the sale. The bill will undergo further revisions before being finalized. Critics of the bill in its current form cite opposition to several details, including requirements to attempt to contract a real estate agent, 3rd party appraisal requirements, and the lack of provisions to provide lenders an opportunity to assert a claim on the surplus proceeds to recover debts owed. HB 3049 House Bill 3049 was introduced at the request of Governor Tina Kotek for Oregon Business Development Department. It seeks to modify provisions for corporate excise tax exemptions for businesses operating in economically lagging areas. While this exemption exists in Oregon currently, the program is believed to be underutilized due to complex eligibility calculations. The new bill provides simplified methods to determine eligibility and employee wage requirements, and limits the amount of exemptions that a single business may claim. The changes proposed in this bill are intended to increase participation in the program and generate additional business activity in economically lagging regions. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Mark Kendall President

PAIGE AXNESS (she/her) PAIGE AXNESS (she/her) Out-of-State Young Voter Registration Ambassador Paige is the LWVOR Out-of-State Young Voter Registration Ambassador who is passionate about reproductive justice and our legal system. Paige attends the University of San Francisco and is double majoring in Politics and Sociology with a double minor in Legal Studies and Dance. She has later plans to attend law school and attain a master's in Social Work. She joins the Youth Council to build effective civic engagement in Oregon and California communities. Paige is a former lead volunteer for YouthLine a Lines of Life peer support crisis line. She is also a member of the 2023 We the People and the Constitution team, placing second in nationals. She served as the former Associated Student Body President and President of Period Club, an organization dedicated to destigmatizing periods and advocating for menstruator product access. Her Period Club chapter pushed forward the Menstrual Dignity Act of 2021, requiring Oregon schools to provide free menstrual products. She is actively involved in the Planned Parenthood: 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. She also conducted similar outreach in middle schools through Oregon’s Department of Human Services. Paige is a former lead volunteer for YouthLine a Lines of Life peer support crisis line. She is also a member of the 2023 We the People and the Constitution team, placing second in nationals. She served as the former Associated Student Body President and President of Period Club, an organization dedicated to destigmatizing periods and advocating for menstruator product access. Her Period Club chapter pushed forward the Menstrual Dignity Act of 2021, requiring Oregon schools to provide free menstrual products. She is actively involved in the Planned Parenthood: 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. She also conducts similar outreach in middle schools through Oregon’s Department of Human Services. youthoutreach@lwvor.org

NIVEDITA GIANI (she, her) NIVEDITA GIANI (she, her) Youth 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. Nivi hopes to go to university and then law school to become a human rights lawyer. She is excited to be part of the League of Women Voters of Oregon Youth Council to build effective civic engagement in Oregon communities, get youth involved in politics, and share the importance of making your voice heard. youthadvocacy@lwvor.org

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