Search Results

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 5/26 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Please see Natural Resources Overview here . Jump to a topic: Agriculture Air Quality Bottle Bill Update Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Governance Land Use & Housing Transportatio n Water Wetlands Wildfire AGRICULTURE By Sandra U. Bishop Farm Stand Rules Advisory Committee REPORT OAR 660-033-0130: Regarding farm stands in exclusive farm use (EFU) zones and agri-tourism The first meeting of the Farm Stand Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) was held on May 16th. Staff introduced the topics and areas of endeavor that will be considered by the RAC. The online meeting was live-streamed and recorded and may be reviewed on the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) YouTube channel . The 20-member RAC is expected to meet 4 or 5 times. The public hearing will likely be in September 2025. This rulemaking process was initiated by the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) in March 2025 with the intention to clarify the Oregon Administrative Rules for farm stands and related uses on lands zoned EFU. The charge of the RAC is to explore five areas or topics identified by the legislative agri-tourism group: 1. Primary Use Test (percentage of income from farm products), 2. Promotional activities outside and inside farm stand structures, 3. Activities that promote the sale of farm products, the farm operation itself, or agriculture (such as on-farm education), 4. Prepared foods with a direct tie to the farm operation or the local agricultural region, and 5. Impact on neighboring farms. This is Phase 1 of the Farm Stand Rulemaking. After the conclusion of this rulemaking process, DLCD will recommend a work plan for phases of OAR changes to address agri-tourism and other commercial events, use of soils reports, replacement dwellings and non-farm dwellings. The public comment period for this rulemaking will close October 5, 2025. To submit public comment please email written comments to: farmforest.comment@dlcd.oregon.gov Comments must be in writing to be considered part of the rulemaking record. People may also make brief public comments at the RAC meetings. The next RAC meeting is Tuesday June 3rd. Rulemaking webpage AIR QUALITY The House Climate, Energy, and Environment committee voted 9-1 (Osborne) to move an amended version of SB 726 A to the House floor with a do pass recommendation. The Senate engrossed version would direct the Environmental Quality Commission to adopt rules requiring the use of advanced methane detection technology for surface emissions monitoring at municipal solid waste landfills, beginning 1/1/2027. The A7 amendment , adopted with no discussion, would limit the bill's application to a landfill located in Benton County (e.g., Coffin Butte). The two Reps. Levy voted "courtesy yes" and said they will oppose the bill on the House floor. Per the fiscal note, the advanced technology specified in the bill would cost local governments about $5,000 per monitoring event, or $20,000 annually per landfill. " Counties report that there are five publicly owned landfills in Lane, Lake, Klamath, Crook, and Marion counties that are currently in DEQ’s highest tier of monitoring and would be subject to the expanded methane monitoring requirements. However, there are numerous publicly owned or municipal solid waste landfills across Oregon, and...those subject to the new standards may incur additional costs if required to conduct follow-up monitoring within 10 days of detecting an exceedance ." One can assume that this fiscal note is the reason for the amendment to limit this regulation to Benton County. Related to this bill is HB 3794 , a bill that would create a Task Force on Municipal Solid Waste in the Willamette Valley. HB 3794 is sitting in Ways and Means. BOTTLE BILL UPDATE By Sandra U. Bishop The omnibus bottle bill SB 992 A , a conglomeration of several bills introduced this session to address problems with beverage container redemption in the Portland area, is now awaiting the Governor’s signature. BUDGETS/REVENUE By Peggy Lynch Following are the budget bills we are watching in Natural Resources. After passage by the Full Ways and Means Committee, the bills go to each chamber for a final vote and then on to the Governor. These agency budgets are moving quickly now that the Co-Chairs know the revenue they have to spend: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Meeting Materials Of critical importance is their request for a new IT system—ONE ODA--one of the many IT bonding requests this session. Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Work Session May 22 on both. Meeting Materials on SB 5502. Meeting Materials on SB 5503. And five other bills related to department’s various fee increases. HB 2805 Relating to food establishment licenses ( Meeting Materials ) HB 2806 Relating to license fees for commercial instruments ( Meeting Materials ) HB 2809 Relating to pesticide registration fees ( Meeting Materials ) SB 1019 A Relating to brands ( Meeting Materials ) SB 832 A Relating to civil penalties for laws implemented by the State Department of Agriculture ( Meeting Materials ) Columbia River Gorge Commission: SB 5508 LFO Recommendation The bill passed Ways and Means and the Senate. Now to the House chambers for a final vote and on to the Governor for her signature. Dept. of Environmental Quality: SB 5520 . Governor’s budget DEQ Fact Sheet Meeting Materials . info mtgs. April 7-9, public hearing April 16. League testimony . The budget bill had a work session on May 21. LFO Recommendation and Meeting Materials Oregon Dept. of Energy: SB 5518 info hearing 2/10, Meeting Materials , public hearing 2/11. Both SB 5518 and SB 5519 will have work sessions on May 20. April 28: Natural Resources Subcommittee info hearing on Department of Energy - Grid Resilience. Meeting materials Oregon Dept. of Energy Fees: SB 5519 info hearing 2/10, public hearing 2/11 Work Session on both bills held May 20: Meeting Materials . Bills passed Full Ways and Means and are now headed to the chamber floors for a vote. Among the good news is that the Oregon Climate Action Commission is being provided with one full time permanent staffer. Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: HB 5009 , public hearings Mar. 31 & Apr. 1-2; Meeting Materials , Apr. 3 ODFW Hatchery Assessment; See also the April 15 informational meeting on the Private Forest Accord and Aquatic and Invasive Species. Conservationists, with HB 2977 (a -2 amendment has been filed), would add 1% (or 1.5%) for conservation programs. That additional money would go to a special Fund at the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It had a hearing in House Revenue on May 8. Work Session on HB 5009 on May 28, along with HB 2342 A Relating to fees concerning wildlife, HB 2343 A Relating to the Columbia Basin endorsement and HB 2345 Relating to Oregon hatcheries. Oregon Dept. of Forestry: SB 5521 . info hearing March 10 & 11. Public hearing March 12. Meeting Materials ; See the April 15 informational meeting on the Private Forest Accord. (See the Forestry and Wildfire sections for more information.) Work Session set for May 27. LFO Recommendation Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI): HB 5010 Public hearing Feb. 5-6; Meeting materials LWVOR testimony Aggregate industry testified against the staffing and fee increases. LWVOR points out that KPM #4 , mine inspections has consistently NOT met the small 20% target so, if staffing is needed to meet that target AND fees increased to pay for them, we will continue to support. LWVOR supports SB 836 , a bill that would significantly increase permit fees for mining related activities. See the agency’s presentation to understand the reasons for these increases. The League will continue to be involved in SB 836 because we need DOGAMI staff to do more than 14% inspections of mining operations. A public hearing was held on May 19 and the League provided verbal testimony on the proposed amendment (not posted). We are concerned that it will not fund the mine inspections we had hoped, but industry negotiated the amendment that received enough favorable opinions by legislators so we expect to see it pass the committee. A Work Session is scheduled May 28. The Dept. of State Lands budget ( SB 5539 ) passed Full Ways and Means, the Senate chamber and now awaits a vote in the House chamber. Budget Report . LWVOR testimony in support. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: SB 5528 Governor’s budget DLCD Fact Sheet Public hearing Feb. 3-4; LCDC 1/24 presentation ; Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony Land Use Board of Appeals: SB 5529 Public hearing Feb. 27 LWVOR testimony . The bill had a work session and passed Full Ways and Means on May 23. SB 817 is a bill to request a minor fee increase. It has passed the legislature. The budget assumed passage of the bill and included the income in the approved budget. Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB): HB 5021 and HB 2558 A modifies the definition of "charter guide" for purposes of outfitter and guide laws and HB 2982 A , a bill that increases boating permit costs estimated to increase revenue to OSMB by about $1 million for the 2025-27 biennium, most of which will be used to address Aquatic and Invasive Species (AIS) management in partnership with the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife were considered together. Here is the Legislative Fiscal Office recommendation for each of the three bills. The bills as recommended passed Full Ways and Means on May 16 and now go to the chamber floors. HB 5021, HB 2558 and HB 2982 all passed the House chamber and move to the Senate. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.: HB 5026 info hearings March 3-4, public hearing March 5. Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony in part to address comments by the Legislative Fiscal Office. Dept. of State Lands: SB 5539 LWVOR testimony in support. LFO 2025-27 budget recommendation . LFO budget recommendation for SB 147. Both bills passed the Senate and now go to the House chamber for approval. Water Resources Dept.: SB 5543 Governor’s budget WRD Fact Sheet Here is a summary of the Governor’s budget. Governor's Budget and Agency Request Budget documents are available online here . Info Mtg. & Public hearing Feb. 18-20. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony . And the fee bills: support HB 2808 (Bill moved to Ways and Means) and support HB 2803 (The - 3 amendment was adopted, reducing the fees significantly which will cause the department a revenue shortfall should the amendment stand the scrutiny of Ways and Means where it now lies.) Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: HB 5039 . Info mtg. & Public hearing Feb. 25-27 LWVOR testimony . Meeting Materials Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 6-Year Limitation: HB 5040 (Limits expenditures of lottery funds from the Watershed Conservation Grant Fund for local grant expenditures by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a six-year period beginning July 1, 2025.) Info mtg. & Public hearing Feb. 25-26 Oregon Business Development Dept.: HB 5024 Info mtgs. 3/12, 13 & 17. Public Hring 3/18. Additional informational meetings: Held April 7 and April 22. Oregon Dept. of Emergency Management: SB 5517 info hearing 4/7&8. Public hearing 4/09; Work Session May 21. LFO Recommendation . Also worked were SB 234 (LFO Recommendation) and SB 826 (LFO Recommendation) SB 826 transfers duties, functions, and powers from the State Chief Information Officer regarding the Oregon Statewide Communication Interoperability Plan (OSCIP) to the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (ODEM). Office of the Governor: SB 5523 LFO meeting materials . April 28 Public hearing. Work Session May 28. Oregon State Fire Marshal: SB 5538 info hearing 2/19, public hearing 2/20. Oregon Dept. of Transportation (ODOT): SB 5541 info hearing 3/03-6, public hearing 3/11. The League signed on to a letter in support of increased transit funding. The Joint Committee on Transportation ended its work on May 23rd but a new committee ( Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment ) has taken over in hopes of coming to agreement on a comprehensive package before the end of session. See below for more information on the latest plans to address ODOT’s revenue needs. Dept. of Administrative Services: HB 5002 info hearings 3/03-5, public hearing 3/06. Meeting Materials Work Session May 29. Legislative Administration Committee, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Counsel Committee, Legislative Fiscal Officer, Legislative Revenue Officer, Commission on Indian Services and Legislative Policy and Research Committee: HB 5016 Info hearings 4/29-30. Public hearing May 1st. Lottery Bonds: SB 5531 : an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium. Public hearing May 9 and May 16 @ 1p. The League supported two of the requests: $160 million for preservation of rental housing and $25 million to preserve manufactured housing and $100 million Housing Infrastructure Fund in Section 14. There are over $2 billion in requests for a variety of projects around Oregon! Emergency Board: HB 5006 This bill will be populated with an amount for the Emergency Board to spend at will and amounts in Special Purpose Appropriations if needed when the legislature is not in session. General Obligation Bonds, etc.: SB 5505 : an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium. Public hearing held April 18. Second public hearing, this time on university and community college requests, was held May 2. Six-Year Limitation/Bonds: SB 5506 (Limits for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2025, payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by various state agencies for capital construction.) Public hearing held May 2. 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 The League supports HB 3580 eelgrass stabilization LWVOR signed letter of support and HB 3587A Protection of Rocky Habitat LWVOR signed letter of support ( fiscal impact statement ). To help these bills get funded, consider LWVOR’s Action Alert. The League signed on to a letter of support for HB 3963 , a bill that extends the timeline for the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development to provide a report on offshore wind conversations from 2025 to 2027. A public hearing was held May 19. The League signed on to testimony in support. A work session is scheduled for May 29. The Oregon Coastal Management Program (OCMP) is currently developing its 2026-2030 Program Enhancement Assessment and Strategy. Draft Strategy The OCMP has selected to focus on wetlands, coastal hazards, and ocean resources in this 2026-2030 planning horizon. See the Draft Assessment and Strategy, They invite your feedback during the comment period of May 12 - June 12, 2025. The draft 2026-2030 Program Enhancement Assessment and Strategy can be found on our Public Comment webpage . Please provide comments on or before June 12. Send comments: E-mail Comments: coastal.policy@dlcd.oregon.gov Written Comments: OCMP-DLCD, 635 Capitol St. NE, Suite 150, Salem, OR 97301-2540. DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch SB 1154 was filed by the Governor to address the groundwater/nitrate issue in Morrow and Umatilla counties per this OPB article . See also in the Water section for a presentation of interest. The bill is sitting in Senate Rules while negotiations continue. The League supports SB 830 , a bill that modifies provisions of the on-site septic system loan program to allow for grants. It also allows for the program to consider mobile home parks in need of septic upgrades. The bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature. DEPT. OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES (DOGAMI) By Joan Fryxell Here is the Mineral Land Regulation and Reclamation (MLRR) spring newsletter . See above for information about their budget and potential fee increases. GOVERNANCE A number of bills related to agency rulemaking and the role of the legislature, many of which are listed below, are getting work sessions. The League and others have concerns about many of these bills. The legislature’s job is to set policy. The agencies are responsible for implementing that policy. That action often requires rulemaking to clarify the details around that implementation. But the League is concerned when legislators “get a second bite at the apple” by relitigating the legislation when rulemaking is only meant to implement, not change policies or facilitate an agency’s mission. Blurring those lines is problematic. HB 3569 , a bill that would require a Chief Sponsor (legislator) of a bill to be a part of a rules advisory committee for legislation they had a hand in passing, passed the House and now goes to Senate Rules. A public hearing is scheduled for May 28. The League continues to follow the bills listed on the March 17 agenda of the Senate Committee On Rules since some of the bills relate to the process of rulemaking ( SB 437 , SB 1006 , SB 370 , SB 483 ) and SB 411 , SB 895 also in Senate Rules. HB 2454 passed House Rules with the -1 amendment and was sent to Ways and Means. The bill creates a new Audits Officer (with possible additional staff). The Jt. Audits Committee would hire the Officer. It is unclear that, if funded, what the relationship will be with the Secretary of State’s Audit Division and the work of the Legislative Fiscal Office staff. Separately, the League was invited to a conversation among state agency rules staff on addressing concerns of the Governor and in an attempt to standardize the process statewide. The Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies : This document includes questions received from agencies since the Governor’s letter. This document includes additional resources for agencies including direction to post updates to the Transparency site, a website template that agencies can use (if they choose) to develop their pages, and links to other comprehensive agency rule making sites to review. There is a broader discussion to increase transparency and consistency in the state agencies’ rulemaking process. A second meeting related to the state agency rules process is set for June with an invitation to the League to continue to participate. We are concerned with HB 3382 , since the requirements of the Secretary of State to gather ALL the state agencies’ rulemaking, including all materials, would be overwhelming. Individual state agencies provide that information on their rulemaking websites. A work session is set for May 28. Because the League is often engaged in rulemaking, we regularly comment on legislation that would affect changes in Oregon’s current Administrative Rules. We have provided testimony in opposition to HB 2692 , a bill that would create complicated and burdensome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures . Sadly, a work session is scheduled for May 28 in House Rules. LAND USE & HOUSING By Sandra U. Bishop/Peggy Lynch HB 2647 passed the House floor and was assigned to the Senate Housing and Development Committee where it passed the committee with the A 5 amendmen t and now goes to the Senate floor. HB 3921 is a similar bill in that it would allow by law land swaps for City of Roseburg/Douglas County per this preliminary staff analysis . The bill is awaiting the Governor’s signature. The League provided testimony in support of HB 3939 , a bill that provides a list of infrastructure projects to fund for smaller Oregon cities so they can build more housing. We have also supported HB 3031 A (already sitting in Ways and Means) but know there might be limited dollars this session so called out that link in our letter. The -1 amendment to HB 3939 was adopted and the bill moved to Ways and Means. HB 2316 : Allows designation of Home Start Lands to be used for housing. HB 2316 -4 frees up approximately 3,500 acres of state land of which can now be used for housing production, all within the urban growth boundaries. It provides revenue to the state from the sale of the land, and it also provides revenue to our cities because the land becomes taxable for property taxes five years after purchase. The bill was sent to Revenue where a public hearing was held on May 15 and a work session is set for May 27. If it passes Revenue, it has a subsequent referral to Ways and Means. The new Housing Affordability and Production Office (HAPO) has a website . Their proposed policies and procedures to be used when the office becomes live July 1. Interested parties are encouraged to provide feedback by email to dlcd.hapo@dlcd.oregon.gov before the end of the business day on May 30. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. TRANSPORTATION Here is a good article on the latest negotiations around a 2025 transportation package and a memo from the Co-Chairs of the new Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment: Their memo comes a day after most House and Senate Republicans announced their support for an opposing plan that would cut funding for bike and pedestrian safety and public transit to provide more funding for roads and bridges. Not included in the Republican plan were four Republicans who have worked with Democrats to hash out details: Reps. Jeff Helfrich of Hood River and Kevin Mannix of Salem, and Sens. Bruce Starr of Dundee and Suzanne Weber of Tillamook, the Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Gorsek and McLain provided few details in their two-page memo to lawmakers, but draft language is expected in the coming days. The Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment, which they co-chair, will hold its first meeting on Tuesday. Lawmakers plan to establish a workgroup to create a new program that would eventually replace the Climate Protection Program. Gorsek and McLain’s memo said they envision dedicating credits generated by gas and diesel polluters toward the state highway fund, with other credits used for wildfire mitigation, community-based nonprofits and transit programs. WATER By Peggy Lynch Bills we are following: Water Right Process Improvements ( HB 3342 ) . A - 4 amendment was adopted and the bill passed the House. Amended by the A 8 amendment, it awaits a vote on the Senate floor. Harney Basin Groundwater Management ( HB 3800 ). A work session was held and the bill was sent to House Rules without recommendation as to passage. Water Rights and Public Interest ( HB 3501 ) A work session was held and the bill was referred to House Rules without recommendation as to passage on a 6 to 3 vote. HB 3525 is related to tenants’ right to well water testing. The League submitted testimony in support. House Rules had a public hearing April 30. A work session scheduled for May 12 has been cancelled. A number of amendments have been offered. The controversy seems to be around timelines for testing—how often—and what exactly gets tested. The League hopes to see this bill move forward, even if there are constraints. It would be a beginning and a recognition that water needs to be safe for everyone-homeowners and renters. LWV Deschutes County submitted a letter in support of SB 427 , a water rights transfer bill meant to protect instream water flows. Possible work session scheduled for April 8. SB 1153 , an alternate bill provided with help from the Governor’s office, may have more of a chance of passage. It had a public hearing on March 25 with a work session April 8. These bills were moved to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage to allow for further conversation. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. 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. As the weather gets warmer and more people and animals visit Oregon’s water bodies, it is important to watch for potentially deadly algal blooms. Information on current advisories can be found on the OHA’s cyanobacteria bloom webpage at healthoregon.org/hab . The OHA has an online photo gallery to help community members identify signs of potentially harmful blooms. WETLANDS The League participated in a rulemaking on Removal-Fill Program Fees earlier this year. After review by the Dept. of Justice and comments received, adjustments to the proposed rules will be shared on May 1st. The Dept. of State Lands will be hosting a second comment period from May 1 – 31, as well as two public hearings online. Please find a PDF copy of the notice on the DSL website here. A new Rulemaking Advisory Committee has been formed related to Permitting and Mitigation in Oregon's Wetlands and Waters. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers Along with the transportation package, wildfire funding has been a challenge for the legislature. The Governor has weighed in on the concept of taking at least a part of the “kicker” to fund wildfire: lawmakers have an option if they can agree on a better use for the kicker money. With a two-thirds supermajority vote in each chamber, they can opt to suspend the refund. That’s happened once since the policy was enacted in the late 70s. Because our Rural Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) are seeing a huge increase in their fire fees, Rep. Owens has offered the following: “I introduced HB 3349 and HB 3350 to ensure our RFPAs have access to the tools they need. These bills propose establishing a dedicated funding stream to help RFPAs obtain gear from the Oregon Department of Forestry and better access federal resources. Importantly, this support does not change their volunteer status but simply gives them the resources to be more effective and safe while serving our communities.” Then the House Leadership decided to move SB 83 , which would repeal the State Wildfire Hazard Map and accompanying statues related to it, to House Rules at a Work Session on May 20. It seems that the bill is now being used as trade bait to find funding for wildfire according to a news release from Sen. David Brock Smith. The Oregon Capital Insider provides information on the Dept. of Forestry’s budget and what’s happening at the federal level. Here is a short report on status of the bills mentioned last week: SB 860A The bill would allow the State Fire Marshal and an agency to take actions for fire protection and makes changes related to the Governor's Fire Service Policy Council. Passed both chambers and awaiting the Governor’s signature. SB 861 , a measure which would include grant funds, reimbursements, and moneys received from judgements and settlements as funds in the State Fire Marshal Mobilization Fund passed both chambers and is awaiting the Governor’s signature . It requires that the Department of the State Fire Marshal submit a report to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means on the amounts in the fund and expenditures from the fund on or before March 31 of each odd numbered year. SB 85A directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a neighborhood protection cooperative grant program to help communities collectively reduce their wildfire risk. It is awaiting the Governor’s signature. SB 75 A , removes the wildfire hazard map as a guide for allowing ADUs and requiring higher building codes in rural areas. The bill passed the House Committee and is headed to the House floor. The Omnibus wildfire funding bill, HB 3940A , had a robust Public Hearing before the House Committee on Revenue on May 1. Legislative Revenue staff provided a table to help understand the various elements of the bill. Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office have stated the minimum annual need for wildfire funding to address the growing wildfire crisis is around $280 million. SB 1177 is still before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. It had a public hearing on April 7. This bill would establish the Oregon Wildfire Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and redirect the “kicker” to it, one- time, for financing wildfire related expenses, by using the interest earned. A 5% return would yield approximately $170-180 million per year, or just over half of the aforementioned projected ongoing costs to fund wildfire mitigation and suppression. ( The Governor has expressed interest in using only the amount of kicker that would go to large income earners for wildfire costs.) SJR 11 also remains before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue after its April 7 public hearing. It would dedicate a fixed, to-be-determined percentage of net proceeds of the State Lottery to a wildfire fund created by the Legislature. Its passage would mean an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which would have to go to the voters for approval. Finally, HB 3489 , which imposes a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland, had a Public Hearing April 24 before the House Committee on Revenue. The League has supported a severance tax in past sessions and provided testimony at the hearing. The League is also still following other non-funding related bills, such as SB 926 , which would prohibit the recovery of certain costs and expenses from customers that an electric company incurs as a result of allegations of a wildfire resulting from the negligence or fault on the part of the electric company. It was passed by the Senate and had a work session on May 20 in the House Committee on Judiciary where the A 10 amendment was adopted and the bill moved to the House floor. SB 1051 , which transfers the authority to appoint a State Forester from the State Board of Forestry to the Governor, subject to Senate confirmation, remains in the Senate Rules Committee. HB 3666 remains in the Rules Committee. This bill would establish wildfire mitigation actions and an accompanying certification for electric utilities in an attempt to standardize their approach. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. 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. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Governance , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to Legislative Report Revenue Legislative Report - Week of 3/9 Revenue Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch REVENUE Patricia Garner, Josie Koehne, Peggy Lynch The short session is over. The Governor still has to decide if she’s signing the legislation. And the work is not done. There was not enough revenue to fund the 2025-27 budget without cuts and new legislation as shared below. The Feb. 4 Revenue Forecast guided the spending for the 2026 legislative session. Carl Ricidonna, Oregon’s State Economist, provided his report, along with Michael Kennedy, Senior Economist. See pages 17 and 20 for the important numbers. And the Legislative Revenue Office’s Forecast Summary . LWVOR participated with several other volunteer and non-profit organizations in the unofficial Oregon Revenue Coalition that worked together to find ways to preserve Oregon revenue in the light of lost federal income from Congress’s passage of H.R.1 which would cut major sources of funding for Medicaid, SNAP and many other services. ( Signed on to letter in January.) We focused on a bill to limit the damage caused by Oregon’s rolling connection to federal income tax law, since legislation to disconnect from the federal law failed in the 2025 long session. This session SB 1507 A passed (Senate (17-13) on Feb. 16 and House (34/21/4/1) on Feb. 25 ) that disconnected from certain sections of the federal code that the Legislative Revenue Office (LRO) reported would save Oregon $311.6 million in revenue this biennium and $313.9 million in the 2027-29 biennium, while providing increased funding for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) at a cost of $26.2 and $52.7 million per biennium respectively. The League has long supported an increase in the EITC. Summaries of the 44-page bill and its amendments can be found here . LWVOR testimony in support. At least one legislator is considering collecting signatures to place portions of the bill on the ballot per this Oregonlive article. Of concern is that the referral process allows petitioners to select parts of the bill. In this case, they could leave off the increase in the EITC while only asking voters to stop the disconnect—which, in part, is expected to pay for that EITC increase. HB 5204 is the final bill that balances the budget as required by state law. In the bill, the legislature made over $128 million in cuts , mostly in agency services and supplies and by not filling vacancies and shifting remaining funds around to fill in some gaps. This was fewer cuts than anticipated at the start of the session. But they also funded or rebalanced some agency programs and staff. The -2 amendment was adopted . See the 4 Analysis documents for the budget additions and reductions, Budget Notes and final LFO recommendation. Passed the House and Senate Mar. 6. Oregonlive article and the Oregon Capital Chronicle addressed the 2025-27 budget rebalance. The Oregonian did a final budget review . SB 1601 was the Program Change bill. The -3 amendment was adopted and includes rebalance of ODOT’s programs in Section 11-23 and clarifies the 1% of lottery monies for county fair upgrades and repairs. Passed the Senate and House Mar 6. SB 5701 amends the limits established during the 2025 legislative session for the maximum amount of bonds and other financing agreements that state agencies may issue. The proceeds from the issuance of bonds are included as revenues in agency budgets. The -2 amendment and the LFO Recommendation includes increases in general obligation and lottery revenue bonds authorized. Bond sales are not anticipated until the spring of 2027. Passed the Senate and House Mar. 6. SB 5702 : Establishes and modifies limits on payment of expenses from specified funds by certain state for capital construction . Capital Construction 6-year limitation. -1 amendment LFO Recommendation Mar. 5 passed Senate. Mar. 6 passed House. SB 5703 : Modifies amounts allocated from the Administrative Services Economic Development Fund, Veterans' Services Fund, Criminal Fine Account, Oregon Marijuana Account and Fund for Student Success. Mar. 5 passed Senate. Mar. 6 passed House. HB 5203 : Approves certain new or increased fees adopted by state agencies. The bill includes the Dept. of State Lands Wetlands processing fees set forth during rulemaking for which the League engaged. Fee Ratification. LFO Recommendation Mar. 6 Passed the House and Senate. SB 1510 : Updates the terminology used to describe certain income earned by multinational corporations to reflect a change in the term used in federal law a bill. This omnibus bill, with amendments, would provide an opportunity to explore additional tax policy for consideration in the 2027 session. It is easier to understand the many provisions of SB 1510 by reviewing the summary provided by the Legislative Revenue Office of the bill and its -4 amendments . Feb. 24: Passed the Senate (28/1/1). Passed the House Mar. 4. HB 4014 : Establishes the Task Force on Taxation of International Income with the amendments. -2 amendment replaced the “study” bill. Staff Measure Summary . Due to this complicated tax policy, parties agreed to use the interim to consider impacts on this federal tax policy on Oregon revenue. Passed the House floor (32/26/2). On to the Senate floor at adjournment. Business interests want to have this conversation behind closed doors rather than an open public Task Force. The bill died but the conversation will continue. SB 1511 : A bill modifying the estate tax that would have increased the $1 million exemption to the estate tax to $2.5 million failed this session. The tax rates would have been greatly increased for the highest valued estates but fewer estates would pay an estate tax. For the first biennium, the revenue would have been about the same as our current estate tax SB 1511 . The revenue staff provided this analysis on the A -3 amendment that was approved by the Senate) with no expected revenue loss for this biennium, but $35 million by 2029-31. The bill did not pass out of House Revenue by end of session, but may be back in the long session. Two bills focused on increasing tax incentives for economic development faced intense debate and scrutiny, and one , SB 1586 , was withdrawn on March 3 due to much public outcry about tax breaks for data centers and the expansion of the Metro’s Urban Growth Boundary into land zoned as rural agricultural land, in violation of the 2014 Grand Bargain. OPB provided an article on this contentious bill. LWVOR testimony in opposition to the bill and additional testimony opposing the -7 amendment . The bill remained in Senate Finance and Revenue at the end of session, but is likely back in some form in 2027. The other economic development bill, HB 4084 A introduced by Governor Kotek, would fast track the permitting process for certain new business development t o be completed within 120 days, by means of a specially appointed Joint Permitting Council to oversee the each permitting agency’s permitting process. This section of the bill aligns with a federal program: Permitting Council’s FAST-41 Assistance for States. In addition, in the bill as introduced, all local property taxes abatements for Enterprise Zones were to be extended. This bill was also controversial because of these extensions since it would allow data centers which are hotly contested throughout the US, and which are the primary recipients of these tax credits, to not pay local property taxes for many years. After several amendments, three were incorporated into the final bill. LWVOR comments . The final bill included these provisions as summarized by LRO: Removes the $40 million General Fund appropriation to OBDD for deposit into the Industrial Site Loan Fund. (However, HB 5204 included $10 million for the Regional Infrastructure Fund, $5 million to support horse racing events at county fairgrounds, $5 million cash and $10 million bonds into the Industrial Site Loan Fund, and $10 million in lottery bond funds. The bonding bill provided targeted investments in sewer and water projects statewide to help with increased housing development demands.) Modifies SB 1507 (2026) to limit the tax credit for job creation to certain specified qualified industries. To qualify for the tax credit, a taxpayer must receive an attestation-based certification from Business Oregon, who will develop the tax credit application process, establish job creation determination methodology, and further define the term “qualified industry” through rulemaking. Excludes any qualified property of an authorized business in an enterprise zone with an operating data center from entering into a written agreement with the enterprise zone sponsor to 1) extend the period during which the qualified property is exempt from taxation beyond the allowable three years; 2) agree to flexible hiring timelines; and 3) approve alternative performance criteria. Prohibits data center properties from authorization as an eligible business firm prior to 90 days after the adjournment of the 2027 legislative session. An amendment was added at the end that puts this one-year moratorium on all new data center development certifications by Business Oregon, starting three months after the close of session. This allows the Governor’s Oregon Data Center Advisory Committee time to consider the various impacts of data center development on Oregon, and to report back to the Legislature with their recommendations. It also limits the existing Standard Enterprise (for urban areas) tax break to three years, but allows all other currently operating data centers, including those in rural areas of the state, to continue to receive tax breaks through the extended time periods as outlined in the bill. Oregonlive provided a great analysis of the impact of data centers. Oregonlive update on data centers in this legislation. Oregon data center operators will save nearly a half-billion dollars in local property taxes this year through three different incentive programs. Kotek’s legislation, House Bill 4084 , would expand the fastest growing of those three programs. HB 4148 : Allows city and county services for which net local transient lodging tax revenue may be used to be provided either directly by the city or county or indirectly by a special district. The -7 amendment adopted that changes the percentage to 50/50 and passed the House floor Feb. 25 (40/12/4/4). Mar. 5 Passed the Senate (23/6/1). SJR 201 : Kicker Reform: Proposed an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to require a portion of surplus revenue that would otherwise be returned to personal income taxpayers to be used for funding public kindergarten through grade 12 education, community colleges and wildfire prevention and suppression, if surplus revenue exceeds a certain threshold. OPB covered a story about the bill . T he League has long supported kicker reform but we also note that, with our new state economist, another kicker is not expected in the near term. The bill did not get a Work Session. HB 4136 : Disallows, for purposes of personal income taxation, a mortgage interest deduction for a residence other than the taxpayer’s principal residence , unless the taxpayer sells the residence or actively markets the residence for sale. The bill had one public hearing on Feb. 16 and died in committee. The League is hopeful that a version of this bill will return in 2027. HB 4125 : Prescribes methodology for the preparation of revenue estimates used in the budgeting process and as applicable to the surplus revenue refund process — potential kicker reform. Public Hearing Feb. 2. The bill died in Committee . On Feb. 20, the US Supreme Court declared that President Trump does not have authority to impose widespread tariffs under a specific federal statute. Oregon’s Attorney General, Dan Rayfield, led the coalition of states arguing that the President did not have this authority. HB 4061 B passed that provides monies to help Oregon businesses hurt by these tariffs. Budget Report . The bill passed the House on Mar. 3 and passed the Senate Mar. 6. On Thursday Mar. 5, Rayfield and officials from 23 other states filed a lawsuit against the new tariff at the U.S. Court of International Trade, with Oregon again leading the way. “Budget aftershocks from the Trump cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will keep hitting Oregon in future years,” said Senator Jama. “Oregon lawmakers must continue working together to make resources stretch and to help families thrive.” As we await the May 20th Revenue Forecast, we watch for data that may change the forecast. Oregonlive reports that Oregon exports are down. Then we now have a war with Iran that, so far, has increased gas and diesel prices. That increases costs to state agencies, local governments, Oregon businesses and individuals. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain — supply more than a third of the world’s urea, an important nitrogen fertilizer, and nearly a quarter of another one, ammonia. And they all use the Strait of Hormuz to export their products. So that means less food production and an increase in food prices. The February national jobs report was not good (loss of almost 100,000 jobs) and the national unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. (In Oregon, we’re at 5.2%.) As we watch the U.S. and Oregon’s economy, we note the Oregon Capital Chronicle Jobs Report article , of special concern as Oregon is an income tax state. According to this Oregonlive article , Oregonians are working the fewest hours since 2010. Oregon workers are spending less time on the job, another indication that the state’s labor market continues to sag. The average Oregonian worked less than 33 hours a week in December, according to federal data. That’s the lowest number since 2010, when the state was still digging out from the Great Recession — even worse than the sharp decline that accompanied the pandemic. As we continue to be concerned about the economy, we note a study related to AI: Brookings Institution study on AI job losses and adaptability points out metros most at risk – Portland Business Journal Roughly 30% of workers displaced by artificial intelligence will struggle to find new jobs, according to a new report from the National Bureau of Economic Research and Brookings Institution. While 70% of highly AI-exposed workers would likely be able to transition to another job, the rest may have trouble adapting “due to limited savings, advanced age, scarce local opportunities, and/or narrow skill sets. ”What’s more, of the displaced workers in low-adaptive jobs, 86% are women. The League will continue to work with the Oregon Revenue Coalition and others as we address the need for increased revenue to pay for the services Oregonians need. The Ways and Means Co-Chairs warn of increased demand and federal funding cuts for the 2027-29 and 2029-31 biennia. It's time to work with state agencies as they develop their 2027-29 budgets. Here’s some budget guidance that agencies have received: 2027-29 Budget Guidance: Governor's Letter and CFO 2027-29 Budget POP Guidance . Bottom line: The Governor has asked state agencies to provide a “neutral” budget. If they want to add a program or staff, they need to find a program or staff to remove from their budget request. You can contact the agency you want to engage with as they work to provide proposals to the Governor around June. See other sections of the Legislative Report for information about specific agencies or areas of concern.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 1/30 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Housing Criminal Justice Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Last week Governor Kotek underscored the urgency of addressing Oregon’s housing emergency by sharing details of her request to the Legislature for $130 million for the purpose of sheltering homeless families and individuals. There are approximately 18,000 homeless Oregonians, with about 11,000 of those unsheltered. This is no longer just an urban problem; communities throughout the state are struggling to meet the need. Governor’s initial spending package includes: $33.6 million to prevent 8,750 households from becoming homeless by providing rent assistance and eviction prevention services; $23.8 million for 600 low-barrier shelter beds and housing navigators available to assist people in need of shelter and services; $54.4 million to rehouse at least 1,200 unsheltered households through prepaid rental assistance, block leasing 600 vacant homes; and other re-housing services; $5 million to support emergency response for Oregon tribes, $5 million to build capacity in culturally specific agencies serving homeless households; $2 million for sanitation services; $1.8 million for emergency response coordinated by Oregon Housing and Community Services and Office of Emergency Management. Housing Production and Accountability Office (HPAO): The Governor’s budget also creates the HPAO, within the Department of Land Conservation and Development, jointly managed with the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) . The office will provide technical assistance and support to local governments and housing developers working to reduce land use and permitting barriers to housing production. HPAO will also hold local jurisdictions accountable to state housing and land use laws to clear the path to increased housing production in cities and counties across the state. The office is funded with revenues from the DCBS Building Codes Division. Manufactured housing ( HB 2983 ): Manufactured housing fills a critical need for low-income and affordable housing. LWVOR submitted a letter. In support of a bill that will provide funding for 1) ongoing park preservation; 2) new park development and construction financing for non-profits, co-ops, and housing authorities; and 3) development by Department of Land Conservation and Development of model manufactured home park codes and cottage cluster efficiency measures. Oregon Households Struggling with Housing Costs : A recent post from the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis explains that renter households are much more likely than homeowners to struggle to pay for their basic needs, including housing. Of Oregon renters finding it difficult to pay for housing, 21% (124,000) live below the federal poverty level, 44% (262,000) spend more than 30% of their income on housing, 54% (316,000) do not have enough residual income to pay for other necessities, and 63% (369,000) have incomes below MIT’s Living Wage Calculator . There are overlaps in the numbers, but this provides a clearer picture of the degree to which hundreds of thousands of Oregonians struggle to pay their housing costs. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley The League submitted testimony in support of SB 529 , heard in Senate Judiciary on January 31. The bill modifies alternative incarceration programs to specifically address the chronic disease of addiction. A very high percentage of individuals are incarcerated because of addiction issues but are not eligible for treatment programs until just before release. More timely treatment is needed to end the cycle of addiction, particularly in light of the fact that the smuggling of drugs and alcohol into prisons is an ongoing problem in our correctional institutions. The League will be keeping an eye on HB 2320 , which was heard in House Judiciary on January 31. It establishes a 17-member Juvenile Justice Advisory Commission within the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission. Members would be appointed by the Chief Justice, the Governor, and the Senate President and would conduct policy analysis and make recommendations to the Legislature related to the juvenile justice system. The bill is a work in progress, and hopefully more details will be forthcoming about the Commission’s exact function and administration funding needs. We will also be monitoring the progress of two bills related to domestic violence, both heard in House Judiciary on February 2. HB 2933 allocates $10 million from the General Fund to Oregon Domestic and Sexual Assault Services (ODSVS) to meet the growing need for community-based programs that provide confidential, trauma-informed safety and support services. 5,245 survivors received emergency shelter between July 2021 and June 2022, but there were 6,610 unmet requests for shelter during the same period. HB 3018 provides $6 million to provide permanent, affordable housing to end housing instability for survivors.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of March 2 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: Priority Bills Other Bills Senate Energy and Environment News Oregon Treasury Climate Lawsuits Sine die is 3/8 -now just around the corner. Very few policy only bills passed this session. The deadline for 2nd chamber for most policy bills was 2/26. A number of Climate bills with fiscals are in JWM or Rules, the League is not clear if any of these bills will move. (please see last week’s LR for how to advocate for those bills) and refer to the League's recent ALERT . Priority Bills SB 1541 A - Make Polluters Pay - Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program. New SMS , Senate Energy and Environment , PH 2/5 and work session 2/10 , - 2 amendment , moved 2/12 to Joint Ways and Means (JWM) . LWVOR submitted testimony . Creates the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to assess financial impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and recover costs from responsible entities. Multiple state agencies are involved including, Department of Land Conservation and Development, DLCD, Department of Environmental Quality, DEQ, Oregon Health Authority, OHA, and Land Conservation and Development Commission. LCDC, the oversight body is Environmental Quality Commission (EQC). The League has joined the Make Polluters Pay Campaign . This climate legislation is a national effort covered today by the New York Times , reporting that a number of other states are in the process of passing and/or implementing similar legislation. Please see the League’s Action Alert. SB 1526 A - FORGE: Fund for Oregon Resilience, Growth, and Energy - New SMS , work session was 2/9, Senate Energy and Environment (SEE) moved the bill to JWM, League testimony . Creates financing tools, including a revolving loan fund, to provide more affordable, accessible long-term financing for clean energy and resilience infrastructure projects in Oregon. This is modeled on a number of other states’ legislation , some as "green" banking nonprofits.
 Please see the Action Alert. Other Bills the League is following: HB 4046A Nuclear Study Bill, work session was 2/12, moved to JWM 2/17, unanimously as amended. New SMS , directs the Oregon Department of Energy, subject to the availability of funding, to conduct a study on nuclear energy, including advanced nuclear reactors. The -2 amendment, a substantial rewrite of the original bill negotiated with opponents, seemed to satisfy committee members that the study could be unbiased as to nuclear energy issues. 
 
 HB 4031 A : new SMS , 2/27 on its way to the governor . Exempts a renewable energy facility from needing a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council if the facility qualifies for certain federal renewable energy tax credits a nd construction is scheduled to begin on or before December 31, 2028. 
 
 SB 1597 A in H Rules PH 2/27. Sen chamber vote 2/23 17,12. Makes a power provider disclose the costs to store the waste made from making any electric power. New SMS 
 
 Bill that died in Policy Committee SB 1582 , Community-Based Power: Distributed Power Plants, SEE Senate E&E Committee PH Notes Senate Energy and Environment 2/23/26 The committee held public hearings and work sessions on the following bills, and voted to move all three to the Senate floor with a do pass recommendation. HB 4031 A (expedited site review for renewable energy projects) -- 5-0 HB 4025 (winter rate increases for non-gas, non-electric public utilities) -- 5.0 HB 4029 A (consumer protection for solar installation customers) -- 4-1 (Robinson, concerned about restraint of competition) Chair Sollman postponed the WS for HB 4102 (third-party contracting for environmental permitting) to Wednesday 2/25. With a vote of 17-12 2/25/26 The committee voted 3-1-1 (Pham nay, Brock Smith excused) to move HB 4102 to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation. Sen. Golden: This bill has been more of a "voyage" than he imagined it would be. Senate E&E has focused mainly on Sen. Pham's proposed -2 amendment dealing with labor rights and good governance. He would have preferred to move the bill with the one-sentence -3 amendment requested by Rep. Dobson: “Before contracting with a third party to provide services pursuant to this section, the department shall consider the third party’s potential or actual conflicts of interest with the applicant, permittee or regulated entity.” However, time limitations of the short session make amending the bill at this point problematic. "Very likely we will be privatizing some of the permit process and other processes going forward" -- we would prefer that staff working for the taxpayers would do this work but we recognize that we have delays that we need to address. He wants to state on the record "triple underscored" the committee's intent that when DEQ hires a third party for permit processing, they will commit to be very vigilant in their research about conflicts of interest. Sen. Robinson: Supports the bill as a "bandaid" measure to expedite permitting whereas the larger need is to "reform DEQ." Sen. Pham: Regretful "no" as she believes the bill as introduced lacks adequate guardrails vs. conflicts of interest and fails to address important labor issues. Chair Sollman: House passed the original bill unanimously and she doesn't want to take the chance of killing the measure by sending it back amended. News Regulators to Hold Public Hearing on Large Increase for Cascade Home Gas Bills and What to Expect at Cascade Gas’s Public Hearing | Latest News | News | Oregon CUB - Citizens Utility Board Eugene groups propose climate tax to mirror Portland’s - OPB How Oregon is building back smarter after wildfire • Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon Adopts New Building Codes to Reduce Energy Costs and Increase Energy Efficiency in Newly Constructed Homes – CleanTechnica Oregon’s New Building Codes Are a Win for Home Energy Resilience - Oregon Environmental Council Oregon lawmakers seek to shine a light on balcony solar, but safety issues linger - OPB Oregon DOE Feb Press Releases – a number of updates… Oregon State Treasurer Steiner Joins 15 Other State Fiscal Officers in Warning That Immigration Enforcement Operations Threaten Economic Stability and State Revenues February 5, 2026Oregon State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner MD joined fifteen other state fiscal officers in a joint letter to President Donald Trump expressing … Oregon Treasury & Oregon Divest Building on Oregon Treasury’s 2025 Progress toward Net Zero Emissions - Part 1 (Divest Oregon ORG) New 2025 Treasury : Climate-Positive Investing : Invested for Oregon Report Tracking Net zero climate positive investment strategies. Oregon pension shows climate progress , private markets drive emissions | Private Equity Stakeholder Project.org Climate Lawsuits and Our Children’s Trust Columbia Law - Sabin Climate Center Blog – Feb 2026 updates There are a number of active federal lawsuits. Columbia University Law ( CUL) Climate Litigation Jan 30 Updates . Another source: CLU - Sabin Climate DB lists 97 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon. Our Children’s Trust - In the News: February 19, 2026 - E&E News Enviros, health groups are first to sue over Trump’s big climate rollback February 18, 2026 - The Guardian Environmental groups sue Trump’s EPA over repeal of landmark climate finding February 18, 2026 - The New York Times E.P.A Faces First Lawsuit Over Its Killing of Major Climate Rule February 18, 2026 - Climate in the Courts Environment and Public Health Groups, and Youth, Sue Over Trump Administration’s Elimination of Climate Protections February 18, 2026 - Inside Climate News Healthcare Professionals, Scientists and Children Sue the EPA for Backtracking on Greenhouse Gas Regulation February 18, 2026 - Bloomberg Law Endangerment Finding Rollback Draws First Legal Challenges (1) 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. · 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 Pr ocurement Practices (DAS: Dept. of Admin. Services) · CE Portfolio State Agency and Commission Budgets · Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report section

Barbara was born and grew up in the northeast. Step by step, living in many states, she’s made her way around the nation to land in southern Oregon. After becoming interested in election systems in 1999, she joined the League and has continued that work. This included co-chairing the passage of the 2020 LWVUS Voter Representation/Electoral Systems position. Her latest League role is as LWVOR VP. She is also Action Chair for LWV Rogue Valley, and serves on the LWVOR action committee. Formerly, she was a long-serving VP and then state president of LWV Arizona, as well as co-president of LWV Metro Phoenix. She has served on numerous study committees, including one for National, and was a member of both LWV United States task forces on National Popular Vote and Redistricting. Currently, she is a volunteer with OLLI at SOU, a core team member of several groups working to promote proportional representation and often organizes and speaks on voting topics. Previously, she was the chairperson of FairVote AZ. Barbara’s education and professional career are varied. She taught music and special ed, was trained as a music therapist, was a “qualified mental health professional” in NY state where she worked as a probation officer. Her masters was in health care and hospital administration and her doctorate in chiropractic medicine. Barbara is a published author and currently writes a blog entitled AgingWithPizzazz.com and runs the fitness app, PizzazzEE-25.com Barbara Klein 1st Vice President and Communications Chair Barbara was born and grew up in the northeast. Step by step, living in many states, she’s made her way around the nation to land in southern Oregon. After becoming interested in election systems in 1999, she joined the League and has continued that work. This included co-chairing the passage of the 2020 LWVUS Voter Representation/Electoral Systems position. Her latest League role is as LWVOR VP. She is also Action Chair for LWV Rogue Valley, and serves on the LWVOR action committee. Formerly, she was a long-serving VP and then state president of LWV Arizona, as well as co-president of LWV Metro Phoenix. She has served on numerous study committees, including one for National, and was a member of both LWV United States task forces on National Popular Vote and Redistricting. Currently, she is a volunteer with OLLI at SOU, a core team member of several groups working to promote proportional representation and often organizes and speaks on voting topics. Previously, she was the chairperson of FairVote AZ. Barbara’s education and professional career are varied. She taught music and special ed, was trained as a music therapist, was a “qualified mental health professional” in NY state where she worked as a probation officer. Her masters was in health care and hospital administration and her doctorate in chiropractic medicine. Barbara is a published author and currently writes a blog entitled AgingWithPizzazz.com and runs the fitness app, PizzazzEE-25.com

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 3/6 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • 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 Gun Safety Criminal Justice Housing Immigration/Refugees and Other Basic Rights Gun Safety By Marge Easley SB 551 , a bill that directs OHA to provide information on safe storage of firearms and prescription drugs to school districts for dissemination on their websites and social media, was heard in Senate Education on March 7. League testimony in support included data on child deaths related to access to harmful drugs and firearms and the alarming rise of suicide among children and teens. There is talk of combining several gun safety bills into an omnibus bill that will appear later in the session, but no bill number has been assigned yet. Concepts include the banning of “ghost guns,” allowing gun sellers to require purchasers to be at least 21 years of age, expanding the number of public areas where firearms can be banned, and establishing a state income tax credit for buying a gun safe or lock. Measure 114 Update: There have been three new case filings in the Harney County lawsuit against the State of Oregon that challenges the legality of Measure 114 (permit-to-purchase and ban on large capacity magazines). State attorneys are urging the courts to set May or June trial dates for both the state and federal cases in order to resolve the issue as promptly as possible so as not to create ongoing uncertainty for Oregonians. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley & Karen Nibler Two League-supported bills that will have a positive impact on incarcerated individuals at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility were scheduled to have a work session on March 9 in House Judiciary. HB 2535 establishes a doula program for pregnant and postpartum individuals, while HB 2731 provides continuing funding for the Family Preservation Project. Bills related to studies and data collection are plentiful this session. Heard in Senate Judiciary on March 8 were bills authorizing studies on organized retail theft ( SB 318 ) and recidivism rates of persons convicted of felony property crimes ( SB 340 ). That same day House Judiciary heard HB 2719 , authorizing a study on services to crime victims, and SB 234 , which allows the Chief Justice to make rules for gathering data on disparities and impacts in Oregon’s criminal justice system. Senate Republicans are behind a series of bills related to increased penalties for sex crimes and are ramping up efforts to get them heard soon in Senate Judiciary. SB 986 raises the statute of limitations on rape from 12 years to 20 years. SB 1022 makes changes to Oregon’s sex-offender risk level assessment process and methodology. SB 1023 clarifies the term ‘victim’ when the Oregon State Police is required to release sex offender information. In a similar vein, Senate Democrats are having better luck with SB 745 , which passed out of Senate Judiciary on March 8. It requires that youth taken into custody receive sex trafficking screenings. W&Ms Public Safety has been reviewing the Oregon Judicial Department (OJD) Budget and related bills this week. SB 5512 , the budget bill for expenses for the Supreme Court, Tax Court, Court of Appeals, and 27 Judicial Districts, asks for an appropriation of $705 million. The budget covers the salaries of 197 judges and 1428 court staff, plus the court facilities in Salem and in the counties. The OJD did a county courthouse facilities assessment in 2016 and still uses that assessment in plans to repair or replace judicial facilities. Each biennium the OJD Budget process has included upgrades or new construction of courthouses. League testimony on the overall OJD budget is here . Separate bills: SB 230 reviews the Interstate Compact, SB 233 covers judicial compensation, SB 234 concerns data gathering, SB 235 asks for new judicial positions, and SB 1029 supports family law training. HB 2224 asks for increases in juror compensation. HB 2467 offers student loans for public defense training, and HB 2497 covers rural courthouse assessments. The agency budget carries many policy option packages for pretrial diversion, protective proceedings, expunction, self-representative assistance, data expansion, technology positions, and equipment replacements. One major concern was judicial compensation due to high turnover and a recommended 10% salary increase in 2023 and 2024. Additional judges were recommended in Clackamas, Jackson, and Washington County Courts. Specialty Court Coordinators were recommended to facilitate specialty court programs through the Criminal Justice Commission grants. Each session the budget includes Capital Improvement Projects and Replacements and the bonds to finance them. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Oregon lawmakers are closing in on two big housing priority bills of the 2023 session. Critically needed housing resources are being considered to support Oregonians who face a severe shortage of affordable housing and available shelter space. HB 5019 - Governor’s Emergency to Reduce Unsheltered Homelessness On Feb. 28, Gov. Tina Kotek testified before members of the Oregon House Committee on Housing and Homelessness at a hearing on HB 5019 to encourage lawmakers to pass a $200 million package to assist unsheltered Oregonians, build and preserve needed affordable housing, prevent evictions, and increase homeownership statewide. The funding includes $85.2 million to support local plans to address homelessness in emergency areas through expanding shelter capacity and rapid rehousing initiatives. A targeted $33.6 million for eviction prevention is anticipated to avoid homelessness for 8,750 households statewide. $26.1 million will address homelessness through increased shelter capacity, rapid rehousing initiatives, and sanitation services in communities within the Balance of State Continuum of Care. $200,000 will support the development and design of a statewide, long-term rent assistance program for individuals who are rehoused with state investments. The League provided testimony in support on HB 5019. A public hearing and work session was held on March 7 by the Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development. The housing package awaited consideration by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means at a 9:30 am work session on March 10. HB 2001 A-14 - Oregon Housing Needs Analysis Also, as part of the funding package is a related bill HB 2001 A -14, which establishes the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA), within the Housing and Community Services Department (OHCS). The needs analysis will extend the notification requirement for the termination of residential rental agreements for nonpayment; provide funding for modular housing development, agriculture workforce housing, and moderate-income housing pre-development loans. The Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and OHCS will assist the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) in carrying out the requirements. All three agencies will receive funding to carry out specific components of the OHNA. Also, DAS will conduct an annual statewide housing analysis to estimate the needed housing by region. The agency is to establish six-year housing production targets for cities with populations greater than 10,000 and unincorporated urbanized areas within Metro, and eight-year housing production targets for cities greater than 10,000 or unincorporated urbanized areas outside of Metro. DAS may adjust the allocation of needed housing to accommodate people experiencing homelessness and underproduction. The Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development held a work session on the housing package on March 7. The Joint W&Ms was slated to hold a work session on the bill at 9:30 am on March 10. Housing Production Advisory Council: Governor Kotek announced the members of her new Housing Production Advisory Council. The council is charged with developing an action plan to meet the production target of 36,000 additional housing units at all affordability levels per year as set in the governor’s executive order ( 23-04 ). Members include a range of housing leaders, local government representatives, bipartisan legislators, a Tribal member, and relevant state agency directors The Council held its first meeting on March 10, and is scheduled to provide a recommended framework for their action plan by April 1, 2023. More information is available on the website . Immigration/Refugees and other Basic Rights By Claudia Keith Bill Summary HB 2957 : Financial assistance to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status recipients for specified purposes. (>7M$). A large portion of the source funding is Federal ARPA funds. Rep Ruiz, House EC&HS Public Hearing was 2/22 , League Testimony supports. HB 3176 Requires Dept HS and Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, to award contracts to organizations to provide support services to immigrants and refugees. Appropriates moneys from the General Fund. Directs Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement to convene representatives from state agencies, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to coordinate policy recommendations. Representative Reynolds, Senator Jama, House ECHS then to JW&M. Public Hearing 3/8 Bills moved from Policy Committee to JW&Ms: SB 627 : Funding for universal (legal) fees for non-documented individuals (15M$) Sen Lieber. Passed out of Sen Judiciary, DO Pass, Feb 7, sent to JW&Ms. The League has supported this policy/funding category in the past. Bills of Interest or possible League support: (Bills that have been posted to OLIS that may move forward via a committee public hearing. – an Incomplete list) Basic Needs SB 610 : Establishes Food for All Oregonians Program within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (snap), unclear what the funding ask may be. Chief sponsors: Senator Campos, Representative Ruiz, Senator Manning Jr, Gorsek, Representative Bowman, Dexter, Gamba . Sen Human Services then to JW&M. Public Hearing was 2/27. Legislative Summary May partially replace the ‘Workers Relief Fund’ . ‘Oregon Worker Relief measures impact in infrastructure’| Statesman Journal. SB 856 Establishes COFA Food Assistance Program to provide nutrition assistance to COFA citizens who would qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits but for their immigration status and who have incomes at or below federal poverty guidelines. Legislative summary . Chief Sponsor: Senator Meek, Patterson, Hansell. Public Hearing 2/27 Immigration SB 185 Requires the Department of Justice to study immigration in this state; may include legislation recommendations to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2024. Requested by Attorney General Rosenblum. In Sen Judiciary. Sunsets January 2, 2025. SB 603 : 2/27 Public Hearing with -1 amendment . Establishes People's Housing Assistance Fund Demonstration Program, administered by Dept Human Services, to provide 12 monthly payments of $1,000 to individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, are severely rent burdened, or earn at or below 60% of area median income. (Includes immigrant, and refugee status.) Starts with a PSU $250K study. A potential $500M program. Rep Pham K and Senator Campos, Sen Cmt on Housing and Dev, then JW&M. SB 849 Public Hearing 2/28 with -1 amendment . Preliminary SMS Fiscal $20M grant fund. Requires professional licensing boards to provide culturally responsive training to specified staff members, publish guidance on pathways to professional authorization for internationally educated individuals and waive requirement for English proficiency examination for specified internationally educated individuals…. Sen Labor & Business. Senator Jama, Dembrow, Frederick, Campos, Manning Jr, Woods, Representative Chaichi, Nguyen H. Other SB 613 : Creates Commission for Indigenous Communities. SB 216 Passed out of SCHC 3/1 , on Senate Presidents Desk - Awaiting Disposition. Related to data collected by OHA. (Request of Governor Kate Brown for OHA). The Oregon Health Authority set a goal of eliminating health disparities by 2030 including those based on race, ethnicity, language, or disability (REALD) and sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI).. HB2905 Expands 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. Passed out Committee with Unanimous Vote Floor Third Reading 3/13 SB 421 establishes a youth advisory council. Prescribes membership and duties of youth advisory council. DOE to establish a work group to establish standards for the selection process of members of the youth advisory council. PH 2/28 Staff Measure Summary HB 2458 : Prohibits conversion therapy. Public Hearing 2/24 . No League testimony.

We are working to defend democracy from escalating cyber-attacks and disinformation. Policy debates are determining the future of our democracy, the internet, and privacy. Privacy and Cybersecurity 2020 About the Study We are working to defend democracy from escalating cyber-attacks and disinformation. Policy debates are determining the future of our democracy, the internet, and privacy. U.S. state and national policymakers have joined the global debate over digital protection of personal information, mined for multi-billion dollar advertising revenues. Experts now characterize media manipulation as ‘information disorder.' The impact of artificial intelligence on MDM, mis-, dis, and mal- information deserves intense scrutiny going forward. Read our 2020 study for an overview, analysis and comprehensive references to contemporary technology, global policy development, the history of privacy, and our key findings. LWVOR Privacy and Cybersecurity positions were adopted in January 2020, in LWVOR Issues for Action, on p. 16 . Privacy and Cybersecurity Position- Adopted: January 2021; Amended January 2021 Cybersecurity is the prevention of damage to, protection of, and restoration of computers, electronic communications systems, electronic communications services, wire communication, and electronic communication, including information contained therein, to ensure its availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and nonrepudiation. This position statement addresses Elections, Information Security, Personal Information Protection, and Electronic Business and Social Media. Elections Security The election process is the foundation of our representative form of government. Election integrity, accuracy, transparency, and trustworthiness require vigilance to ensure security protections. Security requirements include and are not limited to: verifiable ballots; ballots that can be recounted and audited; up-to-date hardware and software, supported by vendors, tested, and secure; protected voter registration databases; election staff/volunteers with cybersecurity expertise; cyber-damage contingency plans; risk-limiting audits; attention to disinformation and misleading ads. Protect voters’ ability to exercise an informed opinion on electoral matters. Explore limiting the unfettered electronic circulation and amplification of election misinformation (e.g., targeted disinformation campaigns, manipulated media, anonymous disinformation, and algorithmic and robotic disinformation campaigns). Information Security Government, individuals, and organizations (including the private sector and critical infrastructure), all require strong cybersecurity protections and effective deterrents to assure national security, economic and social stability, and personal information integrity. Create consistent information privacy laws and regulations across all organizations (government, private, for-profit, and non-profit) that eliminate gaps, inconsistencies, and overlaps. Regulate all technology-enabled organizations (e.g., internet platforms, online intermediaries, business-to-consumer platforms), not shifting sectors, so that organizations are subject to a uniform set of laws and regulations. Regulate all categories of information in the same way, regardless of the type of organization or sector that collects that information. Apply a baseline set of regulations to all types of information, regardless of the type of organization or sector collecting that information. Apply regulatory requirements to organizations according to their size and complexity, the nature of data covered, and the risk posed by exposing private information. All information (including third-party data transfers) needs sufficiently flexible protections to address emerging technologies and scientific evidence while serving the common good by balancing the demands of stakeholders and vested interests. The ubiquitous information and communication technologies (ICT) of today’s pervasive digital services, platforms, and marketplaces require a global governance perspective to address their societal and economic impacts: Harmonize laws and regulations across jurisdictions to protect individuals and assure the trustworthy flow of information across all boundaries—government, organizations, industry sectors, states, and countries. Aim to develop flexible regulatory structures that can quickly adapt to social and scientific realities and technical and economic policy challenges. Use forward-looking, collaborative mechanisms such as experimentation and learning, test-and-evolve, and post-doc effectiveness reviews. Incentivize specific outcomes that facilitate anticipating and adapting to rapid changes. State laws that become inconsistent with future comprehensive federal privacy standards may be preempted, while more stringent laws may remain. At a minimum, citizens' information protection rights should be comparable to those of citizens around the world—both current and future protections that may be established. Current European Council personal information protections include the ability to: be informed of what personal information is held and why access information held by an entity request updating or correcting of information request manual processing in lieu of automated or algorithmic processing request transfer of information to another entity withdraw prior consent to process data or object to specific situation consent request deleting personal information. Personal Information Protection Uniform privacy rights need to protect personal privacy and prevent known harm. Establish uniform information protections for personal and behavioral data that can be linked to an individual or devices. Prevent harmful uses of personal information by all information processors who collect, store, analyze, transfer, sell, etc. Expand the legal definition of “harm” to include physical, monetary, reputational, intangible, future, or other substantial injuries and to provide individuals the right to legal remedy. Assure that personal information collection, use, transfer, and disclosure for economic or societal purposes is consistent with the purpose for which individuals provide their data, and does not cause them harm. Shift the focus of information protection from individual self-management when submitting data (e.g., opt-in, obscure notice, and choice disclosures) to organizational stewardship in protecting individuals’ personal privacy. Expand personal information privacy definition to address rapidly changing information and communication technologies, accelerated networking between businesses, and automated collection and dissemination of data, which together subvert personally identifiable information, de-identification, re-identification, and data anonymization. Electronic Business and Social Media: Cybersecurity Responsibilities Organizations conducting electronic business and social media commercializing personal information both bear the responsibility for protecting information and must be liable for failure to protect individuals from harm. All organizations--including third-party receivers: Must protect individuals’ transferred information across multiple organizations to ensure end-use accountability. Have a duty to safely collect, use, and share personal, sensitive information. Should use comprehensive information risk assessments, take proactive measures to implement information security measures, and be held accountable for fulfilling these risk management obligations. Are held accountable for misuse of personal information by strengthening both state and federal laws, rule-making, and enforcement powers. We support the right of free speech for all. The digital tools of information and communication technology (such as algorithms and artificial intelligence) can selectively distort or amplify user-generated content. The resulting disinformation, digital manipulation, false claims, and/or privacy violations may endanger society or harm others. Compel private internet communication platforms (applications, social media, websites, etc.) to be responsible for moderating content. Define liability for damages and provide for enforcement for failure to moderate content. Privacy and Cybersecurity Today LWVOR Privacy & Cybersecurity Study , PDF, 61 pages Links Many bills passed in final 2023 legislative session days after the 43-day Senate walkout. See our Sine Die Legislative Report for links to our testimony, including references to our work over several sessions and future ongoing effort; all reflect privacy and cybersecurity. Elections SCR 1 : Condemning Election violence. SB 166 : Election Worker Protections. HB 3073 : Candidate and Incumbent Data Privacy Protection. HB 2107 : Automatic Voter Registration expansion. HB 2585 : Oppose ending “Motor Voter” voter registration. HB 5035 : Software, Risk-Limiting Audits and Election Security in the SoS’s Budget. Cybersecurity HB 2049 : Establish the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence. HB 2490 : Defend our cybersecurity plans from Public Disclosure. HB 2806 : update cybersecurity and privacy statute for critical infrastructures, etc. Privacy SB 619 : Protect Consumers’ Personal Data. HB 2052 : Data Broker Registry, First in the Nation. SB 5512 : the Judicial Department budget, for Citizen Participation and Access. HB 3201 : Broadband Assistance. Public Records HB 3111 : State Employees, Volunteers, and Retirees Information Privacy SB 510 : Public Records Advisory Budget. HB 5032 : Public Records Advocate funding. Previous Next

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 1/23 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey 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 Governance By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Campaign Finance Reform Redistricting Election Methods Elections Rights of Incarcerated People Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Transparency Volunteers Needed Campaign Finance Reform There have been no new bills filed and no activity for CFR. Redistricting By Chris Cobey and Norman Turrill The People Not Politicians coalition, in which the LWV of Oregon is a leader, has now decided to circulate only IP 14 (only legislative redistricting) and to begin collecting petition signatures probably in February. Four bills related to redistricting have been filed in the Legislature, detailed in the last LR. Election Methods By Barbara Klein Another Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) bill ( HB 3107 ) is on tap. It is a committee bill sponsored by House Rules and filed at the request of Rep. Julie Fahey, also a sponsor of HB 2004 . It is at the Speaker’s desk, awaiting referral. The description says the bill would establish RCV as the voting method for selecting the winner both for the primary nomination and final election to nonpartisan state offices and county and city offices except where home rule charter applies. It also establishes RCV for primary and general elections for federal and state partisan offices. Important note : This includes state senators and representatives (Sections 2 - 2.d and 3.d). Other than that, it is quite similar to HB 2004 , which is currently in House Rules. Chief sponsors are Rep. Rayfield, Fahey, Reynolds, Marsh, and Sen. Sollman; and regular sponsors are Rep. Pham K, Sen. Dembrow, and Golden. Elections By Tom Messenger SB 499 moves the Presidential Primary to Super Tuesday and eliminates the precinct committee person (PCP) positions (internal political party positions) from the ballot. Status: The bill has been introduced, and Tom Messenger is working on getting a hearing for SB 499 in Senate Rules. This week the LWVOR Action Committee approved bill support. For the bill to have a chance at success, many voices have to be heard supporting the bill. If you would like to be one of those voices, please contact Tom Messenger ( tom_messenger@hotmail.com ) for more information to craft a support letter or make a supporting phone call. If the bill gets a hearing, you can testify in favor of the bill. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley SB 579 , which restores voting rights to incarcerated citizens, appears again this session at the behest of the Oregon Justice Resource Center. The League testified in support at a January 26 hearing in Senate Judiciary. We base our support on the League principle that voting is a fundamental right of citizenship. It is also a recognition that the disenfranchisement of incarcerated individuals is a relic of the Civil War era–a way to withhold power from black citizens. We believe it is time to correct this historic injustice and allow Oregon to join Maine, Vermont, Puerto, and Washington, D.C. in giving incarcerated citizens the right to vote. Cybersecurity, Privacy, and Transparency By Becky Gladstone Overall LWVOR advocacy is already intense with testimony and logo-sharing for numerous bills and collaborations. Read here for the confluence of Cybersecurity, Data Privacy, and Public Records across portfolios. We will watch for public hearings, working on testimony in advance. Data Privacy HB 2052 : We testified in support of an Oregon Data Broker Registry, a priority this session. SB 619 : This detailed consumer data bill, now in Senate Judiciary, addresses many issues we raised in our Privacy and Cybersecurity work , including consumer access to rectify personal data inaccuracies. Sen. Prozanski and Rep. Holvey are sponsors. Senate Judiciary now meets Monday-Thursday, sure to raise other relevant topics. Cybersecurity HB 2049 : This committee cyber omnibus calls for a Cybersecurity Advisory Council, is currently in the Joint Information Management and Technology (JCLIMT) committee. HB 2490 : Exempts cybersecurity plans, devices and systems, etc., from disclosure, in the House Emergency Management, General Governance, and Veterans, sponsors Reps. Nathanson and Neron. Campaign Finance Transparency These campaign finance transparency studies are single paragraph bills, may be placeholders: HB 2106 : From the SoS, in House Rules, to focus on contribution reporting. HB 3104 : From Speaker Fahey, in House Rules, requires the SoS to study how to improve this reporting. SB 170 From the SoS, how to improve the campaign finance system. 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 to connect with us.

Campaign Finance In Oregon An Oregon History of Campaign Finance Reform and the League of Women Voters Recent Campaign Finance History In 2020, the League supported the Legislature’s referred constitutional amendment Measure 107 to voters to allow campaign finance limits. Voters passed it overwhelmingly by over 78%. However, three Legislative sessions passed without implementing a Measure 107 statute. Legislators could not agree on anything that limited their own campaigns; they all are experts on financing their own campaigns and all have a huge conflict of interest. In 2022, the Honest Elections group , including the LWVOR, Common Cause and other good government groups, participated in intense negotiations with unions and Our Oregon, lasting for many months. An agreement was reached on an initiative text; however, the unions backed out of the deal at the last minute. Honest Elections redrafted the proposal together with national experts from the Campaign Legal Center, Common Cause and the League. They then filed initiative petition (IP) 9 in July, 2022, after a long drafting process where IP 8 (a constitutional amendment to stop campaign finance laws impairment), IP 23 (including Democracy Vouchers) and IP 24 (including public matching of small donations) were also filed. Honest Elections settled on IP 9 as the proposal most likely to make the ballot and be adopted by voters. After an eight month ballot title certification process all the way to the Oregon Supreme Court, while Our Oregon did its best to delay the process, the Secretary of State finally approved IP 9 for circulation in May, 2023. The campaign quickly hired petitioners, organized volunteers including the League, and eventually collected some 100,000 signatures. LWVOR policy says that the League only supports ballot measures after ballot qualification, unless it was involved in measure drafting and organizing. Then Our Oregon, sensing IP 9’s potential success, redrafted the originally agreed Honest Elections initiative text (with huge loopholes for unions and other organizations). Our Oregon filed IP 42 , got a ballot title in less than 5 months, hired circulators, and began collecting signatures in January, 2024. At this point, it was clear to some legislators entering the short legislative session, that an expensive ballot battle was brewing between IP 9 and IP 42. Very quickly and historically , some union and business lobbyists got together and drafted a legislative bill. Dexter Johnson, lead Legislative Counsel, quickly drafted an LC bill. The House Rules Committee, Chaired by Rep. Julie Fahey and Vice Chair Rep. Jeffrey Helfrich, stuffed the LC bill as an amendment into HB 4024 , an unused placeholder bill. Two hearings and a work session were quickly held within a few days. The League initially opposed the bill in its -3 amendment form. Intense negotiations ensued behind the scenes between Honest Elections, some legislators, and business and union lobbyists, with the League being supportive but not directly involved. Some 40 changes were made to the 49-page bill before Honest Elections agreed that it was “ good enough ”. Part of the agreement was withdrawal of both IP 9 and IP 42. HB 4024 initially included a referral to November ballots, also removed from the final bill. The House Rules Committee quickly passed HB 4024 to the House floor, rules were suspended, and it passed 52 to 5. The very next day, the Senate Rules Committee quickly and concurrently held a hearing and work session, passing HB 4024 to the Senate floor. The Senate suspended rules, passed the bill 22 to 6, all on the last day of session . The Governor said she would sign it. It is clear that much more work needs to be done to implement HB 4024. Funding must be allocated to the Secretary of State and administrative rules must be written and adopted before the January 2027 effective date. ORESTAR must be reprogrammed for a “dashboard”,advertising disclosure, and “drill down” to see original campaign contribution funding sources. The 2025 long legislative session will undoubtedly want to consider amendments, both good and bad. This work could continue for years, if not decades. Stay tuned! Earlier Campaign Finance History Campaign contribution limits were adopted in 1908 by initiative . Those limits remained in effect until the 1970s when the Legislature repealed them in favor of campaign spending limits, a fad at the time. In 1976, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down campaign spending limits in the famous Buckley v. Valeo court case because they violated the First Amendment. However, the SCOTUS justified contribution limits because of the state’s interest in preventing “corruption and the appearance of corruption spawned by the real or imagined coercive influence of large financial contributions on candidates' positions and on their actions if elected to office." In 1994 Oregon voters again adopted campaign contribution limits by initiative with Measure 9 . They were only in effect for the 1996 election until the Oregon Supreme Court struck them down in 1997 on the basis of free speech in the Oregon Constitution, VanNatta v. Keisling . In 1998, voters approved Measure 62 , a constitutional amendment requiring campaign finance and ad financing disclosures, and allowing the Legislature to regulate signature gathering. The Legislature later prohibited paying petition circulators per signature, among other regulations. In 2000, the League helped draft initiative Measure 6 and supported it with a Voters’ Pamphlet statement., t, to provide public funding to candidates who limited campaign spending and private contributions. It failed on the ballot. Oregon voters again passed contribution limits with initiative Measure 47 in 2006. The companion initiative, constitutional amendment Measure 46 , however, did not pass, so the Measure 47 limits never went into effect. The League did not help draft these measures and later opposed them because Measure 46 required a three-fourths (3/4) legislative vote to amend previously enacted campaign finance laws, or to pass new laws. Measure 47 also required low contributions limits, perhaps unconstitutionally. Later in 2020, when the Oregon Supreme Court rescinded its repeal of campaign contribution limits, the Oregon Attorney General and Secretary of State refused without explanation to allow Measure 47 to go into effect, even though it was still in Oregon Revised Statute. In the early 2020s, the Honest Elections group , including the LWVOR, Common Cause and several other good government groups, succeeded in getting contribution limits adopted for Portland and Multnomah County, with public funding for Portland candidates, with a small donor matching fund.

< Back Revenue 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 Next

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 3/13 By Anne Nesse, Education Portfolio Senate Education held hearings on an educational plan to begin curriculum design for climate change study, within all subjects, grades K-12, available for the entire state. Justice and saving lives was also in the forefront. This curriculum for climate education Bill, SB 854 , was well represented on 3/9 by Co-Sponsors Sen. Patterson, and Sen. Manning. The purpose of this Bill was quite clearly stated: this is about our species survival on a healthy planet, and it represents an important vote. Several members of the Oregon Educators for Climate Education (OECE) were also interviewed that day on the front page of the Oregonian. LWV submitted written testimony in support here . A recording of the hearing includes the introduction of the Bill here by Senators, and OECE members included with student testimony here . There were well over 100 written testimonies in support of this Bill. Senate Education also heard Sen. Campos introduce SB 600 , a $4.8 M Bill to resolve legal problems, like eviction, and domestic violence for low income clients, utilizing mediation. Law students, advisory attorneys, and low income clients testified to the life saving justice this can provide. SB 551 , was introduced on 3/7 in Senate Education, by Sen. Sollman, a bill that hopes to bring some additional education to parents and students on safer gun and medication storage. This information would be placed on the school district’s website, and social media sites, and take effect throughout the state. LWVOR wrote testimony by Marge Easley, here , and I added some virtual testimony, on Oregon statistics from 2022, showing a significantly higher rate of youth suicides, compared to national statistics. Oregon has unusually higher statistics on this kind of data, year after year. The average rate for youth suicide deaths nationally in 2022 was 14.2 youth per 100,000, while Oregon’s youth suicide death rate was much larger at 18.5 youth per 100,000, sourced from americahealthrankings.org , therefore increasing the need for this kind of education on websites, throughout our state. SB 238 was introduced by Sen. Gorsek, asking the Oregon Health Authority, and State Board of Education and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to collaborate on developing curricula supplements related to synthetic opioids dangers, including fentanyl or any substituted derivative of fentanyl, and counterfeit, and fake drugs. This hearing was very emotional, as it began with a family who had lost a son to one dose of fentanyl, hidden within what he thought was a medication that might help his chronic anxiety symptoms. listen here to the overwhelming support this Bill had. Senate Education also heard SB 48 -2, on 3/7, sponsored by Sen. Findley and Rep. Mannix. This Bill will develop a successful process for dealing with chronic truancy in our public schools, now reaching an unfortunate 36.1%. It was agreed by many on the committee that actually enforcing consequences helped the student and the family deal with this problem, as was proven in the past, when a better Oregon law was in place. Also presented by Rep. Mannix was SB 49 , a study Bill to explore funding means throughout the state for competition-size swimming pools at every high school. It was stated that Oregon ranked the 13th highest in the nation for drownings. And testimony was given that we simply were not investing statewide in early swimming education for Oregon children. On 3/6 House Education heard HB 3031 , (identical to SB 414), to assess and study all state school ventilation systems, as well as CO2 monitors, to determine if they meet health standards. It was testified by experts in the state that the end result of this Bill would likely have little fiscal impact, and possibly even a net increase in revenue. The Bill would likely provide career opportunities for installation of HVAC systems, federal funding, look towards reduction of operating costs of schools, decrease energy costs, and eventually have an effect on increasing attendance in schools. Rural contractors can do this, and it is required that workers hired for this purpose will make a living wage. A companion bill, HB 2638 , requires goals for air conditioning, heating, and cooling requirements, with HVAC in all schools statewide, by 2029. Class size in negotiation of contracts with teachers in all districts, statewide HB 2703 , was also discussed in House Education. Currently it was agreed by law that only the Title 1 schools were given special consideration because this was where the highest degree of need was. Morgan Allen, COSA Director, and OSBA Director were opposed, based on making sure the greatest need schools were served first. They both stated, it is always possible for other school districts to include class size as a part of contract negotiation. A number of teachers and OEA supported the Bill. House Education heard several Bills on 3/8. HB 3288 -1 on requiring ODE and school districts to collect data on race, ethnicity, languages, sexual preferences, and disabilities, in standardized manner throughout the state, so that legislative decision making can be improved. HB 3068 allows a student, with parental approval, and has received a certificate for passage of the General Educational Development (GED) exam, who is 16 yrs. old and in grades 11 or 12, to receive a high school diploma. The testimony for this Bill was presented by Tom Holt. It will serve students who know what they want to study in post-secondary education or career goals, allowing them to move out of high school towards their goals. HB 3204 -1 attempts to change the timelines for when a student can receive approval to enroll in a virtual public charter school, not sponsored by the local school district, (and subject to the 3% cap), from several weeks to a shorter timeline. Morgan Allen, from COSA, testified that the deadline of 5 business days, as stated in the law, would be difficult to meet.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 4/21 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Please see Natural Resources Overview here . Jump to a topic: Air Quality Agriculture Bottle Bill Update Budgets/Revenue Climate Columbia River Gorge Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Emergency Services Forestry (ODF) Governance Land Use & Housing Oregon Parks and Rec. Dept. Water Wetlands Wildfire AIR QUALITY SB 726 A requires the owner or operator of a municipal solid waste landfill to conduct surface emissions monitoring and report data as specified in the Act. LWVOR supports. The bill has been referred to the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment AGRICULTURE By Sandra Bishop HJR 22 Would amend the Oregon Constitution to create a County Review Board made up of one representative from each of the 36 counties in Oregon. The County Review Board would meet after every legislative session for the purpose of reviewing all legislative proposals related to land use, natural resources or forestry that passed during the session. If 20 of the 36 county representatives disapproved of a proposal that the legislature had passed that proposal would be null and void. Essentially giving the County Review Board veto power over legislation that passed the scrutiny of the full legislature. The board would be prohibited from reviewing legislative proposals about the budget or taxes and taxation. Introduced on April 15th the bill is was assigned to the Rules Committee. If the bill goes to hearing it is likely that the League would oppose it because of our positions on statewide land use planning. SB 1129 -A requires the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to amend rules on urban reserves, clarifying which lands should be given a lower priority. The -1 amendment was adopted. The bill passed the Senate on April 17th and is on the Speakers’ desk awaiting assignment to a House committee. The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) meeting on March 20th included a public hearing on rulemaking for solar siting in eastern Oregon. The rules are required to implement HB 3409 (2023 session), specifically to reduce conflicts in siting solar projects. The rules will be considered for adoption by July 1st, 2025. The public comment period has been extended to April 30. Proposed rule amendments to the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) Chapter 660 divisions 4, 6, 23, and 33, pertaining to Goal Exceptions, Forest Lands, Goal 5, and Agricultural Lands. Submit comments to: denise.johnson@dlcd.oregon.gov gordon.howard@dlcd.oregon.gov jon.jinings@dlcd.oregon.gov adam.tate@dlcd.oregon.gov BOTTLE BILL UPDATE By Sandra Bishop SB 992 is the omnibus bottle bill. The -3 amendment replaced the original bill, was adopted and the bill passed the Senate 28/1/1 and is on the Speakers’ desk waiting to be assigned to a House committee. This bill is Portland-centric and contains various changes to the bottle redemption centers in Portland to address problems and make it easier for those who return and redeem beverage containers on a daily or near daily basis. It also contains a provision that would allow a winery to refuse to redeem containers of a type or brand they do not sell. The League has not taken a position on the specific changes proposed in SB 992, but has always supported the bottle bill and continues to support the most appropriate, effective, and environmentally sound recycling and recovery of beverage container materials. BUDGETS/REVENUE By Peggy Lynch Following are the budget bills we are watching in Natural Resources: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Meeting Materials Of critical importance is their request for a new IT system—ONE ODA--one of the many IT bonding requests this session. Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Columbia River Gorge Commission: SB 5508 Info mtg. and public hearing March 13. An KGW article explains a potential funding issue since both Oregon and Washington must provide equal funding for the Commission. April 27 is a critical decision date at the Washington legislature. Dept. of Environmental Quality: SB 5520 . Governor’s budget DEQ Fact Sheet Meeting Materials . info mtgs. April 7-9, public hearing April 16. League testimony Oregon Dept. of Energy: SB 5518 info hearing 2/10, Meeting Materials , public hearing 2/11 Oregon Dept. of Energy Fees: SB 5519 info hearing 2/10, public hearing 2/11 Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: HB 5009 , public hearings Mar. 31 & Apr. 1-2; Meeting Materials , Apr. 3 ODFW Hatchery Assessment; See also the April 15 informational meeting on the Private Forest Accord and Aquatic and Invasive Species. Oregon Dept. of Forestry: SB 5521 . info hearing March 10 & 11. Public hearing March 12. Meeting Materials ; See the April 15 informational meeting on the Private Forest Accord. (See the Forestry and Wildfire sections for more information.) Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: HB 5010 Public hearing Feb. 5-6; Meeting materials LWVOR testimony Aggregate industry testified against the staffing and fee increases. LWVOR points out that KPM #4 , mine inspections has consistently NOT met the small 20% target so, if staffing is needed to meet that target AND fees increased to pay for them, we will continue to support. LWVOR supports SB 836 , a bill that would significantly increase permit fees for mining related activities. See the agency’s presentation to understand the reasons for these increases. On March 25 the bill was moved to Senate Rules without recommendation. A performance audit was prepared. The League awaits the results. The League will continue to be involved in SB 836 because we need DOGAMI staff to do more than 14% inspections of mining operations. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: SB 5528 Governor’s budget DLCD Fact Sheet Public hearing Feb. 3-4; LCDC 1/24 presentation ; Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony Land Use Board of Appeals: SB 5529 Public hearing Feb. 27 LWVOR testimony . SB 817 is a bill to request a minor fee increase. It has passed the Senate. A public hearing is set on April 23 in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water . Oregon State Marine Board: HB 5021 Public hearing Feb. 17 Meeting Materials See also the April 15 informational meeting on Aquatic and Invasive Species. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.: HB 5026 info hearings March 3-4, public hearing March 5. Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony in part to address comments by the Legislative Fiscal Office. Dept. of State Lands: SB 5539 Info hearing March 17. public hearing March 19. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony in support. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources will have an informational meeting on the Elliott State Research Forest on April 22 . Water Resources Dept.: SB 5543 Governor’s budget WRD Fact Sheet Here is a summary of the Governor’s budget. Governor's Budget and Agency Request Budget documents are available online here . Info Mtg. & Public hearing Feb. 18-20. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony . And the fee bills: support HB 2808 (Bill moved to Ways and Means) and support HB 2803 (The - 3 amendment was adopted, reducing the fees significantly which will cause the department a revenue shortfall should the amendment stand the scrutiny of Ways and Means where it now lies.) Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: HB 5039 . Info mtg. & P ublic hearing Feb. 25-27 LWVOR testimony . Meeting Materials Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 6-Year Limitation: HB 5040 (Limits expenditures of lottery funds from the Watershed Conservation Grant Fund for local grant expenditures by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a six-year period beginning July 1, 2025.) Info mtg. & P ublic hearing Feb. 25-26 Oregon Business Development Dept.: HB 5024 Info mtgs. 3/12, 13 & 17. Public Hearing 3/18. Additional informational meetings: Held April 7 and Scheduled April 22. Oregon Dept. of Emergency Management: SB 5517 info hearing 4/7&8. Public hearing 4/09; Office of the Governor: SB 5523 Oregon State Fire Marshal: SB 5538 info hearing 2/19, public hearing 2/20. Dept. of Transportation: SB 5541 info hearing 3/03-6, public hearing 3/11. Here is an article from oregonlive reporting on the potential 2025 transportation package with proposed revenue sources. The League signed on to a letter in support of increased transit funding. Dept. of Administrative Services: HB 5002 info hearings 3/03-5, public hearing 3/06. Meeting Materials Legislative Administration Committee, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Counsel Committee, Legislative Fiscal Officer, Legislative Revenue Officer, Commission on Indian Services and Legislative Policy and Research Committee: HB 5016 Lottery Bonds: SB 5531 : an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium. Public hearing May 2. Emergency Board: HB 5006 This bill will be to vehicle to accept testimony from the public during six community meetings around the state ending April 25 on the public’s priorities for the 2025-27 budget. It will be populated with an amount for the Emergency Board to spend at will and amounts in Special Purpose Appropriations if needed when the legislature is not in session. General Obligation Bonds, etc.: SB 5505 : an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium. Public hearing held April 18. Second public hearing, this time on university and community college requests, will be held May 2. Six-Year Limitation/Bonds: SB 5506 (Limits for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2025, payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by various state agencies for capital construction.) CLIMATE By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE COMMISSION The League has been a supporter of the Commission since its inception. League members have served on the Commission. A shared responsibility between the states of Washington and Oregon, this year a Washington House of Representatives member is considering defunding the Commission. Funding must be equal between the two states. This KGW article explains the issue. April 27 is a critical decision date at the Washington legislature. DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch The League supports SB 830 , a bill that m odifies provisions of the on-site septic system loan program to allow for grants. It also allows for the program to consider mobile home parks in need of septic upgrades. The bill p assed the full Senate unanimously. A public hearing was held April 17 in the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment . The League then shared with each committee member our testimony in support of HB 2168 , a bill that would fund this grant and loan program. Here is the Onsite Wastewater Management Program 2025 Rulemaking webpage . Because of the League’s work on SB 391 (2021) and additional bills in 2023, a League member served on the rules advisory committee to address sewer availability and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) issues. On Feb. 26 the advisory committee approved the Fiscal Impact Statement. A public comment period is expected in May. You are welcome to Sign up for email updates about this rulemaking via GovDelivery . The League again served on an annual rulemaking advisory committee on water quality fee increases. A meeting was held on Feb. 25th where the committee agreed to forward their recommendation for the allowed annual 3% fee increase to the DEQ Director. To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee you can view the rulemaking web page at: Water Quality Fees 2025 . ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST (ESRF) SB 147 clarifies the management of the ESRF into the hands of the Dept. of State Lands and sets up a separate fund account for monies received to manage the forest. The - 3 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources will have an informational meeting on the ESRF on April 22 . EMERGENCY SERVICES By Rebecca Gladstone The League spoke and filed testimony on HB 2581 in support of a statute change, substituting the word “seismic” with “hazards”, to coordinate coverage efforts through the State Resiliency Officer. The bill passed in the Senate, 27 for, one against, two excused and the bill now goes to the Governor for her signature. FORESTRY (ODF) By Josie Koehne The League provided testimony in support of HB 3489 , a timber severance tax bill that would help fund ODF, provide funding for wildfires and monies that would go to counties where timber is harvested. A public hearing is scheduled for April 24. The Board of Forestry April 23rd mtg. agenda is focused on a process for selecting a new State Forester. The Board wants to address their current role as appointee. However, they are aware of the Governor’s bill in the legislature. The League will continue to follow SB 1051 , assigned to the Senate Rules Committee which transfers the authority to appoint a State Forester from the State Board of Forestry to the Governor. A public hearing was held March 24. Because the bill is in Senate Rules, there is no current deadline for action on the bill. See also the Wildfire section of this report below and the separate Climate section. GOVERNANCE The League continues to follow the bills listed on the March 17 agenda of the Senate Committee On Rules since some of the bills relate to the process of rulemaking. After legislation is passed, agencies are required to implement those laws. That action often requires rulemaking to clarify the details around that implementation. But the League is concerned when legislators “get a second bite at the apple” by relitigating the legislation when rulemaking is only meant to implement, not change policies or facilitate an agency’s mission. Separately, the League was invited to a conversation among state agency rules staff on addressing concerns of the Governor and in an attempt to standardize the process statewide. The Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies : This document includes questions received from agencies since the Governor’s letter. This document includes additional resources for agencies including direction to post updates to the Transparency site, a website template that agencies can use (if they choose) to develop their pages, and links to other comprehensive agency rule making sites to review. There is a broader discussion to increase transparency and consistency in the state agencies’ rulemaking process. A second meeting related to the state agency rules process is set for June with an invitation to the League to continue to participate. We continue to watch a series of bills related to rulemaking which we might oppose: HB 2255 , HB 2303 , HB 2402 and HB 2427 . We are also concerned with HB 3382 , since the requirements of the Secretary of State to gather ALL the state agencies’ rulemaking, including all materials would be overwhelming. Individual state agencies provide that information on their rulemaking websites. We may sign on to a letter explaining our concerns to legislative leadership. Because the League is often engaged in rulemaking, we regularly comment on legislation that would affect changes in Oregon’s current Administrative Rules. We have provided testimony in opposition to HB 2692 , a bill that would create complicated and burdensome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures . LAND USE & HOUSING By Sandra Bishop/Peggy Lynch HB 2647 passed out of committee with the -3 amendment to allow the city of Monmouth a land swap to remove and replace land to its Urban Growth Boundary. It now heads to the House floor for a vote. HB 3921 is a similar bill in that it would allow by law land swaps for City of Roseburg/Douglas County per this preliminary staff analysis . The bill passed out of committee and heads to the House floor for a vote. The League provided testimony in support of HB 3939 , a bill that provides a list of infrastructure projects to fund for smaller Oregon cities so they can build more housing. We have also supported HB 3031 A (already sitting in Ways and Means) but know there might be limited dollars this session so called out that link in our letter. The -1 amendment to HB 3939 was adopted and the bill moved to Ways and Means. HB 2316 : Allows designation of Home Start Lands to be used for housing. These lands are currently a variety of state-owned lands scattered around the state. The -4 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Revenue with a subsequent referral to Ways and Means. HB 2316 -4 frees up approximately 3,500 acres of state land of which can now be used for housing production, all within the urban growth boundaries. It provides revenue to the state from the sale of the land, and it also provides revenue to our cities because the land becomes taxable for property taxes five years after purchase. HB 3757 is having an “informational meeting” on April 21st in the House Committee On Housing and Homelessness . The bill is, we believe, dead, but there must have been some interest by the committee to learn more about the proposal to allow four additional housing units on rural lands. This could be a precursor for a bill to be considered in the 2026 session. See also the Agriculture section above and the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. OREGON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT. OPRD is working on a Land Disposition Policy, which they have never really had. This started out as a means to “reducing expenses,” but is turning into something much better, a properly worded policy document that hopefully gives OPRD another tool without encouraging giveaways. It is meant to be a part of, and to mirror, the existing policy on acquisitions. The Parks Commission is adopting the new policy at their meeting April 23rd. Comments to : matt.rippee@oregon.gov WATER By Peggy Lynch Oregon's Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) provides a statewide inter-agency framework for better understanding and meeting Oregon's instream and out-of-stream water needs. Oregon's Water Resources Commission adopted the first IWRS in 2012 and the second in 2017. A League member served on the Policy Advisory Group for each. Oregon Revised Statute (536.220) was updated in 2023 to requires that the IWRS is updated every 8 years.  Draft 2 is now available for Public Review and Comment. Please submit your written comments to WRD_DL_waterstrategy@water.oregon.gov on or before May 7, 2025 . The State released Draft 1 of the 2024 IWRS in March 2024. Draft 2, now called the 2025 IWRS, incorporates input from public comment and includes the addition of state agency action priorities. These priorities were identified by leadership from six agencies in collaboration with the Governor’s Office: The Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Land Conservation and Development, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and the Water Resources Department. Here is the IWRS website . Bills we are following: Water Rights Process Improvements ( HB 3342 ) . A - 4 amendment was adopted and the bill now goes to the House floor for a vote. Harney Basin Groundwater Management ( HB 3800 ). A work session was held and the bill was sent to House Rules without recommendation as to passage. Water Rights and Public Interest ( HB 3501 ) A work session was held and the bill was referred to House Rules without recommendation as to passage on a 6 to 3 vote. HB 3525 is related to tenants’ right to well water testing. The League submitted testimony in support. The -6 amendment was adopted and the bill was moved to House Rules without recommendation for further discussion. HB 3364 makes changes to the grants programs at the Water Resources Dept. The - 4 amendment was adopted. The bill passed the House floor and awaits scheduling in the Senate. LWV Deschutes County submitted a letter in support of SB 427 , a water rights transfer bill meant to protect instream water flows. Possible work session scheduled for April 8. SB 1153 , an alternate bill provided with help from the Governor’s office, may have more of a chance of passage. It had a public hearing on March 25 with a work session April 8. These bills were moved to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage to allow for further conversation. SB 1154 was amended by the -1 amendment and sent to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage in a 4 to 1 vote. An article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle explains the bill and its controversy. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. The good news is currently Oregon is NOT in drought! However, the latest long-term forecast is for a hot (90 deg) May and a hot (100 deg) June! 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. As the weather gets warmer and more people and animals visit Oregon’s water bodies, it is important to watch for potentially deadly algal blooms. WETLANDS A new Rulemaking Advisory Committee has been formed related to Permitting and Mitigation in Oregon's Wetlands and Waters. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers Below is the status of a variety of wildfire bills. OPB provides a look at the formerly urgent wildfire funding proposals that now are taking a back seat with other funding needs rising to the top. SB 1177 is before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. This bill would establish the Oregon Wildfire Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and redirect the “kicker” to it, one- time, for financing wildfire related expenses, by using the interest earned. A 5% return would yield approximately $170-180 million per year, about half of what is expected to be the average ongoing cost per year of funding wildfire mitigation. SJR 11 is also before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue and would dedicate a fixed, to-be-determined percentage of net proceeds of the State Lottery to a wildfire fund created by the Legislature. Its passage would mean an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which would have to go to the voters for approval. HB 3666 had a Work Session before the House Committee on Judiciary. This bill would establish wildfire mitigation actions and an accompanying certification for electric utilities in an attempt to standardize their approach. It was referred to the Rules Committee. SB 83 would, once again, repeal the State Wildfire Hazard map. This would result in many changes to current statutes, since references to the map would have to be removed, and would have far reaching consequences including establishing standards for building codes and defensible space which can be adopted by municipalities, changing the definition and mapping of the wildland urban interface, and many other areas. The -9 Amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. This article from The Statesman Journal offers further insights. SB 85 , with the -2 Amendment adopted, passed the Senate and now goes to the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment. This bill directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a neighborhood protection cooperative grant program to help communities collectively reduce their wildfire risk. The League supports this bill as an extension of the work done in previous sessions. HB 3940 , the omnibus wildfire funding bill, passed out of committee after adopting the -1 amendment without recommendation as to passage and was referred to House Revenue by prior reference. SB 75 A , which defines “high wildfire hazard area for purposes of developing an accessory dwelling unit on lands zoned rural residential, or a replacement building on lands zoned for resource uses, has been assigned to the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment HB 3489 Imposes a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland. The Legislative Revenue Office will begin its hearing April 24th by providing a staff report on the legislation. The League has supported a severance tax in past sessions and plans to provide testimony on April 24th . Bills we are watching: Senate Bill 1051 , Governor Kotek is seeking the authority to choose the next State Forester. The Board of Forestry will begin the recruitment process at its April 23rd Board meeting. SB 926 would prohibit the recovery of certain costs and expenses from customers that an electric company incurs as a result of allegations of a wildfire resulting from the negligence or fault on the part of the electric company. The -3 amendment was adopted and the bill in a 4-2 vote was passed to the Senate floor. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. 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. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Governance , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 4/3 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop 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 Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Climate Coastal Issues Land Use/Housing Elliott State Research Forest Recycling Toxics Water Wildfire Natural Resources By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team The next policy bill deadlines are May 5 where bills in the second chamber must have a work session scheduled or the bill is dead. May 19 is when a bill must have completed its work session in its second chamber, or it is dead. Of course, the exceptions still apply: sending to Rules, Revenue, or a Joint Committee keeps the bill alive. The number of bills moved to Rules in each chamber seems extraordinary, most without recommendation from the originating policy committee. Budgets/Revenue On March 30, the League provided testimony with comments on the Dept. of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) budget ( HB 5018 ). The Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) budget ( HB 5043 ) was heard April 4-6, with public testimony on the 6th. The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) budget ( SB 5539 & SB 5540 ) is scheduled for April 12 and 13 with public testimony on the 13 th . Expect agency budgets for small agencies to see Work Sessions next: Marine Board, LUBA, Columbia River Gorge Commission (Washington State legislative session ends April 23 and the Oregon budget allocation needs to match equal funding for the Gorge Commission.). The JW&Ms Capital Construction met April 7 with an agenda that included HB 5046 , the Continuing Resolution bill that allows budgets adopted by the end of session (June 25) to begin being spent as of July 1! Public Universities and Community Colleges also presented their Capital Projects requests and there was another hearing on HB 5006 . A series of public meetings will provide Oregonians with an opportunity to share their priorities for the state budget and HB 5006 , Emergency Board funding and other funding for 2023-25. A virtual public meeting session has been added for Friday, May 5, 5-7 p.m. All oral and written testimony will become part of the legislative record and made publicly available on the Oregon State Legislature website. Plan on no more than 2 minutes each! We await the May 17 Revenue Forecast that will be the guide for the final balanced budgets for 2023-25. The League was disappointed that HB 3349 , with the - 3 amendment , was passed to Ways and Means. The amendment would provide $300,000 each to eight different entities to create “navigators” to help access federal funding. We believe that there are better uses for the $2.4 million in the Higher Education budget. 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 HB 3382 is a serious threat to our coastal planning and could reduce or remove the opportunity for coastal NOAA grants in the future. LWVOR is working with partners to explain the harm this bill would cause. We need your voices to tell your legislators to Just Say NO! The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) is considering the adoption of amendments to Part Three of the Oregon Territorial Sea Plan (TSP), the Rocky Habitat Management Strategy. A draft of the proposed rules is available on DLCD’s website. LCDC is scheduled to consider adoption of the new amendments during their April 20-21 meeting. Please contact Casaria Taylor, Casaria.taylor@dlcd.oregon.gov for further information. Address written comments to the Chair LCDC, care of Casaria Taylor via email. If you have questions, contact Andy Lanier at 503-206-2291, or email: Andy.Lanier@dlcd.oregon.gov . The agenda for LCDC’s April 20 meeting will be available on DLCD’s website . LWVOR has supported this work and may provide testimony before LCDC in April. Two years ago, the Oregon Legislature made a $1.9 million investment to fund research to help understand our changing ocean. Now, you can hear research progress and findings funded by House Bill 3114 at a free event in Newport on Friday, April 14. Space is limited and registration is required . The first Oregon Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia (OAH) Symposium runs 8:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. at the Hatfield Marine Science Center auditorium, 2030 SE Marine Science Dr. The passage of HB 3114 was an historic Oregon first in the fight against OAH and showed Oregon leaders' awareness of the importance of healthy oceans. LWVOR supported HB 3114 (2021) and have requested that monies not yet spent in this biennium be rolled over for 2023-25. Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch DEQ will host a community brainstorming session from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. on April 12 to discuss the recently announced U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant opportunity for Wildfire Smoke Preparedness in Community Buildings. An EPA information session related to this funding opportunity is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. PDT on April 10. More information about this funding opportunity and where to register for the EPA’s information session. The goal of this funding opportunity is to improve public health protection against smoke from wildfires by enhancing preparedness in community buildings. Dept. Of Geology And Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) By Peggy Lynch The League follows this agency and supported SB 222 , a simple bill to allow (not require) that permittees could pay their permit application fees with a credit card—but would have to pay the card fee also. On April 5, the bill was voted on in the Senate chamber. When the vote was 15-14, Sen. Prozanski changed his vote to Nay so he could have the bill reconsidered when Sen. Sollman returned to the Capitol. She was in Hillsboro visiting the U.S. Commerce Secretary as a leader on the semiconductor issue. With Sen. Gorsek out recovering from heart surgery, any contentious bill that one party determines they want to try to kill risks jeopardy. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch The ESRF website notes a next prospective Board meeting on April 10. Part of the meeting will discuss the financial viability modeling which is of interest to the League. Here is the agenda for the noon-4p zoom meeting. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch The League provided testimony in opposition to SB 1051 with the -2 amendment , a bill to allow a property owner to request an Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion of up to 200 acres outside of the current UGB process. The bill died in committee. HB 3414 with the -4 amendment was adopted to create a new Housing Accountability and Production Office in DLCD and also includes a Section 2 related to processing 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 was moved without recommendation as to passage, referred to House Rules, and then to Ways and Means. SB 70 had a public hearing on Feb. 8 where the League provided testimony in opposition. The -1 amendment was adopted and the bill was moved without recommendation as to passage to Senate Rules. LWVOR still opposes it. The League was alerted to SB 1087 – a bill to allow restaurants, 25-car parking lots, and 5,000-square-foot seating areas on land designated for exclusive farm use (EFU land). It sets standards for the establishment of farm cafes on lands in Lane County zoned for exclusive farm use. It requires the Oregon Health Authority to review the land use compatibility statement before licensing a farm cafe. The bill also authorizes OHA to revoke, deny or suspend licenses upon certain violations of land use conditions. The bill had a hearing on April 6 in Senate Rules. The League is concerned with the precedent that would be set by allowing this activity in Lane County as other counties could ask for the same use on their EFU lands in the future. There are a number of bills related to siting solar in Oregon. HB 3179 with the -4 amendment passed out of committee to the House chamber. HB 3181 , a task force with specific members, with the -1 amendment , passed out of committee to Ways and Means. The measure appropriates $500,000 General Fund to ODOE and $2 million General Fund to DLCD, to provide financial and technical assistance; and also has blank General Fund appropriations for both agencies. DLCD and the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) are collaborating on a project to upgrade Oregon’s natural hazards risk assessment . The risk assessment provides the factual foundation for establishing mitigation goals and identifying and making strategic investments to reduce risks from natural hazard events throughout the state. DLCD and OEM have established a Risk Assessment Work Group to complete the project. The Work Group will meet next on April 11, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Register here , registration required. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Reduce/Recycle By Kathy Moyd/Greg Martin SB 543 passed the Senate on April 3. The bill would prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sales of prepared food. SB 542-7 , the Right to Repair bill, passed out of Committee to the Senate floor on April 4. The House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee heard favorable testimony on SB 545A from Sen. Sollman and environmental witnesses on April 5. The Senate engrossed bill greatly simplifies the original bill, removing the detailed prescription of what the OHA rules must contain. The amended bill simply requires OHA to "adopt rules allowing for a restaurant to allow a consumer to fill a consumer-owned container with food." It also gives OHA an additional 6 months to adopt the rules (by June 30, 2024). ODA was removed from the rulemaking mandate since the department adopted changes to the Retail Food Code in February. The League provided testimony in support when it was heard in the Senate. DEQ will hold the fifth Recycling Modernization Act Rulemaking Advisory Committee meeting from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on April 11. DEQ will present the draft local government and producer responsibility organization obligation rules, the draft fiscal and racial equity statements, and will provide follow-up information regarding the topics presented during the previous meeting. To attend the meeting please register via Zoom . To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee, view the rulemaking web page at: Recycling Updates 2023 . Toxics By Paula Grisafi HB 3043 heads to Senate Energy and Environment, as its second chamber, having passed the House. SB 546 (toxic free cosmetics) passed out of committee unanimously after adoption of the -7 amendment and 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 (toxic free schools) moved out of committee with the -2 amendment and was sent to W&Ms without clarity on the fiscal impact. Water By Peggy Lynch A major water bill, HB 3124 , was moved to House Rules without recommendation as to passage. The bill is a $250 million Drought Relief and Water Scarcity package and includes some of the other bills we’ve seen this session. View the committee presentation here and Drought Relief and Water Security Slides and comprehensive explanations: Bipartisan Drought Relief and Water Security Package (BiDRAWS) . The League may engage with the bill and its various elements now that it is in House Rules. It will also need to be sent to W&Ms when the elements of the bill are agreed to by the Rules Committee. Other water bills that had action by April 4. HB 3207 , a bill that would require reporting to DEQ the results of well water tests during a real estate transaction, had a contentious hearing between DEQ and those wanting to have the data accessed by DEQ and the laboratory businesses who do the actual testing. A -2 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to W&Ms where more clarity on the process may require further amendments. DEQ estimates that implementation of this measure will cost $306,554 in the 23-25 biennium. The League supported the bill and hopes it will pass the legislature so DEQ can access this data and determine if there are areas of the state in need of groundwater protection. HB 3163 with the -2 amendment , to renew 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 over last year to help develop program sideboards and provided testimony in support. HB 2238 would have authorized rulemaking to consider an increase in fees for the removal/fill program. The League supported the original bill. Instead the bill was amended and now just clarifies what DSL can do with personal belongings when they cleanup sites on their property. The League is disappointed. EPA announces $8,473,000 investment for water infrastructure upgrades in Oregon. The money is allocated to the Clean Water State Revolving Funds . In Oregon, that fund is housed at DEQ. 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. California is looking better, but Oregon continues to have concerns. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations for the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant and Deschutes. Wasco County has also requested a drought declaration. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers A work session was held April 3 on SB 80-4 , meant to improve and build on various components of SB 762, the original sweeping wildfire legislation passed in 2021. Primary issues in this bill include a focus on needed enhancements to the Statewide Wildfire Risk map, changing its name to Hazard Map, and the number of named risk zones, and the process by which it is to be completed. One major complaint with the previous map, and a large part of what led to its withdrawal shortly after release, was that it lacked public input. Initial input this time around will be coordinated with local partners, including counties, relevant state agencies, and the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council. In addition, before the final map is released there will be a public comment period. The intent is to improve the local level map accuracy by seeking said input, where it is supported by data and science. Other bill components deal with wildland urban interface (WUI) definition and direct the State Fire Marshal’s office to establish defensible space requirements in extreme and high risk zones of the WUI, establishes various funding mechanisms for defensible space in high and extreme risk zones, and a long list of other community level risk reduction and home hardening tools and programs. It was adopted and moved to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. LWVOR provided testimony in support of SB 80 with amendments. SB 872-4 was also adopted and sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation, instructing the State Forestry Department to endeavor to partner with federal agencies to undertake certain activities in federal forests related to fire prevention and requesting that federal agencies fund activities. 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 All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 2/6 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 Climate Emergency Priorities Other CE Bills Clean Energy Oregon Economic Analysis Oregon Treasury Climate Related Lawsuits: Oregon and… State, Regional, National, and Global CE News Local League Climate Updates National Governments Volunteers Needed Note: Members of the public are invited to join an upcoming workshop series hosted by the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). “DLCD is pleased to announce six workshops in western Oregon where the public will be invited to share how climate change is affecting their quality of life.” Events happening throughout March. Register online . Climate Emergency Priorities The League has identified six priority CE policy and budget topics. Find in previous LR reports additional background on each priority. Following are updates on those six topics: 1. Natural and Working Lands : Establishes Natural and Working Lands (NWL) Fund, carbon sequestration opportunities…: Natural Climate Solutions SB 530 . Public Hearing is Scheduled 2/15/23 in SEN E&E . Josie Koehne is the CE team member leading this effort. Please see recent 2/6 LWVOR Action NWL Alert . 2. Resilient Buildings (RB): Refer to the adopted Legislative Joint Task Force on Resilient Efficient Buildings (REB) Dec 13 Report . It’s likely these will be posted to OLIS in mid Feb. by Senator Lieber and Rep Marsh. The League is an active RB coalition partner. BR campaign guiding principles . Oregon RB in the news , here. and here . A big welcome to Arlene Sherrett, a new League and new CE team member; she will focus on REB, and Transportation portfolios. 3. Environmental Justice (EJ): 2023 Leg bills are still being posted, which address (support or oppose) new or on-going EJ topics. Find DEQ EJ work: Performance Partnership Agreement : Oregon Department of Environmental Qualityand U.S. EPA Region 10 Performance Partnership Agreement . In the news: ‘Farmworker advocate legislative priorities include language access’ | Statesman Journal. The League is following this topic and likely will support. A conversation with Robert Bullard, ‘ father of environmental justice’ » Yale Climate Connections 4. Oregon Climate Action Commission (currently Oregon Global Warming Commission): Roadmap , SB 522 , will change "Oregon Global Warming Commission" to "Oregon Climate Action Commission" and modify membership and duties of commission and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets/goals. Find more about this Bill in Clean Energy LR below. 5. Other Governor Climate / Carbon Policy Topics: See 20-04 Executive Order topics . This area includes other GHG emission mitigation/ reductions and new clean renewable energy (DOE), OHA public health, and DOT Dept of Transportation policy and funding bills. 6. CE related total 2023-2025 biennium budget: The governor’s budget * was published Jan 31; Kotek’s budget priorities . A main funding problem concerns how the favorable ending current period balance, estimated to be >$765M, can be used. It will take a 3/5 vote to pass this proposed change. ‘Kotek proposes spending $765M from reserves on homeless , other crises’| Statesman Journal. It’s unclear at this point if the estimated >$100M in CE related state agency POPs and new Legislative funding (* budget items will come from over 22 state agencies including 14 NR agencies, OHA, DAS, ODOT, ODOE, etc.) is reflected in Governor Kotek’s new 1/31 Budget. More specifics next week. It is expected some portion of the agency funding requests are specifically related to addressing multiple federal grant opportunities . (see Congressional major new funding since 2020: IIJA, IRA, Chips and what’s left in the ARPA and Dec 2022 Omnibus compromise) Other CE Bills By Claudia Keith The League may support or just follow these bills. (This is a preliminary list; a number of bills are not yet posted to OLIS.) Natural Working Lands: See Rep Pham’s urban forestry bill, HB 3016 , Rep Holvey’s severance tax bill, HB 3025 to replace the harvest tax, and ODF’s Regular Harvest tax bill, HB 2087 . SB 88 climate smart Ag increases net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands. Requested: Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery. See Keep Oregon Cool, Natural Working Lands. Fossil Fuel (FF) Divestment: HB 2601 Oregon FF Divestment … Requires State Treasurer to address the urgency and risk associated with Fossil Fuel energy investments. Chief Sponsors: Rep Pham K, Senator Golden, Rep Gamba. Green Infrastructure: HB 3016 community green infrastructure, Rep Pham K, Senator Dembrow, Rep Gamba. Public & Green Banking: SB501 Bank of the state of Oregon Sen Golden. HB 2763 Create a State public bank Task Force, Rep Gamba, Sen Golden, Rep Walters. Interstate 5 Bridge Legislation: Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) factsheet ODOT and WDOT . 12 Things the Oregon Legislature Should Know About IBRP - Just Crossing Alliance. It is likely policy and or just funding bills will be heard and likely moved by this IBRP Legislative Joint Committee . The goal: ‘Replacing the aging Interstate Bridge with a modern, earthquake resilient, multimodal structure is a high priority for Oregon and Washington…. ‘. We welcome Liz Steward (LWVPDX) who has agreed to be a League Observer on the topic. Clean Energy By Kathy Moyd Activity Last Week and Next Week. We did not provide testimony for any bills. HB 2530 Renewable Hydrogen The House Climate, Energy, and Environment Committee (HCEE) held a public hearing February 6 on HB 2530, which as introduced would require the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to convene a work group to "examine, evaluate and develop statewide strategies to accelerate the development of a state renewable hydrogen industry and related infrastructure, technologies and end uses." Testimony focused on a -1 amendment that would replace the entire original bill with just the proposed definitions of "renewable" and "green electrolytic" hydrogen for purposes of future legislation. The definitions are based on existing statutory language in CA and WA to promote regional consistency. The League opted not to provide testimony because the amendment had not been posted. The reason given for eliminating the rest of the bill was that generation and use of hydrogen should be included in the bill in development dealing with the energy use in the state, not stand-alone. We will start working on testimony for that bill as soon as text is available. No testimony is planned for next week. Oregon Economic Analysis By Claudia Keith The next Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast is scheduled for Feb 22. It is unclear how the congressional debt ceiling issue, security market volatility, inflation – Fed/banking issues and other global risks will develop. The last State of Oregon quarterly forecast assumed a likely mild recession in 2023. Oregon Bond rating continues to be above average. The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis has never conformed to what is now recommended in the SEC Climate Risk disclosure rule. SEC Plans to Finalize See supportive LWVOR-initiated LWVUS Testimony , June 2022. Oregon Treasury By Claudia Keith It is unclear how Oregon Treasury / Treasurer Tobias will assist with addressing the $20B Federal IRA funds which are contingent on formation of an Oregon Green Bank. ‘'Green Banks,' Poised for Billions in Climate Funds , Draw States' Attention | The Pew Charitable Trusts. Related, The start of America’s infrastructure decade: How macroeconomic factors may shape local strategies | Brookings. Additionally, the SEC new Climate risk guidelines will affect investing and reporting decisions. Perhaps a temporary reprieve, ‘Pushback On The SEC’s Proposed Climate Risk Disclosure Rules Is A Good Sign ‘ | Forbes. Corporate Boards Are Ramping Up These Sustainability Priorities | Bloomberg. SEC’s Gensler weighs scaling back climate rule as lawsuits loom - POLITICO It's concerning to the League how these major issues will affect Oregon’s economy. Climate Related Lawsuits: Oregon and… By Claudia Keith Numerous lawsuits are challenging Oregon’s DEQ CPP regulations. Here is one example of how to track them. Basically, there are a number of active state and federal lawsuits , (Feb 2023 update) some of which could assist in meeting Oregon's Net Zero GHG Emissions before 2050 targets and other lawsuits which challenge current Oregon DEQ CPP policy, which would limit the use of fossil fuels, including diesel, natural gas, and propane over time. Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 60 lawsuits with OREGON mentioned. News: How the Supreme Court could finally force Big Oil to face trial | Grist State, Regional, National, and Global CE News By Claudia Keith The Real Obstacle to Nuclear Power - The Atlantic. Eugene becomes first Oregon city to ban natural gas hookups | Energy News Network. A Portland high school student has Oregon governor’s ear on environmental justice - oregonlive.com The Oregon Lab Where Scientists Are Riding the Waves to a Brighter Future - Atlas Obscura. Farmers, gardeners collaborate on dry farming in Oregon – OPB. Oregon could give consumers right to repair phones, computers | Statesman Journal. Fighting climate change was costly. Now it’s profitable . - The Atlantic. Opinion | Greta Thunberg: ‘ The World Is Getting More Grim by the Day ’ - The New York Times. How the EPA values human lives lost to climate change | NPR. Vice President Kamala Harris talks about climate change at Georgia Tech – UPI. Renewables are on track to satiate the world's appetite for electricity - The Washington Post. Biden takes victory lap on climate bill in State of the Union | The Hill and E&E. Busting three myths about materials and renewable energy | MIT Technology Review Local League Climate Updates By Claudia Keith Request to Local Leagues; please let us know your climate, resilience, or sustainability advocacy actions. Each city and county in Oregon should have a Climate and or Resiliency Plan. Only these Oregon 14 cities have CAPs. Over 2300 countries, cities, counties have pledged ‘ Climate emergency declarations ’ in 2,318 jurisdictions and local governments cover 1 billion citizens - Climate Emergency Declaration…. National Governments 18 national governments and the EU have declared a climate emergency. The EU is counted as one jurisdiction in the ‘jurisdictions total’ but has not been included in the country count.’ Volunteers Needed By Claudia Keith Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy and law areas: Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture/ODA Climate Related Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust 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 We collaborate with Natural Resource Action members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: The 2023 legislative session began Jan 17. If any area of Climate Emergency interests you, please contact Claudia Keith , CE Coordinator. Orientation to Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Interim Week 6/10 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • 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: Healthcare Housing Implementation of Oregon Drug Intervention Plan Higher Education Summer School Pre-K-12 Education Healthcare By Christa Danielson On May 29th the Senate interim Committee on Health Care met during legislative days. Of interest is the ongoing concern about the rising cost of health care. After the meeting, the chair of the committee, Senator Deb Patterson (D-SALEM) said that “We need to empower Oregon employers and consumers to demand more transparency and better results from our health care system.” During the session the committee heard from Chris Whaley (Associate Professor, Brown University) whose research found a strong correlation between rising prices and industry consolidation. Also Piper Block (Research and Data Manager) from OHA reported on costs of procedures in different hospitals and the tremendous variation in payments. Increased transparency would help policymakers to better understand the challenges with rising health care costs. Expect more of these types of discussions to follow both nationally and in Oregon as we anticipate there will be bills that examine corporate and equity takeover of the practice of medicine and bills to strengthen reporting by pharmacy benefit managers along with other bills that follow these themes. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Senate and House Committees on housing held informational meetings on topics of interest and invited the agency speakers below to present their programs in advance of next year’s Legislative session. The Senate Interim Committee on Housing and Development met on May 30, 2024. The following topics were presented: Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) Affordable Housing Preservation Strategy Framework Task Force on Homelessness and Racial Disparities Report (SB 893 – 2023) Modular Housing Grant Fund Updates Oregon Health Authority Air Conditioners and Air Filtration Program Future Generations Collaborative Land Donation for Affordable Housing The House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness met on May 30, and the programs below were discussed. Governor Kotek Policy Updates: Homelessness Response and Housing Production Frameworks Oregon Housing and Community Services Modular Housing Rural Housing Production Housing Stabilization Climate and Health Resilience in Housing, Healthy Homes Program Manufactured Housing Oregon Housing Alliance LWVOR is a member of the Oregon Housing Alliance, a statewide organization that brings together advocates, local governments, housing authorities, community development corporations, environmentalists, service providers, business interests and others concerned about the lack of affordable housing, homelessness, and the devastating impact of the shortage on Oregon families and individuals. The alliance has begun developing its priorities for the 2025 legislative session. The four areas that the alliance plans to prioritize when advocating for Oregon Housing and Community Services agency budgets include: Prevent homelessness and provide lifesaving shelter and services, including rent assistance and homelessness prevention, shelter operations, and youth and child homeless services and prevention. Preserve affordable homes, including preservation of existing low-income housing with expiring rent restrictions, housing owned by non-profits or housing authorities in need of renovation, and sale of manufactured home parks. This also includes funding for affordable housing operations and stability for developments facing financial challenges. Expand affordable homeownership opportunities, build new homes for affordable homeownership, and support lower-income homeowners and homebuyers through Individual Development Accounts, down payment assistance, foreclosure prevention, and fair housing investigation and enforcement. Develop new affordable housing in all parts of the state, including development of new affordable rental units, permanent supportive housing, and farmworker housing. Funding for a housing development pipeline that includes land acquisition, pre-development loans and lines of credit, and a reserve fund for disaster recovery. Fairview Trust Oregon Housing and Community Services announced the Fairview Trust’s 2024 Integrated Housing Grant Program. Its focus is innovative housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Grants will go to projects that give preference to this population and are integrated into the community. See also the Land Use and Housing Report in the Natural Resources section of this Legislative Report. Implementation of Oregon Drug Intervention Plan (HB4002) By Jean Pierce The Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety heard reports about progress being made in implementing HB 4002 (2024). They learned that 23 counties were considered “early adopters” – because they had plans to roll out deflection programs quickly. 17 counties have received a base minimum of $150,000. This is being used to Hire coordinators Define deflection programs, including criteria for entry into treatment and for success Train law enforcement in addiction and deflection options Identify community provider partners Plan – almost half of the counties are considering a model resembling the Marion County Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, which has been in existence for 8 years. Some of the challenges encountered already: FUNDING! How long will the state invest in the programs? More is needed to fully implement a LEAD-like model. Breaking down silos Sharing information between law enforcement and treatment agencies (the Legislature may need to address privacy issues) Hiring effective peer mentors Coordination of county treatment providers and coverage of treatment for non-OHP individuals Assessing services such as housing needs – determining how to support and prioritize needs Translating national best practices to local communities In 2025, the Legislature will need to consider Year 2 Funding. The Governor has made Behavioral Health/Public Safety a priority. Higher Education Jean Pierce The House Interim Committee on Higher Education heard from institutions of higher education who expressed serious concerns over delays in FAFSA funding following the US Department of Education’s (USDOE) attempt to simplify the application. Problems caused by new regulations (including a major overhaul of eligibility) imposed by the Department: People are struggling to get support from the USDOE – their guidance is confusing at best or even nonexistent Poor data quality from the USDOE Students do not know whether they will receive financial support for food, housing, childcare and transportation until the first day of class this summer. Many potential students are stuck at various stages of the process and may not return to school The problems particularly impact low income, first generation students, and people from mixed families (having an undocumented parent) As a result, 2800 fewer students filed for FAFSA this year in Oregon, and there is a concern that they will walk away from higher education. According to the Oregonian, “Gradual declines since 2017 were supercharged by the pandemic. College-going fell to just 56% for the class of 2021, a nearly 1- percentage point drop over the last decade.” This trend had started to reverse slowly before the FAFSA debacle. When legislators asked what the state could do to help, they were told: Continue allocating additional funds to the Oregon Opportunity Grant Remain flexible and responsive to funding requests Students need to know state resources are available Colleges lack sufficient staff to answer students’ questions about FAFSA The committee also heard a request to extend the tuition equity program for refugees seeking asylum. People who have been forcibly displaced from their countries are automatically classified as non-residents in Oregon, so – regardless of how long they have lived in the state - they pay out-of-state tuition for higher education, which can be 3 times as much as in-state tuition. Courts are experiencing a large backlog of asylum cases. In fact, people applying for asylum can wait over 6 years for courts to decide their claims. As of April 1, 2024, Oregon has 5,539 cases filed on behalf of college-aged individuals between the ages of 18 and 24. Currently, California, Florida, Maine, New York, and Washington have legislation that enables asylum seekers to pay instate tuition rates. It is anticipated that granting this request would have little or no cost impact to institutions of higher education because of the small numbers affected. Summer School By Katie Riley The Senate Education Committee met during Legislative Days and heard a report on progress for HB 4082, Summer Learning 2024 and Beyond. ODE Director Charlene Williams and Assistant Manager of Finance and Facilities Michael Elliott reported on progress to date. The $30 million allocated by the legislature to ODE for disbursement has been distributed to the highest priority areas of the state in terms of equity and inclusion. Some districts declined to participate due to a variety of reasons (e.g., lack of capacity or planning) and their funds were reallocated to high priority areas. Allocations: 43 districts and 13 ESD's have received grants for this summer with 133 partners (tribes, community based organizations, and ESD's) participating 51,000 kids, 63% at the elementary level; others at middle and high school levels will participate. As provided in the bill, a work group has been formed to plan for sustainable funding for afterschool and summer programs in the future. The group will be examining current practices in Oregon and nationally as well as potential sources of support and administrative barriers. They are charged with submitting a report with their recommendations in September. Senator Weber remarked that she has received complaints from her district (northern coast) about not being included and hopes there will be improvement. Senator Dembrow hoped that the work group would make recommendations that would lead to having afterschool and summer programs being included in service levels. He also noted that he would like to learn how effective the summer programs would be in preventing summer learning loss. Finally, Senator Frederick emphasized that programs need predictability. Pre-K-12 Education By Anne Nesse Public school funding issues continue to be in jeopardy. Therefore it is not surprising that an “Oregon school choice group is trying to get 2 measures on the statewide November ballot, with the goal of creating more school choice.” The measure would permit using public tax dollars to support education in private schools. Link to the OPB article about this is here . Oregon's history of funding issues is best summarized by this quote from Jenny Liu, a Portland State University professor who specializes in economics and public policy: “Some 30 years ago, a series of anti-tax ballot measures fundamentally changed the school funding equation.” This created a unique myriad of problems for the future of public school funding in Oregon. “Measure 5, passed by voters in 1990, created a new limit on what portion of local property taxes could be spent on schools. And Measure 50, passed seven years later, further limited how quickly local property taxes could increase. A local option levy is probably one of the only ways that [districts are] able to generate that additional amount of money because schools don’t really have any say in [the state funding] formula,” states Jenny Liu in an OPB interview. Early Childhood Meeting 5/29 2:30 • Agenda included informational meeting with federal funding of $3M, over 3 years, as pilot project from Doris Duke Foundation to create programs for prevention of child abuse, in lieu of waiting for hotline responses that yield no effort to help. • Presentation on combining early learning childcare with retirement facilities as mutually beneficial to both age groups, and increasing our number of facilities. House Education 5/30 8:30 AM • Timeline for increasing literacy in Oregon presented by ODE Director and staff. 70% of districts are functional on this program, 30% still require some assistance, with costs that would be sustainable. No new accreditation for teachers is necessary. Simply better use and selection of the correct materials. • Reasons for limiting or banning cell phone use in school were presented by a pediatrician, along with neuroscience evidence by Dr. Dodgen-Magee. Statistics showing prefrontal brain weaknesses of control of actions with use of even over 30 minutes a day. Statistics that were presented showing increased anxiety, depression, and bullying were the results of excessive social use of digital devices on the brain. Chair Rep. Neron and Rep. McIntire were interested in seeing results of bans of cell phone use in Grant HS, and Clackamas school district. It was also noted that increased cell phone use correlated with absenteeism in school. Senate Finance and Revenue as it relates to School Funding Formulas 5/30 2:30 • A detailed study of school finance was reported by the state financial advisor, as a result of ballot measures 5 and 50 in our state. The conclusion was that the only way to actually increase school revenue is to increase the state contribution of 2/3, because the remaining 1/3 in local collections is too variable. Essentially changing some of the historical initiative law. The school funding formula awards additional money to school districts based on the number of students in poverty, students requiring special education, English language learners, etc. Members of the committee questioned: • Whether the formula is still appropriate • What data justifies use of the current formula • Whether districts are being held accountable for using funds to meet needs identified in the formula Senate Education 5/30 2:30 • Review of progress on SB 3, financial literacy classes for graduation bill passed in 2023. It was reported by Legislative council Hanna Lai that the present interpretations of how the credits for graduation would be measured was unclear, and some more work needs to be done before it aligns with the intent of the law. • Update on SB 819, implementation of improvements for students in programs of abbreviated school days due to Individual education plans, IEP’s. 129 school districts appear to be successfully using this plan out of 197. 52 school districts using this plan for medical adaptations for students. Tenneal Wetherall from ODE reported improvements were being made by documentation of use of new Law. Perhaps not all parents knew how to use this planning method, she stated, and there may be a gap in use with foster care programs not being aware of this alternative service.

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 5/8 Education By Anne Nesse Of interest last week was a public hearing on HB 3199A , in the Senate 5/4, already passed the House, limiting PE requirements by the state that were unattainable by many school districts. This outdated law had caused a number of Oregon school districts to be in non-compliance with state law. In a bipartisan effort, Rep. McIntire and Rep. Bowman as bill Chief Co-Sponsors, spoke together with others on the need to be more creative in giving students “brain breaks”, increased recess, increased extracurricular sports, increasing creativity in the design of outdoor time, and other new future efforts to increase student learning. The goal is to keep our students healthier physically and mentally. This law was represented as a beginning, to start this process statewide. In an unfortunate sign of our times, HB 3584 nears complete passage, already passing the House, now going on to the Senate floor, directing schools or school districts to provide electronic communication to parents and guardians of students attending, and to school district employees employed at, school at which a safety threat action occurred. Senate Education met 5/2 and 5/4,to send several House bills to the floor. The following is a list of a few nearing complete passage: HB 2669 , Declares children who are deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind have the same rights and potential as children who are not deaf, hard of hearing or deaf-blind. HB 2740 A , Establishes a uniform method for calculating eligibility of part-time faculty member of community college or public university for certain health care, retirement and other benefits. Modifies method for calculation of hours of employment of academic employees of community colleges and public universities for purposes of Public Employees Retirement System. House Education met 5/3 only, to send several Senate Bills to the floor, previously passed in the Senate. The following is a list of ones that are nearing complete passage you might be interested in: SB 218 , Requires DOE and law enforcement agencies to make available to TSPC certain information received during investigation of suspected sexual conduct or child abuse. SB 238 A , Directs OHA, State Board of Education and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to collaborate on developing curricula supplements related to dangers of certain drugs and to laws that provide immunity or other protections related to drug or alcohol use. SB 756 A , Requires school district employees assigned to work with students with specialized needs to have access to specified records related to students, to be consulted when an education plan for a student is reviewed or revised and to be provided with adequate training. SB 767 A , Limits scope by which public charter schools may conduct operations in a school in a district that is not a sponsor of the public charter school. Declares emergency, effective on passage.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 1/15 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Senate and House Rules Committees AI and Elections, EPAB (Electronic Portal Advisory Board) Election Methods Campaign Finance and Redistricting By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Senate and House Rules Committees The Interim Senate Rules and Executive Appointments Committee met 1/10/24 and introduced three legislative concepts (LCs) for the Public Records Advisory Council (PRAC) to study public records requests fees charged ( LC 196 ); make youth sporting events grants available ( LC 195 ); and to make many changes in an election law clean-up bill ( LC 194 ). The Interim House Rules Committee met 1/11/24 and introduced many LCs: LC 22 proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to require the Legislative Assembly to impose by law a state property tax to fund public safety and define taxable property. LC 46 sets the convening date and time of electors of the President and Vice President of the United States and sets procedures. LC 47 requires all notary public applicants to complete a course of study. LC 251 requires the Governor to fill a vacancy in the office of U.S. Senator by appointment within 30 days until a special election can fill the vacancy. LC 266 requires the Oregon Health Authority to study Oregon’s addiction crisis. (Placeholder relating to addiction.) LC 267 requires the Oregon Health Authority to study access to behavioral health treatment in this state. (Placeholder relating to behavioral health.) LC 268 requires the Secretary of State to study how best to improve Oregon’s campaign finance system. (Placeholder relating to campaign finance.) LC 269 directs the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to study the deterrent effect of different sentences on the use of controlled substances in public places. (Placeholder relating to community safety.) LC 270 requires the Secretary of State to study how to improve Oregon’s voter access. (Placeholder relating to elections.) LC 271 requires the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to study Oregon’s government ethics laws. (Placeholder relating to government ethics.) LC 272 requires the Oregon Health Authority to study access to health care in this state. (Placeholder relating to health care.) LC 273 requires the Housing and Community Services Department to study housing (Placeholder relating to housing.) LC 274 requires the Oregon Government Ethics Commission to study public meetings. (Placeholder relating to public meetings.) LC 275 requires the Public Records Advisory Council to study public records. (Placeholder relating to public records.) LC 301 removes the requirement that the word “incumbent” appear on the ballot with the name of incumbent candidates for the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Oregon Tax Court, and circuit court. AI and Elections, EPAB (Electronic Portal Advisory Board) By Rebecca Gladstone No developments yet on our Senate Commemorative Resolution (SCR) for Alice Bartelt from Sen Wagner. The Electronic Portal Advisory Board (EPAB) met in November, 2023, highlighting the Oregon Digital Equity Plan draft; see consolidated documents . Expect several Artificial Intelligence (AI) bills this session. In mid-November, Sen. Woods’ staff asked us to work on an elections AI bill (LC 132), paraphrasing highlights here: AI means digital technology used to create an image, audio or video recording of an individual’s appearance, speech or conduct that a reasonable person would believe depicts a real individual but that did not actually occur. The bill requires disclosing any form of AI use in campaign ads and communication. A filing officer believing an election law or rule violation has occurred shall proceed promptly as though they had received a complaint. Time periods in the bill range from 3 days to 5 years. Circuit courts are directed to prioritize these restraining orders, prohibitions, or injunctions, which may be issued without proof of injury or damage to any person. Civil penalty enforcement is not to exceed $10,000. Being effective on passage could impact Oregon 2024 campaigns. Notwithstanding ORS 260.005 (10)(c)(B)(i), a campaign communication may involve aggregate expenditures of any amount. States’ legislation underway: Thanks to Joint Committee Information Management and Technology Admin. Sean McSpaden, for renaming our HB 2049 group to the AI group, sending ongoing reading, some here: Governor’s Kotek’s Executive Order (EO-23-26) – to establish a State Government AI Advisory Council. News Release (November 29, 2023) Racing to Keep Up: Consumer Data Privacy and AI Advancements , National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) (November 28, 2023). Forecast ’24: Privacy and broadband access are ongoing concerns for 2024 legislative sessions, but breakthroughs in artificial intelligence are outpacing lawmakers’ ability to respond. NCSL Artificial Intelligence 2023 Legislation (Updated September 27, 2023). In 2023 legislative sessions, at least 25 states, Puerto Rico and DC introduced AI bills, and 15 states and Puerto Rico adopted resolutions or enacted legislation. NCSL Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Elections and Campaigns – November 7, 2023. AI Background: Sen. Woods notes that AI is not new, cites Alan Turing, “the Father of AI,” and the 1950 Turing Test, to test a machine’s ability to convincingly carry-on human conversation. From The Guardian, Dec 7, 2023, Eliza, a 1960s computer program, beat the viral AI chatbot ChatGPT at the Turing test, designed to differentiate humans from artificial intelligence, by 27% to 14%. But OpenAI’s GPT-4 chatbot tricked study subjects more than Eliza did, succeeding 41% of the time. AI’s vast AI scope See the Dec 4, 2023 New Yorker on the AI Revolution: Human beings “think linearly. You give instructions to someone on how to get from here to Starbucks, and you give them individual steps,” he said. “You don’t give them instructions on how to get to any Starbucks location from anywhere. It’s just hard to think that way, in parallel.” Election Methods By Barbara Klein On 1/11/24 the Joint Committee On Ballot Measure Titles and Explanatory Statements held a work session and public hearing on HB 2004 (a Ranked Choice Voting bill from 2023 that the LWVOR supports). Currently it is known as Legislative Concept 60 (LC 60). See LWVOR testimony . This same committee is preparing ballot titles for two other legislative referrals: ( LC 59 ) would set up a process for the Oregon House of Representatives to impeach statewide elected public officials and for the Senate to convict impeached officials. ( LC 58 ) would create a commission to determine the salaries of state level public officials. Campaign Finance and Redistricting LWVOR has endorsed circulating petitions. They can be downloaded, printed, signed and returned by mail from Honest Elections for IP 9, Campaign Finance Reform, and People Not Politicians for IP 14, Redistricting. Initiative petition signature filing is due July 5, 2024. Watch for legal status updates.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 2/9 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: Climate Emergency Highlights Climate Priorities Senate Committee on Energy and Environment House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment Oregon Treasury Climate Lawsuits/Our Children's Trust Highlights READ Make Polluters Pay Climate Superfund ACTION ALERT An Opportunity to engage in advocacy: please consider the many ways to advocate for Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program ( SB 1541 ) and Fund for Oregon’s Resilience, Growth, and Energy ( SB 1526 ), both affecting major multiple million dollar new funding mechanisms to address climate change mitigation and or adaptation. Good news: Many Climate Emergency priority bills the league supports are likely to move from the first chamber by Feb 16 deadline, find details below. The deadline to schedule a work session is Monday 2/9. Climate Priority Bills The League may have testimony and/or join coalition letters. Make Polluters Pay (MPP) SB 1541 , SEE PH 2/5 and work session 2/10 , LWVOR submitted testimony – Creates the Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program to assess financial impacts of greenhouse gas emissions and recover costs from responsible entities. Designates the Department of Land Conservation and Development to lead an interagency team, directs the Department of Environmental Quality to issue cost-recovery notices, and establishes a dedicated account to receive funds. The League has joined the Make Polluters Pay Campaign . MARK your calendars: An Action Alert was issued 2/3 inviting members to contact their legislators, submit testimony, sign a petition, and/or attend a Feb 16th lobby day regarding the Make Polluters Pay bill. This climate legislation is a national effort covered today by the New York Times , reporting that a number of other states are in the process of passing and/or implementing. Fund for Oregon’s Resilience, Growth, and Energy SB 1526 , SEE PH 2/4, possible work session 2/9, league testimony Creates financing tools, including a revolving loan fund, to provide more affordable, accessible long-term financing for clean energy and resilience infrastructure projects in Oregon. This is modeled on a number of other states’ legislation , some as ‘green’ banking non profits. Community-Based Power: Distributed Power Plants SB 1582 , SEE PH 2/9, possible work session 2/11 . Distributed power plants (or DPPs) bring together customer resources like rooftop solar, battery systems and smart thermostats to provide energy when and where it’s needed most. This bill would require electric companies to incorporate DPPs into their resource mix. Nuclear Study Bill HB 4046 . CEE PH 2/10 and Possible work session 2/12. Unlikely to move out of committee . Directs the ODOE State Department of Energy, subject to the availability of funding, to conduct a study on nuclear energy, including advanced nuclear reactors HB 4031 : HCEE PH 2/3 , Work session 2/10. Exempts an energy facility from needing a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council if the energy facility produces power from a renewable energy source, qualifies for certain federal renewable energy tax credits and construction begins on or before December 31, 2028. HB 1597 SEE PH 2/4 , WK possibly 2/11. Makes a power provider disclose the costs to store the waste made from making electric power. SMS Senate Committee on Energy and Environment The committee heard testimony February 4 on 3 of the 5 bills it has been assigned: SB 1525 would e stablish the Blue Economy Task Force to study and report on economic development plans or strategies for the “blue” (coastal) economy and opportunities for the state to nurture sustainable blue economy businesses while preserving and protecting Oregon’s coastal ecosystems. It would authorize the Oregon Ocean Science Trust to create a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity to advance the trust’s mission. Chair Sollman testified in favor, as did a trust representative. The trust has distributed $2 million in competitive grant funding for high-impact research projects, but more research is needed. The 501(c)(3) would serve as a dedicated fund-raising arm of the trust—“technically clean, fiscally noncontroversial, and urgently needed.” The task force would be sunsetted on 12/31/2027 . The bill is starred for subsequent referral to Joint W&M. SB 1526 , the FORGE Act, would require the Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) to apply for grant moneys from the State Agency Program Fund to cover the costs and expenses of carrying out pre-startup activities and forming a nonprofit entity. Chair Sollman supported, saying the bill would create a carefully-phased framework for Oregon to explore this funding model while maintaining fiscal discipline and legislative oversight. Amendments are coming which would add a labor representative to the founding board, confirm that the board would be independent and not overseen by ODOE, massage language on behalf of MUDs and PUDs. The League supported the bill in written testimony . Support also came from OEC, S2 Strategies, Beneficial State Bank, League of Oregon Cities, NW Native Chamber, Renewable Hydrogen Alliance, Nature Conservancy; all stressed benefits for rural and underinvested communities. The BlueGreen Alliance is neutral now but will support with the proposed changes. The Cascade Policy Institute opposed the bill on grounds that it would duplicate private sector initiatives in Oregon. They are also concerned about allowing the board to use OBDD’s bonding authority. SB 1597 would require an electric utility to disclose to its customers the costs of storing the waste produced by an energy facility in generating electricity. Sen. Frederick: Amendments are coming to specify that this bill targets nuclear waste, not renewable energy waste. Oregon voters have said they don’t want to approve another nuclear plant until they know where the waste will go and how much it will cost. Renewable Northwest will support with the promised amendments. House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment Work sessions scheduled for HB 4029 and HB 4031 were moved to Tuesday 2/10 . Other bills we are following: Possible Work sessions: • HB 4029 - Requires a solar energy contractor or person that installs a solar energy system to have a license appropriate for the scope of work the solar energy contractor or person will perform. (Carried over from 2/5) • HB 4031 - Exempts an energy facility from needing a site certificate from the Energy Facility Siting Council if the energy facility produces power from a renewable energy source, qualifies for certain federal renewable energy tax credits and construction begins on or before December 31, 2028 . (Carried over from 2/5) • HB 4144 - Requires producers of batteries or battery-containing products to join a battery producer responsibility organization and implement a battery producer responsibility program for the collection and recycling of batteries. • HB 4080 - Allows a retail electricity consumer to install and use portable solar photovoltaic energy devices with up to a total maximum generating capacity of 1,200 watts. Public hearings: • HB 4077 - Authorizes a public utility, upon approval by PUC, to issue bonds and securitize debt for costs and expenses incurred or to be incurred by the public utility associated with a self-insurance or captive insurance program. (Carried over from 2/5) • HB 4046 - Directs ODOE, subject to the availability of funding, to conduct a study on nuclear energy, including advanced nuclear reactors. • HB 4030 - Exempts packaging for certain berries and meat, poultry, fish and seafood from producer responsibility requirements for packaging, paper and food serviceware. • HB 4060 - Exempts sales to purchasers with facilities totaling more than one million square feet from a prohibition on sales of certain fluorescent lamps until 1/1/2030 . Oregon Treasury & Oregon Divest New 2025 Treasury : Climate-Positive Investing : Invested for Oregon Report Tracking Net zero climate positive investment strategies . Oregon State Treasury should engage or divest from companies fueling a new era of resource conflicts. (Divest Oregon ORG) Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust There are a number of active federal lawsuits. Climate Litigation Jan 30 Updates Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 97 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon. Other Cornell: NEW REPORT : a bold vision fo r climate jobs In Oregon Oregon Gov. Kotek to create statewide data center advisory committe e - OPB 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. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report section

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 5/15 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • 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 a topic: Housing Criminal Justice Social Policy Housing By Debbie Aiona, Nancy Donovan, Debbie Wallace, Penny York Republican walkouts have prevented the full Senate from considering key housing bills that passed out of Senate Housing and Development and are ready for floor votes. In better news, the full House adopted SB 702, which will require racial justice and implicit bias training for home appraisers. It is now ready for the Governor’s signature. Other key bills are also expected to pass the House and go on to the Governor for her signature. SB 702 : As mentioned in the introduction, this bill is awaiting signature by the Governor. It will require home appraisers to receive bias training to receive certification. Representative Ricki Ruiz sent a thank you note thanking the League for its testimony letter. SB 225 : This bill will address a problematic issue with how private activity bond resources are used to fund low-income housing. In addition to other provisions, it will eliminate the current “blackout period” that begins with the start of the new biennium and ends when the Governor signs the bond authorization bill. During that time, Oregon Housing and Community Services cannot move forward on affordable housing developments. Eliminating this period will prevent construction delays and the resulting cost increases. House Revenue held a work session on May 16 and recommended passage. SB 599 A : Allows tenants to operate home-based childcare by requiring a landlord to allow a renter to use a dwelling unit for a family childcare home if it is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care. The landlord can require a tenant to pay for improvements necessary for certification and carry some form of liability coverage. The House held a third reading on May 18. HB 2983 : LWVOR added its logo to an informational document on this bill to provide financial resources to Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Department of Land Conservation and Development for the purpose of developing new manufactured parks and drafting new model codes for them. Manufactured housing is a significant source of unsubsidized affordable housing in Oregon. SB 892 A amends housing statutes and laws of the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department and the Housing Stability Council. It will add federally recognized tribes as community development corporations to allow them to access and administer housing funds. The bill addresses the need to provide loans directly to individuals for down payment or closing costs assistance. It adds to the definition of residential loans for down payment or closing cost assistance to allow low- and moderate- income households to qualify for a primary mortgage loan. The Detailed in this bill are other corrections and conforming amendments. House Housing and Homelessness held a work session on May 18. Several housing bills of interest are awaiting a vote by the full Senate: HB 2680 would require more transparency when tenants submit applications for rental housing. HB 3151 would limit the improvements manufactured home park landlords could require of tenants. It would also extend the sunset date on a landlord/tenant dispute resolution program. HB 3462 would ensure that individuals covered by federal and state fair housing laws are eligible for emergency housing when an emergency declaration is made. This extends to people regardless of their immigration status. SB 611 is the updated version of caps on rent increases in Oregon. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley The following bills passed unanimously out of House Judiciary on May 17 and await the Governor’s signature: SB 212 B maintains confidentiality of peer support check-in sessions for Oregon Youth Authority employees. SB 745 A directs county juvenile departments to conduct sex trafficking screening for adjudicated youth. SB 974 A creates the crime of sexual abuse by fraudulent representation. SB 1052 amends statutes on human trafficking and involuntary servitude to include more categories of forced behavior.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 2/2 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • 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 2026 Social Policy bills . Jump to topic: Criminal Justice Education Gun Policy Housing Criminal Justice By Marge Easley & Sharron Noone Given the time constraints of a short session, it is striking to see the number of bills that relate to current federal government actions on immigration. The list below reflects legislators’ deep concern and sense of urgency on this issue: HB 4001 authorizes a study to address unlawful immigration enforcement. The vagueness of the bill title, “relating to immigration” may signify this is a “placeholder” for an omnibus bill. We will closely monitor any amendments. HB 4091 specifies when the Oregon National Guard may be deployed. (See also the Governance Legislative Report) HB 4114 allows a civil suit against a federal or out-of-state law enforcement body and requires notice for a planned operation in Oregon. HB 4138 requires enactment of policies on identification requirement for law enforcement uniforms and enacts a prohibition on facial coverings. SB 1594 authorizes the Office of Immigration and Refugee Advancement to establish policies, standards and procedures related to enforcement of federal immigration laws. SJR 203 amends the Oregon Constitution to include provisions on law enforcement masking and ID requirements. Here are other criminal justice bills that the League will be monitoring: SB 1515 modifies the 2022 law (SB 1584) related to compensation for wrongful convictions, which passed with support from the League. It creates a new post-conviction process for convictions based on expert testimony or now-discredited forensic science. SB 1550 makes changes to the death investigation process in cases of domestic violence or child abuse. SB 1516 and SB 1530 are similar bills adding new provisions to the crime of “aggregated harassment” to include making serious threats to a public official or a member of the official’s family. HB 4045 requires a communications provider to comply with a search warrant within 72 hours when the warrant relates to stalking or a domestic violence situation. SB 1583 moves responsibility for behavioral/mental health and deflection services to the Criminal Justice Commission. Education By Jean Pierce According to an article in the Oregon Capitol Chronicle , Oregon saw a high school graduation rate of 83% this year, up slightly from pre-pandemic rate in 2020. But the rate is still less than the 87% national rate reported in 2022 by the National Center for Educational Statistics. Bills being considered in the legislature this session SB 1555 would eliminate the Quality Education Commission and make other changes related to how public education is funded.. LWVOR believes that funding is needed to provide an equal and adequate education. There is no question that the current system of determining this level of funding is flawed in Oregon. The Quality Education Commission has not used evidence-based practices in its model calculating school funding needs. While SB1555 raises a number of issues that the legislature should address, it is unlikely that these issues will be resolved in the short session. For instance, there needs to be ample time for discussions around: Is it necessary to replace the QEC, or could its model be improved? If it is replaced, what is a better system? Should the bill tie funding to a requirement that districts follow state and federal laws? What are appropriate quality goals to be used for adequate funding of public education? We know that there are vast differences among school districts, but how should standard schools be defined in order to determine adequate funding? Two proposed bills are consistent with the League position that the government has the responsibility to provide equality of opportunity for education. SB 1538 would prohibit discrimination in education related to immigration or citizenship status and requires districts to base these policies on models prepared by the Attorney General. This bill adds “immigration or citizenship status” to a list of demographic characteristics of students protected from discrimination in our schools. Currently, that list includes race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, age or disability. The League is submitting testimony in support. HB 4149 would require districts to adopt policies for enrollment, placement, and providing services to homeless students and directs the Department of Education to designate a state coordinator to oversee the education of homeless students. Note: Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE . Gun Policy By Marge Easley Thus far only two bills related to gun policy have been submitted. HB 4145 , sponsored by Rep. Kropf, makes important modifications to Measure 114, which voters passed into law in 2022 but has not yet been implemented, pending an imminent Oregon Supreme Court ruling on its constitutionality. The bill adds details to the gun permit and transfer process and to the large capacity magazine prohibition, with the intent of providing clarification and guidance to those most impacted by the measure, including gun owners, the Oregon State Police, local permit agents, and gun dealers. HB 4096 , sponsored by Rep. Ruiz at the request of Multnomah District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, creates the crime of aggravated felon in possession of a firearm when a person who has been convicted of a felony possesses three or more firearms or has certain prior convictions. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona LWVOR is a member of the Oregon Housing Alliance. It was established in 2004 and includes over 100 members from local governments, affordable housing developers and operators, housing industry allies, public housing authorities, community action agencies, and the non-profit sector. The Alliance has a process through which work groups propose legislation to the full membership for approval. The Housing Alliance’s 2026 Legislative agenda related to housing is detailed below. 2026 Legislative priorities Preservation of affordable rental homes and manufactured housing parks : This proposal ( HB 4036 ) would allocate bond funds for the purpose of preserving existing low-income housing at risk due to expiring affordability restrictions, threat of foreclosure, and the sale of affordable manufactured home housing parks. Over 10,000 homes are at risk of being lost over the next five years. Preserving existing affordable homes is much more cost effective than developing new units. Restore funding for eviction prevention and emergency rent assistance: The 2025-27 budget includes only $44.6 million for emergency rent assistance, legal aid for households facing eviction, and tenant outreach and education. This is a 74 percent cut from the $173.2 million that was needed to maintain the established level of services. Over 20,000 fewer households will receive help as compared to the previous biennium. Funding restoration would prevent more families and individuals from becoming homeless. Tenant information and privacy protections: Currently the private information tenants provide to landlords and property managers is not protected. This proposal would require written consent from tenants before this information could be disclosed unless it was in response to a court order. End tax break for vacation properties and support first-time homebuyers: Vacation home owners receive a mortgage interest deduction on their taxes in addition to the deduction they can claim for the primary residence. The bill would end the deduction on vacation homes and redirect the savings to downpayment grants for low-income first-time homebuyers. Build new home for homeownership through the Local Innovation and Fast Track (LIFT) program: The LIFT program is funded through bond sales and can be used for rental housing development or homeownership programs. This proposal would dedicate bonds from the LIFT program for development of homes for homeownership. Housing Accessibility Act: With insufficient housing stock to meet the needs of people with disabilities, the bill would require the Consumer and Business Services to adopt rules to conform with state building code accessibility requirements under the Fair Housing Act. This proposed bill would prohibit the Housing and Community Services Department from funding new subsidized rental housing developments unless the housing meets the specified accessibility standards. Remove electronic barriers to tenancies: Digital and technology can be barriers for residents accessing common areas of their buildings. This bill would allow a tenant or applicant for housing to opt out of using a tenant portal or to pay by card or by electronic means. Landlords would be required to provide an alternative to access the common areas of the premises. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed. We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning Juvenile justice Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Natural Resources , and Revenue report sections.