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

• Immigration

Criminal Justice  

By Marge Easley

 On June 15 and 16, the Senate and House Interim Committees on Judiciary held informational hearings that touched on alternatives to incarceration and a focus on Community-Engaged Long-Term Corrections Planning, a concept that had its roots in

2013 as a way to move toward a more community-centered approach to public safety

rather than building new prisons. Increased attention on mental health and addiction

treatment as well as early release programs have proved successful in curtailing

recidivism and promoting re-entry, but expansion of these programs is hampered by

mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

Also discussed were the long-term budgetary challenges of serving an aging population

of adults in custody (AIC) with significant healthcare needs, exacerbated by drug use

and lack of prior medical care. Antiquated prisons are not set up for current health care

needs, and a revamping of the entire healthcare system at the Oregon Department of

Corrections is now underway.

Education

Jean Pierce

Performance Growth Targets for K-12

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) shared Performance Growth Targets which it developed in partial response to SB 141 (2025), which requires school districts to  measure student outcomes.  

Legislators, as well as representatives from the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators, the Oregon Education Association, and the Oregon School Boards Association expressed concern that these appear to be very ambitious goals – particularly for 8^th grade math - though no path has been proposed to reach these targets. No money has been appropriated for a statewide system that would drive the growth in math. This concern was highlighted in a subsequent presentation, which noted that Early Literacy Grants to school districts were tied to an increase of only 1 percentage point in 3^rd grade ELA, which was the largest annual increase since 2022. However, It was noted that these grants did not target the lowest proficiency schools. ODE is trying to reassure districts that if they fail to meet the targets, they will receive support, rather than punishment.  

High Cost Disability Educational Service Grants

The House Education Committee heard a presentation about high cost disability grants, which are supporting education service needs  for students with autism, health impairments, intellectual disabilities, emotional behavior disabilities, and other conditions requiring intense education. Most of the districts receiving these funds are located in the western part of the state. In the 2024-25 school year, 7,145 students in Oregon needed support that cost more than $30,000 and 782 of these required educational services exceeding $100,000. The number of students requiring these services has increased seven-fold since 2005. Combined with inflation, a shortage of qualified staff, and insufficient federal funding, local districts have been struggling to cover the gap with discretionary funding. 

Attendance  

The Senate Education Committee heard  an update from ODE regarding their study of attendance codes.  SB 315 (2025) directed ODE to submit a report to the Legislative Assembly and the State Board of Education summarizing the review, the recommendations, and best practices of recording attendance, summarizing the common coding system developed, and recommending any additional changes in administrative rules and additional legislation by May 31, 2026.  

Rather than proposing specific solutions, it appears that ODE has just discovered how multifaceted the problem is, and that  rules and policies will need to be flexible enough to address cultural restrictions of tribes, civil rights of special needs students, and other barriers that vary throughout the state. The current compulsory attendance policies do not take into account these nuances, and districts are interpreting the requirements differently in order to fit their populations. 

It appears that there needs to be a system of reporting absences that pinpoints the reasons so that policy makers will know why students are missing school and how districts can address the needs. Recommendations from ODE include:

• Repeal the current compulsory attendance policies and adopt revisit attendance laws.

• Adopt common attendance codes through the State Board of Education rulemaking process

• Review the rule which requires schools to drop students after missing 10 consecutive school days.

• Review and make recommendations to implement a statewide attendance framework

• Establish statewide training and a uniform process for implementing adopted attendance codes. 

Instructional Time

In 2023, a study published by Pew Research Center reported that Oregon required students to attend school for less than 170 days, while the national average was 180.    Since  2025,OAR 581-015-2590 requires schools to be in session for a minimum of 220 days of actual classroom instruction, with up to five days of temporary closure due to extraordinary conditions counting toward the 220 days. 

This week the Senate Education Committee heard a report concerning how ODE is currently implementing the Governor’s Executive Order requiring the State Board to adopt temporary Rules regarding instructional time. These rules stated:

• Districts and charter schools are prohibited from further reducing instructional time in the 2025-26 school year and moving forward

• If time was reduced in 25-26 or 26-27, it must be restored no later than the start of the 27-28 school year

• The public will be made aware if time is not restored

• Waivers for instructional time requirements are strictly limited to declared national or state disasters or public health emergencies.

At least 95 out of 196 districts must submit a plan by July 15 telling how they will restore time. If they decide not to restore the time, they must justify their decision by September 15. It was noted that – with limited funding, districts may be forced to reduce the staff, thereby  increasing the student/teacher ratio in order to pay for increased time in session. 

Funding K-12 Education

The Legislative Policy and Research Office created an excellent slide deck describing how Cost Modeling is handled in Oregon by a Professional Judgment Panel (PJP). The presentation included analyses from the American Institutes for Research evaluation citing a number of ways in which Oregon’s use of PJPs falls short of best practices.  

Approaching the issue from another perspective, an interim study group has been charged with examining the property tax system in Oregon. The goal is to create a more equitable system of school funding. 

Higher Education

The Joint Emergency Board approved $7.5 million- half of the moneys allocated by the Higher Education Coordinating Committee  to help keep Southern Oregon University operating through the next fiscal year.  The remaining $7.5 million could be released this fall. 

Over the last 15 years, SOU has experienced long-term deficits due to factors such as low enrollment and high costs. They have largely exhausted their general fund, and are currently operating at a deficit despite implementing two rounds of budget reductions.  The $15 M will help them stabilize their finances while they implement a Vitality Plan which proposes saving $20M by streamlining operations, flexible course delivery, etc. This plan is intended to put the university on a path to develop cash reserves without additional state funding. 

Some of the legislators acknowledged that SOU’s problems are a symptom of a broader issue – Oregon is underfunding its public institutions of higher education. In fact, Oregon ranks 46^th in funding for students in four-year  colleges and universities. Consequently, the state ranks 44^th in the country in the total average tuition cost for in-state public institutions.  

Gun Policy

Marge Easley

Measure 114

The Oregon Supreme Court is expected to rule any day now on the constitutionality of Measure 114, passed by voters in 2022 to require a permit to purchase a firearm and to ban high-capacity magazines. Stay tuned.

Housing

Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona

Oregon Housing Alliance 

The League is an active member of the Oregon Housing Alliance, which brings together over 100 housing stakeholders to engage in solving housing issues to help people access safe, stable and affordable rental homes and homeownership.  

Currently, its leadership is in transition to hire a new Housing Alliance Director and a Housing Alliance Lobbyist by this September. Regular work will continue with steering committee and workgroup meetings, with key messages on upcoming legislative days and planned legislative meetings.

The House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness heard presentations on several topics at its June 16 meeting. Highlights include:   

Affordable Housing Preservation:  Amanda Saul, Portland Housing Bureau’s Housing Investment manager, provided an overview of challenges facing the Portland low-income housing market. Adding more units to the housing supply helps with overall affordability, but does not address the shortage at very low incomes. Affordability restrictions on approximately 1,250 units will be expiring over the next 10 years. Preservation of these units is critical to preventing further increases in homelessness. 

In Portland, there is a 35,950-unit surplus of regulated and market-rate housing affordable to households with incomes at 50 – 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). In contrast, there is a deficit of 18,950 units affordable to households earning 0 – 30 percent AMI.

Increased operating expenses have made it challenging for housing providers to remain solvent. Tenants unable to pay rent, residents with serious behavioral health issues, and increased security needs are also factors contributing to the problem.  

Ms. Saul pointed to solutions at the local and state levels that are currently in use and others that could be implemented or expanded. Examples include rent assistance, energy efficiency upgrades, refinancing/restructuring of commercial debt, and set aside funds for preservation of existing regulated units.  

Rental Assistance:  The Oregon Law Center, Community Action Programs, and Oregon Housing and Community Services department (OHCS) presented information on the magnitude of tenant evictions in Oregon, housing affordability, and rental assistance and eviction prevention services. This Oregon Law Center presentation documents the mismatch among housing costs, unit availability, and incomes, particularly among households with the lowest incomes. For every unit affordable to an extremely low-income household, there are 4.2 households competing for that home. Housing cost burden is the highest predictor of eviction and homelessness. For every $100 increase in rent, there is a nine percent increase in homelessness.  

The presentations incorporated information on effective measures that keep people in their homes, including eviction process reform, legal assistance for people facing eviction, and rent assistance. 

The Senate Committee on Housing and Development received updates and briefings at its June 16 meeting.  

Housing Production:  OHCS updated the committee on statewide housing production progress. During the period between 2016 – 2020, about 12,850 average units per year were developed. During 2021 – 2025 time period, an average of 22,300 units were produced each year. In order to address the state’s housing affordability challenges, more affordable housing is needed, particularly units at the lowest end of the range. 

Financing low-income housing is complicated and requires a mix of equity, debt, and public investment. OHCS funded approximately 2,700 rental units/year since 2021. From 2016 – 2020, the number was 1,700 rental units/year. OHCS has also been instrumental in developing homeownership projects throughout the state. One in three projects is located in rural areas.  

Immigration

Claudia Keith

NOTE: LWVOR positions support federal immigration laws that provide efficient, equitable systems for immigrants to enter and thrive in the United States. Congress must take immediate action to pass common-sense, fair immigration policies that end the crisis at our borders, protect families from (LWVUS Resolution, 2020). Oregon is home to more than 400,000 immigrants — nearly 10% of the state’s population and 13% of its workforce.

I. JUNE 2026 LEGISLATIVE DAYS &  INTERIM COMMITTEE

Oregon Legislative Days — June 15–17, 2026

Relevant interim committee hearings and meeting materials from the June 2026 Legislative Days:

• House Interim Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services — expected to receive updates from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) on the Interagency Council on Immigrant and Refugee Coordination (ICIRC), implementation status of 2026 immigrant justice bills, and federal funding impacts on programs serving immigrant families.

• Senate Interim Committee on Judiciary — likely to receive updates on ongoing federal-state litigation (see Section V), sanctuary law enforcement, and law enforcement accountability under HB 4138 (Law Enforcement Accountability and Visibility Act).

• Joint Interim Committee on Ways & Means — monitoring impacts of federal Medicaid, SNAP, and Head Start cuts on immigrant and refugee populations.

• House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care — receiving updates on implementation of SB 1570 (Healthcare Without Fear Act) signed April 9, 2026.

II. GOVERNOR KOTEK: EXECUTIVE ORDERS & STATE AGENCY

Executive Order 26-04

Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 26-04, titled  “Ensuring State Coordination for Immigrant and Refugee Communities to Promote Dignity and Safety”; on January 30, 2026 — one week after hosting a roundtable with community organizers and state officials on what her office characterized a “escalating and abusive”; federal immigration enforcement tactics.

• The order established a formal Interagency Council on Immigrant and Refugee Coordination (ICIRC), led by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement (OIRA) within ODHS, and composed of the Governor and at least 10 state agency directors (education, health, housing, transportation, and others).

• Mandate: Inventory current agency protocols related to immigration enforcement activity, identify opportunities to improve the state's coordinated response, and support communities impacted.

• Timeline: The council was required to define objectives and develop a work plan by March 31, 2026, with plan implementation to begin by May 30, 2026.

• ICIRC held its first meeting in mid-February 2026. OIRA Director Jessica Ventura indicated the council aimed to align and boost state programs supporting immigrants and refugees.

Undercover License Plates — Denial to ICE (April–June 2026)

According to the Oregon Capital Chronicle, Oregon DMV halted issuance of undercover license plates to all federal agencies effective April 15, 2026, following an internal review. On June 1, 2026, Governor Kotek formally ordered state transportation officials to cease providing undercover plates specifically to ICE agents, citing repeated violations of state and federal law.

• The Oregon DMV stated:  “We cannot expend state resources to assist in federal immigration enforcement”;

• Existing unexpired undercover plates held by federal agencies may continue in use; the policy change affects new issuance only.

• State and local law enforcement agencies have continued to receive undercover plates.

• The Trump administration filed suit against Oregon (and Maine, Massachusetts, and Washington) in late May/early June 2026, alleging the policy is unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause.

• Constitutional law experts note this litigation could have broader implications for Oregon’s sanctuary law — if the federal government prevails, it may become harder for Oregon to withhold certain state services from federal agencies.

Governor Kotek Signs 2026 Immigrant Justice Package  

Governor Kotek signed eight bills into law at a ceremony in Portland on April 9, 2026, joined by Democratic lawmakers, Portland Police Assistant Chief Brian Hughes, and advocates from PCUN Most of these laws took effect June 5, 2026.

Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2026 Social Policy bills for which the League submitted testimony.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed.  We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning 

• Basic Needs: Food

• Basic Needs: Income

• Juvenile Justice

• Public Safety

Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency, Governance, and Natural Resources, and Revenue report sections.