Jump to a topic:

• Climate Emergency Highlights 

• December Legislative Days & OCERA Lobby Day 

• Oregon Environmental Justice Council

• Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust (OCT)

Climate Emergency Highlights 

By Claudia Keith

There are over 80 Environment / Climate Legislative Concepts/Bills likely to be posted to OLIS in January. At this point a few have been identified as potential League policy and budget priorities:

• Update to Greenhouse Emission Reduction Goals. Bringing back SB 1559 (2024)

• Natural and Working Lands (OCAC NWL Report)

• Treasury: Fossil Fuel Divestment

• Community Resilience Hubs and Networks

• Study on Small-Scale Renewable Energy Solutions/Projects

•  Study / Task Force on public financing (2024 HB 4155)

• Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package

• Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment Referral

• Climate Friendly Transportation

LWV Oregon’s environmental coalition partner Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) has recently selected their policy and budget priorities which include two Climate-related topics: Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability. There will be more in the next Legislative Report. 

December Legislative Days & OCERA Lobby Day 

By Claudia Keith

The League attended, several committee hearings Dec 10 and 11th and participated in OCERA (Oregon Coalition Environmental Rights Amendment) Dec 11 Lobby Day LC 2562 -- the Right to a Clean, Safe, and Healthy Environment. At this point the League agrees with the concept of LC 2562. Because this is a constitutional amendment it requires referral to the 2025 ballot. One of OCERA’s major sponsors is Our Children’s Trust, with a number of other Oregon partners.

Policy topics heard during the day included: K-12 Climate Curriculum and Public Financing Task Force LC’s. Both of these policy/budget topics failed to move during 2024 session.

House and Senate Environment Energy Climate committee s agendas included a number of timely topics: House: Climate Friendly Equitable, Community Resiliency, detail LC list, Nuclear Reactors and Wildfire funding. Senate: Oregon Climate Action Commission, detail LC List, Clean Energy Act ( 2021 HP2021), Deq CPP and Regional Power Planning follow-up.

Oregon Environmental Justice Council

Dec 12 and 19 2024 Meetings: Environmental Justice Mapping Tool - Meeting Materials 

Meeting Agenda included leadership updates, annual reporting and next steps.

See 2022 HB 4077 for original legislation

Comprehensive Legislator Nov and Dec 2024 Newsletters

• Sen Dembrow

• Rep Gomberg

• Rep Marsh

• Sen Brock Smith

• Rep Owens

The Legislative Environmental Caucus will be posting  to this page priority updates starting soon.

Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust (OCT) 

By Claudia Keith

Recent OCT Press Releases:

December 9, 2024: Juliana Plaintiffs Take Standing Fight for Constitutional Rights to U.S. Supreme Court with Petition for Certiorari

December 5, 2024: Our Children’s Submits Intervention to European Court of Human Rights in its Newest Climate Case with Latest Scientific Findings

Here is one example of how to track DEQ CPP cases.

Basically, there are several active federal lawsuits, Dec 2024 update) ‘Oregon Federal Court Said Youth Plaintiffs Could Proceed with Due Process and Public Trust Claims in Climate Suit’, some of which could assist in meeting Oregon's Net Zero GHG Emissions before 2050 targets, and other lawsuits, that challenge the 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 83 lawsuits, mentioning OREGON.