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Climate Emergency

Legislative Report - Sine Die 2024

Climate Emergency Team

 

Coordinator: Claudia Keith

  • Climate Change Budget: Claudia Keith

  • Climate Curriculum: Anne Nesse

  • Climate Lawsuits: Claudia Keith and Nivi Giani

  • Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith

  • Natural and Working Lands Forestry:  Josie Koehne 

  • Ways and Means Funding/Budget: Claudia Keith

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HCR 206 was passed to set 2025 pre-session deadlines for members and committees to submit requests for drafts of measures to be pre-session filed to the Office of the Legislative Counsel, for Legislative Counsel to deliver drafts of measures to be pre-session filed and for requesters to submit those drafts for introduction to the Senate Desk or the House Desk. Unlike the short session, there are no limits on bills to be filed by legislators AND there will be new legislators able to file into the first part of the 2025 session. See the legislative calendar on the Oregon Legislature website.


Climate Emergency - Mitigation and Adaptation 


This month Governor Kotek and Secretary of State are both focused on Climate related policy / priority issues. Gov. Tina Kotek talks climate change in sit-down interview | The Story | April 4, 2024 | kgw.com, Gov. Tina Kotek discusses offshore wind, timber harvest | April 5 | kgw.com , and Oregon DEQ under resourced to face enormity of climate change challenges, audit finds | Oregon Capital Chronicle. Oregon DEQ - Department of Environmental Quality- Ongoing Strategic Planning Can Help DEQ Address Obstacles to Achieving its Goals


CE Budget and GHG Emission Targets


The 2024 Leg session ended with a compromise as well as reasonable funding, especially in SB 1530 (>$21M) and end-of-session omnibus SB 5701 (>125M) . However, no update to Greenhouse Gas Emission targets approved in 2007 nor improvement to Climate Change coordination and accountability across agencies. SB 1559 GHG Emission update died in policy committee. League Testimony.


The League continues to be disappointed that there is no commitment by Legislature leadership to update greenhouse gas emission targets or fund a coordinated /cohesive / accountable effort for climate action across all state-funded entities. This irresponsible politically-driven situation may change in the 2025 session. See OPB: Dead: Stronger greenhouse gas reduction goals. Potentially telling, Speaker Fahey announced her new committee chairs today. 


The Governor ‘s final 4/17 signing deadline decisions: Governor Kotek Announces Final Veto Decisions, Signing Letters Governor provides signing letters for policy and budget bills. See every 2024 session bill the Governor signed, including accompanying signing letters.


Policy Bills


  • Coal Act: HB 4083 Requires Oregon Investment Council and Treasury to divest from Thermal Coal investments. Passed,. League Testimony. 

  • Right to Repair: SB 1596. See discussion in NR Leg Report, League Testimony, passed.

  • HB 4080 Enrolled. Off-Shore Wind: HB 4080, League Testimony, passed. See discussion in NR Leg Report.

  • HB 4112 Clean Tech Leadership Bill. League Testimony. Funding is $20M. Died in J W&M. 

  • HB 4155 Infrastructure funding study bill- Rep Gamba and Sen Golden – in J W&Ms. Died in committee.

  • HB 4102 Enrolled. Funding mechanism for Natural and Working Lands Fund (carbon sequestration) passed, No Fiscal.

  • The bill related to EV rebates died in committee, but DEQ did recently announce funding effective April 2024.


Climate Litigation and Congressional Climate Resolution


April 19, 2024: Feds cannot delay youth-led climate change case longer, Oregon judge rules - The judge denied the United States’ attempt to delay a 2015 climate change lawsuit while recommending that the Ninth Circuit also deny the feds’ arguments for dismissal. | Courthouse News.


Juliana v Gov: 4/19 Court filing Judge Aiken issued an order denying the government‘s motion for a stay pending the outcome of the Ninth Circuit petition for mandamus.


April 2024 Updates to the Climate Case Charts | Columbia University Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Oregon Cases –74 as of April 2024


Oregon Climate Action Commission Meeting 


By Claudia Keith


Participants= ~50 at peak 

See the meeting presentation slides.


Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Application Update 


Colin McConnaha: Oregon’s Climate Equity and Resilience Through Action (CERTA) grant application has gone to the U.S. EPA, competing for a portion of $4.5 billion in federal IRA funding that supplements existing state programs. DEQ worked with five state agencies and many local jurisdictions to identify “shovel-ready” measures (projects) in three target areas—waste and materials, transportation, and buildings. (See slide 8.) The request totals just under $200 million, targeting 6.5 million MTCO2E by 2050. EPA intends to notify applicants this summer about who will get what.

 

Building Sector Climate Action Informational Update


Rep. Marsh reviewed recent legislation. Climate action began to move during the 2021 session with enactment of HB 2021 (clean energy targets), HB 2475 (differential rates for low-income ratepayers), HB 2842 (Healthy Homes). At the same time, legislation to allow local “reach” codes to impose stronger standards than the state energy efficiency code failed. Energy efficiency is low-hanging fruit with the biggest potential impact on clean electricity outside of the hydro sector.


SB 1518 in 2022 created the Task Force on Resilient Efficient Buildings (REBuild) to identify and evaluate policies related to building codes and decarbonization that will help the state meet its GHG emission reduction goals while maximizing energy efficiency, improving resilience against climate change, improving public health and air quality, reducing household energy burdens, and mitigating impacts from wildfires, heat waves, and other climate change events. The task force brought forward priorities that include strengthening energy-efficient building codes and incentivizing and subsidizing heating and cooling efficiency increases, heat pumps, and air purification systems.


The 2023 climate resilience budget package (HB 3630/HB 3409), which Rep. Marsh called the “ODOE full employment package,” provided funding for the state heat pump program and an array of other initiatives related to the above. Moving forward, without giving up on climate change mitigation strategies, she said, “we have no choice but to look at adaptation strategies – how we will keep communities whole as conditions change.”


Climate Protection Program (CPP) Rulemaking Informational Update


Nicole Singh, DEQ: U.S. Court of Appeals invalidated the entire CPP because of a procedural error in the notification process. Petitioners addressed many other issues that the ruling did not reach. Regulated entities had worked for the past two years to determine how they would comply with the CPP requirements, and DEQ wants to see that continue. 2024 would have been the last year of the first 3-year compliance period. As for public input, DEQ had not seen as broad a representation of new voices in any previous rulemaking.


In the 2024 rulemaking, DEQ is seeking to reestablish a program to set limits on fossil fuel emissions from significant sources in Oregon, with enforceable and declining limits on emissions beginning in 2025. Scope of the program should be comparable to that of the original CPP in 2021. DEQ staff don’t intend to propose a major program redesign, but are open to hearing new ideas for program design and implementation. Staff knows that some adjustments will be necessary for a 2025 program start. DEQ will also consider changes that would further strengthen the program by:


  • increasing equitable outcomes

  • further minimizing costs to business and the public

  • maximizing federal funding opportunities

  • realigning Oregon with new state and federal energy/climate policies


Agency 2025-2027 Budget Process Timelines and Engagement Opportunities


Amy Schlusser: Budget work began earlier than usual this year in an effort to improve agency coordination. Budget requests are due to CFO by Aug. 30, 2024. Slides 20–22 provide links to budget process documents for individual agencies. Agency representatives said they have been instructed to limit their requests to a 1% increase across the board for new programs and initiatives.


Discussion: Agenda Priorities for 2024 and 2025


OCAC has canceled its May 21 meeting, retaining meetings scheduled June through November.

Chair Macdonald asked agency directors and commissioners what agenda topics they would like. Resilience and equity are overlapping priorities voiced by OHA. Sen. Dembrow suggested a standing agenda item on grant proposals and grant receipt news. DLCD Director Bateman suggested system-wide or “landscape” strategies for integrating energy, water, housing, wildfire and other policies.


Climate News


 

Climate Emergency - Volunteers Needed 


Please consider joining the Climate Emergency portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy areas:


• Natural Climate Solutions, specifically Oregon Dept of 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

• Climate Migration

• Oregon Treasury: ESG investing/Fossil Fuel divestment 

 

We collaborate with LWVOR Natural Resource Action Committee members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: Training for Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available. Please contact lwvor@lwvor.org if you have any questions or wish to become involved with Climate Emergency issues.


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