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Climate Emergency Priority Bills

CE priority bills had minimal activity in the last few weeks. Most have already moved to JW&Ms and one to the House. Find in previous LR (report)s additional background on the six CE priorities.

1. Resilient Buildings (RB) policy package:

Bills are now in JW&M. The League is an active RB coalition partner. Link to League testimonies: SB 868, 869, 870 and 871.

· SB 868 A staff measure summary, Fiscal and Follow-up Questions

· SB 869 A staff measure summary, Fiscal and Follow-up Questions

· SB 870 A Staff measure summary, Fiscal and Follow-up Questions

· SB 871 A staff measure summary, Fiscal and Follow-up Questions

2. SB 530A: Natural and Working Lands is in JW&Ms with Do pass with-7 amendment, a 3/2 partisan vote. The League continues to be an active coalition member. Fiscal. Staff Measure Summary

3. Environmental Justice (EJ) 2023 bills:

SB 907 A ‘Right to Refuse Dangerous work’ public hearing was on May 10 in House B&L. The committee work session is now scheduled for 5/17. Here is the May 9 LWVOR testimony.

The League joined the Worker Advocate Coalition on 2/13. SB 593 is one of two bills the League will follow and support. The ‘Right to Refuse dangerous work’ SB 907 A, League testimony. SB 907 amendment -6 staff measure summary. 4/4 work session, moved to the floor with do pass with amendments, a unanimous vote. SB907 Coalition Letter - LWVOR one of many organizations…

4. Oregon Climate Action Commission (currently Oregon Global Warming Commission): Roadmap, SB 522 A staff measure summary, fiscal, 4/4 Work Session moved, with 4/1 vote to JW&Ms.

5. Other Governor Climate / Carbon Policy Topics: See 20-04 Executive Order topics. This area includes other GHG emission mitigation/reductions (DEQ) and new clean renewable energy (DEQ & DOE), OHA public health, and ODOT (Dept of Transportation) policy and funding bills including state agency budget bills.

6. CE related total 2023-2025 biennium budget: The governor’s budget* was published January 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 in both chambers to pass this proposed change. We provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Energy (ODOE) budget (HB 5016) and will add climate items to (DEQ) HB 5018 League 3/30 testimony. In both cases, our testimony will request additional agency requests not included in the Governor’s January budget.

Another major issue, the upcoming mid-May Forecast, will likely provide new required budget balancing guidelines that could limit funding for these critical CE policy bills.

Other CE Bills

By Claudia Keith

HB 2763 A updated with -1 amendment: League Testimony. Creates a State public bank Task Force. Like the RB task force, the 23-member Task Force is required to recommend no later than January 2024. “The report must include a recommendation for a governing structure for a public bank.” This policy topic will likely have a bill in the 2024 session -1 staff measure summary. Moved on 3/14 with recommendation to JW&Ms with -1 amendment. Fiscal

HB 3016 A, community green infrastructure, moved to JW&Ms unanimously. Legislative -2 Staff Measure Summary.

Interstate 5 (I-5) Bridge Project

Meetings & Events | I-5 Bridge Replacement Program

Oregon Economic Analysis 

By Claudia Keith

The Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast was released Feb 22. The next forecast is due May 17. JW&M recommended budget will use the May forecast to balance the budget.

The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis has continued to ignore the recommended SEC Climate Risk disclosure proposed rule.

Analysis: SEC.gov | Remarks at the 2023  SEC Municipal Securities Disclosure Conference, The Need for Climate Risk Disclosures: Emerging trends in ESG governance for 2023 | Harvard. 

See supportive SEC disclosure LWVOR-initiated LWVUS Testimony, June 2022. 

Oregon Treasury

By Claudia Keith

It is unclear how Oregon Treasury/Treasurer Tobias Read will assist with addressing the IRA $27B Federal funds, contingent on formation of an Oregon Green Bank. Up To $27B Available for NPO Clean Energy Activities. | TNPT.

Oregon Pers Performance: Returns for periods ending MAR-2023 Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund.

The Oregon Investment Council will meet May 31 The agenda and meeting materials are not yet posted. The Council met April 19; see the meeting packet. The meeting 4/19 minutes still have not been posted. The April packet includes the March meeting minutes. ESG investing continues to be addressed.

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 a federal lawsuits, ( May 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 64 lawsuits, mentioning OREGON.

Climate lawsuits: 'Grannies - but not in the traditional sense': Meet the Swiss women suing over climate change | CNN, Youth Climate Change Lawsuit Clears Pretrial Conference, Trial Set to Proceed - Flathead Beacon Montana, ‘Like a dam breaking’: experts hail decision to let US climate lawsuits advance | Climate crisis | The Guardian, Boulder’s blockbuster climate lawsuit against Suncor and Exxon Mobil has a path forward | Colorado Public Radio.

Oregon, NW Regional, National and Global News

Oregon’s AG Ellen Rosenblum joins in call for federal gas stove rules - oregonlive.com, Climate Change: Oregon to receive $4M to tackle climate pollution | News | currypilot.com, U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA OREGON - Independent Statistics and Analysis, Oregon's First Natural Gas Ban Ignites Industry Counterattack - Bloomberg.

Biden to Create White House Office of Environmental Justice - The New York Times, World not ready yet to 'switch off' fossil fuels, COP28 host UAE says | Reuters, The ocean is hotter than ever: what happens next? | Nature, Pulling Power From the Ocean Is the Final Frontier for Renewable Energy – CNET, The speed of this Greenland glacier’s melt could signal even worse sea level rise - The Washington Post, Chicago Eyes Billion-Dollar Water Deals to Spur Growth | Bloomberg, Energy Storage: sand battery technology made in Italy, the very first application - SEN Sustainability & Environment Network, Environmental Justice: Everything You Need to Know – EcoWatch, 

Volunteers Needed 

By Claudia Keith

Request to Local Leagues; please let us know your climate, resilience, or sustainability advocacy actions. Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy and law areas:

· Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture/ODA

· Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation and Renewable Energy

· 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: CE Coordinator. Orientation to Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.