Governance Reports

In the last few days of the legislative session, we saw extraordinary machinations on campaign finance reform.

HB 3954 was revived last week after a League letter called for action on the bill, for the Adjutant General to not allow the Oregon National Guard to be called to active service, except for certain reasons. This bill became more relevant with the California National Guard being called to action by the President in Los Angeles, overriding the Mayor and California Governor.

HB 3954 tells the Oregon Adjutant General not to allow the Oregon National Guard to be called to active service, except for certain reasons, timelier now with the California National Guard in the news. HB 3954 had a May 5 public hearing, but no subsequent work session. We wrote a commenting letter and sent it to the Governor's staff, the Attorney General, Chair and House Rules Committee members, and bill sponsors, to urge action on this bill, considering amending if it is needed.

HB3936 A bans the use of AI on state assets if the AI is developed or owned by a covered (foreign) vendor. It has already passed the House 52 to 0. It is now scheduled for a final debate and vote on the Senate floor on June 9.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State is asking the public for feedback on draft administrative rules that would implement HB 4025 (2024). It has also appointed a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to work on these new administrative rules.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State is asking the public for feedback on draft administrative rules that would implement HB 4025 (2024). It has also appointed a Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) to work on these new administrative rules.

HB 3766 had a second public hearing in the Senate Judiciary after passing unanimously from the House Floor. League testimony supported the bill as written to allow civil action against an adult who, unbidden, digitally sends intimate images (cyber-flashing) with the intent to harass, degrade or humiliate. Updated League testimony was filed and presented to address amendments quantifying defendant age and limiting damages to $10,000. We recommended reading Criminalising Cyberflashing.

We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance, privacy/consumer protection, elections, and artificial intelligence.

HB 3392 is said to be the vehicle for a gut and stuff of the technical fixes for HB 4024 (2024). This bill is currently a study of campaign finance by the Secretary of State. Amendments are under discussion but not yet posted on OLIS.

Bills with League testimony are progressing, reported here, and several not addressed in the first chamber will be considered for testimony in the second chamber.

SB 1180: Requires the Secretary of State to submit to the Legislative Assembly, by November 1 of each odd-numbered year, a list of each prospective statewide initiative petition that has been filed for the next general election.

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.  

We are following numerous bills relating to initiatives, rulemaking, and elections.

We are following numerous bills relating to initiatives, broadband/vote-by-mail privacy, and elections.

We are following numerous bills relating to redistricting, broadband/vote-by-mail privacy, elections, government ethics, and rulemaking.

We are following numerous bills relating to redistricting, broadband/vote-by-mail privacy, and elections.

We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance and elections, courts and privacy, and government ethics.

We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance and elections, courts and privacy, government ethics, and revenue.

We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance reform, federal concerns and privacy, and government ethics.

We are following numerous bills relating to campaign finance reform, immigration, bias and hate crimes, and government ethics.

We are watching for AI and further cybersecurity and privacy bills, welcoming two new volunteers who will have AI bill reports soon.

We are following numerous bills relating to immigration, discrimination, bias and hate crimes, including as they relate to privacy.

A CFR workgroup called by Rep. Fahey that began in June is still working to identify technical adjustments needed to ensure successful implementation of HB 4024 (2024), to recommend legislative fixes for 2025, and to consider broader policy improvements for future sessions.

The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week.

The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week. Senate Rules met Sept. 24 to consider various executive appointments.

The House and Senate Rules committees met during the interim days last week. House Rules met May 31 to hear from representatives of the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy. Senate Rules met May 20 to consider various appointments.

Since this was a short session things seemed to move quickly. In the beginning there seemed to be adequate notice on hearings and bills to be heard, changing as the session progressed.

An amazingly historic thing happened with campaign finance reform as explained here in the Capital Chronicle.

During the 2/29 public hearing on the -3 amendment to this placeholder bill, HB 4024, good government groups severely criticized the amendment for leaving huge loopholes for special interest organizations to still make 6-figure campaign contributions.

A placeholder bill, HB 4024, is being pressed into service from unusual partners, labor (which is otherwise promoting IP 42 against IP 9), and business.

SB 1538 is an election law clean-up bill that makes many changes, was amended in several details and passed out of the Senate Rules Committee on 2/15.

For the first week of session, this news includes committee bills we’re working on / watching and news from the quarterly EPAB Meeting.

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 LWV of Oregon has endorsed and is actively circulating IP 9 on Campaign Finance and IP 14 on Redistricting.

The LWV of Oregon has endorsed and is actively circulating IP 9 on Campaign Finance and IP 14 on Redistricting. We urge you to download, print, sign and return petitions by mail from Honest Elections for IP 9 and People Not Politicians for IP 14.

In the final days of the legislative session only one bill, SB 166, the SoS’s omnibus elections bill, passed that included any campaign finance provisions.

In the final days of the Legislative session, only one bill, SB 166 Enrolled, passed that included many subjects.

The OR Senate walkout from May 3 finally ended on June 15, with a quorum present. 394 bill actions were scheduled including 40 from the House, which suspended rules to increase by 10. 144 bills have already been signed by the Governor.

The June 8 House Rules Committee finally saw some CFR action, starting at ~1:20 in the video. Speaker Rayfield’s staff explained some history, concepts, and complications of crafting a CFR bill.

Hopes for breaking the Senate walkout logjam seem slim, now in the sixth week. The singular focus on HB 2002 is likely to kill many critical bills as processing time vanishes, including critical cybersecurity bills carried over from 2022.

Sine die is technically imminent as the Speaker invoked House Rule 8.15(6) and the Senate President, Senate Rule 8.16 on May 23, a full month before the projected final session date, June 25.

No bills on campaign finance have yet been scheduled for a hearing. However, there has been some movement behind the scenes about what could be passed during this session.

It appears to this reporter that the Oregon legislative session could effectively be over. Several Republican Senators will soon run out of their 9 allowed unexcused absences, but several others will alternate with them to deny a quorum in the Senate for a few more days or a week.

Republican Senators walked out (press), citing bill summary readability; see the Flesch Kincaid Calculator. The walkout prevents a required quorum and delays progress for divisive gun safety and healthcare bills.

IP 9 petition cover and signature sheets are being prepared for signature gathering. The League supports IP 9 as a Chief Petitioner.

The SoS elections bill (SB 167) pushed for overdue software updates.

Bills are appearing fresh here, including some we missed in the first chamber.

We spoke to the SoS’s budget bill this week. We’re following the progress of numerous cybersecurity and public records bills.

The League was able to give verbal testimony (at minute 33) for HB 2004, regarding Ranked Choice Voting.

HB 2345-1, which mandates that reasonable efforts will be made to limit the length of time an incarcerated person can remain in segregated housing (solitary confinement), is scheduled for a work session on April 3.