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Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/20 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Lucie La Bonte Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Budgets/Revenue Climate Governance Land Use/Housing Recycling Toxics Water Volunteers Needed By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team The Feb. 22 (quarterly) Revenue Forecast provided guidance to legislators as they consider bills for the next few months. Of course, it will be the May 17 forecast that will be used to balance the state 2-year budget for 2023-25. We now have a list of most of the bills to be heard this session—with the exception of some “priority” bills that take the permission from the Senate President or Speaker of the House. The next important date is March 17 when policy bills will need to be scheduled for a Work Session or they are dead for the session. Budgets/Revenue The quarterly Revenue Forecast was shared on Feb. 22 in House Revenue. The Oregon Dept. of Energy (ODOE) budget ( HB 5016 ) was heard on Feb. 21-23. The Oregon Marine Board agency presentation and public hearing will be 2/27. The Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) budget ( HB 5020 ) will be scheduled Feb. 28 & Mar. 1 & 2, with public testimony on March 2. We understand that tentatively the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA) budget ( HB 5002 and HB 5003 ) is scheduled for the week of March 13. Oregon Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) budget ( SB 5509 ) week of March 20. Dept. of State Lands ( HB 5037 ) mid-March and Dept. of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) ( HB 5018 and HB 5019 ) week of March 27. No date has been announced for the Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) budget ( HB 5043 ). The agency provided their one-pager on the Governor’s Recommended Budget with the list of Policy Option Packages included. See Governor Kotek’s biennial budget . For natural resource agency budgets, start on page 146 of the web document. The Governor’s budget is “balanced” with the use of the ending fund balances of $765 million from 2021-23 that would have gone to the Rainy-Day Fund. Oregon’s reserves are at $2 billion and those funds are not expected to be used, nor is the $3.9 billion kicker money that is expected to be returned to taxpayers. Kicker amounts won’t be finalized until the 2021-23 budget is closed in Sept. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See Climate Report in the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Dept. Of Environmental Quality (DEQ) The League provided testimony with concerns on SB 835 . In listening to the bill sponsor, the concern is that DEQ is not equally administering permits. The bill seemed to require that a single septic system be used for both the main home and an accessory dwelling unit placed on a lot where a septic system is used. The sponsor and DEQ are to clarify the concerns of the sponsor to assure that permits are being considered consistently. LWVOR agrees but wants to be sure that permits are given to use the same system ONLY if it is adequate and in good condition and able to handle the increased waste. This is a public health and safety issue. Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) By Peggy Lynch The DOGAMI budget ( SB 5510 ) was heard. The League provided testimony , both supporting the Geologic Survey and Services Division where science is king and acknowledging the importance of the Mined Land Regulation and Reclamation (MLRR) Division, although we have concerns about the new General Funds proposed for the MLRR program—a program once only funded by fees. Governance By Peggy Lynch The League noticed a couple of bills in Senate Rules and provided testimony in opposition. SB 42 would require agencies to add even more factors related to business when calculating the cost of doing the rulemaking and those consequences. It goes so far as to allow only a few people to file a petition to hold rules hostage. The League provided testimony in opposition. SB 38 would require certain agencies to process permits even if state or federal laws or rules changed during the permit processing. The League provided testimony in opposition. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch HB 2001 is being “stuffed” with the -8 amendment that includes a number of bills LWVOR supported. Section 11 would provide “financing, including refinancing, to local governments or housing developers for predevelopment costs, including infrastructure, site acquisition, planning, reports, surveys and consultants.” LWVOR testified in favor of SB 534 which is now incorporated into this bill as well as some other provisions, including HB 2889 , the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis bill. A news release issued Feb. 22 announced that HB 5019 will be amended and will be the vehicle for funding the policies in HB 2001-8. The Joint Semiconductor Committee Co-Chairs have introduced SB 4 that includes monies to help semiconductor industries and would allow the Governor to “supersite” industrial lands for this industry. The League is concerned with the land use provision. Some of the lands being considered are prime farmland. And some were promised as “rural reserves” in a “grand bargain” from about 10 years ago—so that farmers could plan for investments on that land for 40-50 years. We have supported the concept of “shovel-ready” lands for industry as well as housing, but infrastructure takes investment and it’s unclear if the monies requested in the bill will help pay for servicing any raw land. The need for infrastructure within our Urban Growth Boundaries should be addressed for these lands to be used for any need. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers On February 13, the RAC member representing Waste Management proposed a number of changes to the schedule ODOE has put forward to address proposed rules for Division 050 of OAR 345 relating to radioactive waste. They requested that ODOE 1) grant an extension of the March 1 deadline for members of the RAC to submit informal input on the initial draft of proposed rules on radioactive waste for Division 050 of OAR 345 provided by ODOE to RAC members in December; 2) agree on a “new more protective approach” that “. . . will be designed to incorporate the most current radiological science;” 3) convene a series of RAC meetings beginning in April designed to obtain consensus on the new approach; and 4) accept a draft rule package of their own on the basis of their new proposed approach in lieu of submitting comments to the draft concepts currently before the RAC as developed by ODOE. On February 15, ODOE agreed to an extension and to explore possible April meeting dates with RAC members. Recycling By Kathy Moyd The League provided testimony on three recycling bills after doing research: SB 542 requires original equipment manufacturers to make repair information available to consumer electronic equipment owners or independent repair providers. The League provided testimony in support, but pointed out two areas where changes should be made: clarify what was included under the bill and deal with the enforcement method. Preferred versions were included in the New York law. SB 543 prohibits food vendors from using polystyrene foam containers in sales of prepared food. A - 1 amendment was posted three hours before the public hearing. LWVOR provided written testimony after the public hearing. SB 544 directs the Environmental Quality Commission to establish a program for source reduction of single-use plastic food ware and single-use packaging and achieve 25% source reductions compared to 2023 levels by 2030. A -1 amendment was posted three hours before the public hearing. LWVOR provided written Testimony after the public hearing. Toxics By Paula Grisafi LWVOR provided testimony in support of SB 426 , the Toxics Free Schools bill for a Senate Education Committee Feb. 21 hearing. Water By Peggy Lynch On Feb. 15, Governor Tina Kotek declared the first drought declaration of 2023, in Crook and Jefferson counties through Executive Order 23-05, and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region. All or a portion of Crook County has been classified as having exceptional drought (D4) conditions since early July 2021. The data indicates the 36-month average ending in January 2023 is by far the worst on record. Current conditions in the Crooked River watershed are less than 30% of the average and reservoir storage is only 10% full. The Klamath and Harney basins may have groundwater restrictions in the future. The two Oregon regions are grappling with water shortages and could soon have new groundwater restrictions as a mega-drought continues to parch the U.S. West. The Water Resources Department may create new critical groundwater areas in Harney Basin in eastern Oregon and the Klamath Basin in southern Oregon, according to agency spokesperson Alyssa Rash. The decision would give the agency wide latitude to mandate groundwater use cuts by setting pumping limits or by denying new permits to pump from underground aquifers. The Oregon Capital Chronicle provided a good article on this important issue. Place-based Planning is a concept that the League has supported since its inception in 2014. We participated in the HB 5006 Work Group where members suggested updating that planning program. HB 3163 would create a special Fund for these regional planning efforts. The League testified in support of the Fund. We will work with others on the specific criteria listed for qualifying for access to the Fund. The League participated in a meeting by Oregon Kitchen Table as the Integrated Water Resources Strategy is being updated . The meeting was to consider how to reach out to more Oregonians and what issues might be of interest. An LWV Deschutes member also attended and shared some of the Deschutes basin concerns. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” We provided testimony in support of HB 2647 , a bill that declares harmful algal blooms to be a menace to public health and welfare. An amendment will be considered to narrow the bill since some issues were addressed in previous sessions. Visit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. We have an on-going drought throughout Oregon and League members may want to check the U.S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. The 2023 legislative session is almost halfway over. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered.

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - Week of 1/15 Jump to a topic: Higher Education General Education Update Higher Education By Jean Pierce LWVOR will be tracking the progress of legislation that would appropriate $5M to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) for establishing and awarding grants for basic needs programming at public higher education institutions. This money could be used for food, housing, utilities, transport, textbooks, and other emergency needs not covered by financial aid packages. HB3561 (2023) Implementation: In 2023, HB3561 passed to provide scholarships and grants awarded to ensure Oregon has an adequate supply of early childhood care and education professionals. However, the $5.2 million requested to fund the program was denied, so now they are requesting $2.5M. The scholarship program’s purpose is to provide a diverse and well-trained supply of early childhood professionals providing childcare. Many early childhood education students are teacher assistants who do not earn sufficient money to pay teacher education costs. Higher education institutions report long waiting lists of people who would like to become qualified as Early Childhood Care and Education Professionals. Not only would this help address the teacher shortage, but it permits parents to be fully employed. General Education Update By Anne Nesse LWVOR will follow a few of these Legislative Concepts In the coming short session. From House Education Committee: 1/10/23 LC 229, would increase the weight of funding to school districts with high homeless student populations. It would also remove the state funding cap on the amount that districts receive for children with disabilities. LC 230, helps with funding and design problems for a proposed 9 (20-30 students each) High School Regional Addiction Recovery Schools. (This program is innovative in the United States, successfully begun by a pilot project during the last session.) LC 231, helps to create a statewide uniform school record-keeping method, to increase accountability. LWVOR members who have worked many years on the Dolly Parton book initiatives will be happy that HB 3198, which passed last session, included this funding concept for the Dept. of Early Learning and Care (DELC). A House Education report indicated that DELC is attempting to partner with libraries throughout the state to continue program implementation for all young children. From House Early Childhood and Human Services Committee: 1/10/23 Testimony on these issues aligns with our 2024 priorities: LC 203, hopes to provide emergency help for highly troubled youth, attempting to avoid added stress associated with temporary foster housing placement. LC 189, from Chair Reynolds, concerning establishing Nurse-Family Partnership visitations and instruction to include low-income and BIPOC families in the care of their child from 0 to the first 1,000 days of life, or until income and child care stability is established. From Senate Education Committee: 1/11/23 A required report was published by Sen. Dembrow & Committee, on the Quality Education Model , and its current inability to distribute sufficient funds, over many years, to meet our goals consistently from year to year. LC 219, the Educational Omnibus Bill will attempt to make several changes to Oregon’s education laws to improve meeting our goals. This draft document, worked on by a select committee, is 63 pages long. It begins with acknowledging the establishment of a Youth Advisory Council, understanding that these youth are the recipients of our decision-making processes. This law will address funding inequities of Oregon's quality public school education model. It attempts to solve problems associated with special education funding and many other issues. Please contact lwvor@lwvor.org if you have any questions, or wish to become involved with any of these issues.

LAASYA KANAMATHA (she/her) LAASYA KANAMATHA (she/her) DEIJ Youth Chair youthoutreach@lwvor.org

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - September Interim Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Lucie La Bonte Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Columbia River Treaty Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest Forestry Emergency Services Hanford Cleanup Board Land Use Radioactive Waste Reduce/Recycle Regional Solutions Toxics Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team We hope you read the October 1 st LWVOR All-Member Newsletter with the list of volunteers needed for the League’s Natural Resources Team. The League depends on YOU to help advocate—using our adopted positions. Our voice is respected because of our studies and nonpartisan volunteer voices. A fun survey—Please take the 2023 Oregon Values and Beliefs Center Typology survey to help strengthen Oregon’s civic culture. Your voice can steer public policy. HCR 38 (2023) sets the process for the February 2024 short session that runs Feb. 5 through March 10th. The legislative calendar is posted on the Oregon Legislature website . There were three days of legislative meetings Sept. 27-29 and more interim days in November and January. Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch On August 30 th , a new quarterly Revenue Forecast was provided to the legislature. The total available resources for the current 2023-25 biennium was increased by $437 million after accounting for a bigger beginning balance which was the result of a larger ending balance in the previous 2021-23 biennium after it closed this summer. There will be another forecast Nov. 15 and one on February 7 th which will determine potential revenue that can be spent during the 2024 session. During these Sept. interim meetings, we understand that Tax Measures 5 & 50 which capped yearly property tax increases at 3% were discussed. Mayors from around Oregon testified in support of increasing the cap to improve local services funding. The League has often supported a review and possible changes to our property tax system, in particular because of these constraints on our local governments. The League is hopeful there will be additional bonding capacity available as we advocate for spending on infrastructure for needed housing. The Legislative Fiscal Office shares that the State Debt Policy Advisory Commission (SDPAC) issues an annual report, so there will be a 2024 report that includes the most current revenue and interest rate projections. However, typically any additional debt capacity resulting from an increase in forecasted revenues is attributed to future biennia. Based on the 2023 SDPAC report and bonding authorizations approved in the 2023 session, there is $65.8 million in remaining general obligation bond capacity and $27.4 million in remaining lottery bond capacity for the 2023-25 biennium. The final “kicker” amount of about $5.6 billion will be returned to taxpayers as a credit on their 2024 tax returns. The 1979 Oregon Legislature passed the "Two percent kicker" law, which requires the state to refund excess revenue to taxpayers when actual General Fund revenues exceed the previous odd-year May revenue forecast amount by more than two percent. The Legislative Fiscal Office has published its 2023-25 Budget Highlights which provides summary information on the legislatively adopted budget from the 2023 session. You can look for the Natural Resource Program Area for specifics on the monies provided to our 14 state agencies. The Emergency Board met right after Sine Die to adopt rules for their work during the interim. They were provided $50 million in the 2023 end-of-session bill, SB 5506 , to spend on emergencies until the next session, as well as a number of “special purpose appropriations” for expected expenses such as additional wildfire funding and salary increases. Otherwise, agency budgets are only changed by an act of the entire legislature. At the time of this report, the League understands that the Emergency Board does not plan to meet before the 2024 session. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report which overlaps with Natural Resources. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch LWVOR continues to advocate for protection of wetlands and estuaries. Here is a PEW Research article on Oregon’s work to leverage coastal wetlands to help address climate change. The Coos County League is preparing testimony on the Coos Bay Estuary Management Plan (CBEMP). The County file for this project is AM-22-005 . The Coos League continues to watch with concern for a potential federal grant to help dredging deeper and wider the Port of Coos Bay. It is unclear if there is an official proposal to create a container ship proposal moving forward. The Coos League is having trouble getting information from the Port on these issues. (See the LWVOR 2023 Sine Die issue for more information.) The Federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is listening to comments related to proposed ocean energy sites offshore from Brookings and Coos Bay. Information is available on the BOEM Oregon state activities page . To comment on the draft WEAs please go to regulations.gov and search for docket number BOEM-2023-0033. BOEM will accept comments through 11:59 pm ET on October 16, 2023. The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) has approved revisions to the Territorial Sea Plan Part 4 . This plan now goes to the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) for adoption. OPAC was “disappointed” the Governor’s representative did not attend the meeting. OPAC sent a letter expressing concern that the Governor does not seem to understand the impact of our coastal industry, communities, its ecological value and the important role of OPAC as a voice for those communities. We do note that the Governor has added temporarily a staffer from the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife to her natural resources advisors and perhaps that will help with the myriad of natural resource issues on the Governor’s plate. See the League’s 2012 Coastal Study to learn more about wave energy. Columbia River Treaty By Philip Thor On August 14, 2023, a ”Media Note” was released by the “Office of the Spokesperson,” presumably, from the United States Department of State, which announced that “The United States and Canada conducted the 18th round of Columbia River Treaty regime negotiations on August 10-11 in Seattle, Washington.” The note went on to state “As committed by President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau at the conclusion of the President’s March visit to Canada, the U.S. negotiation team has further accelerated negotiation efforts towards an agreement that meets the needs of the Columbia Basin with greater certainty and improved results.” To that end, the United States recently put forward a range of options for Canada to consider that the U.S. believes provides both countries with increased certainty in managing flood risks, planning for Treaty hydropower operations, integrating Canada’s desire for greater flexibility, establishing mechanisms for incorporating tribal and indigenous input, and taking advantage of opportunities to strengthen Treaty ecosystem provisions and collaborate on ongoing salmon reintroduction studies. During the session negotiation teams exchanged views on this set of proposals. The United States is focused on ensuring that resource planners, operators, and others have time to make plans to implement a modernized Treaty regime or rely on the current Treaty regime as it exists today. And, finally, the note said that the U.S. government would hold a virtual listening session on August 22, 2023 “to engage the public about treaty regime modernization…” Below is some of what various representatives had to say about Treaty renegotiations in this session: U.S. Government negotiators opened the meeting with statements (State Department, Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration). Many of the next speakers were from PNW Public Utility Districts (PUDs), Cooperatives (Co-Ops), and power-related associations. It appeared that they had prepared in advance since their key messages were very similar. Namely: Flood control should be paid by taxpayers, as elsewhere in the US. The Canadian Entitlement is unbalanced – Canada gets more hydropower returned to them which they then sell back to the U.S. at great profit. Wildfires are occurring in both countries and Canada has a right to choose how they release water. Climate change is affecting us. “We share the fires, we share the floods, so we should share the water.” The marketing of power (i.e., the imbalance) impacts many smaller communities, which are vulnerable. Electricity rates are increasing, as is overall electrical demand – both effects are especially hard on rural folks, served by the smaller PUDs and Co-Ops. Renegotiation is taking too long – Canada is delaying the new treaty so they can continue to get more than their fair share of benefits. Many other speakers commented that the renegotiations needed to speed up. Most of the remaining speakers were from environmental groups, Native American Tribes and other like organizations. Their statements were like what had been presented before, namely: Inclusion of Ecosystem Function is critical and should become the third leg of the CRT purposes. The U.S. Entity should be expanded to include representatives from PNW Native American Tribes. They should be given a manager role in the CRT, not as a consultant. Ecosystem Function should include: A Spring freshet Flow augmentation A dry-year strategy Salmon reintroduction is another critical piece of Ecosystem Function. Temperature has been higher than 70 degrees since mid-July at main stem dams, considered lethal to salmon. BPA and COE have failed in managing the river as the U.S. Entity. Adding Ecosystem Function would improve this. So, given what I have heard now and before this, and with my background, I would offer the following conclusions: There appears to be some interest to resolve negotiations, largely so that flood operations in 2024 can be managed, and to avoid “pay for flood control regime” then. But, the perceived imbalance of hydroelectric power sharing between the two countries is (in my opinion) a monumental hurdle that may not be easily overcome. This could stall negotiations for a long time. Both countries currently think they are not getting their fair share of the power benefits. This may be a negotiation tactic. Adding Ecosystem Function as an important component of a new Treaty is likely to occur, but the “devil is in the details.” What is included in Ecosystem Function and how will it be provided? This listening session was the first one that identified what some of the specifics are, namely – reintroduction of salmon into Canada (a rather tough objective since Grand Coulee Dam is very high and Lake Roosevelt is quite long), a spring freshet (already largely have increased flows in the spring now), flow augmentation (more water will not likely cool the river much, if at all), and a dry-year strategy (useful concept but defining it is a challenge; also its implementation could impact other river users, such as recreation – deeper drawdowns in storage reservoirs during the summer period causing lower reservoir refill probabilities in subsequent years, particularly if another dry-year occurs). The other important note is that the negotiators are being very closed lipped about details, which is fully understandable. So, there is no telling when an agreement will come together since the public has no method for judging how close the talks may be. We will continue to stand by and watch for announcements. Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) By Peggy Lynch The League continues to follow the Grassy Mountain Gold Project in Malheur County, using a streamlined permitting process. Here is the latest on this project. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch As part of the discussions on housing, the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Council (HPAC), shared a proposal to significantly change our wetlands protections laws and rules. The League provided testimony in opposition with comments explaining our prior actions to support more assets for wetlands permitting and data. The Governor has recently said this HPAC proposal will not be part of her housing proposals for 2024, but we may well see a bill from an individual legislator. If you want to receive notices of HPAC meetings, click here . HB 2238 passed in 2023 and allows for rulemaking to increase fees related to removal or fill permit applications, wetland delineation reports and general authorizations. We will work with the agency to increase processes for clearly identifying wetlands in urban growth boundaries to be sure lands that should be developed can be and those that can’t should be are removed from the buildable lands inventory. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch The League continues to engage in the ESRF, including attending their prospective Board meetings. The prospective ESRF Board met September 22 ( agenda ). Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . They plan to meet again October 16, Noon to 4 p.m. in Corvallis and December 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meeting videos are posted to the Department of State Lands YouTube channel and meeting notes are posted to DSL's Elliott website . Work is continuing on eventual adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Forest Management Plan for the forest. Of concern to the League is how their plan can be financially viable without excessive timber harvest. See also the OSU College of Forestry website here as they work on the proposed Forest Management Plan. The Shutter Creek facility has been transferred to the Dept. of State Lands and federal monies awarded to upgrade the facility to be used as the headquarters for the ESRF as well as potential opportunities for local tribes. Here is an OPB article with the latest on the Elliott. We may see an ask for additional General Funds to pay for starting up this new agency in 2024 since any timber harvest will not occur for a few years. They were allocated $4.1 million in 2023 but will need to hire an Executive Director and limited staff while working on all future plans for research, for recreation and for limited harvest in the forest. The OSU Board of Trustees will receive an update at their Oct. 20 meeting. There will be a special OSU Board meeting in December when the OSU Board will consider final approval of OSU’s engagement with the ESRF. The State Land Board will meet Dec. 12 to provide a final decision on the ESRF going forward. Forestry Oregonians can help shape the future of Oregon’s forests: Oregon’s Kitchen Table posted a survey, available through October 9. Oregon’s forests provide a variety of social, economic, and ecological benefits to Oregonians. The Oregon Board of Forestry and ODF are responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies that promote forest health and resilience to preserve those benefits for future generations. They are in the process of updating their shared strategic plan that will guide the policy and operational work for the next several years. They’ve partnered with Oregon Kitchen Table—a program of Portland State University—to hear from as many Oregonians as possible to ensure the plan covers what matters most to people when it comes to our forests. As the Board of Forestry makes decisions on our state forests, including potential adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan, future harvest plans, and their strategic plan, we remind you that Oregon’s forests are managed for the greatest permanent value : “healthy, productive, and sustainable forest ecosystems that over time and across the landscape provide a full range of social, economic, and environmental benefits to the people of Oregon.” The state has received more than $58 million in federal funds aimed at increasing tree canopy in community spaces and neighborhoods that most need to reduce impacts of extreme heat. Emergency Services Register for The Great Oregon ShakeOut , a self-led earthquake drill, at 10:19 a.m. on Oct. 19 th . Also consider signing up for the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system for earthquakes in the area with a magnitude of 4.5 or greater. This can provide critical seconds of advance warning to seek cover from falling objects and brace ourselves. ShakeAlert uses science and technology to detect significant earthquakes quickly, to send an alert to people on cell phones. Hanford Cleanup Board By Marylou Schnoes The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board will hold a meeting on October 10, both online and in person in Richland, WA. The meeting will begin at 2:00 pm and conclude after the public comment period that will take place at approximately 5:00 pm. Public participation is welcomed and encouraged. A full meeting agenda, information on how to participate, and other meeting materials are available online . Learn more about Hanford and Oregon’s role . New public Board members are needed. We are grateful for the time Marylou has spent serving on this Board. Land Use/Dept. of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) & Housing By Peggy Lynch The League has been feverishly engaged with the Governor’s Housing Production Advisory Council as it now meets bi-weekly and has five less-than-public work groups making recommendations to the Governor. Some ideas have merit but many attack our environmental protections and our public involvement opportunities at local levels. The League has always supported our statewide land use planning program with local implementation. We are seeing local elements eroded by some of the recommendations. See the League’s website where the plethora of our testimony is posted. If you want to receive notices of HPAC meetings, click here . We are working with partners, with the Governor’s Office and legislators, as we expect bills in the 2024 session that we may want to support or oppose. This is the latest article on challenges. Look for additional articles AND look for the League’s voice as we work to support affordable housing for ALL while also protecting other Oregon values. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Oregon Marine Board The League has supported Oregon’s boat inspection program. We are alarmed that Quagga mussels have been spotted in the Snake River near Twin Falls, Idaho. We support the boat permits under the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Dept. with monies transferred to the Marine Board to enforce protections. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) continues its work to protect Oregon from the acceptance, accumulation, and storage of hazardous levels of radioactive waste. Since the 2023 Sine Die issue of the Legislative Report (see for background, scroll down to Radioactive Waste), LWVOR and other members of the Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) submitted informal input on the third draft of revised rules for OAR 345-050. Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) Staff presented a final proposed draft to the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) on September 22, 2023. After some discussion, the Council voted to put the draft out for public comment. There are several issues of concern, most pertaining to the League’s priority for rules that will best safeguard the public health and safety over short and long terms. On some elements of the rules, tension exists between that and costs of detection/identification and management to Oregon entities that generate and otherwise manage wastes containing radioactivity would incur. There has been an unfortunate shortage of participation in RAC activities by those sharing the League’s focus, but we are working to inform and bring in others for public comment. The deadline for comment is Friday, October 27 at 5 p.m. Materials can be found on the ODOE website (scroll down to Radioactive Waste Materials). Reduce/Recycle The League supported the 2023 Right to Repair bill, SB 542 , that required the original equipment manufacturer to make repair information available to owners of consumer electronic equipment or independent repair providers. The bill did not pass, but we expect a version to return in 2024 or 2025. Sen. Sollman’s staff attended the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. The Right to Repair movement was in full swing at this year's event which featured a Repair booth helping attendees with free phone screen replacements on their cell phones. One of NCSL's live-streamed seminars, titled "Will You Let Me Fix This Thing?", also focused on Right to Repair and how states across the country are leaning into this policy. The panel included Representative Lew Jones from Montana who spoke about challenges for his constituents in repairing agricultural equipment and also Representative Scott Nishimoto from Hawaii with information on his right to repair bill that he has been working on since 2018. Included on the panel were Gay Gordon-Byrne from the Repair Association and Walter Alcorn, representing Consumer Technology Association. You can watch the panel discussion here . Look for a new version of this bill in 2024 or 2025. Regional Solutions The Regional Solutions Team is working hard across the state. See the latest report on their work. Toxics By Paula Grisafi The League engaged in three bills in 2023. Here is an updated report from our volunteer: SB 546 (Toxics Free Cosmetics Bill) is a first step to protect both children and adults from the adverse effects of chemicals listed in the bill. The chemical compounds included in the bill like formaldehyde and phthalates are known to have cumulative toxic effects through exposures from multiple sources. While some of these chemicals are used ubiquitously in many industries, beginning to free ourselves and the environment of them by their removal from products that are applied directly to our bodies seems the most intelligent place to start. This bill was passed in the 2023 legislative session. HB 3043 (Toxics Free Kids Bill) is important because it allows more than 5 chemicals to be added to the list of high priority chemicals concerning known impacts to children’s health per year. It also requires consideration of chemical classes instead of individual chemicals, so that small chemical changes that may not improve safety are not sheltered from addition to the list. The bill passed in the 2023 legislative session. SB 426 (Toxics Free Schools Bill) provides a much-needed update to the original Toxic Free Schools legislation that includes structured plans to help implement the bill’s intent. It included systems that will improve expert and stakeholder oversight over the use of pesticides on school grounds, standardize the use of Integrated Pest Management at Oregon schools, develop even-handed school funding for managing pesticide use, and increase transparency of IPM in schools throughout the state. This bill did not pass in the 2023. Water By Peggy Lynch The Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) presented an update on new groundwater rules being considered by the Water Resources Commission. As with all water issues, this is a contentious proposed policy as explained in this OPB article . If we don’t do a better job of regulating groundwater, more and more people and farms will be in water crisis. The League has been watching but not engaging directly in this rulemaking. We learned that the legislature has created a Joint Water Caucus with members from both the House and Senate, with both major parties as leaders. These caucuses can often be powerful voices for the issues they support. Here’s the latest Integrated Water Resources Strategy 2023 public engagement . The League is very concerned by the report that quagga mussels were detected on Sept. 18 in the Snake River at Twin Falls, Idaho. That is approximately 60 miles from the Oregon border. Quagga mussels can seriously damage lakes, streams, irrigation, and water delivery systems. This is why the League supports boat permits and a robust boat inspection system at our borders. EPA Statement on Waters of the U.S. rule: “EPA and Army statement regarding intent to amend WOTUS rule in wake of U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett decision – On June 26, EPA and Army released the following statement regarding next steps for the agencies’ WOTUS rule: “The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the Army (agencies) are in receipt of the U.S. Supreme Court's May 25, 2023, decision in the case of Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency. In light of this decision, the agencies are interpreting the phrase “waters of the United States” consistent with the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett.” Oregon has our own wetlands rules and laws, so wetlands in the jurisdiction of Oregon will continue to be protected unless the legislature changes those laws. (See Land Use above.) We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” Visit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. . League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations under ORS 536 for these counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco, Harney, Sherman, Lake and Jackson counties. On Sept. 6, the Governor declared a drought in Gilliam, Douglas and Lincoln Counties through Executive Order 23-20 and Executive Order 23-22 , This is concerning since the forecast El Nino weather pattern may well mean a reduced snowpack this winter. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers Senate Interim Natural Resources and Wildfire met on September 27. Senator Elizabeth Steiner, Co-Chair of Full W&Ms and candidate for State Treasurer, and Doug Grafe, Governor Kotek’s Wildfire and Military Advisor, gave an update on the work of the Wildfire and Forestry Workgroup. Senator Steiner, who serves as “convener”, listed the group’s stakeholder groups and described the complexities of various funding mechanisms, which the group seeks to “decomplexify”, and then outlined the group’s “Guiding Principles”. See details of her presentation . Senator Girod raised concerns about the role of federal lands in wildfires on the Oregon landscape. Senator Golden expressed his concern that the severity of cuts to funding as a result of the last legislative session will dramatically impact Fire Adapted Communities’ efforts, geared at community level wildfire mitigation plans and actions. He also felt that monies from the General Fund would likely never be adequate. Senator Steiner proposed that it may be helpful to try and persuade legislators that investments in mitigation, prevention and suppression would, by reducing the need for expenditures as the RESULT of wildfires, actually end up saving enough money to enable the General Fund to cover the cost of these programs. She urged a focus on how spending more on these activities and programs would end up, ultimately, costing the State less. Later in the meeting, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) reviewed their Final Report on the Landscape Resiliency Program and 20-Year Strategy (LRP). The LRP was established through SB 762 (2021) to improve forest restoration and resiliency. It appropriated $20 million General Fund to be spent by the end of the 2021—2023 biennium by ODF. This program was set up to fund landscape-scale projects that reduce wildfire risk on public and private forestlands, rangelands, in communities near homes, and around critical infrastructure through restoration of landscape resiliency and reduction of hazardous fuels. On September 28, Senate Interim Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs met and received an update on the 2023 wildfire season so far. Mike Shaw, ODF Chief of Fire Protection, gave an update, highlighting how well ODF and the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OFSM) new department have worked together, extremely well to “catch” and quickly suppress several wildfires around the state. He highlighted the wildfire events in the northwestern part of the state, calling it “unusual timing”, as those events most often do not happen before September. He also pointed out that the dry lightning event with over 1,000 strikes, igniting hundreds of wildfires in western Oregon on August 24 and 25, was extremely unusual. He stated that the “effectiveness of the lightning was very high, and not in a good way”, and that he was proud of their response, in partnership with OSFM. Prepositioning OSFM assets and Regional Mobilization, programs begun with funding from SB 762, also played a large role in keeping fires small. Under the Emergency Mutual Aid System, as relayed by Travis Medema, Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal, OFSM assets were deployed to assist in structure protection efforts. In these cases, as highlighted by Chief Mariana Ruiz-Temple of OFSM, not a single structure was lost. Find more information here. Also in her report, Chief Ruiz-Temple pointed out the alarming trend of declining interest in firefighting, both as a career and for volunteer firefighters. She said: “The pipeline is not keeping up.” Underlining the potential problem, she shared that in the past decade there has been a 246% increase in structures lost to wildfire. Finally, she serves on the Federal Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. In closing she shared the Commission’s report, aptly titled On Fire , published the day before, September 27. It described how.“The face of wildfire is changing.” While there have been many successes in Oregon this wildfire season, there was a distinct air of caution, if not outright pessimism, about the future we face both as a state and as a nation. SB 80 was one of the important wildfire bills passed in 2023. The Dept. of Forestry has been meeting with counties as ODF and OSU work on developing a new Wildfire Hazard Map. Watch for upcoming public meetings to consider the new map when a new draft is proposed. OFSM has launched a Defensible Space website , which provides a multitude of resources to help Oregonians make their home more resilient in the face of increasing wildfire risk, including the ability to schedule a home assessment based on entering your home address. Here is a review of the 2020 wildfires and the status of our friends who suffered from tragic loss. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. The short 2024 legislative session is Feb. 5-March 10. There are interim committee meetings in November and January. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources interests you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training is offered.

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 2/3 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: Claudia Keith Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Jump to a topic: Climate Priorities Emergency Management Natural and Working Lands House and Senate Energy and Environment Legislative Environmental Caucus Climate Priorities Climate News Now over 130 Environmental/Climate Legislative Bills are posted or are soon to be posted to OLIS in early Feb. Some of these bills are just placeholders. At this point here are a few that have been identified as potential League policy and/or budget Climate Emergency priorities: Climate Priorities League CE Testimony HB 2966 Establishes the State Public financing Task Force (see 2023 HB2763 , vetoed by the governor) Representative Gamba, Senator Golden, Frederick, Representative Andersen, Evans , was Jan 28 1PM, HC CCP, 2025 Testimony Emergency Management By Rebecca Gladstone HB 3170 Community Resilience Hubs: We are in the process of preparing testimony in support, with input from numerous portfolios, to make changes to laws about networks that help people prepare for and respond to disasters. DHS, Sponsors, Rep Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. Other Priorities Update to Greenhouse gas Emission Reduction Goals. LC 1440. Bringing back SB 1559 (2024) Natural and Working Lands ( OCAC NWL Report ) (see 1/27 Legislative Report ) SB 681 Treasury: Fossil Fuel investment moratorium SB3170 Community Resilience Hubs and Networks ( see above Emergency Management section) HB 2566 Stand-alone Energy resilience Projects – Governor Tina Kotek HB 2966 Establishes the State Public financing Task Force SB583 Study/Task Force on public banking/financing ( 2024 HB 4155 ) SJR 28 Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment Leg Referral - Senator Golden, Representatives Andersen, Gamba, Senators Manning Jr, Prozanski, Representative Tran SB 682 Climate Super Fund, Sen Golden, Rep Andersen, Gamba, Sen Campos, Pham SB 679 Climate Liability, Sen Golden SB 680 Climate Science / Greenwashing, Sen Golden and Manning SB 688 Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, Sen Golden, Sen Pham, (Senate Energy and Environment - SEE) SB 827 Solar and Storage Rebate, Gov Kotek & DOE, SEE Carbon sequestration/storage see DOGAMI Agency Budget(see NR LR) – Geologic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration Interactive Map | U.S. Geological Survey ( usgs.gov ) . Transportation package that prioritizes climate, equity, and wildlife : This package would build on the historic gains of HB 2017 (which included investments in public transit, Safe Routes to School, and vehicle electrification), to shift the focus to multimodal, safety, and climate-forward investments. This will create a system that saves money over time and builds a more resilient, equitable, and healthy future for all Oregonians. (see OCN Press Rel ) Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability Package * ( HB 3081 , SB 88 , LC 1547): Oregonians are struggling to keep up with skyrocketing utility bills in the face of ever-worsening climate impacts. HB 3081 would create an active navigator to help Oregonians access energy efficiency incentives all in one place. SB 88 limits the ability of utility companies to charge ratepayers for lobbying, litigation costs, fines, marketing, industry fees, and political spending. SB 553 LC 1547 ensures that large energy users (i.e. data centers) do not unfairly burden Oregon households. (*see OCN Press Rel ) Natural and Working Lands By Josie Koehne House Climate Energy and Environment (CE&E) Committee Public Hearing Notes - House CE&E held a public hearing on HB 2370 , which would increase the annual fee that PUC can assess on regulated utilities' gross operating revenues from 0.45% to a maximum 0.55%. PUC relies on this assessment to defray its operating costs. PUC staff said the scope and complexity of their mission has expanded dramatically, esp. w/ regard to oversight of utilities' wildfire mitigation planning and progress toward meeting HB 2021 clean energy targets. This request is projected to add 8 cents per month to NG customers' bills and 17 cents per month to electric bills. CUB spoke in support. Jacob Stevens, New Sun Energy (solar developer), broadly attacked the IOUs and PUC's regulation, said the status of competition in the Oregon power market is “abysmal” and PUC needs even more money to do its job properly. The committee also heard testimony on HB 3119 , which would pause implementation and enforcement of Oregon's Advanced Clean Truck rules until at least 2027. The hearing room was packed with potential witnesses, and more than 250 written testimonies have been submitted, including a letter from OCN/OLCV opposing the bill on behalf of LWVOR and other member organizations. Due to time constraints, Chair Lively limited oral testimony and did not allow the committee members to question the witnesses who spoke. DEQ updated the status and technical aspects of the rules, emphasizing that they do not impose a 100% clean vehicle mandate, flexibilities are built in for manufacturers to comply, including a 3-year grace period -- and in fact because of early credits available since 2022, they will be in overall compliance this year without selling any zero-emission vehicles (ZEV’s) Reps. Boshart Davis and Diehl, Jana Jarvis of OTA, and a Daimler spokesperson pled the case of truckers, farmers, and loggers that ZEVs are inadequate for heavy-duty work and the lack of charging stations is a severe constraint on range. New diesel engines are much cleaner than older models. The "business case" does not yet support the transition to more ZEVs -- this bill would allow more time for ZEV technology to catch up with marketplace needs. The overall tone of their comments was measured and technical until Rep. Mannix signed in to blame DEQ for yoking Oregon to the California approach. Climate Solutions, Neighbors for Clean Air, plus Rivian and Tesla (ZEV truck manufacturers) opposed the bill on health and business grounds. Tesla said its ZEV semi trucks have shown good performance in tough conditions and they plan to expand production, HB 3119 is a "red herring" and proponents will come back in two years with another demand for delay. Next steps: The bill will be referred on to Transportation but it was not clear whether House CE&E will hear more testimony next week. Chair Lively said potential witnesses have until Saturday morning to submit written testimony. The committee carried over HB 2961 , relating to EV charging requirements in certain newly constructed buildings, to next week. House and Senate Energy and Environment House CE&E and Senate E&E will consider the following bills next week: Monday 1/27: Senate E&E work session on SB 334 (Brock Smith), requiring DCBS to study the financial impacts of wildfires. Tuesday 1/28: House CE&E public hearing on HB 3119 (Boshart Davis/Diehl), prohibiting DEQ from implementing or enforcing the Advanced Clean Trucks regulations before January 1, 2027 . This may refer specifically to the Heavy-Duty Low-NOx Omnibus Rule, though that is not in the introduced bill text. Note, EQC has already voted to postpone implementation until the 2026 model year;this bill may extend the pause another year. Environmental groups opposed the delay but truckers prevailed on EQC to pause the rules on the grounds that no non-diesel options are available now, so imposing the rules would damage truck operators without improving air quality. Tuesday, 2/04 : House CE&E has public hearings scheduled: HB 3170 (Marsh et al.), modifying the definitions of and grant requirements for Resilience Hubs and Resilience Networks. HB 3171 (Marsh et al.), changing the requirements for a county resilience plan. HB 2961 (Gamba), increasing the requirements for EV charging stations that must be installed in parking areas of new commercial, multifamily and mixed-use buildings. Legislative Environmental Caucus Climate Priorities In 2025, the Environmental Caucus is supporting a robust package of bills that address issues on environmental health, wildlife, land use, and transportation. Members are committed to policies on the environment and climate that uplift communities, support Oregon’s economy, and invest in a future where all Oregonians have access to clean air, water, and land. 2025 Areas of Focus: Utility Resilience, Reliability, and Affordability Environmental Health and Safety Preserving Flora, Fauna, and Habitat Transportation The grid and utilities package will increase grid capacity, resilience, and reliability, while also addressing cost equity and affordability. It includes: Performance Based Regulation for Utilities (SB 688) Transmission package aiding the expedited buildout of the electrical grid and increase efficiencies in existing infrastructure Enabling Changes to Electricity Rates of Large Power User Microgrids (HB 2064, HB 2065, HB 2066) These bills prioritize protecting Oregonians’ health and mitigating exposure to potential environmental harms. PFAS in Biosolids Study (HB 2947) Phasing out PFAS in Consumer Products (LC 1708, one-pager) – Hydrogen Oversight at the PUC (SB 685) The following bills will protect Oregon’s valuable habitats, wildlife, and trees and plants. Eelgrass Work Group (LC 3620) Wildlife Stewardship Program (HB 2980) Wildlife Corridors to Reduce Vehicle-Wildlife Collisions (HB 2978) – Establishing a Fund for People Living with Beavers (HB 3143) Funding the OregonFlora Database through OSU (HB 3173) The Caucus supports a transportation package that includes increased funding for public transit, Safe Routes to School, an emphasis on sustaining and expanding infrastructure for multimodal transportation, and policies that align with our climate action goals, along with creating a safer transportation network for people and wildlife. The package includes: Protection of Prime Farm Land Climate Friendly Schools Wildfire Programs and Funding Water Right Transfers Climate Protections and Policies The Caucus will support several bills that strategically conserve working lands, incentivize smart community growth, and mitigate housing construction impacts on prime agricultural land. These policies make schools safer and more resilient by leveraging federal funds to improve infrastructure and environmental health. Transitioning to Electric School Buses (HB 2945) Positions at ODE to Support Climate Resilient Schools (HB 2941) – Getting Rid of Dangerous Additives in School Foods (HB 3015) – Updating School Integrated Pest Management Plans (HB 2684) The Caucus will support policies and investments from the state for residents in high-hazard areas to create defensible space and home hardening (making homes more resistant to wildfires). The Caucus is also committed to finding a solution for long-term funding for wildfire mitigation and prevention programs. Water right transfers reform is necessary to ensure the long-term health and availability of Oregon’s water. Any policies should consider the environmental impacts of water right transfers. The climate package includes bills that have broad and long-ranging protections for Oregon’s environment and natural resources. Making Polluters Pay (SB 682) Updating Oregon’s Emissions Reductions Goals (LC 1440) Environmental Rights Amendment (SJR 28) Treasury Divestment from Fossil Fuels (SB 681) Bipartisan Environmental Caucus Members: Rep. Tom Andersen Rep. Farrah Chaichi Sen. Jeff Golden Rep. Ken Helm Rep. Pam Marsh Rep. Mark Owens Sen. Janeen Sollman Rep. Ben Bowman Rep. Willy Chotzen Rep. David Gomberg Rep. Zach Hudson Rep. Travis Nelson Sen. Deb Patterson Sen. Kathleen Taylor Sen. Anthony Broadman Rep. Mark Gamba, Co-Chair Sen. Chris Gorsek Rep. John Lively Rep. Courtney Neron, Co-Vice Chair Sen. Khanh Pham, Co-Vice Chair Rep. Jules Walters Climate News Hotter and hotter: Oregon Climate Assessment charts changing climate| KLCC Wyden, Merkley Co-sponsor Climate Resolution | U.S. Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon| Sen Wyden and Sen Merkley Press Release New innovation complex taking shape on Corvallis campus | OSU Today | Oregon State University For Gov. Kotek, natural resources adviser, water tops list of 2025 environmental priorities • Oregon Capital Chronicle Hidden water reservoir discovered beneath the Cascade mountains - E arth.com How climate change is costing more for Oregon's most vulnerable - Axios Portland PacWave is build ing the biggest wave energy test facility in the world | ET Climate News

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 6/16 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: Claudia Keith Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Please see Climate Emergency Overview here. Jump to a topic: Federal Oregon Joint Ways and Means CE Funding Topics Oregon Treasury Other Climate Bills Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust Highlights of House and Senate Policy Committee Chamber Votes There are 13 days until the end of session and a number of bills and agency funding priorities are still waiting to move. The League expects some funding for existing state agency Climate related programs will be in the end of session reconciliation bill. Transportation Legislation HB 2025 is a major topic these last few days. ‘Oregon transportation bill gets panned by Republicans – even those who negotiated it ‘- Jefferson Public Radio. ‘ Tax hikes in proposed Oregon transportation packag e would eventually raise more than $2 billion per year, new report says’ - oregonlive.com Special Session? The League is aware of a possible special Sept session that could address a number of significant Federal Admin policy funding issues. Federal The Trump administration has shut down more than 100 climate studies | MIT Technology Review Study Says Clean Energy Rollbacks Will Cost Economy $1.1 Trillion by 2035 - Inside Climate News Department of Justice Gives Trump Go-Ahead to Eliminate National Monuments - Inside Climate News Transportation chief seeks to weaken fuel economy standards , calls Biden-era rule 'illegal' | Consumer | centraloregondaily.com EPA to propose rolling back climate rule for power plants Wednesday - POLITICO Science policy this week : Jun 9, 2025 - AIP.ORG (American Institute of Physics AIP.ORG ) 
 How the Five Pillars of U.S. Climate Policy are Threatened – Environmental and Energy Law Program | Harvard Oregon Power shutoffs banned during extreme summer heat in Oregon - oregonlive.com Oregon lawmakers weigh increased oversight of state's embattled transportation department • Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon transportation bill gets panned by Republicans – even those who negotiated it | Jefferson Public Radio Oregon lawmakers propose tax hikes and new taxes to fund 2025 transportation bill - Statesman Journal Oregon Democrats’ transportation funding bill could raise $2B per year, analysis shows - OPB Joint Ways and Means CE Funding Topics By Claudia Keith Energy Affordability and Utility Accountability The League joined a coalition sign-on letter in April requesting funding to support building resilience. The goal is to use affordable measures to protect people from extreme weather. The League supports full funding for all the following 8 JWM budget topics: 1). Transportation ODOT Package HB 2025 is Priorities The League supports OCN and other statewide NGO budget priorities: Increase funding above 2017 levels for public transit
 
 
 
 Increase funding above 2017 levels for a safe, complete multimodal system (i.e. GreatStreets, Safe Routes to School, Oregon Community Paths, and bike/ped both on-street and trails, etc.) 
 
 
 
 Dedicated or increased revenue for light, medium and heavy-duty vehicle incentives, including for charging and purchasing of ZEVs (Please see Natural Resources Legislative Report on Transportation) 2. One Stop Shop 2.0/Energy Efficiency Navigation ( HB 3081A ): In JWM: This bill would create a navigation program at ODOE to help Oregonians access federal, state, local, and utility energy efficiency incentives all in one place 3. Get the Junk Out of Rates ( SB 88 ): still in Senate Rules: Not likely to move . This bill would stop utilities from charging certain expenses like lobbying, advertising, association fees to customers. 4. Protecting Oregonians with Energy Responsibility (POWER Act) ( HB 3546 ): waiting for Governor’s signature. This bill ensures Oregon households are not unfairly burdened by large energy users with grid and transmission costs. 5. Full Funding for Climate Resilience programs Reinvesting the same amount as last biennium in three programs: 
 
 Rental Home Heat Pump Program (ODOE), $30m 
 
 
 
 Community Heat Pump Deployment Program (ODOE), $15m 
 
 
 
 Community Resilience Hubs (OREM), $10m ( House Bill 3170 ) 
 
 
 
 6. Environmental Justice Bills. (disadvantaged communities) HB 3170 : Community Resilience Hubs and networks : Fiscal $10M Work Session 3/4, passed to JWM, DHS, Sponsors, Rep. Marsh, Sen Pham and Rep Tan. League testimony 
 
 
 
 HB2548 : still in Rules, new 5/23 amendment and new SMS now. An agriculture workforce labor standards study, HR PH was 5/29. New -7 amendment changing the bill to a study with $616K fiscal. WS 6/16 possibly w néw amendments. League Testimony . 7 . Natural and Working Lands HB 3489 Timber Severance Tax. House Committee on Revenue. League Testimony for original bill and for -1 Amendment . 
 
 
 
 
 
 HB 5039 financial administration of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board; JWM NR SC, League testimony 


 
 
 
 HB 3103A – work session was 3/31. Moved to JWM, Overweight Timber Harvest , League Testimony , new adopted -5 amendment . 
 
 
 
 
 8. Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Emergency Management Package Update HB 2152 : Testimony ; work session held 4/8 , passed, moved to Joint Ways and Means (JWM) -2 amendments , Staff Measure Summar y (SMS). $1M+ fiscal 
 
 
 
 
 
 HB 2949 : T estimony ; work session held 4/8 , passed to JWM w -5 amendment new SMS. Fiscal is not available, will be completed if the bill gets a hearing in JWM NR SC. 
 
 
 
 
 
 HB 3450 A Testimony , work session held, 4/8 passed adopted amendment -1 . fisca l >1M$. referred to JWM 4/11 
 
 
 
 
 
 See CEI Hub Seismic Risk Analysis [The study, Impacts of Fuel Releases from the CEI Hub, is intended to characterize and quantify the anticipated damages from the CEI Hub in the event of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) Earthquake.] See Climate Emergency April 28: CEI emergency management package update. The Bigger Picture: ASCE's ( American Society of Civil Engineers , founded in 1852), Oregon received a C- grade Infrastructure Report Card . Oregon Treasury: Oregon Divest/ Environmental, Social, and Governance Updates By Claudia Keith Oregon Divest / ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance Updates HB 2081A : Senate vote moved to 6/16, Senate Finance and Revenue WS was 6/2. NO fiscal listed. Directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to take certain actions to manage the risks of climate change to the Public Employees Retirement Fund. Passed House along party lines. WS Senate Finance & Rev was 5/28. Oregon Public Financing / BANK 

 HB 2966 A: Establishes the State Public Financing / public bank Task Force, Work Session was 3/6/2025 passed to Joint Ways and Means (JWM), fiscal: .94M League Testimony Other Climate Legislation Environmental Rights Constitutional Amendment Likely dead, at this point in the session, it is doubtful SJR 28 has enough support to move out of Sen Rules. SJR 28 proposed -1 amendment , Environmental Rights Constitutional amendment (ERA) S enate Joint Resolution - with referral to the 2026 ballot, public hearing was 3/26 . The League provided support with comments testimony . The OCERA coalition appears to be planning a ballot initiative campaign. ‘ Supporters of Oregon Green Amendment rally at the Oregon State Capitol ‘ | Salem Statesman Journal. Other Climate Bills Study of Nuclear Energy ( HB 2038 ) in JWM: This measure proposes that the Oregon Department of Energy study nuclear energy and waste disposal. SB 827A : Solar and Storage Rebate , SEE Work session 2/17, Gov. Kotek & DOE, Senate voted 21-7, moved to House 3/4, House passed, 5/20. Governor signed 5/28 
 
 HB 3546 Enrolled , POWER Act , House Speaker and Senate president signed 6/9. passed 6/3 House concurred 6/5. new GIS The bill requires the Pub lic Utility Commission (PUC) to create a new rate class for the largest energy users in the state. (data centers and other high-volume users). These regulations would only apply to customers in the for-profit utility's service areas of PGE, Pacific Power, and Idaho Power. NO Fiscal, The League has approved being listed on a coalition sign on advocacy letter . HB 3963 Offshore Wind: in Senate Rules, 6/17 Public Hearing. House passed June 5. Extends the deadline from Sept 1, 2025, to Jan 1, 2027, for the DLCD to draft and submit a report to the Legislative Assembly on the department's activities to develop an Offshore Wind Roadmap and its assessment of enforceable state policies related to offshore wind energy development off the Oregon coast. 
 
 HB 2566 A : Stand-alone Energy resilience Projects , Work Session was 3/20, moved to JWM, Rep Gamba was the only nay. At the request of Governor Tina Kotek (H CEE), DOE presentation 


 
 
 HB 3365 B: Senate vote 6/12 passed, climate change instruction /curriculum in public schools, League Testimony , NO Fiscal noted , Chief Sponsors: Rep Fragala, Rep McDonald 


 
 
 SB 688 A: -5 , Public Utility Commission performance-based regulation of electric utilities, PH 3/12,& 3/19, work session was 3/24, updated $ 974K fiscal , moved to JWM , Sub Cmt Natural Resources. League testimony , Sen. Golden, Sen. Pham 
 
 HB 3189 in JWM . Oregon lawmakers introduce legislation to rein in utility bills | KPTV , Citizens Utility Board CUB presentation here . 
 
 
 
 
 SB 1143A : -3 , moved to JWM, with bipartisan vote, PH was 3/19, Work session was 4/7 SEE, PUC established a pilot program that allows each natural gas Co to develop a utility-scale thermal energy network (TEN) pilot project to provide heating and cooling services to customers. Senator Lieber, Sollman, Representative Levy B, Senator Smith DB, Representative Andersen, Marsh. Example: Introduction to the MIT Thermal Energy Networks (MITTEN) Plan for Rapid and Cost-Effective Campus Decarbonization. 
 HB 3609 work session 4/8, moved to JWM. The measure requires electric companies to develop and file with the Oregon Public Utility Commission a distributed power plant program for the procurement of grid services from customers of the electric company who enroll in the program. 
 HB 3653 Enrolled Gov signed 5/27 Allows authorized state agencies to enter into energy performance contracts without requiring a competitive procurement if the authorized state agency follows rules that the Attorney General adopts, negotiates a performance guarantee, and enters into the contract with a qualified energy service company that the ODOE prequalifies and approves. 
 
 
 HB 2065 A and HB 2066 A : Microgrid Package in JWM Climate Lawsuits/Our Children’s Trust Here is one example of how to track ODEQ Climate Protection Program cases. Basically, there are a number of active federal lawsuits , Climate Litigation June 13 Updates Another source: Columbia University Law - Sabin Climate DB lists 85 lawsuits , (active and dismissed) mentioning Oregon. EENews: Alaska youth file appeal in bid to block LNG project They say it would triple the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and violate their right to a livable climate. Press releases from Our Children’s Trust June 14, 2025 Youth Plaintiffs Seek Emergency Court Order to Halt Trump’s Fossil Fuel Executive Orders June 12, 2025 Alaska Youth File Climate Appeal to State Supreme Court; Lawmakers and League of Women Voters Join in Support with Amicus Brief Highlights of House and Senate Policy Committee and Chamber Votes Senate E&E Committee Meeting June 9, 2025 Informational Meeting: Overview of Washington Cap & Invest Program Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, Majority Leader, Washington State House of Representatives Joel Creswell, CCA program leader, Washington State Department of Ecology WA’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA) passed in 2021 (all Democratic votes), took effect 1/1/2023 and has been a “great success” with functioning carbon markets, significant revenues from auctions, and reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The legislature has amended the statute each session since 2021 to address lessons learned. CCA program mechanics and emission reduction targets are similar to those of Oregon’s CPP. Regulated entities in WA buy emission allowances (called compliance instruments in OR) under a declining emissions cap. Some entities get free allowances, including utilities and energy-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) industries. Air quality protections are built in at the statutory level. The carbon market decides where emission reductions take place—i.e., not necessarily everywhere—but air quality monitoring expands to protect overburdened (EJ) communities from disproportionate impact – if air quality doesn’t improve as carbon emissions fall, remedial regulatory procedures kick in. The CCA covers 75% of the state’s total emissions, excluding small industrial facilities, agriculture, maritime, and aviation. WA holds quarterly auctions of emission allowances, in which prices fluctuate between the state-imposed price floor and ceiling. Average market prices have ranged between ~ $25 to $56 since 2023. To date, the auctions have brought in $2.9 billion. Revenues from sale of utilities’ free allowances are consigned to the utilities to offset rate impacts to customers. Linkage with CA and Quebec markets (formal agreement expected in 2026) is a key statutory requirement. Each jurisdiction will determine how many allowances it will sell but the auctions will be held jointly – there will no longer be state allowances but linked allowances. This is expected to reduce compliance costs, making the required GHG reductions achievable more cost-effectively, and to stabilize prices – as the joint market is six to seven times larger than WA’s market, individual bidders can’t affect the market disproportionally. Oregon’s participation would help all states by expanding the carbon market further. New York and Maryland appear likely to join the linked market, and possibly Colorado and New Mexico in the future Auction revenues go into three main accounts focused on decarbonizing transportation, air quality and health disparities improvement, and clean energy transition. Since 2023, CCA investments have totaled $3.2 billion, of which $1.2 billion for clean transportation and the remainder for building decarbonization, advancing EJ, agriculture sequestration, climate resilience and adaptation, clean energy. 10% of CCA investments must benefit tribes and up to 40% for EJ. Specific funded projects include: $429 million for public transit grants and projects – e.g., youth under age 18 can ride public transit anywhere in the state at no cost $159 million for energy vouchers for low- and moderate-income residential electricity customers $64 million to convert the state’s three largest ferries to hybrid electric $30 million for schools to replace old HVAC systems $15 million for landfill methane capture grants Q&A time: Sen. Golden – how do you deal with very sharp partisan differences about this program? And what about a state’s competitiveness vs. others who don’t have such a program? Rep. Fitzgibbon: We have had good collaboration on program implementation across the aisle. Traditional stakeholder groups have been divided internally on some program provisions. Regarding competitiveness – EITE industries (pulp and paper, steel and aluminum, etc.) get free allowances on a per-unit of production basis, so if they reduce their energy intensity, they can profit by selling their allowances. Sen. Brock Smith: We sequester more carbon in natural and working lands in this state than we produce. How do you define overburdened communities? Republicans didn’t want the CPP to begin with, but now they’re concerned about how their districts will benefit from investments. Has WA had bipartisan agreement on this? Fitzgibbon: More than 80% of CCA investments have been in transportation and capital spending budgets, which tend to be bipartisan. Offset protocols apply to projects in forestry, livestock methane capture, ozone-depleting substances (CFCs, etc.) that can show they sequester additional carbon. Offset credits are essentially equal to allowances but are limited to 8% of compliance obligation. Benefits must accrue only in WA, so for practical purposes, offset projects must be located within the state boundaries. Sen. Robinson: Puts his climate change denial on record again – no proof that carbon is affecting the climate. Was there a scientific discussion of the need for GHG reductions or was it just assumed? Fitzgibbon: We’ve known for 150 years that CO2 traps heat, you can detect this in the atmosphere and oceans. So we didn’t spend a lot of time discussing this. If you want conclusive science, look to EPA’s endangerment finding issued in the 2000s. Robinson challenges him to a “friendly” debate the next time he’s in Salem. Golden wants to watch with popcorn. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Climate Emergency ? You can help. V olunteers are needed. The short legislative session begins in January of 2026. Many State Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of climate or natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, or Claudia Keith Climate Emergency at peggylynchor@gmail.com Or climatepolicy@lwvor.org . Training will be offered. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Governance , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report section

Childcare In Oregon LWVOR's recently published study, Childcare In Oregon, is meant to inform our advocacy at the state and local levels. At Convention 2021, LWV of Washington County proposed a restudy of LWVOR's 1985 Childcare Position . The current pandemic has highlighted and exacerbated childcare issues and inequities. The LWVOR Board adopted this completed restudy on January 23rd, 2023. Child care concerns have changed dramatically since our 1988 - Childcare In Oregon publication. Our advocacy position has not changed. You can find a downloadable version of the restudy here. For more information, contact Kathleen Hersh .

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 3/17 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Lucie La Bonte Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Please see Natural Resources Overview here . Jump to a topic: Air Quality Agriculture Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Columbia River Treaty Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Department of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Emergency Services Forestry (ODF) Governance Land Use & Housing Water Wetlands Wildfire AIR QUALITY SB 726 requires the owner or operator of a municipal solid waste landfill to conduct surface emissions monitoring and report data as specified in the Act. LWVOR supports. The public hearing on this bill was held Feb. 24 in the Senate Committee On Energy and Environment . We wait to see if it will get a work session. HB 3244 : Replaces the requirement that an owner or operator of a municipal solid waste incinerator conduct continuous monitoring or sampling of specified air contaminants with a requirement that the monitoring or sampling be conducted annually. LWVOR would oppose. The bill relates to the Reworld facility out of Keiser and League members have testified of their concerns in past years. AGRICULTURE By Sandra Bishop The following Senate bills had public hearings in the Senate Committee On Natural Resources and Wildfire on March 6: SB 78 – Replacement dwelling bill and SB 77 – home occupation reform bill which the League supports. And SB 788 , a bill that would exempt some Eastern Oregon counties from certain land use laws, which we opposed. LWVOR testified in support of SB 77 and SB 78 , and in opposition to SB 788 . BUDGETS/REVENUE By Peggy Lynch The Joint Committee On Ways and Means took action on March 14 on five bills to rebalance the 2023-25 budget. T he bills go to the respective chambers for a vote where they should pass and be sent to the Governor for her signature. The legislature will then focus on the 2025-27 budgets. T heir agenda includes consideration of federal grants (one wonders if they still exist) and agency reports. The Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Capital Construction will next meet on March 21st when they will receive a report from the State Treasurer, including the 2025 bonding capacity, and from the Dept. of Administrative Services (DAS) on behalf of the Governor. Following are the budget bills we are watching in Natural Resources: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 tentative 3rd week of March Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 tentative 3rd week of March Columbia River Gorge Commission: SB 5508 Info mtg. and public hearing March 13 DEQ: SB 5520 . Governor’s budget DEQ Fact Sheet tentative info mtgs. April 7-9, public hearing April 10 Oregon Dept. of Energy: SB 5518 info hearing 2/10, Meeting Materials , public hearing 2/11 Oregon Dept. of Energy Fees: SB 5519 info hearing 2/10, public hearing 2/11 Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: HB 5009 , tentative public hearings Mar. 31 & Apr. 1-2 Oregon Dept. of Forestry: SB 5521 . info hearing March 10 & 11. Public hearing March 12. Meeting Materials (See Wildfire section for more information.) Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: HB 5010 Public hearing Feb. 5-6; Meeting materials LWVOR testimony Aggregate industry testified against the staffing and fee increases. LWVOR points out that KPM #4 , mine inspections has consistently NOT met the small 20% target so, if staffing is needed to meet that target AND fees increased to pay for them, we will continue to support. LWVOR supports SB 836 , a bill that would significantly increase permit fees for mining related activities. See the agency’s presentation to understand the reasons for these increases. Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: SB 5528 Governor’s budget DLCD Fact Sheet Public hearing Feb. 3-4; LCDC 1/24 presentation ; Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony Land Use Board of Appeals: SB 5529 Public hearing Feb. 27 LWVOR testimony . SB 817 is a bill to request a minor fee increase (Passed the Senate Mar. 11 25/5) Oregon State Marine Board: HB 5021 ; Public hearing Feb. 17 Meeting Materials **Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.: HB 5026 info hearings March 3-4, public hearing March 5. Meeting Materials LWVOR testimony in part to address comments by the Legislative Fiscal Office. OPRD will need additional revenue sources for the 2027-29 biennium. Dept. of State Lands: SB 5539 tentative hearings March 17-18, public hearing on March 19. Water Resources Dept.: SB 5543 Governor’s budget WRD Fact Sheet Here is a summary of the Governor’s budget. Governor's Budget and Agency Request Budget documents are available online here . Info Mtg. & Public hearing Feb. 18-20. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony . And the fee bills: support HB 2808 and HB 2803 . Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: HB 5039 . Info mtg. & P ublic hearing Feb. 25-27 LWVOR testimony . Meeting Materials Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 6-Year Limitation: HB 5040 (Limits expenditures of lottery funds from the Watershed Conservation Grant Fund for local grant expenditures by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a six-year period beginning July 1, 2025.) Info mtg. & P ublic hearing Feb. 25-26 Oregon Business Development Dept.: HB 5024 Info mtgs. 3/12, 13 & 17. Public Hearing 3/18 Oregon Dept. of Emergency Management: SB 5517 Office of the Governor: SB 5523 Oregon State Fire Marshal: SB 5538 info hearing 2/19, public hearing 2/20. Dept. of Transportation: SB 5541 info hearing 3/03-6, public hearing 3/11 Dept. of Administrative Services: HB 5002 info hearings 3/03-5, public hearing 3/06. Meeting Materials Legislative Administration Committee, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Counsel Committee, Legislative Fiscal Officer, Legislative Revenue Officer, Commission on Indian Services and Legislative Policy and Research Committee: HB 5016 Lottery Bonds: SB 5531 : an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium Emergency Board: HB 5006 This bill will be to vehicle to accept testimony from the public during six community meetings around the state from March 22 ending April 25 on the public’s priorities for the 2025-27 budget. General Obligation Bonds, etc.: SB 5505 : an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium Six-Year Limitation/Bonds: SB 5506 (Limits for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2025, payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by various state agencies for capital construction.) CLIMATE By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. COASTAL A public hearing was held on March 4 for the Eelgrass Action Bill (HB 3580) , a bill for kelp and eel grass conservation. The League signed on to a letter in support. Also heard was a bill to protect Rocky Habitat ( HB 3587 ). Here is a one-pager: Rocky Habitat Stewardship Bill (HB 3587) . The League also signed on to a letter in support. We asked for funding for a staffer in the Dept. of Land Development and Conservation budget to continue to address rocky habitat, an element of the Territorial Sea Plan which the League has supported as elements were added and updated over the years. COLUMBIA RIVER TREATY After years of negotiating, changes in the 61-year old Columbia River Treaty between Canada and the U.S. is on pause per the Oregon Capital Chronicle. “ If the U.S. misses deadlines for negotiating a final agreement, the earlier 61-year-old treaty would be reinstated, with no resolution to the issues the updates were meant to solve. If either nation decides to terminate the treaty, it will set off a 10-year process of dissolving the nations’ co-management infrastructure”. DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch The League supports SB 830 , a bill that m odifies provisions of the on-site septic system loan program to allow for grants. It also allows for the program to consider mobile home parks in need of septic upgrades. The bill p assed the full Senate March 6 and has been assigned to the House Committee On Climate, Energy, and Environment . Here is the Onsite Wastewater Management Program 2025 Rulemaking webpage . Because of the League’s work on SB 391 (2021) and additional bills in 2023, a League member served on the rules advisory committee to address sewer availability and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) issues. On Feb. 26 the advisory committee approved the Fiscal Impact Statement. A public comment period is expected in May. You are welcome to Sign up for email updates about this rulemaking via GovDelivery . The League again served on an annual rulemaking advisory committee on water quality fee increases. A meeting was held on Feb. 25th where the committee agreed to forward their recommendation for the allowed annual 3% fee increase to the DEQ Director. To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee you can view the rulemaking web page at: Water Quality Fees 2025 . DEPT. OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL INDUSTRIES (DOGAMI) By Joan Fryxell On March 6th the Technical Review Team (TRT) met on the Calico Resources proposed Grassy Mountain gold mine near Vale in Malheur County. The TRT discussed Best Available Practicable and Necessary Technology (BAPNT). Information will be available online . The League continues to follow this project because of the consolidated permitting process AND that this would be the first chemical processing mine in Oregon. DEPT. OF STATE LANDS (DSL) DSL is seeking comments on a proposed sale of state-owned land located on the south shore of the western side of Hayden Island in Multnomah County. The 45-day comment period is open from March 5 – April 19. ELLIOTT STATE RESEARCH FOREST (ESRF) The Dept. of State Lands is seeking comments on the proposed Elliott State Research Forest Operations Plan. Click here to view or download the proposed plan, project overview map, and appendices. Click here to view only the proposed plan (PDF) The 45-day comment period is open until 5 p.m. on March 31. Here is a more complete notice of the plan with opportunities for virtual public meetings. EMERGENCY SERVICES By Rebecca Gladstone The League spoke and filed testimony on HB 2581 in support of a statute change, substituting the word “seismic” with “hazards”, to coordinate coverage efforts through the State Resiliency Officer. The bill has passed the House. The Senate Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs has a work session scheduled March 18th. FORESTRY (ODF) By Josie Koehne President Trump has signed an executive order to allow more harvesting of timber on national forests. As a result, the committee working on the updated Northwest Forest Plan has been disbanded . The League will continue to follow SB 1051 , assigned to the Senate Rules Committee and which transfers the authority to appoint a State Forester from the State Board of Forestry to the Governor. HB 3103 , a bill that would d irect the State Forester to establish “sustainable” harvest levels for harvesting timber on state forestland and develop a timber inventory model to inform sustainable harvest levels while ignoring the court-affirmed “greatest permanent value” was heard on March 3rd in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water . The League OPPOSED . See also the Wildfire section of this report below and the separate Climate section. GOVERNANCE The League may follow 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. Separately, the League was invited to a conversation among state agency rules staff on addressing concerns of the Governor and in an attempt to standardize the process statewide. The League will also attend a separate rules process discussion being led by the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development. We continue to watch a series of bills related to rulemaking which we might oppose: HB 2255 , HB 2303 , HB 2402 and HB 2427 . We are also concerned with HB 3382 , since the requirements of the Secretary of State to gather ALL the state agencies’ rulemaking, including all materials would be overwhelming. Individual state agencies provide that information on their rulemaking websites. We may sign on to a letter explaining our concerns to legislative leadership. Because the League is often engaged in rulemaking, we regularly comment on legislation that would affect changes in Oregon’s current Administrative Rules. We have provided testimony in opposition to HB 2692 , a bill that would create complicated and burdensome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures . On Feb. 19, the Governor provided expectations and guidance for state agencies related to rulemaking and customer service. Upon outreach to the Governor’s Office, the League has been invited to participate in a series of discussions of rulemaking processes and committee membership selection. LAND USE & HOUSING By Peggy Lynch The Land Conservation and Development Commission will meet on March 20-21 . The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) invite comments on a draft of the 2025 update to the Oregon Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP). The Plan is now available for comment through March 20. Business Oregon’s Infrastructure bill, HB 3031 , with a -1 amendment to clarify the criteria to be used to access the proposed $100 million fund had a public hearing on Feb. 26 in the House Committee On Housing and Homelessness . Although there are a few issues yet to resolve, the League supports this important funding bill. LWVOR testimony . Governor’s news release . A -2 amendment is now available for consideration. Bills we are following: HB 2138 : Expands allowable middle housing and expands middle housing requirements to include urban unincorporated lands, filed at the request of the Governor. A public hearing was held on March 3rd in House Committee On Housing and Homelessness where a -1 amendment is posted as a “gut and stuff” for the bill. The Governor testified in support of the bill, but received concerns about the provision to allow for easier demolition of historic buildings and has stated that such a provision will be removed in the next amendment. Also not included was a provision that the League had objected to that would have exempted courtyards from cottage cluster development. At this time, the League is not planning to testify on this bill. HB 3145 : Allows the Housing and Community Services Department to use Local Innovation and Fast Track Housing Program Fund moneys for factory-built housing. Public hearing was held on March 10. HB 2950 : A bill to update Goal One and Public Participation is being sponsored by Oregon’s American Planning Association. The League is interested in the bill, but has some concerns. We understand there will be an amendment proffered. A public hearing was held Feb. 12th in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water . Because of the requirement to do rulemaking, the bill, if passed by the Committee, will be sent to Ways and Means. HB 3013 : Details the process by which a permit or zone change that is based on provisions of a comprehensive plan or land use regulation that fail to gain acknowledgment is voided and any resulting improvements or uses are removed or revoked. LWVOR supports with -1 amendment. A public hearing was held Feb. 3rd. HB 2316 : Allows designation of Home Start Lands to be used for housing. These lands are currently a variety of state-owned lands scattered around the state. A public hearing was held Feb. 10. HB 2400 Allows the owner of property outside an urban growth boundary to site an additional dwelling on the property for occupancy by a relative of the owner. A public hearing was held Feb. 10. HB 2422 Requires that lands zoned to allow density of one or fewer dwellings per acre to be considered a rural use. A public hearing was held Feb. 10. HB 3062 : Requires local governments to map sensitive uses as part of a comprehensive plan. A public hearing was held Feb. 20th. SB 462 : Requires the Oregon Business Development Department to establish an education course for land use planners for local governments, special districts and state agencies. LWVOR supports educational efforts but there are other training opportunities so this proposal might be redundant. A public hearing was held on Feb. 19 in the Senate Committee On Housing and Development . SB 525 : Amends expedited land division criteria and processes. LWVOR has concerns. May need to oppose. See also the Agriculture section of this report and the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. WATER By Peggy Lynch What are “Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS)”? With the new federal administration, this question will be debated yet again. This conversation makes Oregon’s water laws even more important. We have received notice of the tentative public hearing dates for select water bills in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water : Deschutes Basin Water Bank Authority ( HB 3806 ). Public hearing held March 12. Water Right Process Improvements ( HB 3342 ) . Public hearing held March 12 Contested Case Process Improvements ( HB 3544 ). Public hearing held March 12 Place-Based Water Planning ( HB 3116 ) Public hearing scheduled March 19 . League supports. Chewaucan Basin Collaborative ( HB 3114 ) Public hearing scheduled March 19. LCIS Natural Resources Capacity ( HB 3531 ) Voluntary Agreements on Groundwater ( HB 3801 ) Harney Basin Groundwater Management ( HB 3800 ) Certified Water Right Examiners ( HB 3502 ) 3/24: Water Conservation, Efficiency, and Partial Forfeiture Protection (TBD) 3/31: Water Right, Dam Safety, and Well Related Fees ( HB 2803 , HB 2808 ) League supports. Needed to provide current service level staffing at WRD. 4/2: Water Rights and Public Interest ( HB 3501 ) Other water bills we are following: HB 3525 is related to tenants’ right to well water testing. The League submitted testimony in support. HB 3526 would require well water test reporting in property sales. The League supported this concept in past sessions and did again this session. A public hearing was held Feb. 17. HB 3364 makes changes to the grants programs at the Water Resources Dept. Testimony provided comments and concerns with agreement that all parties would continue to work on finding agreement on an amendment. A public hearing was held Feb. 19. HB 3419 is the major broad set of water policy changes that is now described by the various amendments posted since this is really a “gut and stuff” bill! The committee Co-Chairs announced that more amendments are expected. Per Rep. Owens: the -2 and -3 amendments on HB 3419 will NOT move. HB 2988 : Instructs the Water Resources Department to take certain actions related to aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery. A public hearing was held Feb. 12th. HB 3108 : Requires the Water Resources Department to implement additional rules and requirements for the review of limited license applications for an aquifer storage and recovery permit HB 3573 , a bill that addresses funding for a variety of water measurement strategies. The League supports. In 2024 the Water Caucus requested research support from the Legislative Policy Research Office (LPRO) to better understand the groundwater management policies of different agencies in Oregon. The Report on Groundwater Management is now available. LWV Deschutes County submitted a letter in support of SB 427 , a water rights transfer bill meant to protect instream water flows. The Governor has provided an alternate bill that may have more of a chance of passage. HB 3106 is the Oregon Water Data Portal funding bill for which the League provided testimony in support. A public hearing was held on Feb. 26th in House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water where a -1 amendment was shared that would create an entire multi-agency system for gathering the water data needed for good decision making. The League has yet to determine if this new proposal is good for Oregon. See the following presentations and presentations . The League has not weighed in on the amendment. The Co-Chairs of the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water are working on a broad package of water-related bills, the 2025 Water Package . There is a Water Caucus raising the awareness of the need to address Oregon’s water needs. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” V isit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. House Bill 3314 , sponsored by state Reps. Rob Nosse and Mark Gamba, would direct about $1 million to Oregon State University to finish designing a channel that would cut through Ross Island. See coverage here. WETLANDS A new Rulemaking Advisory Committee has been formed related to Permitting and Mitigation in Oregon's Wetlands and Waters. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers Bills we are watching: Senate Bill 1051 , Governor Kotek is seeking the authority to choose the next State Forester. SB 82 -1 , makes changes to a grant process which funds the Oregon Conservation Corps and their training. It requires the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) which handles the process to consult with the Department of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), and the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), to ensure different aspects of the wildfire mitigation work they perform meet the goals of those agencies. HB 3077 , a bill which would allow local government employees to volunteer for up to 30 days in a year to serve as volunteers in wildland fire suppression in emergency situations. HB 3666 which would require an electric public utility to apply for a wildfire safety certification, and allow a consumer-owned utility to apply for a wildfire safety certification. SB 926 would prohibit the recovery of certain costs and expenses from customers that an electric company incurs as a result of allegations of a wildfire resulting from the negligence or fault on the part of the electric company. HB 3172 directs OSFM to establish a grant program to facilitate the retrofitting of dwellings and accessory structures (aka home hardening), to reduce vulnerability to wildfire. The League is awaiting a bill or group of bills so the legislature can consider the 6 Alternative Funding Strategies from the Wildfire Funding Workgroup as mentioned in the last legislative report. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training will be offered. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Social Policy report sections.

Climate Emergency Read Our 2025 Priorities Here US League Climate Position: The League believes that climate change is a serious threat facing our nation and our planet. The League believes that an interrelated approach to combating climate change — including through energy conservation, air pollution controls, building resilience, and promotion of renewable resources — is necessary to protect public health and defend the overall integrity of the global ecosystem. The League supports climate goals and policies that are consistent with the best-available climate science and that will ensure a stable climate system for future generations. Individuals, communities, and governments must continue to address this issue, while considering the ramifications of their decision at all levels — local, state, regional, national, and global. See also Natural Resources Positions: Issues for Action (LWVOR): Air Quality Off Shore and Coastal Management Energy Conservation Nuclear Energy Forests Hard Rock Mining Land Use Parks Pesticides and Other Biocides Seismic Risks Water Policy – Quality and Quantity Water Resources of the Columbia River and the Columbia River Task Force Impact on Issues (US League) Resource Management page 107 Environmental Protection and Pollution Control – page 110 Transfer of Federal Public Lands – page 124 Climate Change - page 125 Public Participation – page 128 Federal Agriculture Policies – page 130 Previous Legislative Reports Next

Never sign a petition “just to get it on the ballot so people can vote on it.” / Voting / Think Before You Ink / Think Before You Ink YOUR SIGNATURE IS VALUABLE ONLY SIGN PETITIONS YOU SUPPORT! Never sign a petition “just to get it on the ballot so people can vote on it.” Just as voting in primaries has more impact than voting in general elections, signing petitions has more impact than ballot measure voting. HOW MANY SIGNATURES ARE NEEDED? The threshold number for statewide petitions to become ballot measures is defined by the number of votes in the last Governor’s race for a full term. “Certification” is randomly sampling petitions, comparing signatures in the Oregon Certified Voter Registration (OCVR) database. Invalid or duplicate signatures are not counted. WHAT ARE PETITIONS? Petitions can send decisions to ballots as ballot measures, if enough certified signatures are collected. INITIATIVE Registered voters can put issues on ballots to change laws, Oregon Revised Statutes, or to amend the Oregon State Constitution. REFERRAL The Legislature can refer an undecided issue or a bill they passed to voters for approval. Any bills that amend the Oregon Constitution must be referred to voters and do not require petition signatures. REFERENDUM Registered voters can try to reject (veto) bills passed by the Legislature by petitioning to put a referendum on the ballot. A referendum may only be filed once a bill has passed in both legislative chambers and has either been signed by the Governor or the Governor's veto deadline has elapsed. Note: A referendum petition allows voters to adopt or reject any nonemergency Act or part of a nonemergency Act. Think Before You Ink Campaign Toolkit Get It Here LOOK UP WHO IS BEHIND IT Chief Petitioners are listed on the Oregon Secretary of State Initiative, Referendum, and Referral Search page . Chief petitioners and funders of ballot measures are not required to be Oregonians. Search ORESTAR for ballot measure, candidate, and PAC (political action committee) official filing and financial information. Print or Request Think Before You Ink Brochures Print brochures in English or Spanish . Or request printed copies below. Email Us

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10 Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 1/30 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: Claudia Keith Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Natural and Working Lands Action Alert Climate Emergency Priorities Other Climate Emergency Bills Clean Energy Oregon Economic Analysis Oregon Climate-Related Lawsuits State, Regional, National, and Global CE News Local League Climate Updates Volunteers Needed Natural and Working Lands ACTION ALERT SB 530 is expected to have a first hearing week, Feb 6 in Senate Natural Resources. Senator Dembrow, Representative Marsh, Senator Golden and Representative Neron are chief sponsors. The bill is based on the Global Warming Commission’s 2021 Climate Change and Carbon Proposal and last year’s SB 1534A which the League also supported. Climate Emergency Priorities The League has identified six priority CE policy and budget topics. Find in previous LR reports additional background on each priority. Following are updates on those topics: 1. Natural and Working Lands : Establishes Natural and Working Lands (NWL) Fund, carbon sequestration opportunities…: Natural Climate Solutions SB530 . The legislation includes activity-based metrics and community impact metrics for net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands and establishes carbon sequestration and storage goals. The bill authorizes natural resource agencies to provide support to forest landowners, ranchers and farmers for voluntary techniques that not only increase carbon uptake and storage but provide secondary benefits of reduced water needs, increased output and overall improved water quality and quantity . It is designed to help leverage federal funding and private investments in natural climate solutions on natural and working lands. Assigned to: Senate Natural Resources, find Committee Bills HERE . The League continues to be an active NWL coalition partner. 2. Resilient Buildings (RB) : Refer to the Legislative Joint Task Force on Resilient Efficient Buildings Dec 13 Report . It’s likely the bill(s) will be posted to OLIS in late Feb. by Senator Lieber and Rep Marsh. The League is an active RB coalition partner. On Jan 27, over 75 folks joined an RB kickoff meeting. The BR campaign guiding principals were shared. In the news: ‘Oregon lawmakers draft bills for more energy-efficient buildings ‘| kgw.com 3. Environmental Justice (EJ): 2023 Leg bills are posted which address (support or oppose) new or on-going EJ topics. Find DEQ EJ work : Performance Partnership Agreement : Oregon Department of Environmental Qualityand U.S. EPA Region 10 Performance Partnership Agreement . In the news: ‘Farmworker advocate legislative priorities include language access’ | Statesman Journal. The League is following this topic and likely will support. 4. Oregon Climate Action Commission (currently Oregon Global Warming Commission): Roadmap , SB 522 , will change "Oregon Global Warming Commission" to "Oregon Climate Action Commission." and modify membership and duties of commission and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets/goals. Find more about this Bill in Clean Energy LR below. 5. Other Governor Climate / Carbon Policy Topics: See 20-04 Executive Order topics . This area includes other GHG emission mitigation/ reductions and new clean renewable energy (DOE), OHA public health, and DOT Dept of Transportation policy and funding bills. 6. CE related total 2023-2025 biennium budget: The governor’s budget * was published Jan 31. Kotek’s budget priorities are HERE . One of the main funding problems concerns how the favorable ending current period balance, estimated to be >$765M, can be used. It will take a 3/5 vote to pass this proposed change. ‘Kotek proposes spending $765M from reserves on homeless , other crises’| statesman journal. It’s unclear at this point if the estimated > $80M in CE related state agency POPs and new Legislative funding. (* budget items will come from over 22 state agencies including 14 NR agencies, OHA, DAS, ODOT, ODOE, etc.) is reflected in Governor Kotek’s new 1/31 Budget. More specifics next week. It is expected some portion of the agency funding requests are related to addressing multiple federal grant opportunities . (see Congressional major new funding since 2020: IIJA, IRA, Chips and what’s left in the ARPA and Dec 2022 Omnibus compromise) Other CE Bills By Claudia Keith The League may support or just follow these bills. (This is a preliminary list; a number of bills are not yet posted to OLIS.) Natural Working Lands: See Rep Pham’s urban forestry bill, HB 3016 , Rep Holvey’s severance tax bill, HB 3025 to replace the harvest tax, and ODF’s Regular Harvest tax bill, HB 2087 . SB 88 climate smart Ag increases net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands. Requested: Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery. See Keep Oregon Cool, Natural Working Lands. Fossil Fuel (FF) Divestment : HB 2601 Oregon FF Divestment … Requires State Treasurer to address the urgency and risk associated with Fossil Fuel energy investments. Chief Sponsors: Rep Pham K, Senator Golden, Rep Gamba. Green Infrastructure: HB 3016 community green infrastructure, Rep Pham K, Senator Dembrow, Rep Gamba. Public & Green Banking: SB501 Bank of the state of Oregon Sen Golden. HB2763 Create a State public bank Task Force, Rep Gamba, Sen Golden, Rep Walters. Interstate 5 Bridge Legislation: Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) factsheet ODOT and WDOT . 12 Things the Oregon Legislature Should Know About IBRP - Just Crossing Alliance. It is likely policy and or just funding bills will be heard and likely moved by this IBRP Legislative Joint Committee . The goal: ‘Replacing the aging Interstate Bridge with a modern, earthquake resilient, multimodal structure is a high priority for Oregon and Washington…. ‘ Clean Energy By Kathy Moyd Activity Last Week and Next Week LWVOR did not provide testimony for any Clean Energy bills last week. HB 2816 High Energy User Facilities Requires person who owns, operates or controls high energy use facility to ensure that greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity used by high energy use facility are reduced to 60% below baseline emissions levels by 2027, 80% below baseline emissions levels by 2030, 90% below baseline emissions levels by 2035 and 100% below baseline emissions levels by 2040. Imposes civil penalty of $12,000 per megawatt-hour in violation for each day of violation. Excludes property that is or is part of high energy use facility from enterprise zone tax benefits unless amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity that high energy use facility uses complies with amount of greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity permitted for high energy use facilities. LWVOR was in the process of writing testimony for the public hearing scheduled for February 1 but received notice that the bill had been removed from the schedule. We had a lot of concerns with the bill, so will wait to see if an amendment is submitted. No Clean Energy bills are currently scheduled for public hearings next week, may be later. Previously listed Priority Bills, Committee Bills, and Other Bills with no action last week or expected next week were described in the Legislative Report Week of 1-23. Additional Bills Being Followed By Kathy Moyd Priority HB 2713 Local Regulation of Fossil Fuels Provides that Legislative Assembly finds and declares that home rule cities and counties have constitutional authority to prohibit or limit use of fossil fuels in new buildings or installation of fossil fuel infrastructure. Permits cities and counties, whether home rule or not, to prohibit or limit use of fossil fuels in new buildings or installation of fossil fuel infrastructure. Declares emergency, effective on passage. Other Bills We are considering supporting these bills and expect public hearings in the near future. HB 2571 Rebates for Electric Bikes Establish program for providing rebates to qualifying individuals who purchase electric assisted bicycles or cargo electric bicycles and qualifying equipment. Appropriation of $5,000,000. HB 2718 Hydrogen-fueled Generators (Bipartisan sponsors) Program to provide grants to fund replacement of generators that use diesel or fossil fuels with renewable hydrogen-fueled generators. Appropriation of $5,000,000. HB 3016 Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program Establishes Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program and Fund. Directs State Forestry Department to acquire and maintain urban tree canopy assessment tool. Directs department to develop emerald ash borer assistance program. HB 3020 Commercial Community Solar Projects (Bipartisan support) Extends property tax exemption to commercial community solar projects first granted exemption for property tax year beginning on or after July 1, 2023. Oregon Economic Analysis By Claudia Keith The next Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast is scheduled for Feb 22. It is unclear how the very volatile security market, banking issues / risk will develop. The last State of Oregon quarterly forecast assumed a likely mild recession in 2023. The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis has never conformed to what is now recommended in the SEC Climate Risk disclosure rule. SEC Plans to Finalize See supportive LWVOR-initiated LWVUS Testimony , June 2022. Oregon Treasury By Claudia Keith It is unclear how Oregon Treasury / Treasurer Tobias will assist with addressing the $20B Federal IRA funds which are contingent on formation of an Oregon Green Bank. ‘'Green Banks,' Poised for Billions in Climate Funds , Draw States' Attention | The Pew Charitable Trusts. Additionally, the SEC new Climate risk guidelines will affect investing and reporting decisions. The SEC reveals 2023 priorities in new agenda | Reuters. ‘Upcoming SEC climate disclosure rules bring urgency to ESG data strategy planning’, | Reuters. It's concerning to the League how these major issues will affect Oregon’s economy. 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 and federal lawsuits , (Feb 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. A national perspective: ‘These four states are winning on climate . And they're not all the ones you'd expect’ |EDF. Our Children’s Trust: First hearing held in youth lawsuit against DOT over transportation pollution | News, Sports, Jobs - Maui News State, Regional, National, and Global CE News By Claudia Keith Affordable, reliable and sustainable: Report compares utility performanc e – Oregon Capital Chronicle. (Oregon ranked in the top 10 on affordability, environmental friendliness, and performance). Oregon politician calls for increased oversight of NW Natural | kgw.com . Oregon pins hopes on mass timber to boost housing , jobs – OPB. OSU wave power testing facility overcomes many “firsts ”. | KLCC. Native seeds, crucial to deal with climate change , are in short supply : NPR. New Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s first budget plan calls for big spending on housing , education and behavioral health – OPB The SEC reveals 2023 priorities in new agenda | Reuters. Congress' 'biggest fight' over climate ? It's the farm bill. - E&E News. The Most Famous Climate Goal Is Woefully Misunderstood - The Atlantic. With carbon capture on an industrial scale , Norway plans for a greener future - Microsoft News Centre Europe. Yes, we have enough materials to power the world with renewable energy | MIT Technology Review. Is climate change to blame for the extreme cold ? Researchers say there could be a connection. - The Boston Globe Local League Climate Updates By Claudia Keith Request to Local Leagues; please let us know your climate, resilience, or sustainability advocacy actions. Volunteers Needed By Claudia Keith Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy areas: Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture/ODA ODOT Transportation & DLCD/LCD Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Efficient Resilient Buildings Public Health Climate Adaptation 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 Climate and Environmental Justice. We collaborate with Natural Resource Action members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: The 2023 legislative session began Jan 17. If any area of Climate Emergency interests you, please contact Claudia Keith , CE Coordinator. Orientation to Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/3 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch Agriculture/Goal 3 Land Use: Sandra U. Bishop Coastal Issues: Christine Moffitt, Peggy Lynch Columbia River Treaty: Philip Thor Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: Joan Fryxell Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Forestry: Josie Koehne Elliott State Research Forest: Peggy Lynch Northwest Energy Coalition: Robin Tokmakian Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: Melanie Moon Oregon Health Authority Drinking Water Advisory Committee: Sandra Bishop Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: Lucie La Bonte Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Air Quality Agriculture Budgets/Revenue Climate Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Emergency Services Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) Land Use & Housing Natural Resources Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) Pesticides Water Wetlands Wildfire Air Quality Bills we are watching: SB 726 Requires the owner or operator of a municipal solid waste landfill to conduct surface emissions monitoring and report data as specified in the Act. LWVOR to support. HB 3244 : Replaces the requirement that an owner or operator of a municipal solid waste incinerator conduct continuous monitoring or sampling of specified air contaminants with a requirement that the monitoring or sampling be conducted annually. LWVOR would oppose. The bill relates to the Reworld facility out of Keiser and League members have testified of their concerns in past years. Agriculture By Sandra Bishop Chair Jeff Golden announced four specific Senate bills that will be considered by the committee: SB 78 – Replacement dwelling bill; SB 77 – home occupation reform bill; SB 73 – Spot zoning reform; and SB 79 – prohibits certain dwellings on resource lands. LWVOR will watch and may support with our strong positions on the protection of Oregon’s valuable agricultural lands. Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch Following are the budget bills we are watching in Natural Resources: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 Columbia River Gorge Commission: SB 5508 DEQ: SB 5520 . Governor’s budget DEQ Fact Sheet Public hearing tentative set for mid-March Oregon Dept. of Energy: SB 5518 Oregon Dept. of Energy Fees: SB 5519 Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: HB 5009 Oregon Dept. of Forestry: SB 5521 Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries: HB 5010 Public hearing Feb. 5-6; Meeting materials Dept. of Land Conservation and Development: SB 5528 Governor’s budget DLCD Fact Sheet Public hearing Feb. 3-4; LCDC 1/24 presentation ; Meeting Materials Land Use Board of Appeals: SB 5529 Oregon State Marine Board: HB 5021 Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.: HB 5026 Public hearing tentative set for March 8 Dept. of State Lands: SB 5539 Water Resources Dept.: SB 5543 Governor’s budget WRD Fact Sheet Public hearing Feb. 18-20. Here is a summary of the Governor’s budget. Governor's Budget and Agency Request Budget documents are/will be available online here . Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board: HB 5039 . Tentative public hearing Feb. 23-24 Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 6-Year Limitation: HB 5040 Limits expenditures of lottery funds from the Watershed Conservation Grant Fund for local grant expenditures by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board for a six-year period beginning July 1, 2025. Oregon Business Development Dept.: HB 5024 Oregon Dept. of Emergency Management: SB 5517 Office of the Governor: SB 5523 Oregon State Fire Marshal: SB 5538 Dept. of Transportation: SB 5541 Dept. of Administrative Services: HB 5002 Legislative Administration Committee, Legislative Assembly, Legislative Counsel Committee, Legislative Fiscal Officer, Legislative Revenue Officer, Commission on Indian Services and Legislative Policy and Research Committee: HB 5016 Lottery Bonds: SB 5531 : an average debt capacity of $564 million in each Biennium Emergency Board: HB 5006 General Obligation Bonds, etc.: SB 5505 : an average debt capacity of $2.22 billion per Biennium Six-Year Limitation/Bonds: SB 5506 Limits for the six-year period beginning July 1, 2025, payment of expenses from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts, but excluding lottery funds and federal funds, collected or received by various state agencies for capital construction. The next Revenue Forecast will be Feb. 26th. The legislature will use that forecast to do a final rebalance of the 2023-25 budget. Then the May 14th forecast will be the basis for the legislature to determine the 2025-27 state budget. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. T here are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch The League supports SB 830 , a bill that m odifies provisions of the on-site septic system loan program to allow for grants. It also allows for the program to consider mobile home parks in need of septic upgrades. Here is the Onsite Wastewater Management Program 2025 Rulemaking webpage . Because of the League’s work on SB 391 (2021) and additional bills in 2023, a League member is serving on the rules advisory committee to address sewer availability and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) issues. There are two additional meetings set for Feb. 13 and 26. You are welcome to Sign up for email updates about this rulemaking via GovDelivery . The League will again serve on an annual rulemaking advisory committee on water quality fee increases. Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) By Joan Fryxell On Jan. 28th, the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment received a presentation on the proposed pilot project on Geologic Carbon Sequestration Potential in Oregon. Follow up materials were provided. Dr. Day-Stirrat, DOGAMI Director, presented the information. He stated that the target horizons are the porous zones at the tops and bases of lava flows, which are the appropriate zones, as they are highly porous (have a lot of gaps) and permeable (the gaps are well connected). The sample he circulated was clearly from the intact center of the flow, as it was quite solid, but still had holes in it. The project described is only to drill a test well to evaluate feasibility of injecting brines (a.k.a. any sort of water solution, possibly saltier than we want to drink) infused with carbon dioxide. Some test injections will need to be done to evaluate this correctly, but clearly this proposed project is not intended to be a production well for ongoing injection of brines. $10 million from the Common School Fund (CSF) should cover the scope and duration of the project. Because the land is located on CSF land where future viable private projects could pay to lease the land, the CSF money is considered by the State Land Board as a good investment. Drilling is expensive, and drilling through a stack of basalt flows is likely to be relatively slow (therefore more expensive). To characterize the well, they will want to retrieve cores at intervals, also expensive and time consuming. More drilling info below under background information. Monitoring wells will need to be drilled a little distance away from the pilot well, to monitor how the pilot well responds to pumping brines down the hole. This keeps an eye on pore pressure down at the horizon of interest, as well as can retrieve brines to see if leakage is occurring as well as how effective the mineral production of calcite is going. The Dept. of Environmental Quality will need to approve well drilling permits. Committee members raised a number of questions with answers here: “Carbon isn’t the problem; other greenhouse gases are the problem”. Carbon dioxide levels have doubled in the last 200 years, and clearly are a major problem. Other greenhouse gases are also a problem, at a secondary level. Methane, for example, is a potent greenhouse gas, but its residence time in the atmosphere is fairly brief, on the order of a few years to a decade. Carbon dioxide remains in the atmosphere indefinitely. As Dr. Day-Stirrat said, methane can be injected underground, but it will remain a gas, and can leak back up to the surface. “Take carbon out of the air, don’t the trees need that?” Plants do take up carbon dioxide (and give off oxygen), but even getting the carbon dioxide levels back to 280 ppm (pre-industrial revolution) will not hurt plants. The forests were in fine shape throughout human history, as well as back into the fossil record to the first land forests ~300 million years ago. “Source of brine?” Not discussed at length, but one possibility is to pump up the fluids down there (the brines), inject carbon dioxide, and pump them back down, in a cycle. That’s probably the cheapest way to go. “Is it bad to plug the holes in the basalt with calcite?” This is a question of scale, really. Pores will be plugged with calcite for some radius around the well, but these zones are really pretty tiny compared with the extent of the layers in the Columbia River Basalts. Reducing porosity is generally not detrimental to the rocks. “How many years have we been tracking atmospheric carbon dioxide?” We have records of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere that extend back about 500 million years all the way up to today, utilizing different techniques, but the data set is quite robust. “What is the seismic impact of pumping?” That is exactly what hydrofracturing (fracking) is – enough fluid is pumped down to the horizon of interest to counteract the prevailing pressure regime enough to fracture the rock. This is being done industrially in a number of places, and has been done long enough that the mining engineers and drillers have a very good idea of how much pressure is needed to fracture the rock. Injecting carbonated brines with the intent of making calcite doesn’t need this high level of pressure, so it can be done without increasing the seismic risk to the area. “What is displaced when we put things into the subsurface?” Dr. Day-Stirrat said “the pressure goes up”, which is true but not helpful, really. Even at relatively shallow depths like 2500 feet, things behave a little differently than they do at the surface, and we’re talking about fluids in pore spaces. The fluids are at least a little compressible, and again, we’re talking about a relatively small radius around the well in a very large system. “Injection vs eruption vs earthquakes”. Iceland is on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a spreading center, so it exists by repeated volcanic eruptions. Movement of magma produces earthquakes, and this has been ongoing the entire history of the island, whether people have been around or not. These injection wells are shallow and small in comparison, and the magma movement is not affected by them. Background information: Basalt is particularly good for carbon sequestration in terms of its chemistry and its texture. It contains relatively high amounts of calcium, as well as magnesium, both of which readily combine with carbon dioxide to form carbonate minerals (calcite and magnesite, respectively), which are stable solids which will stay in the rock indefinitely. Texturally, the basalt is in the form of lava flows, which override the land surface with all its roughness, and the tops of the flows typically break up as they cool while the interior continues to move. These broken zones are ideal for fluids to travel through. Drilling: Normally a drill string and bit rotates, which chews up the rock to make the hole get deeper. The rock chips then circulate up with the drilling mud, are retrieved and logged, so the rock type is known, and changes are recorded. To get a core (like what was handed around in the session), the whole drill string is pulled up, and the bit is replaced with a coring bit, which preserves a cylinder of rock in the center. Once the interval to be cored is drilled, the whole drill string is pulled back up, the core is retrieved, and the normal bit is put back on, the whole drill string is fed back down the hole, and drilling resumes. Normal drilling is faster and cheaper than drilling for a core, so it is done unless there is a lot of interest in exactly what the rock is. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels: They have fluctuated considerably over geologic time, with a high of about 4000 ppm in Cambrian time, to a low of 180 ppm in the last glacial period. However, the rate of change has always been much slower, which allows some accommodation by the plants and animals living at the time. The rate of change over the last 200 years is far too fast for these accommodations to take place. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch The Director of DSL published a p roposed increase in permit fees for Removal/Fill program: “ Oregon’s Removal-Fill Law helps protect wetlands and waters by requiring permits to remove or add materials in wetlands, rivers, streams, lakes, and other waters of the state .” A League member served on the rulemaking advisory committee . “ The statutory Common School Fund heavily subsidizes Oregon’s removal-fill permitting process .” “ Visit the DSL website to see a draft of the proposed rules and program fees, all related materials from the rulemaking process, and the online comment form: www.oregon.gov/dsl/Pages/rulemaking.aspx . The comment deadline is February 17th at 5:00 p.m.” The next State Land Board meeting is Feb. 11. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) The ESRF Board will meet Feb. 5th. Here is the agenda, meeting materials and a zoom link. Emergency Services By Rebecca Gladstone HB 2581 : The League spoke and filed testimony in support of a statute change, substituting the word “seismic” with “hazards”, to coordinate coverage efforts through the State Resiliency Officer. A work session is scheduled on Feb 5 at 1pm, in H Comm On Emergency Mngmt, Gen Gov, and Veterans . SB 505 The League is preparing testimony for this bill to fund grants for county emergency liaisons, public hearing scheduled for Feb 4 at 1pm, in Sen Comm On Vets, Emergency Management, Fed and World Affairs . Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) By Josie Koehne SB 404 State Board of Forestry shall convey forest lands within a county to the county if the board of county commissioners of the county determines that conveyance of the forest lands to the county would secure the greatest permanent value of the forest lands to the county. LWVOR will oppose. See also the Wildfire section of this report below and the separate Climate section. Land Use & Housing By Peggy Lynch HB 3013 : Details the process by which a permit or zone change that is based on provisions of a comprehensive plan or land use regulation that fail to gain acknowledgment is voided and any resulting improvements or uses are removed or revoked. LWVOR supports with -1 amendment. The following is a beginning list of land use (and housing-related) bills we are following: HB 3062 : Requires local governments to map sensitive uses as part of a comprehensive plan. LWVOR may support. HB 2138 : Expands allowable middle housing and expands middle housing requirements to include urban unincorporated lands. LWVOR may have comments. Some provisions we support; others not so much. HB 3145 : Allows the Housing and Community Services Department to use Local Innovation and Fast Track Housing Program Fund moneys for factory-built housing. LWVOR should support. May have overlap with Housing portfolio. HB 2316 : Allows designation of Home Start Lands to be used for housing. LWVOR will oppose. HB 2347 : Authorizes the Department of Land Conservation and Development to provide planning assistance for housing production to federally recognized Indian tribes and makes other technical changes to laws relating to land use planning. A -1 amendment will be considered at a public hearing on Feb. 5th in House Housing. HB 2950 A bill to update Goal One and Public Participation is being sponsored by Oregon’s American Planning Association. The League is interested in the bill, but has some concerns. We understand there will be an amendment proffered. SB 462 : Requires the Oregon Business Development Department to establish an education course for land use planners for local governments, special districts and state agencies. LWVOR supports educational efforts but there are other training opportunities, so this proposal might be redundant. SB 525 : Amends expedited land division criteria and processes. LWVOR has concerns. May need to oppose. Knowing that infrastructure is a hot topic this session, you might find these slides ( Infrastructure 101 Webinar, Password: !zI0siD% ) from the Regional Solutions Team of interest. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Natural Resources HB 3173 – Establishing OregonFlora in Statute: OregonFlora provides comprehensive information about ~4,700 vascular plants in Oregon to the public, state and federal agencies, educational institutions, businesses; consumers, and scientists, providing significant economic, social, and educational benefits. Long-term and sustainable funding is needed to ensure that OregonFlora can continue to provide this service. This bill creates an initial appropriation of $400,000 per biennium made to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for distribution to Oregon State University. HB 3173 info sheet . The bill has widespread support statewide and the League hopes to see this program that supports many natural resource areas funded this session. Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) By Lucie La Bonte The OWEB program began in 1993. In 1994, several pilot watershed councils developed. After passage of Measure 66, the Governor’s Watershed Enhancement Board became the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board funded with 7.5% of lottery funds. There are now 92 Watershed Councils in Oregon. These watershed councils partner with various state and federal agencies bringing economic development to rural areas by improving watershed habitat. Funding includes proceeds from the Oregon Lottery, federal grants and loans and, more recently, General Funds to support additional programs added to the agency’s mission. OWEB has established a Strategic Funding Plan developing strategies to fund their programs and projects throughout the state. The Board and Staff work together updating the funding plan to ensure secure funding for restoration projects. The Legislature is a partner and generally approves funding for OWEB. The Strategic Funding Plan was reviewed at the January Board Meeting and will be updated in April. Pesticides HB 2679 directs the State Department of Agriculture to classify certain pesticides containing neonicotinoids as restricted-use. The League has supported a similar bill in past sessions. Water By Peggy Lynch The Governor has added “water” as her environmental priority this session as reported in this Oregon Capital Chronicle article.: “ Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek and her natural resources adviser Geoff Huntington consider water quality and availability a top priority this legislative session …. Huntington said the governor’s office will back a package of bills that gives state agencies more statutory authority to manage water allocations and regulations in Oregon. Much of that is being sponsored by Rep. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, and Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, who co-chair the House agriculture and water committee.” The League provided testimony on HB 2168 at the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee. The bill requests $5 million for the on-site septic loan program, another $5 million for the Well Water Repair and Replacement Fund and monies to help the Oregon State Extension Service reach out to potential recipients. The bill is scheduled for a Work Session on Feb. 3rd. Water bills we are following: HB 2988 : Instructs the Water Resources Department to take certain actions related to aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery. HB 3108 : Requires the Water Resources Department to implement additional rules and requirements for the review of limited license applications for an aquifer storage and recovery permit HB 2803 : Increases certain fees related to water. LWVOR will support. Expect amendments. Needed to provide current service level staffing at WRD. Oregon Water Data Portal debuted Jan. 31st. The multi-agency effort to release a beta version of the pilot portal for the Oregon Water Data Portal project debuted on January 31. The pilot portal is accessible at https://www.oregonwaterdata.org/ . Changes to the pilot portal will be made intermittently from input received during the beta testing until June 2025, as resources allow. The League has supported this project so that there is ONE PLACE where Oregonians can find water information. This Oregon water data pilot portal was developed through a collaboration with multiple Oregon agencies, Oregon State University, and the Internet of Water Coalition. The pilot was developed based on the experience and knowledge of this group as well as the input and questions the team has received through various engagements. The objective of this initial pilot portal is to test functionality using limited data and will evolve over the next six months as data are added and improvements are made based on user feedback. We will continue to build our understanding about user needs and experiences through this pilot portal phase. Users can provide feedback about the beta version of the pilot portal by completing a survey or emailing OWDP@deq.oregon.gov . The objective of a water data portal is to bring together Oregon’s water data and information into a single point of access so that water decision makers and others can find the data, and to improve data access and integration for better water-related decision-making. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” V isit the Harmful Algae Bloom website or call the Oregon Public Health Division toll-free information line at 877-290-6767 to learn if an advisory has been issued or lifted for a specific water body. Wetlands A bill of concern to the League related to our removal/fill program has been filed: SB 400 . As proposed, the League will oppose. Another wetlands-related bill we will be watching: HB 2054 . Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The League watched a meeting of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on January 28, which addressed how wildfire losses impact homeowner insurance in Oregon, with comparisons to the CA insurance market for context. Andrew Stolfi, Director and Insurance Commissioner, Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, spoke first, laying out the overall unfavorable landscape in the insurance industry due to increasing huge natural disaster payouts. He pointed out that the double-digit premium increases people are experiencing, even in “non-high disaster areas” are due to the increase in large claims. His presentation , as well as those of the other two speakers at this meeting, clearly illustrate the problem, and some possible approaches to solutions, when it comes to wildfire. Of note, Commissioner Stolfi pointed out that Oregon’s homeowner insurance rates, by one measure which excludes condos, are still less than half the national average, in spite of the fact that there has been an average of approximately 50% increase in rates between 2018 and 2023. This is remarkable, given the fact he also pointed out - that losses in the past 10 years are tracking 10 times the total for the past 4 decades. Finally, he shared that in spite of the feeling among consumers that many people are experiencing non-renewals, that actual number is .only 78% of policies. All these figures and more are included in his presentation. He was followed by Michael Newman, General Counsel for the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), which is a non-profit organization focused on wildfire risk mitigation at the parcel and neighborhood level. They have recently received permission to offer their program to homeowners in Oregon. One item they are working on is developing a “Wildfire Prepared Neighborhood Benchmark”. This is a program they hope to offer to homeowners at the neighborhood level to help 1) mitigate wildfire risk of loss and increase survivability and; 2) help reduce participants’ homeowner insurance rates, or at least slow rate increases. At the end of the presentation, Senator Jeff Golden commented that another attempt at funding a grant program through the State Fire Marshal for “Neighborhood Protection Cooperatives”, which has failed repeatedly in previous sessions, is forthcoming at this Legislative Session in the form of SB 85 . Rounding out the discussion was Kenton Brine, President, Northwest Insurance Council, who reiterated the unsustainable nature of rapidly increasing disaster payouts by insurance companies exceeding premiums collected. Increasing magnitude of disaster claims, which is also influenced in no small part by the large increase in the cost of construction materials used in rebuilding. He sited the fact that in 2023, $1.12 was paid out in claims for every $1.00 collected in 2023. Finally, this article from the Oregon Capital Chronicle explores the relationship between wildfire and insurance availability. Volunteers Needed What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. V olunteers are needed. The long legislative session begins in January of 2025. Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly year-round and need monitoring. If any area of natural resources is of interest to you, please contact Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, at peggylynchor@gmail.com . Training offered.

< Back Revenue LWVOR Advocacy Positions Note: these are condensed versions. See the complete positions in Issues for Action . Governance Economic Development Revenue Bonds LWVOR supports the authority to issue Economic Development Revenue Bonds by the state, ports, and cities with more than 300,000 population. 2. In addition to the Economic Development Revenue Bond program, LWVOR supports other state and local economic stimulants Fiscal Policy Evaluating Taxes —any tax proposal should be evaluated with regard to its effect on the entire tax structure. Fiscal Responsibility —local government should have primary responsibility for financing non-school local government. Local services mandated by the state should have state funding. Income Tax—i ncome tax is the most equitable means of providing state revenue. The income tax should be progressive, compatible with federal law and should apply to the broadest possible segment of Oregonians. Sales Tax— A sales tax should be used with certain restrictions Property Tax —local property taxes should partially finance local government and local services. Exemptions to the general property tax include: a. Charitable, educational and benevolent organizations, etc. b. School District Financing. The major portion of the cost of public schools should be borne by the state, which should use a stable system to provide sufficient funds to give each child an equal, adequate education. Previous Next

Back to Legislative Report Education Legislative Report - November Interim Jump to a topic: Education Update Non-school Supports School Funding and Accountability Higher Education State Funding of Financial Aid for Students Education Update By Anne Nesse As the Portland teachers strike continues over wages and working conditions, it is important to note that Oregon has failed to invest what is required for an equity-based public school system, for a number of years. An Oregon Quality Education Model Commission Report helps explain how we divide the funds between schools: scroll to the Summary for a shortened report. This is an unfortunate fact and it is true in all parts of the country. This is perhaps why a number of Oregon teachers are questioning their profession. House Education met Nov. 6. Rep. Jami Cate, House District 11, was a leader in the discussion on ‘Accountability’, stating she realized that complete ‘equity’ for funding public education could not be established all at once. She announced that In the coming legislative sessions, we will re-evaluate the 11% cap on funds allowed for special education and numbers of homelessness students, among other criteria. One group of slides shown by Kevin Strong, Business Manager Sweet Home School District, illustrates the difficulties we currently face with the 11% cap on special needs and achieving greater equity in public education. These statistics help to demonstrate that disparities are large, among schools and school districts. Once the 11% cap is reached, funds must be taken from other school services to meet the growing demands for those students who are falling behind more than 2 grade levels in performance. Meghan Moyer, Disability Rights Oregon, pointed out that this Federal classification for disabilities was not possible to be “over claimed” by individual school districts. Bob Estabrook, Oregon School Employees Association, reminded us that initially the Federal Government was supposed to fund the educational care of those who are classified as disabled. However, he stated that Federal funds have ‘never even come close to what we need’, and that we receive only 18% of the cost funding needed. He emphasized that ‘the current model is essentially unsustainable.’ The end result is that students who are behind in grade level performance for other reasons do not get the attention they may need. Several proposals will be forthcoming, including 3 tiers of the severity of disabilities or IEP, and adding a 1/2 ‘weight’ for homelessness. Charlene Williams, the newly approved Oregon Department of Education Director for the ODE, introduced herself to both the House and Senate Education Committees, stating her priorities and goals. Here , in relation to these goals, is an added history of Oregon school funding which has unfortunately helped to create inequities in public education, based on property tax rules in Ballot Measures 5, 47, and 50. And for further history, the Student Success Act of 2019 , was passed by the legislature to help add funds to decrease inequities. Senate Education met Nov. 7 ( video ). Summer learning programs were minimally funded this year, due to decreased Federal funds. We know these programs help to prevent academic losses during the summer and try to bring joy to learning. During the meeting, we were reminded that planning for these programs must begin early for them to occur at all. The agenda also included a report on the SB 1522 project implementation based on designing online classes for inmates within the Oregon Dept. of Corrections, to receive High School diplomas, or other classes. This includes PSU and Treasure Valley CC presently, offering classes at Coffee Creek women’s facility and Ontario men’s facility. Finally, this committee heard from the newly appointed Teacher Standards and Practice (TSPC) Director, Melissa Goff and others on the creation of pilot programs to certify new teachers in “mentorship programs”. These kinds of programs are happening across the country to assure we have a dedicated supply of educators. It was unclear from the meeting whether these mentorship candidates were already college graduates. There may soon be Federal support for this program in Oregon. The program is meant to curb the high dropout rate of teachers in the first 2 years of employment, increase the diversity of teachers in Oregon, and increase the number of special education or other needed professionals. Non-school Supports By Katie Riley Both the House and Senate Education Committees held hearings during November Legislative Days. Both meetings were reports from ODE, including work on crisis training and de-escalation for employees, PELL grants, teacher apprentice pilot programs, and ODE’s efforts to provide accountability and transparency. Tenneal Wetherell, ODE Chief of Staff, reported to the Senate Committee on summer learning. She noted that there is a group plan for a bill that would provide funding for summer and afterschool learning, approximately $50 million for the biennium. Funding for summer programs alone totaled $390 million in 2021 and 2022. Senator Dembrow noted that Rep. Susan McLain will probably be the bill sponsor. School Funding and Accountability By Jean Pierce Revenue Committee Bills Six revenue bills will be in the request submitted Thursday for consideration during the short session. The primary one for LWVOR to track regards a Constitutional change for voters to consider in the November Election. Currently assuming no changes are made to a property, its maximum assessed value equals 103 percent of the property’s assessed value from the prior year or 100 percent of the property’s maximum assessed value from the prior year, whichever is greater. The goal of the Senators proposing this bill is to try to avoid winners and losers. Explanation of the State School Funding formula The State School Fund is a combination of state and local funds, which provides about 80% of the general operating dollars to K-12 school districts and educational service districts. These funds are allocated through an equalization formula adopted in 1991. Approximately 80% of the SSF is for salaries and benefits. The next largest amount is for transportation. Attempts to provide equalization, adequacy, and equity among districts is addressed in the remaining funds (18% of the funding formula), which are allocated based on attendance (average daily membership) as well as weights allocated to the number of students classified as: · English Language Learning (ELL) · Special Education (up to 11% of the students holding Individual Educational Plans) · Pregnant and parenting · Poverty · Foster Care, neglected, delinquent · Remote Elementary School · Small High School · Post graduate scholarship (money is deducted based on those only receiving college education) These funds are not tied to an outcomes-based system of accountability. Currently, an average 14.3% of K-12 students require special education, and some districts experience as high as 50%. In fact, the state school fund is generating only 2/3 of the funds needed for special education. Districts exceeding 11% must pull resources from ELL and other programs that are not mandated. This is particularly a problem for smaller districts which tend to have higher percentages of students needing special education and fewer resources available. Superintendents report that there is very little discretionary money available to districts. Educational inflation is higher than other inflation indices. While the amount of state school funding has more than doubled since 1990, it has remained fairly constant in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1994. Accountability of school districts for spending Speakers from the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) reported to the House Education Committee, that they are developing a map of Oregon’s K-12 education accountability ecosystem, and this work should be completed by January of 2024. This information will be used in a conversation over the next 6-9 months about accountability and support needed by schools and districts for the system. ODE identified 16 elements of accountability and noted that only 5 of them were highly rated for transparency and access. Financial management and reporting earned only 2 out of 5 stars for transparency and access. Higher Education By Jean Pierce Effects of University of Oregon decision on Oregon State University LWVOR believes that · cooperation and coordination should be emphasized by all Oregon public postsecondary education institutions and governing boards · the performance of independent boards at each institution of higher education should be monitored to ensure that they are responsive to the institution’s needs and the needs of the state as a whole. The House Higher Education Committee heard testimony that the decision of the University of Oregon to withdraw from the Pac 12 had not been discussed with Oregon State University and is causing significant harm to OSU, which stands to make $43 M less in fiscal year ’25 than in ‘24. OSU leadership made the following recommendations: · There is a need to define how to make the best decisions for university boards and the state · It is critical that institutions consult affected parties when a decision might adversely affect another public university. · If entities cannot come to agreement, there is a need for a mechanism for mediation. · At the same time, there is a need to preserve the independent governing structures of the universities. At the same time, OSU is requesting more financial support from the state: · Increasing sports lottery allocations by 1% · Funds to cover revenue loss and increased costs incurred during COVID (these were to be repaid from athletics revenue) State Funding of Financial Aid for Students By Jean Pierce The Oregon Opportunity Grant The Oregon Opportunity Grant (OOG) changed the funding formula and increased funding for low income students. The following chart shows the changes. Cost of attendance includes tuition plus room and board and other expenses. When OOG grants are combined with Pell Grants, currently these funds are covering 45% of the costs of attending community colleges and 48% of the costs of attending 4-year universities. OOG grants are awarded to students attending qualifying not for profit private schools in Oregon, such as Willamette University, but those students receive the same amount as students in 4-year public schools. Previously, students needed to apply for the grants in February, which disproportionately affected Community College students who did not enroll in the fall semester. The deadline was changed to mid-summer, but it is not possible to accept students year-round unless there is a change in the way that grants are funded by the state. College Possible and the Oregon TRIO Association The House Higher Education Committee will submit a policy bill requesting continuing support for grant programs supporting College Possible and the Oregon TRIO Association. College Possible serves 1600 low-income, first-generation students each year, 80% of whom attend college in Oregon. A majority of their students are people of color. The Oregon TRIO Association promotes educational equity and access for under-represented students applying for federally-funded college grants. They provide tutoring, counseling, mentoring, financial guidance, and other support. They also provide training for directors and staff running federal grants.

A list of past presidents of the League of Women Voters of Oregon. / Past Presidents / Past Presidents Past LWVOR Presidents, EF Chairs, and LWVUS Board Members 1973-75 President Betty Mack 1975-77 President Wanda Mays 1977-79 President Annabel Kitzhaber 1979-83 President Norma Jean Germond 1983-84 President Linda Dinus 1980-90 LWVUS Board Member Merilyn Reeves 1982-84 LWVUS Board Member Roberta Jaffe 1984-87 President Kris Hudson 1987-89 President Sharon Little 1991-93 President Kappy Eaton 1993-95 President Cheri Unger 1995-97 President Mary Krahn 2001-03 President Beth Burczak 1997-01 President Paula Krane 1995-97 President Mary Krahn 2001-03 President Beth Burczak 1997-01 President Paula Krane 2000-04 LWVUS Board Member Rosie Stephens 2003-07 President Margaret Noel 2007-09 EF Chair Janet Calvert 2007-11 President Marge Easley 2009-11 EF Chair Jane Gigler 2011-13 EF Chair Betsy Pratt 2008-14 LWVUS Board Member Norman Turrill 2011-15 President Robin Wisdom 2013-15 EF Chair Becky Gladstone 2015-19 President Norman Turrill 2019-2023 President Becky Gladstone 2023-2023 President Alice Bartelt 2023-present Co-Presidents Rebecca Gladstone Lisa Bentson

Book an LWVOR Youth Council speaker for your event or meeting. / Youth Council Speaker Booking / Youth Council Speakers Book a Youth Council Speaker Youth Council members are available to join your upcoming meeting or event. Questions? Contact youthoutreach@lwvor.org First Name Last Name Email Phone League Affiliation Choose an option Other Organization Event Date (if known) Requesting Choose an option Topic (choose all that apply) * Required Civics Education and/or Mock Election DEIJ: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Youth Council Activities Youth Advisory and League Outreach Young and Future Voter Registration Can you provide housing or reimburse mileage for traveling Youth Council members? If not, will you consider hosting a virtual event? Leave us a message... Submit Thanks for submitting!

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - 1/10 - 1/17 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: Claudia Keith Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Climate Emergency Priorities Oregon Climate Action Commission Oregon Economic Analysis Oregon Climate Related Lawsuit State, Regional and National News Local League Climate Updates Volunteers Needed Climate Emergency Priorities By Claudia Keith In preparing for the 2023 Legislative session, we identified six priority policy and budget topics: Resilient Buildings: (could include a change to Oregon’s building codes). Refer to the Legislative Joint Task Force on Resilient Efficient Buildings Dec 13 Report . It’s unclear when the bill (s) will be posted to OLIS. The League plans to be an active coalition member. Natural and Working Lands : ( Establishes Natural and Working Lands Fund, carbon sequestration opportunities,…): Natural Climate Solutions SB530 . The legislation includes activity-based metrics and community impact metrics for net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands and establishes carbon sequestration and storage goals. (Related, see interim NR committee SB88 ). The League continues to be an active coalition member. Environmental Justice: A number of 2023 Leg bills are expected to address new and ongoing related topics. A recent update EPA: ‘EPA Releases Updated Legal Guidance on Identifying, Addressing Cumulative Impacts to Advance Environmental Justice, Equity | US EPA, clearly defines at the federal level this new foundational area. (Related to HB4077 (2022). Oregon Climate Action Commission By Claudia Keith Oregon Climate Action Commission (currently Oregon Global Warming Commission ) Roadmap , SB 522 , will change "Oregon Global Warming Commission" to " Oregon Climate Action Commission." and modify membership and duties of commission and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets/goals. This will direct state agencies to report to the commission on progress toward achieving greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals (see SB 928 2019). Other Governor Climate / Carbon Policy Topics See 20-04 Executive Order topics . This area includes other GHG emission mitigation/reductions and new clean renewable energy (DOE), OHA public health, and DOT Dept of Transportation policy and funding. CE related total 2023-2025 biennium budget The governor’s budget* is scheduled to be available in Feb. There is expected > $50M in CE related state agency POPs and new Legislative funding. (* budget items will come from over 22 state agencies including 14 NR agencies, OHA, DAS, ODOT, ODOE, etc.) Other CE Bills By Claudia Keith (The League may support or just follow. A preliminary list, at this time only ~half of the total bills have been posted on OLIS.) Natural Working Lands: Rep Pham’s urban forestry bill, HB 3016 , Rep Holvey’s severance tax bill, HB 3025 to replace the harvest tax, and ODF’s Regular Harvest tax bill, HB 2087 . SB 88 climate smart Ag increases net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands. Requested: Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery. See Keep Oregon Cool, Natural Working Lands. GHG Emission Mitigation: * HB 2816 High Energy Use Facility - Required GHGE reduction, Chief Sponsors: Dembrow and Marsh. Fossil Fuel (FF ) Divestment: HB 2601 Oregon FF Divestment … Requires State Treasurer to address the urgency and risk associated with FF energy investments. Chief Sponsors: Rep Pham K, Senator Golden, Rep Gamba. Green Infrastructure: HB 3016 community green infrastructure, Rep Pham K, Senator Dembrow, Rep Gamba Public & Green Banking: SB501 Bank of the state of Oregon Sen Golden. HB2763 Create a State public bank Task Force, Rep Gamba, Sen Golden, Rep Walters OPUC Oregon Public Utility Commission - CE Team Volunteer By Claudia Keith OPUC held a special informational meeting Jan 10 to update commissioners on measures to ensure the resource adequacy (RA) of the regional electrical grid. This meeting served as a technical conference for OPUC commissioners on the status of resource adequacy (RA) in the western U.S. Major players made "inside baseball" presentations summarized in the attached notes. Pursuant to docket UM 2143 , OPUC staff recommended that the commission develop rules to establish a binding Oregon RA program for regulated utilities and electric service suppliers. Staff is targeting March 2023to begin rulemaking, following public comment. Western Electricity Coordinating Council ( WECC) forecast WECC presented its latest forecast of the regional grid reliability and security risks. Interconnection-wide, the risk is expected to grow in frequency and magnitude over the next 10 years, largely because resource variability will increase, except in the OR-WA-ID subregion where the resource mix will remain relatively stable. The rate of planned resource growth is comparable to historical resource growth, but challenges such as supply chain disruption, skilled labor shortages, and siting issues could increase risk. Reliance on imports will grow in many cases and could be put at risk by transmission capability. WECC emphasized the need for immediate action to address long-term RA risks. Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) forecast NWPCC’s annual RA assessment looks ahead 5 years aiming to provide early warning of resource shortfalls and to ensure that resource strategies will result in adequate future power supplies. The latest assessment found that the 2027 regional power supply would be greatly inadequate if the region relied solely on existing resources and reserve levels with no new energy efficiency measures. NWPCC’s strategy for increasing resources and reserves would ensure an adequate power supply if demand growth remains consistent. Western Resource Adequacy Program (WRAP) update All Oregon-regulated investor-owned utilities and many electric service suppliers take part in the Western Power Pool’s WRAP, the first region-wide RA program. This overview described the WRAP participation agreement and delivery commitments. WRAP filed its initial tariff with FERC at the end of August 2022, received a deficiency letter from FERC in November, filed an amended tariff in December, and expects FERC’s response next month. UM 2143 investigation update and straw proposal for state RA standards OPUC staff recommends that the commission develop rules to establish a binding RA program for all Oregon entities. This presentation summarized key elements of the straw rules proposal released in September, with themes from public comments and the October 2022 stakeholder workshop. Next steps: Jan. 2023: Draft formal rule language and distribute to stakeholders in the UM 2143 docket Feb. 2023: Open comment period to react to staff’s rules; hold workshop(s) on draft rule language March 2023: Open another comment period for stakeholders after workshops and any updated proposed rule language; move to formal rulemaking Oregon Economic Analysis By Claudia Keith The next Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast is scheduled for mid-Feb. It is unclear how the very volatile security markets (see global instability, inflation and FED) issues / risk will develop. Climate Emergency Financial Risk: The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis has never conformed to what is now recommended in the SEC Climate Risk disclosure rule. In 2022, the SEC (Federal Securities and Exchange Commission) recommended that all public and private entities that sell securities be required to use the ESG reporting tool . This proposed SEC rule may take effect in 2023. See supportive LWVOR-initiated LWVUS Testimony , June 2022. Related: ‘ESG Watch: Why this year could be a watershed moment for investors on nature-related risk | Reuters. The Status of Two Pending Rules That Would Require Disclosure of Climate Risks| Environmental Leader. Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read has changed his Fossil Fuel risk perspective. Oregon Treasurer Pledges to Decarbonize State Pension Fund By 2050. Tobias Read says he’ll have a comprehensive plan to meet Paris Agreement goals by early 2024. Oregon Climate Related Lawsuits By Claudia Keith Be reminded there are numerous lawsuits challenging Oregon’s DEQ CPP regulations. Here is one example of how to track them. Basically, there are a number of active state and federal lawsuits , (Jan 2023) some 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. ‘ Climate Change Cases Set for Another ‘Exciting Year’ in Court’| Dec 27 2022 , Bloomberg Law. State, Regional and National News By Claudia Keith Merkley, Wyden Secure Funding For Critical Projects Across Oregon 12/22/22 , Merkley, Hyde-Smith Announce The Establishment Of The CDC Office Of Rural Health . Oregon faces sustained and novel risks and opportunities as climate changes, new assessment shows | Oregon State University, Legislature needs to follow energy-efficient building recommendations – Oregon Capital Chronicle. Biden officials lay out road map for net-zero transportation by 2050 | The Hill EPA Urges Groups to Apply for Record Environmental Equity Grants , EPA Creates New Environmental Justice Office | The Regulatory Review, Oregon State University scientist praises fusion breakthrough, calls it the 'holy grail of energy', KOIN. Oregon Bill Requires Data Centers, Crypto Miners to Match Energy Goals| Governing. Why transforming the grid is critical to Oregon’s clean-energy future – OPB. The ‘unprecedented’ risks facing our power grid this winter should be a wake-up call for government | Utility Dive. Financial Firms May Have to Reveal Their Climate Risk - Scientific American Global: Global energy crisis – the key news stories in January 2023 | World Economic Forum The US is to become the world’s top LNG exporter - and other stories about the global energy crisis this week. 6 things to know about international trade in January 2023 | World Economic Forum. Mass Climate Migration Is Coming | WIRED Local League Climate Updates By Claudia Keith The Corvallis League provided public testimony (Dec 19), on the City of Corvallis new NW Natural Gas Franchise Agreement , supporting reducing contract terms from 10 to 3 years. ‘NW Natural Gas has decided to sign off on a 3 year extension of its existing franchise agreement. ’ Corvallis is now similar to many Oregon cities (Eugene, Clackamas, and now Gresham ) that have let the agreement with NW Natural Gas expire/lapse or have a 3-year agreement that refers to no or limited NG expansion. In addition, Corvallis and other cities are working on implementing a mandatory HOME ENERGY Score required at time of sale. The League has recently been very clear about methane in particular . Volunteers Needed By Claudia Keith Please consider joining the CE portfolio team; we lack volunteers in these critical policy areas: Natural and Working lands, specifically Agriculture/ODA ODOT Transportation & DLCD/LCD Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities Efficient Resilient Buildings Public Health Climate Adaptation 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 Climate and Environmental Justice. We all collaborate with Natural Resource Action members on many Climate Change mitigation and adaptation policy topics. Volunteers are needed: The 2023 legislative session begins Jan 17. If any area of Climate Emergency interests you, please contact Claudia Keith , CE Coordinator. Orientation to Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.

Register today! Join us for LWVOR Convention! May 2-4, 2025 First Congregational Church 700 Marion Street NE Salem, OR We’re excited to announce that the 2025 LWVOR Convention will take place in Salem, OR, on May 3-4 at the First Congregational Church. This biennial event will bring members together for networking, workshops, and discussions focused on local, state, and national issues. Agenda Friday, May 2, 2025 Lobby Day with Advocacy - 9am-12pm Event Registration and Dine-Around Dinner Signup - 3:30pm Dine Around - 6pm-8pm LWV Oregon Social: Chocolate, Cheese & Wine Tasting Pajama Party - 9pm Saturday, May 3, 2025 Saturday Registration opens - 8am Business Meeting 1 - 9am-11:30am Lunch and Lunch Speakers - 12pm-1pm Topics Tables Visit-at-Large. VOTE SMART: Informed Convention Voting and Issues of Import - 12:50pm-1:45pm Workshops & Discussions - 2pm-5:15pm Future-Proof the League to Recruit and Involve Youth and Diversity Oregon’s Current and Upcoming Judicial Issues Proposed Study: K-12 Education’s 5 Concurrences State Libraries and Our League Partnership Growing Together: Recruiting New Members and Engaging Our Membership United Nations and LWV Addressing Climate Change Catered Buffet Dinner - 5:30pm-6:30pm Dinner Speaker - 6pm-6:30pm Hotel Caucuses - 8pm-9pm Sunday, May 4, 2025 Sunday Registration opens - 8am Business Session II - 8:30am-12:30pm Adjourn/Photo Op - 12:30pm Hotel Booking The Grand Hotel in Salem is offering an excellent group rate of $189.00 for a double room, two queen beds, max 4 people. King rooms are available for $169.00. We welcome you to reserve your room today by calling the Grand Hotel at 503-540-7800 and referencing "League of Women Voters of Oregon Statewide Conference" to receive the group rate or booking via this link . Reservations must be made by April 15th, 2025 . Breakfast is included in your hotel reservation. Please note that hotel rooms or other accomodations must be booked seperately and are not included with event registration. Extended hotel stay options are available through our Grand Hotel booking site at reduced League rates from May 1-May 6 for tourism and vacation experiences. Local League and Unit Representation LWVOR Convention is a biennial event for state leaders to network, brainstorm, attend caucuses and workshops, and enjoy the company of like-minded people dedicated to empowering voters and defending democracy in 2025. We will focus on local, state and national issues. Each local League is entitled to two delegates (for the first 40 members or fewer) to attend the meeting and vote on State League business items. There will be one additional delegate allowed for every 20 additional members or major fraction (10 or more). Each approved Member-At-State unit shall be entitled to one delegate. MAS members not in an approved unit shall be entitled to one delegate for every 20 MAS members belonging to the State League. Access We are committed to ensuring maximum equitable participation and representation in our biennial LWVOR Convention. If your local League, Unit or state League members would otherwise be unable to send its allotted delegates, you are invited to apply for an access/accommodation ticket using this form . If you need accessibility or accommodation arrangements for virtual or in-person attendance, please email lwvor@lwvor.org so we can assist. Lobby Day on Friday, May 2nd League of Women Voters members are invited to join us for Lobby Day at the Oregon State Capitol on May 2nd. You can make a difference! During Lobby Day, you’ll meet with your legislators and advocate for the issues that League members care about. Never lobbied in Salem before? No worries, we will provide assistance and can partner you with a more experienced advocate. Want to attend but aren’t sure? You don’t need to have experience. We all had to start somewhere! Training will be provided in a Communications Cafe on April 14 at 6:30pm The Grand Hotel is extending its special rate to Thursday evening When you register for the convention, please tell us you would like to receive more information about the League's Lobby Day May 2 Friday Lunch Options LWVOR is excited to announce that we will have a special lunch option available at 1pm on Friday, May 2 for an additional charge. A taco bar will be served on the Willamette Queen, a historic riverboat moored on the Willamette River in Salem. You can add a lunch ticket for the riverboat experience during your checkout process. Reservations required. Additional Event Information In-person attendance is preferable, with virtual attendance available for business sessions for both delegates and observers. There is no limit to the number of local League observers who may attend. Your registration fee covers all business sessions, workshops, and speakers, as well as lunch and dinner on Saturday. Parking is free at the event. Convention check-in and dine-around sign-ups will be located at the Grand Hotel in Salem, OR. They will begin at 3pm on Friday and run until 5pm, when groups will begin to gather for their respective dine-around groups. Extracurricular Activities We welcome all attendees to explore the beautiful Willamette Valley as part of their Convention experience! We have collected some suggested activities, below, for any interested in activities in Salem and the surrounding areas. Government Building Tours Oregon Supreme Court Hours: 9 AM – 4 PM (Friday) Fee: Free Notes: No formal tour available; enter and view the Courtroom and art display Oregon Capitol Building Hours: 9 AM – 4 PM (Monday–Friday) Fee: Free Website: https://oregoncapitol.com/tours/ Oregon State Hospital Museum Hours: 12 PM – 4 PM (Thursday–Saturday) Fee: $8 Adults, $7 Seniors Website: https://oshmuseum.org/visit/ Gardens Oregon Gardens Hours: 10 AM – 4 PM (Daily) Fee: $10–12 per person Website: https://oregongarden.org/ Bush Park Hours: 8 AM – 8 PM (Daily) Fee: Free Website: https://bushhousemuseum.org/ Gaiety Hollow Hours: Saturdays Fee: $10 Guided Tour with Reservation; $15 if combined with Deepwood Tour Website: https://lordschryver.org/open-gardens/ Historical Home Tours Deepwood Museum & Gardens Tour Times: 9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM, Noon (Wednesday–Saturday) Fee: $5–6 per person (reservation recommended) Phone: 503.363.1825 Website: https://deepwoodmuseum.org/ Bush House Museum Tour Times: 12:15 PM, 1:15 PM, 2:15 PM, 3:15 PM (Thursday–Saturday) Fee: Free Website: https://bushhousemuseum.org/ Brunk House Hours: 10 AM – 2 PM (Friday–Saturday) Fee: $4–5 per person Website: https://www.polkcountyhistoricalsociety.org/brunk-house/ Wine Tours & Tasting Rooms Honeywood Winery Hours: 11 AM – 5 PM (Daily) Fee: $8 for a flight of 4 wines Website: https://www.honeywoodwinery.com/ Chemeketa Cellars Hours: 4–8 PM (Wed–Fri), 12–4 PM (Sat–Sun) Fee: $15 for a flight (waived with purchase of 2 bottles) Website: https://www.chemeketacellars.com/ Willamette Valley Vineyards Hours: 11 AM – 6 PM (Daily) Fee: See website; reservations recommended Website: https://www.wvv.com/ Ankeny Vineyards Hours: 12 PM – 6 PM (Daily) Fee: $15 for a flight (waived with purchase of 2 bottles) Website: https://ankenyvineyard.com/ Vitae Springs Winery Hours: 11 AM – 5 PM (Saturday–Sunday) Fee: $35 per person (includes snack plate; waived with 3-bottle purchase) Website: https://www.vitaesprings.com/ STOMP by Croft Vineyards Hours: 3–8 PM (Thurs–Fri), 12–8 PM (Saturday), 12–5 PM (Sunday) Website: https://www.croftvineyards.com/ Convention Workbook Now Available! The Convention Workbook is now available! Please find the workbook linked below for your review. Convention Workbook Available Here! Registration today! View our EventBrite page for more information and to book your tickets. Register today! Local Leagues can request a table at the LWVOR Convention to showcase products for sale such as mugs, t-shirts, buttons, or any League-branded items. Nothing to sell? You can also feature your League's activities and accomplishments! Contact Abby at a.hertzler@lwvor.org . Visit Our Partners Capitol Floral Arrangers Guild

Back to All Legislative Reports Climate Emergency Legislative Report - Week of 2/13 Climate Emergency Team Coordinator: Claudia Keith Efficient and Resilient Buildings: Bill Glassmire Environmental Justice: Nancy Rosenberger Environmental Rights Amendment: Claudia Keith Natural Climate Solution - Forestry: Josie Koehne Community Resilince & Emergency Management: Rebecca Gladstone Transportation: Claudia Keith Joint Ways and Means - Budgets, Lawsuits, Green/Public Banking, Divestment/ESG: Claudia Keith Find additional Climate Change Advocacy volunteers in Natural Resources Climate Emergency Priorities Other CE Bills Clean Energy Oregon Economic Analysis Oregon Treasury Climate Related Lawsuits: Oregon and… Volunteers Needed Climate Emergency Priorities By Claudia Keith The League has identified six priority CE policy and budget topics. Find in previous LR reports additional background on each priority. Following are updates on those six topics: 1. Natural and Working Lands : Establishes Natural and Working Lands (NWL) Fund, carbon sequestration opportunities…: Natural Climate Solutions SB 530 . Public Hearing was 2/15/23 in SEN E&E . Josie Koehne is leading this effort. The League provided supportive testimony . Sen Dembrow and OGWC Chair MacDonald testified . Here are the meeting materials . 2. Resilient Buildings (RB): Refer to the adopted Legislative Joint Task Force on Resilient Efficient Buildings (REB) Dec 13 Report . The League is an active RB coalition partner. BR campaign guiding principles . SB 868 , 869 , 870 and 871 were posted 2/9. They seem to be placeholders, watch for amendments. 3. Environmental Justice (EJ): 2023 Leg bills. The League joined the Worker Advocate Coalition on 2/13 and SB 593 is one of a number of bills the League will follow and likely support. The ‘Right to Refuse‘ dangerous work bill LC has not been posted yet. 4. Oregon Climate Action Commission (currently Oregon Global Warming Commission): Roadmap , SB 522 , will change "Oregon Global Warming Commission" to "Oregon Climate Action Commission" and modify membership and duties of commission and state greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets/goals. Find more about this Bill in Clean Energy LR below. SB 522 public hearing is Tuesday Feb 21 in Sen E&E . The League will provide supportive testimony. See OGWC Feb 3 Final Draft Roadmap Recommendations , the Roadmap Next Steps Commission Subcommittee’s final review of report is due February 21-24. The Roadmap is scheduled to be published and delivered to the Legislature by March 1. 5. Other Governor Climate / Carbon Policy Topics: See 20-04 Executive Order topics . This area includes other GHG emission mitigation/ reductions and new clean renewable energy (DOE), OHA public health, and DOT Dept of Transportation policy and funding bills. 6. CE related total 2023-2025 biennium budget: The governor’s budget * was published Jan 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 to pass this proposed change. ‘Kotek proposes spending $765M from reserves on homeless , other crises’| Statesman Journal. Other CE Bills - Supporting By Claudia Keith House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans Feb 16 2023 Hearing includes these climate related bills with League testimony. HB 2601 Oregon FF Divestment: The League provided supportive testimony for Fossil Fuel (FF) Divestment: … Requires State Treasurer to address the urgency and risk associated with Fossil Fuel energy investments. Chief Sponsors: Rep Pham K, Senator Golden, Rep Gamba. HB 2763 Create a State public bank Task Force, Rep Gamba, Sen Golden, Rep Walters. The League provided testimony . Other CE Bills – May Support By Claudia Keith The League may support or just follow these bills. This is a preliminary list; a number of bills are not yet posted to OLIS. Natural Working Lands: See Rep Pham’s urban forestry bill, HB 3016 , Rep Holvey’s severance tax bill, HB 3025 to replace the harvest tax, and ODF’s Regular Harvest tax bill, HB 2087 . SB 88 climate smart Ag increases net carbon sequestration and storage in natural and working lands. Requested: Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Recovery. See Keep Oregon Cool, Natural Working Lands. Green Infrastructure: HB 3016 community green infrastructure, Rep Pham K, Senator Dembrow, Rep Gamba. Public & Green Banking: SB501 Bank of the state of Oregon Sen Golden. Interstate 5 Bridge Legislation: Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) factsheet ODOT and WDOT . 12 Things the Oregon Legislature Should Know About IBRP - Just Crossing Alliance. It is likely policy and or just funding bills will be heard and likely moved by this IBRP Legislative Joint Committee . The goal: ‘Replacing the aging Interstate Bridge with a modern, earthquake resilient, multimodal structure is a high priority for Oregon and Washington…. ‘. Clean Energy By Kathy Moyd Activity Last Week and Next Week. There were no Clean Energy bill Public Hearings during the period prior to 2/14.Two Clean Energy bills have public hearings between 2/14 and next week. Oregon Economic Analysis By Claudia Keith The next Oregon Economic and Revenue Forecast is scheduled for Feb 22. It is unclear how the congressional debt ceiling issue, security market volatility, inflation – Fed/banking issues and other global risks will develop. The last State of Oregon quarterly forecast assumed a likely mild recession in 2023. Oregon Bond rating continues to be above average. The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis has never conformed to what is now recommended in the SEC Climate Risk disclosure rule. SEC Plans to Finalize See supportive LWVOR-initiated LWVUS Testimony , June 2022. Oregon Treasury By Claudia Keith It is unclear how Oregon Treasury / Treasurer Tobias will assist with addressing the $27B Federal funds, which are contingent on formation of an Oregon Green Bank. New York, California, and Connecticut Green Bank; some are a function of the State Treasury. EPA outlines $27B 'green bank' for clean energy projects | AP News. EPA giving out $27 billion in 'green bank' loans | Fortune. Related News: Why your company may soon be hiring an 'ESG controller' | Fortune. SEC weighs making 'adjustments' to controversial climate risk disclosure rule , Chairman Gensler says| CNBS. Investors should not expect much relief from volatility | Financial Times. Rescuing ESG from the Culture Wars | HBR. It's concerning to the League how these major issues will affect Oregon’s economy. 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 and federal lawsuits , (Feb 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 60 lawsuits with OREGON mentioned. A Lawsuit Against Big Oil Gets Personal - The New York Times Oregon and National News: Oregon city's gas ban continues spread across the West | Energy News Network. Possible oil pipeline expansion on the table in Oregon | KTVL. Rogue Valley residents call for more input on Northwest pipeline expansion – OPB. Why officials in the Pacific Northwest are only now deciding how to regulate crypto mining – OPB. Alert! Tougher Reporting Mandates Ahead for Data Centers | Data Center Knowledge | News and analysis for the data center industry. Oregon State University researcher to help lead $25 million nuclear forensics project | Oregon State University. Tolls are coming to Portland-area freeways , and even tolling fans worry they’ll stack up - oregonlive.com . Interstate Bridge Design Could Change to Single Level | WW. 3 Alarming Threats To The U.S. Energy Grid – Cyber, Physical, And Existential Events| Forbes. Utility Explores Converting Coal Plants into Nuclear Power - Scientific American. FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Standards and Major Progress for a Made-in-America National Network of Electric Vehicle Chargers - The White House 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 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: The 2023 legislative session began Jan 17. If any area of Climate Emergency interests you, please contact Claudia Keith , CE Coordinator. Orientation to Legislative and State Agency advocacy processes is available.