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Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 3/6 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Land Use/Housing Recycling Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Policy bills that are priorities for committees are seeing public hearings—even work sessions—and going to chambers for votes or to Ways and Means to be funded by end of session--maybe. For now, most bills are bipartisan. But the session is beginning to heat up. All this amidst the very real limited revenue for anything other than current programs and a few Leadership and Governor priorities such as housing. The next important session date is March 17 when policy bills will need to be scheduled for a Work Session or they are dead for the session unless they are in Revenue, Rules, or a Joint Committee. Budgets/Revenue We provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) budget ( HB 5020 ), expressing concern that staffing for climate change issues around forest management and urban forestry weren’t included in the Governor’s budget. We also provided testimony on the Oregon Dept. of Energy (ODOE) budget ( HB 5016 ), requesting additional agency programs that were not included in the Governor’s budget. The League provided support for the Land Use Board of Appeals budget ( HB 2028 ) that was heard March 6. The Dept. of State Lands budget ( HB 5037 ) was heard Mar. 7 with public testimony on the 9 th . The League provided testimony in support. The Columbia River Gorge Commission budget will be heard March 13—both agency presentation and public testimony. The Oregon Dept. of Agriculture (ODA) budget ( HB 5002 and HB 5003 ) is scheduled for March 14-16. Public testimony on the 16 th . Oregon Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) budget ( SB 5509 ) week of March 20. Dept. of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) ( HB 5018 and HB 5019 ) week of March 27. Here’s the DEQ one-pager . Tentative date for the Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) budget ( HB 5043 ) is early April. Here is their one-pager . The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) budget ( SB 5539 & SB 5540 ) is tentatively scheduled the week of April 10. SB 5543-1 Bond Authorization, SB 5544-1 Capital Construction, SB 5545-1 2021-23 Allocations Bill and HB 5045-3 , Budget Rebalance were all heard in Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction March 3. Funding for housing/homeless needs ( HB 2001 A ) with the A14 amendment and HB 5019 with the -3 amendment were heard in the JW&Ms Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development on March 7. SB 4 , semiconductor funding requests, has a -3 amendment posted and was heard on March 6 and 8. A -2 amendment by Sen. Knopp requests that the funding come from the General Fund while the -3 has money coming from the Rainy Day Fund. SB 4 is meant to help Oregon access federal CHIPS Act monies. The Full W&Ms met March 10 to address most of the bills above. SB 4 was not included in this meeting, but currently has a $210 million price tag. Lastly, the Office of Economic Forecast provided sobering data on Oregon’s population. Without an increase in young people—with in-migration--our need for a variety of long term care services will explode without the incoming revenue to pay for those services! Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch Last week we reported on HB 3382 , a bill to provide certain Ports with an exception from our land use planning system to allow dredging and other activities around these Ports without the current public process and federal consistency requirements. The bill has been assigned to the Joint Committee on Transportation . We understand that the reason the bill has been filed by the Ports Association is in response to a Land Use Board of Appeals decision around the Jordan Cove project. Here is an article about that case. Currently the Coos Bay/North Bend area is in the process of updating their management plans for the Bay. (See past Legislative Reports on this issue.) State agencies that administer permits that could be affected by the legislation are discussing the implications of the proposed legislation. HB 2903-1 , a bill that directs certain state agencies to implement the recommendations of the Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) around marine reserves, protected areas and other management areas and provides $800,000 for that work. The League also supported this bill as a continuation of previous testimony on OPAC’s recommendations. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch Last week we expressed concern around provisions in SB 4 that includes “supersiting” authority by the Governor for many acres of farmland “just in case” the semiconductor industry might want to build a new facility in Oregon. We provided testimony in opposition only to Section 10 of the bill. Since our testimony, a number of amendments have been proposed and two public hearings have taken place. At this time no amendments have been adopted. See above in the Budget/Revenue section of this Report for the status of last week’s housing bills and also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report for details. Reduce/Recycle By Kathy Moyd A Work Session was conducted on March 7 in Senate Energy and Environment for SB 545 , one of our priority Zero Waste bills. A -1 Amendment had been posted. The original bill directed the State Department of Agriculture and Oregon Health Authority to adopt rules allowing consumers to use their own containers for refilling with food at a food establishment. Because the amendment had been posted just before the start of the Public Hearing, the League’s written testimony dealt only with the original bill. The -1 Amendment is a complete replacement of the original bill. It removes the State Department of Agriculture and limits the bill to restaurants, not all food establishments. It removes the administrative details, leaving them up to the Oregon Health Authority, although the following statement may leave too much ambiguity: “The Oregon Health Authority shall adopt rules allowing for a restaurant to allow a consumer to fill a consumer-owned container with food.” The amendment was adopted on a unanimous vote; the amended bill, SB 545-1, was passed by a vote of 4 - 1. No referral was made to Ways and Means. HB 2531 prohibits the sale or distribution in this state of new screw- or bayonet-base type compact fluorescent lamps on or after January 1, 2024. It prohibits the sale or distribution in this state of new pin-base type compact fluorescent lamps and linear fluorescent lamps on or after January 1, 2025. Repeals statutes related to mercury in lighting products. It was passed on March 6 with no amendment and goes to the chamber floor. Water By Peggy Lynch It’s been a busy week for water bills for which the League provided testimony or followed with others. HB 3163 would create a special Fund for place-based planning efforts. The League testified in support of the Fund. We are working with others on the specific criteria listed for qualifying for access to the Fund. The League has strong positions on water quality and the importance of wetlands so it was easy for us to support HB 2238 , allowing for rulemaking to increase removal/fill fees. The bill was pulled from the March 7 committee agenda and no new hearing date has been set. HB 3207 was scheduled for a public hearing on March 7 related to domestic water well testing but was pulled from the agenda. We understand it may not get a public hearing this session. HB 3208 that would expand the Environmental Quality Commission’s authority to annually adjust additional water quality fees up to 3% per year was heard and a work session on this bill is scheduled for March 9. HB 2813 A , a bill that directs OWEB to provide grants to protect drinking water sources and for which the League provided testimony in support was sent to W&Ms. The fiscal impact statement has a $5 million price tag. This money might also be able to be used as a match for federal grant opportunities. The Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) is being updated . Go to the website for opportunities to participate. The League is engaged in discussions on HB 3100 related to the IWRS. A public hearing was set for March 9 . The League supports the IWRS but has concerns about the current bill . Lastly, we are aware of a newly filed bill, HB 3368 , that would stop all future water permitting applications until Oregon determines the amount of surface and groundwater water available for use that has not already been appropriated. We have no idea where this bill might go this session, but here’s a helpful Oregon Capitol Chronicle article that explains the reasoning behind Reps. Helm and Owens’ filing this bill. 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. 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. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The League monitored the March 3 meeting of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council. The meeting purpose was to review a letter to the Legislature, the composition of which was assigned to a task force of the Council at their January 2023 meeting. The purpose of the letter is to advise the Legislature on a number of recommended adjustments to the Wildfire Risk Map to help ensure a successful next roll-out. Recall the original Map associated with SB 762, the 2021 wildfire bill, was withdrawn after widespread opposition to a number of its components, and work is underway to determine the best path forward. This is part of that effort. Among the recommendations made were to change the name to Wildfire HAZARD Map, which it was noted is the language California uses. Also, while emphasizing the importance of the integrity of the eventual final product, the group decided to eliminate hard deadline dates for completion of the new map that were in the original letter. It was determined there were too many variables beyond their control to set firm dates, including a number of wildfire related bills that could influence the final version of the Map. It was speculated that Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) could be used as a platform to keep work moving forward in the interim. In addition, the Council felt it was important to allow sufficient time for the community engagement process which was not successful the first time around. The final letter can be found here . On March 8, Senate Natural Resources amended SB 509 on defensible space and the CWPPS mentioned above and the Oregon State Fire Marshall’s responsibilities and sent it to W&Ms. They also amended SB 82 related to fire insurance and sent it to the chamber floor. More on these bills next week. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. 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 All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 4/10 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Budget/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Land Use/Housing Radioactive Waste Recycling Toxics Water Wildfire Natural Resources By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Fun and games at the Capitol—and some bills passing out of chambers. After the Senate decided to hold all day sessions on April 10 and 11, that was extended to the entire week and the House joined in the marathon sessions. Bills were getting backed up and needed to get to the second chamber if they were to stay alive. The next deadlines are May 5 to schedule a Work Session and May 19 for the bill to move out of committee. Budgets/Revenue On April 6, the League provided testimony in support with comments on the Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) budget ( HB 5043 ). The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) budget ( SB 5539 & SB 5540 ) wastentatively scheduled for April 17 and 18 with public testimony on the 18 th . Expect agency budgets for small agencies to see Work Sessions next: Marine Board, LUBA, Columbia River Gorge Commission (Washington State legislative session ends April 23 and the Oregon budget allocation needs to match equal funding for the Gorge Commission.). As we await the May 17 Revenue Forecast, here’s some food for thought from the U.S. Federal Reserve: “Staff members at the central bank, who brief policymakers before interest rate decisions, had long expected GDP growth to slow this year in the wake of the Fed’s fight against inflation. But last month they upped the odds of a downturn, according to the minutes of the Fed’s March 21-22 meeting . Their projection was for “a mild recession starting later this year, with a recovery over the subsequent two years,” according to the minutes, released Wednesday…. They estimated the economy would fully recover by 2025.” A series of public meetings will provide Oregonians with an opportunity to share their priorities for the state budget and HB 5006 , Emergency Board funding and other funding for 2023-25, including a virtual public meeting session on Friday, May 5, 5-7 p.m. Plan on no more than 2 minutes each! We await the May 17 Revenue Forecast that will be the guide for the final balanced budgets for 2023-25. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch The League joined other groups concerned with HB 3382 policy and submitted a letter explaining the serious threat to our coastal planning that could reduce or remove the opportunity for future coastal NOAA grants. We need your voices to tell your legislators to Just Say NO! A newly updated DLCD Coastal Grants webpage now highlights the new Coastal Zone Management Habitat Protection and Restoration Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding program being administered by OCMP/DLCD. The next solicitation for projects will be in May, 2023. The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) is considering the adoption of amendments to Part Three of the Oregon Territorial Sea Plan (TSP), the Rocky Habitat Management Strategy. A draft of the proposed rules is available on DLCD’s website. LCDC is scheduled to consider adoption of the new amendments during their April 20-21 meeting. Please contact Casaria Taylor, Casaria.taylor@dlcd.oregon.gov for further information. Address written comments to the Chair LCDC, care of Casaria Taylor via email. If you have questions, contact Andy Lanier at 503-206-2291, or email: Andy.Lanier@dlcd.oregon.gov . The agenda for LCDC’s April 20 meeting will be available on DLCD’s website . LWVOR has supported this work in the past. Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch A League member attended the ESRF prospective Board meeting on April 10. There was extensive discussion on the financial viability modeling by both the Dept. of State Lands (DSL) staff and separately Oregon State University staff. Work on the Habitat Conservation Plan has hit a bump around protection of riparian areas for the marbled murrelet, making the harvest levels less than expected. Timber harvesting in certain areas is where the funding for this new Authority gets its revenue. We may see an increase in a funding request from DSL for the 2023-25 session to address transition expenses. The group will meet in a retreat, April 17-18, to try to resolve these challenging issues. The website may provide more detailed information soon. The League did remind the Board of our continuing concern related to financial viability and hopes the Board can resolve the issue. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch The League watched the hearing on SB 1087 , a bill that “appeared” unexpectedly in Senate Rules on April 8. The bill was filed on behalf of a farm in Lane County where they want to add a “café” on their Exclusive Farm Use (EFU)-zoned property. League members might want to read the testimony from 1,000 Friends since the request was to develop a 5,000-square-foot facility with outside seating and 25 parking spaces. The bill would set standards for the establishment of farm cafes on lands in Lane County zoned for exclusive farm use. It requires the Oregon Health Authority to review the land use compatibility statement before licensing a farm cafe. The bill also authorizes OHA to revoke, deny or suspend licenses upon certain violations of land use conditions. The overwhelming testimony filed was opposed to this bill. The League is concerned with the precedent that would be set by allowing this activity in Lane County as other counties could ask for the same use on their EFU lands in the future. LWVOR will wait to see if the bill has legs and may want to send opposition testimony to Rules Committee members if a Work Session is scheduled. Another bill of interest is HB 2659 , brought “at the request of Cities of Springfield, Happy Valley, Troutdale, Medford, Hillsboro and League of Oregon Cities”. The bill seeks relief from the Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rules adopted by the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC). The bill now sits in House Rules while, on April 20, LCDC will consider new temporary rules meant to address at least some of the concerns of those cities. A lawsuit is also pending on the adopted rules. We will see after April 20 if the parties can come to an agreement. You can read more about this issue on the LCDC website . HB 3414 with the -4 amendment would create a new Housing Accountability and Production Office in DLCD and also includes a Section 2 related to processing of variances under certain circumstances. Variances are used to address exceptions to a code’s “clear and objective standards”. It is unclear how this provision will change a community’s control over residential development. The bill was moved without recommendation as to passage, referred to House Rules, and then to Ways and Means. SB 70A would allow housing on acreage in Malheur County. The League provided testimony in opposition on Feb. 8. On April 3, the bill was moved without recommendation as to passage to Senate Rules. LWVOR still opposes it. There are a number of bills related to siting solar in Oregon. HB 3179A was sent “do pass” to the House chamber. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers Oregon Dept. of Energy staff has set the meeting of the RAC requested by the member representing Waste Management for 9a-12 noon on April 24. No details about what Waste Management will present at the meeting are available at this time beyond their initial request for the meeting back in February. In that, they indicated that they will seek consensus acceptance of 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. The League will attend the virtual meeting. Reduce/Recycle By Kathy Moyd/Greg Martin SB 543A will have a public hearing on April 17 in House Climate, Energy and Environment and a Work Session on April 19. The bill would prohibit the use of polystyrene foam containers and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in sales of prepared food. The League provided testimony in support on Feb. 17. SB 542-7 , the Right to Repair bill, passed out of Committee to the Senate floor on April 4. The League provided testimony in support on Feb. 14. See the interesting OPB article on the bill. The House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee held a Work Session on SB 545A on April 17. The amended bill simply requires OHA to "adopt rules allowing for a restaurant to allow a consumer to fill a consumer-owned container with food." It also gives OHA an additional 6 months to adopt the rules (by June 30, 2024). (ODA was removed from the rulemaking mandate since the department adopted changes to the Retail Food Code in February.) The League provided testimony in support when it was heard in the Senate. Toxics By Paula Grisafi HB 3043 A has a public hearing scheduled on April 20 in Senate Energy and Environment. SB 546 A (toxic free cosmetics) was sent to W&Ms although there was NO fiscal for the 2023-25 session because, although the measure takes effect January 1, 2024, all substantive portions of the bill are not operative until January 1, 2027. SB 426 (toxic free schools) moved out of committee with the -2 amendment and was sent to W&Ms without clarity on the fiscal impact. Water By Peggy Lynch A major water bill, HB 3124 , was moved to House Rules without recommendation as to passage. The bill is a $250 million Drought Relief and Water Scarcity package. and includes some of the other bills we’ve seen this session. You can view the committee presentation here and Drought Relief and Water Security Slides and comprehensive explanations: Bipartisan Drought Relief and Water Security Package (BiDRAWS) . A “public comment” opportunity has been set in House Agriculture, Land Use, Agriculture and Water on April 18. The League will provide comments on the bill and its various elements, using our participation in the HB 5006 Work Group as our guide. A priority of the League is HB 3163A , a bill that renews the Place-Based Planning program with a Fund to help groups participate in this program, sent to W&Ms. The League participated in a Work Group last year to help develop program sideboards and provided testimony in support. HB 2238 would have authorized rulemaking to consider an increase in fees for the removal/fill program. The League supported the original bill. Instead the bill was amended and now just clarifies what DSL can do with personal belongings when they clean up sites on their property. The League is disappointed. We will continue to follow the bill in the Senate. 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 info 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. California is looking better, but Oregon continues to have concerns. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations for the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant and Deschutes. Wasco County has also requested a drought declaration. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment, on April 5, held an informational meeting on SB 82A , relating to insurance companies and consumer protections with regard to homeowners’ insurance and wildfire risk. Doug Grafe, Wildfire and Emergency Response Advisor to the Governor, gave a brief history of wildfire and its spread in terms of both geography and intensity, for context. This was followed by an overview of past and current wildfire related legislation. He outlined the intersection of SB 82A with SB 80A , the omnibus Wildfire Programs bill, and how the wildfire mitigation programs for homeowners and neighborhoods outlined therein, when taken advantage of, should figure into insurance company’s ratings calculations. The informational meeting was immediately followed by a SB 82 A Public Hearing. Andrew Stolfi, Director of the Oregon Department of Business and Consumer Service, (and State Insurance Commissioner), gave a bill overview, emphasizing it is primarily for the purpose of consumer protection and increased transparency. He also mentioned that as part of their work, an increase in payment limits under the FAIR Plan had been secured, a real win for homeowners in this high-risk pool. Next up was Senator Golden, who reiterated the need for insurance companies to consider homeowner and neighborhood mitigation measures when rating a policy or policies. He called it a “companion” to SB 509 A , which aims to scale out neighborhood collaboratives in order to help whole neighborhoods reduce risk. Also on April 5, there was an informational meeting before W&Ms on HB 5036 , about funding and spending authority for the new recently established Department of the State Fire Marshal, taking the place of the Office of the State Fire Marshal. Previously, this office operated as part of the Oregon State Police (OSP). One negative bit of information from the meeting was that funding for the continuation of wildfire Community Risk Reduction Programs, to be continued under SB 762, the original 2021 wildfire legislation, was to be cut from $75 million to $40 million. The Governor’s budget decreases or eliminates a number of wildfire related programs. On April 6, this same committee held a HB 5036 public hearing, with a number of speakers testifying in favor and lauding the work of the State Fire Marshal. Chair Mark Bennett, Wildfire Programs Advisory Council (WCAP), also lent his support, saying he was “…glad it’s no longer the bastard step-child…” of OSP. WCAP was scheduled to hold their next meeting on April 14 to discuss the wildfire hazard map and current legislation. This very interesting Oregon Live article outlines circumstances before and while the 2020 wildfires broke out, where State officials had a pointed discussion with public electrical utilities about considering Public Safety Power Shutoffs in light of the developing wind and wildfire situation. Finally, demonstrating the continuing benefits of the 2021 wildfire bill, SB 762 as “the gift that keeps on giving”, this KEZI article reports on new special, state of the art, wildfire fighting engines and tankers purchased for localities around the state by the Department of the Fire Marshal. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The 2023 legislative session is 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 All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/26 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest Forestry Land Use and Housing Reduce/Recycle Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch SB 5701 is the omnibus budget bill for 2024. It is currently populated with the items approved during the November and January Legislative Days. Budget requests are being considered by the Co-Chairs and Legislative Leadership now that the Housing and Measure 110 “fix” bills have been funded. The major housing bills were funded at $376 million and HB 5204 , the funding bill for HB 4002 includes about $211 million . The League has a number of requests that you can read about in various sections of this Legislative Report that we hope will “appear” in the final version of SB 5701. There are still opportunities for some policy bills to be considered in the Ways and Means Capital Construction Subcommittee and then on to Full Ways and Means. Capital Construction met on Feb. 28 and March 1 and passed all of the bills considered to the Full Ways and Means Committee which met Feb. 28 , March 1 and has a meeting scheduled on March 4 . HB 5201 and HB 5202 are the bonding bills. The public hearing on Feb. 16 in Ways and Means Capital Construction was instructive of the multiple requests to be considered. Like the budget bill, these bills will reflect changes and possible additions to the 2025 approved bonds. Bonding capacity remains the same: $65.8 million in remaining general obligation bond capacity and $27.4 million in remaining lottery bond capacity for the 2023-25 biennium. SB 5702 will be populated with new or increased fees adopted by state agencies since the 2025 session. HB 5203 may be the “program change bill” to address miscellaneous changes to agency programs. SB 1562 passed the Senate with unanimous support and will have a Public Hearing and Work Session on March 5 th in House Revenue. It raises the cap of money on Oregon’s Rainy Day Fund, allowing Oregon to better prepare for future economic uncertainty. However, this increase reduces the General Fund resources available until the new cap has been met. The Rainy Day Fund was created in the 2007 legislative session based on information from previous economic recessions. Since then, the General Fund revenue has tripled and the state has provided more services to Oregonians. The agency budget process for 2025-27 is beginning. Look for presentations to agency Boards and Commissions soon. Quarterly revenue forecasts will be provided on May 29 and August 28. Then the November 20 th forecast will be the basis of the Governor’s Recommended Budget to be presented on December 1 st 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 Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch HB 4132 , Marine Reserves, passed Full Ways and Means with a General Fund allocation of just under $900 million. It is now scheduled to go to the House floor and then the Senate floor for final votes. The League signed on to a letter in support early in the session. HB 4080 A , providing for funding for the public engagement and staff at the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development and the Bureau of Labor and Industries related to the possibility of offshore wind energy projects off the Oregon South Coast passed Full Ways and Means and is scheduled for a vote first on the House and then Senate floors. T he League provided comments on HB 4080-1 and is pleased with the funding provided. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch DSL has a new website: Oregon.gov/DSL The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is working with DSL to identify In Lieu lands (part of the 1,400 acres of land still owed Oregon on statehood). Click here to view the BLM Proposed Classification Decision , and a public notice that two forestland properties in Linn County that have been identified for some of those In Lieu lands. Learn more . Provide public comment through April 9th . Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch Work is continuing on eventual adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Forest Management Plan for ESRF. Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . A recommendation with structural governance may be before the State Land Board on April 9. If approved, look for appointments to the new ESRF Board at their June 11 tth meeting. We hope to see the $4.1 million that had been allocated to the ESRF Authority will be transferred to DSL in the omnibus budget bill. Forestry (ODF) The Board of Forestry will meet March 6 and 7. State Forester Cal Mukumoto has recommended staying the course on the Habitat Conservation Plan per pages 116-118 of the Board packet . There are a number of bills this session around funding wildfire. For information on the various bills, s ee the Wildfire section of this report below. Land Use & Housing By Peggy Lynch SB 1537 , the Governor’s housing bill, and SB 1530 , the Housing Chairs’ housing bill, were amended, passed Ways and Means and the Senate. They await a final vote in the House and then on to the Governor’s desk to be signed. A news release by the Senate President explains the elements of both bills. HB 4134 was amended, also passed Ways and Means and is awaiting a vote on the House floor and then will move to the Senate floor. The League supported HB 4134, and we worked for months with others on SB 1537 and SB 1530. As is usual, land use issues bring out interesting “one-off” bills or amendments. HB 4040 relates to economic development, but the “relating clause” (relating to economic development) provided Sen. David Brock Smith with an opportunity to recommend the A6 amendment to bypass the land use system to permit the expansion of Bandon Dunes golf course. The amendment, although heard, was not adopted. But it is another learning experience to be sure and review amendments filed on bills and watch for the use of a relating clause for items such as this “one off” proposal. We also provided testimony on HB 4026 with the -1 amendment “relating to elections”. The City of North Plains has approved a major Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) expansion. Residents gathered signatures to force a vote on the expansion at the May election. The League is concerned that “ the amendment would take away voters’ rights to the referendum process. Furthermore, changing the constitutional referendum process and making the amendment retroactive are likely to be unconstitutional and invite a lawsuit. “ We understand that legislative Counsel determined that the matter was “administrative” and not subject to referendum. The amended bill has passed the House and awaits action in the Senate. The Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee is recruiting for a new member from Oregon’s Third Congressional District. Applications are due by March 18, 9 a.m. Follow the work of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) Rulemaking Committee on the department’s Housing Rulemaking webpage . And watch their meetings on the department’s YouTube channel. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Reduce/Recycle By Camille Freitag The League weighed in again this year on a Right to Repair bill, SB 1596 . We also joined others in support of the bill. The bill passed the Senate Chamber, the House Committee and is awaiting a vote in the House Chamber. DEQ is conducting rulemaking to clarify and implement HB 3220 (2023) , which updates and makes necessary changes to the statewide electronics recycling program, Oregon E-Cycles. DEQ is holding its first meeting for the Oregon E-Cycles Rulemaking Advisory Committee on March 7 at 9 a.m. – noon. To attend this virtual meeting, please pre-register via the Zoom online platform . To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee please visit the Oregon E-Cycles rulemaking web page . The meeting agenda and materials for the sixth Recycling Modernization Act Rulemaking Advisory Committee have been posted on the Recycling 2024 website. The meeting will be held 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., March 14 on Zoom. To attend, please Register via Zoom . DEQ staff will be providing updates about previously presented rule concepts and will be introducing new topics about: defining limited sort facilities, commingled materials and reload facilities, outbound contamination rates and certification for out-of-state commingled recycling processing facilities. Water By Peggy Lynch Proposed new Groundwater Rules are being considered. The Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) is providing multiple opportunities to engage. OWRD will be hosting informational sessions before each public hearing where staff will review the proposed rules. Public comments will not be accepted at the information sessions but will be accepted at the public hearings following each session . For more context, please see the background information , informational flyer , and Frequently Asked Questions . Many items in the amended HB 4128 were folded into SB 1530, so the bill is dead. However, we are hopeful that the omnibus budget bill, SB 5701, will include an allocation of $3 million to be added to the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund . The League was engaged in helping create this fund in 2021 and supports this allocation. The League has continued to report on the Lower Umatilla groundwater issue where many domestic wells are contaminated with dangerous levels of nitrates. Some residents have filed a lawsuit to recover damages from some businesses and farms, a source of the nitrates. OWRD anticipates releasing a draft of the updated Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) for public review and comment starting March 5th. An updated draft is then anticipated to be available for a second public comment opportunity in May. The Oregon Water Resources Commission will hear public testimony and consider adoption of the 2024 IWRS at their September meeting. For more information about this process, please visit the IWRS page on their website. The League hopes members will participate since we were actively engaged in the original legislation and in the first two IWRS documents. We understand that this new draft takes an entirely new slant from the current IWRS. It will be important that the original documents not be invalidated but instead enhanced by this proposal. 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. 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 the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco , Harney, Sherman, Lake, Jackson , Gilliam, Douglas, Lincoln and Morrow counties . Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers Movement continued on some of the wildfire bills the League is following this session, which is now beginning to enter the home stretch. Regarding the remaining funding bills, the House Committee on Revenue held a work session on Representative Marsh/Senator Steiner’s HB 4133-A , on February 26. After expressions of concern from Chair Nathanson and other members about the bill, the committee voted 4 - 2 to send it to Ways and Means. This bill would require a 3/5ths vote to pass because it deals with an increase in the Forest Products Harvest Tax. The Governor has weighed in on this bill, asking Leadership to support it as a first step in reducing wildfire funding complications. There is an expectation of a Budget Note on the bill directing the Dept of Forestry, Oregon State Fire Marshal, “… working in collaboration with the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council and broader stakeholder interests from local fire service entities and others…” to convene a Work Group to provide recommendations for the 2025 legislative session. On February 28, the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue held an Informational Meeting on HB 4133-A and then held a Public Hearing on Senator Golden’s funding bill , SB 1593, where the League provided testimony in support. No future meetings are scheduled for SB 1593. It is dead for the session. On February 26, the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue held a Work Session on HB 1545-A , which relates to property tax breaks on rebuilds of homes destroyed by the 2020 wildfires. The bill, with the -1 Amendment, passed the Senate on March 1. An Informational Meeting was held on February 27 before the House Committee on Revenue on HB 4007-2 where this bill and SB 1520 -2, and their nearly identical provisions, were discussed at length. This one-pager succinctly outlines the details of the most current versions of these bills and their Federal counterpart. SB 1520-2 has passed the Senate and is scheduled for a Public Hearing and Work Session in House Revenue on March 4. OPB provided an explanation of the relief this bill may provide to wildfire victims. At the same meeting, HB 4007-2 will have a Work Session where a number of amendments have been proposed. Discussions were ongoing between interested parties to determine the best path forward. There was a clear determination to get one of these bills passed, which would provide significant tax relief to victims of wildfires who wish to rebuild their homes using monies from a settlement or judgment. The posted amendments on HB 4007 may address different issues related to taxation on these wildfire victims. On February 27, a Public Hearing was held on Representative Marsh’s omnibus wildfire bill, HB 4016-A , before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire. At a subsequent Work Session on February 29, it was moved to the Floor with a do-pass recommendation. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) gave an update on progress made on the new draft of the State Wildfire Hazard Map to the House Committee on Climate, Energy and the Environment on February 28. Officials described the enhanced public involvement process required by SB 80 , the 2023 wildfire legislation, as well as a list of modifications to the map to be made based on public input, and a general overview of the science and future intended use of the map. An article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle discusses the soaring premiums and lack of property insurance options for Oregonians in Central, Southern and Eastern Oregon. Finally, in another blow to electric utilities and their liability relating to wildfire damages, this OBP article describes the prospect of possible lawsuits by the Federal Government and Oregon against PacifiCorp, the parent company of Pacific Power. Damages that may be sought include firefighting and cleanup costs, and structure losses, due to the power company’s negligence during the windstorm that led to the devastating Archie Creek and Susan Creek fires of Labor Day, 2020, which damaged thousands of homes. 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 will be offered.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 4/14 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: 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 Bottle Bill Update Budgets/Revenue Climate Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Department of State Lands (DSL) Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Emergency Services Forestry (ODF) Governance Land Use & Housing Solid Waste Water Wetlands Wildfire AIR QUALITY SB 726 A 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 amended bill passed the Senate 17 to 10 with 3 excused and now heads to the House. Per the fiscal impact statement, the advanced technology specified in the bill would cost local governments operating certain large landfills approximately $5,000 per monitoring event, or $20,000 annually per landfill, but the bill doesn’t cost the state so it continues as a policy bill. AGRICULTURE By Sandra Bishop By Sandra Bishop HB 2647 passed out of committee with the -3 amendment to allow the city of Monmouth a land swap to remove and replace land to its UGB. It now heads to the House floor for a vote. HB 3921 is a similar bill in that it would allow by law land swaps for City of Roseburg/Douglas County per this preliminary staff analysis . The bill passed out of committee and heads to the House floor for a vote. HB 3928 would allow counties to supersede all statewide land use planning laws to site housing on rural lands. This bill died in committee. The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) meeting on March 20th included a public hearing on rulemaking for solar siting in eastern Oregon. The rules are required to implement HB 3409 (2023 session), specifically to reduce conflicts in siting solar projects. The rules will be considered for adoption by July 1st, 2025. The public comment period has been extended to April 30. Proposed rule amendments to the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) Chapter 660 divisions 4, 6, 23, and 33, pertaining to Goal Exceptions, Forest Lands, Goal 5, and Agricultural Lands. Submit comments to: denise.johnson@dlcd.oregon.gov gordon.howard@dlcd.oregon.gov jon.jinings@dlcd.oregon.gov adam.tate@dlcd.oregon.gov SB 78 – Replacement dwelling bill did not get a work session and has died in committee. LWVOR testified in support of SB 78 . Oregonlive had an article noting the lack of success in many of the “protect ag land” bills. SB 1129 requires the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) to amend rules on urban reserves, clarifying which lands should be given a lower priority. The -1 amendment was adopted and the bill is headed to the Senate floor for a vote. BOTTLE BILL UPDATE By Sandra Bishop SB 992 is the omnibus bottle bill. The -3 amendment replaced the original bill, was adopted and the bill now goes to the Senate floor for a vote. HB 3940 , the omnibus wildfire funding bill, passed out of committee after adopting the -1 amendment without recommendation as to passage and was referred to House Revenue by prior reference. The increased bottle bill fee, although contested, has stayed in the bill. BUDGETS/REVENUE By Peggy Lynch The Co-Chairs of Ways and Means provided their framework for the 2025-27 state budget. Note on the last page the potential effect of federal budget cuts. This Oregonlive article suggests some of the most painful cuts. Each day we learn of more and more federal funding that were assumed to be. Following are the budget bills we are watching in Natural Resources: Dept. of Agriculture: SB 5502 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Meeting Materials Dept. of Agriculture Fees: SB 5503 Info mtgs. March 24 and 25 with public hearing March 26. Columbia River Gorge Commission: SB 5508 Info mtg. and public hearing March 13 Dept. of Environmental Quality: SB 5520 . Governor’s budget DEQ Fact Sheet Meeting Materials . info mtgs. April 7-9, public hearing April 16. The League will provide testimony. 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 , public hearings Mar. 31 & Apr. 1-2; Meeting Materials , Apr. 3 ODFW Hatchery Assessment; 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. On March 25 the bill was moved to Senate Rules without recommendation. A performance audit was prepared. The League awaits the results. The League will continue to be involved in SB 836 because we need DOGAMI staff to do more than 14% inspections of mining operations. 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. It has passed the Senate. A public hearing is set on April 16 in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water . 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 Info hearing March 17. public hearing March 19. Meeting Materials . LWVOR testimony in support. 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 (Bill moved to Ways and Means) and support HB 2803 (The - 3 amendment was adopted, reducing the fees significantly which will cause the department a revenue shortfall should the amendment stand the scrutiny of Ways and Means where it now lies.) 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 info hearing 4/7&8. Public hearing 4/09; 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. Here is an article from oregonlive reporting on the potential 2025 transportation package with proposed revenue sources. The League signed on to a letter in support of increased transit funding. 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. Public hearing in April. Emergency Board: HB 5006 This bill will be a 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. Public hearing in April. 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. 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 unanimously. A public hearing is set for April 17 in 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 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) SB 147 clarifies the management of the ESRF into the hands of the Dept. of State Lands and sets up a separate fund account for monies received to manage the forest. The - 3 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources will have an informational meeting on the ESRF on April 17. 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 and is on the Senate floor, awaiting third reading. FORESTRY (ODF) By Josie Koehne 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. A public hearing was held March 24. Because the bill is in Senate Rules, there is no current deadline for action on the bill. See also the Wildfire section of this report below and the separate Climate section. GOVERNANCE The League continues to follow the bills listed on the March 17 agenda of the Senate Committee On Rules since some of the bills relate to the process of rulemaking. After legislation is passed, agencies are required to implement those laws. That action often requires rulemaking to clarify the details around that implementation. But the League is concerned when legislators “get a second bite at the apple” by relitigating the legislation when rulemaking is only meant to implement, not change policies. 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 Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies : This document includes questions received from agencies since the Governor’s letter. This document includes additional resources for agencies including direction to post updates to the Transparency site, a website template that agencies can use (if they choose) to develop their pages, and links to other comprehensive agency rule making sites to review. There is a broader discussion to increase transparency and consistency in the state agencies’ rulemaking process. The League will continue to be engaged with potential meetings in May and June. 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 . LAND USE & HOUSING By Sandra Bishop/Peggy Lynch The League provided testimony in support of HB 3939 , a bill that provides a list of infrastructure projects to fund for smaller Oregon cities so they can build more housing. We have also supported HB 3031 A (already sitting in Ways and Means) but know there might be limited dollars this session so called out that link in our letter. The -1 amendment to HB 3939 was adopted and the bill moved to Ways and Means. Other 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. The -6 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means. 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. The -4 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Revenue with a subsequent referral to Ways and Means. HB 3062 : Requires local governments to map sensitive uses as part of a comprehensive plan. The bill died in committee. HB 3757 is having an “informational meeting” on April 21st in the House Committee On Housing and Homelessness . The bill is, we believe, dead, but there must have been some interest by the committee to learn more about the proposal to allow four additional housing units on rural lands. This could be a precursor for a bill to be considered in the 2026 session. See also the Agriculture section above and the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. SOLID WASTE HB 3794 : Task Force on Municipal Solid Waste in the Willamette Valley was sent to Ways and Means . The Gazette Times covered the back story . WATER By Peggy Lynch The League has been engaged for many years around the issue of exempt wells—their allowed water use and lack of measurement of that water. In particular we are concerned about those domestic wells that are allowed to use up to 5,000 gallons of water for personal use and can be used by three dwellings, so the usage can be up to 15,000 gallons. HB 3372 was amended by -5 amendment and passed out of committee on a 6 to3 vote. The League provided testimony in support of the original bill to study this issue. The amendment significantly changed the bill to allow 3,000 gallons of water to be used for commercial gardens. We asked that our testimony be removed from OLIS since it did not reflect the original bill. Bills we are following in the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water : Deschutes Basin Water Bank Authority ( HB 3806 ). A - 5 amendment was adopted and the bill sent to Ways and Means. Water Right Process Improvements ( HB 3342 ) . A - 4 amendment was adopted and the bill now goes to the House floor for a vote. Contested Case Process Improvements ( HB 3544 ). A - 5 amendment was adopted and the bill moves to Ways and Means. Place-Based Water Planning ( HB 3116 ) A - 6 amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to Ways and Means. League supports the original bill but has not engaged in the current proposed amendment. Harney Basin Groundwater Management ( HB 3800 ). A work session was held and the bill was sent to House Rules without recommendation as to passage. Water Right, Dam Safety, and Well Related Fees ( HB 2803 League support . The - 3 amendment was adopted, reducing the fees significantly which will cause the department a revenue shortfall should the amendment stand the scrutiny of Ways and Means where it now lies. HB 2808 League support (Bill moved to Ways and Means) Water Rights and Public Interest ( HB 3501 ) A work session was held and the bill was referred to House Rules without recommendation as to passage on a 6 to 3 vote. Other water bills we are following: HB 3525 is related to tenants’ right to well water testing. The League submitted testimony in support. The -6 amendment was adopted and the bill was moved to House Rules without recommendation for further discussion. HB 3526 would require well water test reporting in property sales. The League supported this concept in past sessions and did again this session , but the bill died in committee . HB 3364 makes changes to the grants programs at the Water Resources Dept. The - 4 amendment was adopted and the bill sent to the House floor for a vote. HB 2988 : Instructs the Water Resources Department to take certain actions related to aquifer recharge and aquifer storage and recovery. The -5 amendment was adopted and the bill sent to Ways and Means. The fiscal impact statement was incomplete but will be needed before it is considered for final passage. Many of these water bills were sent with “fiscal light” statements. LWV Deschutes County submitted a letter in support of SB 427 , a water rights transfer bill meant to protect instream water flows. Possible work session scheduled for April 8 . SB 1153 , an alternate bill provided with help from the Governor’s office, may have more of a chance of passage. It had a public hearing on March 25 with a work session April 8. These bills were moved to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage to allow for further conversation. HB 3106 is the Oregon Water Data Portal funding bill for which the League provided testimony in support. The -5 amendment was adopted, and the bill was moved to Ways and Means without a complete fiscal impact statement that will be needed before the bill can be voted on. The League is VERY supportive of the portal and agencies working together. However, we are concerned about the cost of this expansion of the program. SB 1154 was amended by the -1 amendment and sent to Senate Rules without recommendation as to passage in a 4 to 1 vote. An article in the Oregon Capital Chronicle explains the bill and its controversy: The updated Groundwater Quality Protection Act would establish thresholds for contaminants that automatically qualify them as critical groundwater management areas. It would also create a new designation for “groundwater areas of concern,” where contaminants are detected but a threshold for declaring the area in critical condition hasn’t quite been met. The Oregon Health Authority would be in charge of informing the public and helping with testing and providing safe drinking water; the Oregon Water Resources Department would be in charge of regulating water flows and rights; the Oregon Department of Agriculture would take on agricultural polluters and mitigating farm pollution; the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality would take on any changes needed to protect groundwater through industrial water permitting; and other agencies would be involved as needed, according to Ferrari. 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. The good news is currently Oregon is NOT in drought! 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 WETLANDS A new Rulemaking Advisory Committee has been formed related to Permitting and Mitigation in Oregon's Wetlands and Waters. WILDFIRE By Carolyn Mayers A fast-moving week in wildfire legislation began April 7 with a Public Hearing on SB 1177 before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. This bill would establish the Oregon Wildfire Mitigation and Adaptation Fund and redirect the “kicker” to it, one- time, for financing wildfire related expenses, by using the interest earned. A 5% return would yield approximately $170-180 million per year, about half of what is expected to be the average ongoing cost per year of funding wildfire. Tax Fairness Oregon testified in favor of the bill. Next, this same committee heard SJR 11 , which would dedicate a fixed, to-be-determined percentage of net proceeds of the State Lottery to a wildfire fund created by the Legislature. Its passage would mean an amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which would have to go to the voters for approval. HB 3666 had a Work Session before the House Committee on Judiciary, also on April 7. This bill would establish wildfire mitigation actions and an accompanying certification for electric utilities in an attempt to standardize their approach. It was referred to the Rules Committee. April 8, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire held a Work Session on SB 83 , which would, once again, repeal the State Wildfire Hazard map. This would result in the many changes to current statutes, since references to the map would have to be removed, and would have far reaching consequences including establishing standards for building codes and defensible space which can be adopted by municipalities, changing the definition and mapping of the wildland urban interface, and many other areas. The -9 Amendment was adopted and the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. This article from The Statesman Journal offers further insights. At the same meeting, the -2 Amendment to SB 85 , was adopted, and the bill was sent to the floor with a do-pass recommendation. This bill directs the State Fire Marshal to establish a neighborhood protection cooperative grant program to help communities collectively reduce their wildfire risk. The League supports this bill as an extension of the work done in previous sessions. HB 3940 , the omnibus wildfire funding bill, passed out of committee after adopting the -1 amendment without recommendation as to passage and was referred to House Revenue by prior reference. HB 3947 : Increases the amount of the estimate of revenues that will be received from General Fund revenue sources other than corporate income and excise taxes for the biennium beginning July 1, 2023. The bill died in committee. SB 75 A , which defines “high wildfire hazard area for purposes of developing an accessory dwelling unit on lands zoned rural residential, or a replacement building on lands zoned for resource uses, was passed unanimously by the Senate and moves to the House. There are two harvest tax bills being heard in House Revenue on April 17: HB 2072 Extends certain taxes on the privilege of harvesting merchantable forest products on forestlands. HB 3489 Imposes a severance tax on owners of timber harvested from public or private forestland. The Legislative Revenue Office will begin the hearing by providing a staff report on the legislation. The League has supported a severance tax in past sessions. Bills we are watching: Senate Bill 1051 , Governor Kotek is seeking the authority to choose the next State Forester. The Board of Forestry will begin the recruitment process at its April 23rd Board meeting. 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. The -3 amendment was adopted and the bill in a 4-2 vote was passed to the Senate floor. 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 will be offered. 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.

AARNA SHAH (she/her) AARNA SHAH (she/her) Legislative Comms Co Director/Policy youthcommunications@lwvor.org

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 6/5 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Jump to topic: Housing Criminal Justice Behavioral Health Housing By Debbie Aiona, Nancy Donovan, Debbie Wallace, Penny York At the urging of newly-elected Governor Kotek, the Oregon Legislature invested more than $215 million in the Early Session Housing Package. It provided Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) with a down payment to tackle the state’s housing and homeless emergency. Now that the end of the session is near, Governor Kotek is calling on the Legislature to invest $1.3 billion in housing solutions through the End of Session Package. This investment will allow OHCS to achieve the goals in its 2023-25 budget request, SB 5511 . The challenge is to balance the needs of people experiencing homelessness and to address the state’s chronic housing supply shortages. The biennial budget represents the largest request any Oregon Governor has proposed. See the full 2023-25 Governor's Recommended Budget . The housing related budget descriptions can be found in these links. Snapshot of the End of Session Housing Package Improving Program Access: Language Access, Training, and Technical Assistance Bond Investments to Expand and Improve Housing Supply Pre-Development Investments Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Risk Mitigation Rehousing Oregonians Experiencing Homelessness Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Investments The Oregon Housing and Community Services budget includes funding for a number of programs aimed at keeping people already housed in their homes, developing new affordable housing, preserving existing affordable housing, and serving people without a place to live. Highlights include: $118 million for preservation of existing publicly supported housing, $415.45 million for homelessness response and prevention, $616 million to develop new affordable rental homes through the Local Innovation Fast Track (LIFT) Rental program, and $130 million to develop permanent supportive homes. Housing Bill Updates SB 225 Enrolled will address a problem with how private activity bond resources are used to fund low-income housing. The bill addresses this barrier and allows Oregon Housing and Community Services to move forward on affordable housing developments to avoid construction delays and cost increases. The Governor signed SB 225 on June 7. SB 599 A Enrolled would allow tenants to operate home-based childcare by requiring a landlord to allow a renter to use a dwelling unit for a family childcare home if it is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care. The landlord can require a tenant to pay for improvements necessary for certification and carry some form of liability coverage. The Governor signed SB 599 A on June 1. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley and Karen Nibler Despite the ongoing Senate shutdown, a few criminal justice bills continue to move on the House floor and in the Ways and Means Public Safety Subcommittee. The following bills passed out of the House from June 1 to June 7 and await a Senate vote: HB 5012 A appropriates money from the General Fund for district attorney expenses, HB 2320 B establishes the Juvenile Justice Policy Commission within the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, HB 2225 A increases fees for court transcripts, and HB 2316 A expands the offense of driving while under the influence of intoxicants to include additional substances. SB 1052 Enrolled , establishes a training program for state agency employees concerning human trafficking and awareness, signed by the Governor June 12. The Public Safety Subcommittee passed the following bills on June 6 and returned them to the full Ways and Means Committee: · HB 2024 provides that district attorneys and deputy district attorneys qualify as police officers under the Public Employees Retirement System. · SB 321 A sets up a process whereby anyone convicted as a result of a nonunanimous jury can file a petition for post-conviction relief before December 30, 2024. · SB 5532 appropriates money from the General Fund for expenses related to the Oregon Public Defense Commission. · SB 337 B establishes the Oregon Public Defense Commission (OPDC) within the Oregon Judicial Department with an appointed director, 9 voting members, and 4 non-voting members who are not practicing judges, district attorneys, or law enforcement employees. OPDC will present its budget to the Legislature every two years but will reimburse the State Court Administrator for personnel costs and contract with the Department of Administrative Services for forecasts for eligible adults and juveniles and cost estimates. There will be a separate Treasury Account. The bill stipulates the transfer of duties, records, personnel, and fund balance on July 1, 2023, for the new biennium. The Chief Justice will transfer current board members or appoint members to the OPDC by November 1, 2023 and appoint an Executive Director by January 1, 2024. The Commission will officially transfer to the Executive Branch on January 1, 2025. Further directions were to establish an hourly rate payment for defense attorneys with no flat fee cases. The hourly rate is to be calculated by January 1, 2025, with an increasing number of attorneys employed by the Commission. Behavioral Health By Karen Nibler The last hearing of the House Behavioral Health Committee on June 7 featured the Oregon State Hospital staffing crisis. The State Employee Union, SEIU focused on staff overtime, which was mandatory due to state injuries. The injuries affected 1 out of 4 hospital staff and caused high turnover with 800 staff still at work at the hospital. As a result, HB 2701 A was passed, acknowledging the high risk of harm and the benefits in the state employee’s system. The bill was referred to Ways and Means, and the outcome is not yet known.

Back to All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 6/23 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Please see Governance Overview here . Jump to a topic: Campaign Finance General Governance, Privacy, and Consumer Protection Elections Artificial Intelligence Campaign Finance and Initiatives By Norman Turrill We are still waiting for urgently needed technical amendments to HB 4024 (2024) on campaign contribution limits, which are expected to be amended into HB 3392 . Since we are nearing the end of the session, we fear that this will not happen or will happen haphazardly. The last we heard, there may be no bill or only a minimal bill to delay the Secretary of State’s HB 4024 implementation deadlines. General Governance, Privacy, and Consumer Protection By Becky Gladstone It is time for a bill status review, with two weeks or less remaining in the session. HB 3954 was revived last week after a League letter called for action on the bill, for the Adjutant General to not allow the Oregon National Guard to be called to active service, except for certain reasons. It passed from a first work session on partisan lines, and then from the House floor, and is scheduled for reading on the Senate floor. We wrote to the Governor’s staff, the Attorney General, Chairs and House Rules Committee members, and bill sponsors. This bill became more relevant with the California National Guard being called to action by the President in Los Angeles, overriding the Mayor and California Governor. LWVOR followed with an Action Alert to members. We anticipate revising the letter and submitting as testimony to Senate Rules, including comparisons of work done in other states, including Washington state’s “Defend the Guard” bill, HB 1321 , signed by Governor Ferguson in April. We are standing by as requested, for updates. See HB 3954 sponsor’s presser and Oregon House votes to protect Oregon National Guard from being deployed by Trump, future presidents , Oregon Capital Chronicle. SB 1191 Enrolled has been signed by the Governor. League testimony supports SB 1191 which excludes the act of informing another person of their civil or constitutional rights from statute defining “commits the crime of obstructing governmental or judicial administration”. This is relevant as League voter service activities and advocacy issues are newly vulnerable to Executive Order classification as domestic terrorism if not aligned with recently changed federal preferences. The League will continue to support legislation for DEI, climate change, immigration, access for voter registration and election process information, natural resources, and more. HB 2008 Enrolled has been signed by the Governor, relates to protecting consumer data for those under 16, to targeted ads, and to geolocation exposure. See League testimony in support. HB 2341 Enrolled , to add veterans’ email addresses to shared information, League testimony in support, was signed by the Governor. SB 1121 Enrolled to create a new Class B misdemeanor crime of unlawful private data disclosure, has been signed by the Governor. League testimony was filed and presented, supporting the bill, including the amendment relating to data broker issues. HB 2930 Enrolled has been signed by the Governor, for conflict of interest of public officials’ household members. League testimony supported this bill brought by the Oregon Ethics Commission. SB 224 Enrolled , is awaiting the Governor’s signature, to keep from posting campaign committee addresses on the SoS website, League testimony supports. HB 3569 Enrolled is awaiting the Governor’s signature, to invite a sponsoring legislator, committee chair or designee onto the bill’s Rules Advisory Committee, as a non-voting member. Our testimony opposes for myriad reasons. HB 5017 Enrolled , is awaiting the Governor’s signature, for the State Library budget. League testimony remained the only one filed and is in support of our partnership for League Voter Service information. They share our Voters’ Guides in the Talking Books and Braille Library . HB 5012 A : Ways and Means Committee members (bipartisan!) expressed a desire to see increased salaries for our judiciary and encouraged the Co-Chairs to consider additional funding in the end-of-session bill for the Oregon Judicial Department budget bill. League testimony in support was requested. HB 2570 , for PII (personally identifiable information) confidentiality when working with OSHA inspections, got League testimony support, was scheduled for a February 19 work session , but was apparently dropped, not reflected on the bill overview, probably a session casualty. Elections By Barbara Klein On 6/16 a public hearing was held for HB 3908 , the following day on 6/17 a work session was held. On 6/20, this House bill passed a vote on the Senate floor 19 to 9. Filed at the request of the Independent Party of Oregon (IPO), HB 3908 relates to party membership and registration requirements. The bill increases the percentage of state voters from 5 to 10 percent required for a party to obtain major political party status. Other minor parties wrote in support of HB 3908. Last week we mentioned that the opposition to this bill submitted a Minority Report Recommendation disallowing minor parties to cross nominate major parties; that recommendation did not pass. At the public hearing, IPO representatives explained that currently the IPO stands at 5.03% (only slightly over the 5% level) and that IPO bounces back & forth between major & minor party status (being a major party in 2016 and 2020). They described the struggles for their party since rules for candidates of major parties differ from those for minor parties, making it more difficult for them to recruit candidates. They also attested that the counties and state will have higher costs if IPO is considered a major party. HB 3390-2 : This bill was one of those often referred to as “gut and stuff,” differing from or expanding on the original title. This last-minute bill establishes a joint legislative committee and prescribes the method for creating a ballot title and explanatory statement for any amendment to the Oregon Constitution. Technically, it involves any bills that pass both houses of the Legislative Assembly during the 2025 regular session and are referred to the voters by either the Legislative Assembly or by referendum petition. The League submitted testimony opposing this bill, in part because it minimizes the minority party voice, and also gives more power to the legislature for ballot issues than to the people. We state “the normal process based in the offices of the Secretary of State and Attorney General has greater impartiality than this proposal grounded in the legislative branch. The latter (under HB 3390-2) could more likely jeopardize transparency and understanding for voters.” Despite our opposition, the third reading passed the House 31 to 19. The bill sunsets on January 2, 2027. SB 580 Enrolled provides more timely transparency to voters showing online declarations – or withdrawals – of candidates. On 6/13 it passed a House third reading 41 to 0. The bill awaits the Governor’s signature. There were concessions made previously for various counties, big and small, rural and urban. (It also exempted precinct committee persons.) The League submitted testimony on this bill based on the needs of our work producing League Voter Guides and Vote411 publications. Artificial Intelligence By Lindsey Washburn HB 3936 Enrolled prohibits any hardware, software or service that uses artificial intelligence from being installed or downloaded onto or used or accessed by state information technology assets if the artificial intelligence is developed or owned by a covered vendor. Awaiting Governor's signature. Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Natural Resources , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 2/10 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Jump to topic: Behavioral Health Education Gun Policy Hate and Bias Crimes Housing Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum Public Safety Behavioral Health By Stephanie Aller On Feb. 3, the House Committee on Education held a public hearing for HB 2596 (Interstate Compact for School Psychologists). There is currently a shortage of school psychologists in Oregon. At the same time, there is an increasing need for behavioral health services for students. The school psychologist to student ratio is three times the national recommendation. Proponents believe HB 2596 would attract more school psychologists to Oregon by streamlining the licensure process. This would improve access to behavioral health services for students. The bill is scheduled for a possible work session on Feb. 10 at 3 pm. On Feb. 4, the Senate Committee on Health Care held a public hearing for SB 538 (Tensy’s Law). The bill would allow parents to be paid for attendant care services if their minor child has very high medical or behavioral needs. Many parents and children testified at the hearing about problems with the current system. There is a caregiver workforce shortage in Oregon, especially of caregivers capable of safely caring for disabled children with high medical or behavioral needs. When these children are awarded in-home support hours, they often are unable to find qualified caregivers to work all the awarded hours. Due to the caregiver shortage, many parents must leave their jobs to care full-time for their children. Despite the financial hardship imposed on these parents, most are not able to be paid for attendant care. Oregon allows parents of disabled adult children to be paid for attendant care but not parents of minor children. During the Covid pandemic, Oregon had a temporary waiver which allowed parents to be paid caregivers for their child. The legislature then passed SB 91 (2023) the Children’s Extraordinary Needs (CEN) Waiver. This allowed parents to be paid for attendant care but with a 20-hour per week limit. Currently, there are 155 children receiving this benefit in the Waiver with over 1500 children on the waitlist. SB 538 would eliminate the waitlist and allow all eligible children in the Waiver. It would also remove the 20-hour per week cap for parent caregivers. Upcoming public hearings related to behavioral health: Senate Committee on Health Care, Feb. 11 at 3 pm. SB 140 requires the Oregon Health Authority and coordinated care organizations to increase reimbursement rates to hospitals for inpatient psychiatric services provided to medical assistance recipients. It also requires OHA to partner with CCOs, community mental health programs, and acute care facilities to coordinate care for patients being discharged from acute care facilities. House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care, Feb. 11 at 3 pm. HB 2013 would amend ORS 743A.168 to include outpatient facilities that employ certified alcohol and drug counselors as providers for purposes of mental health treatment insurance coverage. HB 2041 Relates to mental health services parity. This bill requires insurers to reimburse mental health professionals at the same rate as physicians and other health professionals for the same services. Education Senate Education heard an overview of the status of Student Success Plans (begin at minute 46), which are equity-driven and community-based. On Wednesday, February 12 at 3 pm, The House Education Committee will hear a presentation describing Special Education Funding Shortfalls, which is related to several bills being considered this session that propose to raise or even eliminate totally the artificial cap on money that a school district may receive for educating children with disabilities. Testimony is being developed for the February 13th meeting of the House Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development regarding: HB3182 , which directs the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) to administer a grant program to fund basic needs programming for housing. HB3183 which appropriates money to HECC for the Open Education Resources Program, which makes textbooks more affordable. Possible Impact of Federal actions on Funding for Education in Oregon LWVOR is tracking federal actions regarding the Department of Education and funding which it manages. Congress would need to approve eliminating the department, but even if that action is blocked, it would be still be possible to reduce the role of the federal government in funding education. Currently Oregon receives about $1B each year from the federal government for our education budget. This includes: · Title 1 money which 561 schools use to address needs of low-income students. · Support for 87, 648 students with disabilities under the IDEA program · 14,159 students enrolled in Head Start preschool and in Early Head Start · 279,232 children served by the national School Lunch Program While Congress would need to approve eliminating Pell Grants for low-income higher education students, there are other federal student loan programs which could be in more immediate jeopardy. Additionally, federal funding of university research could be threatened. Last year Oregon State University received $370M in federal grants. Gun Policy By Marge Easley HB 3076 , a placeholder bill supported by the gun safety coalition Alliance for a Safe Oregon, has recently received considerable attention in the press. The bill seeks to implement a state-based gun dealer licensing and regulation program. The impetus is a 172% increase in firearm homicides in Oregon over the past decade and a finding that a sizable number of guns used in crimes come from straw gun sales (legal purchases with the intent to sell to prohibited purchasers) or gun dealer theft. Federal oversight of gun dealers by the ATF has been notoriously weak, and it is thought that a state-based program, similar to successful programs in other states, would be much more effective. SB 697 , also on the Alliance’s wish list, has hit a potential roadblock due to a recent federal court ruling. The bill seeks to raise the age for purchase of semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21. However, on January 30 the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals declared unconstitutional the current US government ban on selling handguns to those under 21, in keeping with the US Supreme Court’s Bruen decision that requires gun regulations to be “ consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation." Although SB 697 applies to semi-automatic rifles and not handguns, the expansion of gun rights expressed in this ruling will undoubtedly have an impact on placing age restrictions on gun purchases. Hate and Bias Crimes By Becky Gladstone Updating last week’s federal notes: all nonprofits need to know about this administrative action: Ending “Illegal DEI and DEIA discrimination and preferences” . On February 5, the US DoJ issued directives to begin civil and criminal investigations of NGOs and other private firms. The Attorney General’s February 5 memo additionally calls out educational institutions receiving federal grants, See the: Ending Illegal DEI and DEIJ Discrimination and Preferences . We are researching these upcoming bills with public hearings scheduled: · SJM 1 requests congressional action on anti -military bias, with hate-crime protections, including military families. It got a work session to be sent back for reassignment to a different committee. · SB 473 was brought to the Senate Judiciary committee for the City of Eugene. It creates a crime of threatening a public official. Housing By Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan At its February 3 session, the Senate Committee on Housing and Development heard an Oregon Law Center presentation about the growing number of evictions in Oregon. This issue is important because evictions result in increased homelessness, hospital visits, and reduced earnings. Black women face eviction filings at more than twice the rate of white renters and having a child in the home increases that risk. Households of color and with children are at greater risk of homelessness after eviction. Oregon has the highest rate of homeless youth in the country. Of critical importance is recognizing that preventing evictions through rent subsidies and other measures is less expensive than re-housing and avoids the trauma associated with losing a home. The number of cost-burdened renter households in Oregon has grown as wage gains are not keeping up with increasing rents. More than half of all Oregon renters are cost burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. One in four spend more than 50 percent on rent. Extremely low-income households experience difficulties in finding housing they can afford. For every 100 renter households, there are only 26 available units they can afford. Although the number of evictions continues to grow, recent legislative actions have had an impact. In March 2023, Governor Kotek signed HB 2001 into law. Among other provisions, it increased the notification period before termination and requires landlords to participate in rental assistance programs. Today, more tenants can access advice and rent assistance before losing their homes. In addition to procedural reform, the legislature also allocated funding for homelessness prevention funds and rent assistance. The Oregon Housing Alliance, in which LWVOR is a member, included in its legislative agenda resources for rent assistance and homelessness prevention. It also supports SB 722 that would reduce the time period new rental units are exempt from statewide rent increase caps from 15 to seven years. It would also ban the use of software to set rents. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) HB 2958 has been an effective tool in Oregon’s tax code to help struggling families make ends meet and lift them out of poverty. Currently, the state credit is 9% of federal EITC, except for families with children under age 3, who receive 12% of the federal credit. The EITC is only available for hard working families with earned incomes up to about $65,000. This proposed increase would strengthen the EITC by raising rates to 25 percent for families with children under 3, and 20 percent for all other families. Families working hard will be able to pay for essentials like housing, groceries, and childcare. The House Committee on Revenue will hold a public hearing on February 18, at 3:00 PM. Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum By Becky Gladstone Updating last week’s federal notes: all nonprofits need to know about an administrative action: Ending federal funding to sanctuary cities and pauses grants to nonprofits “that support or provide services to removable or illegal aliens.” We are researching this bill, preparing for a public hearing: SB 703 directs DHS (Department of Human Services) to provide grants nonprofit service providers for help with immigration status. Public Safety By Karen Nibler The Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response, heard testimony for two bills this week: in SB 236 on delivery and manufacture of fentanyl and HB 3009 on Opioid Use Disorder medications for treatment in jail facilities. Rob Bovett one of the authors of the legislation on HB 4002 last session, spoke in support of SB236. He serves as vice chair of the Criminal Justice Commission and is employed as an attorney and teacher at the Lewis and Clark Law School. The Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee considered HB 3079 on implementation of youth homeless programs. The intent was to expand funding to the Department of Human Services to reduce the number of homeless youth under age 25. Specifically school age children through grade 12 have been identified as needing this service. Emergency shelters in rural communities were also requested, especially for veterans. The administrator at the Oregon State Hospital talked about the commitments and services for current residents. Aid and Assist cases have shorter terms of 90 days, up to 180 days for felonies or one year for violent felonies. Guilty Except for Insanity can serve 90 days or civil commitments can stay for 8 to 9 months. The Public Safety Review Board monitors clients after release. The Oregon Health Authority described clinics and programs under their budget bills HB 5024 and 5025. They have provided for additional beds and services in communities throughout the state, including John Day.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/5 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Air Quality Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Drinking Water Advisory Board Elliott State Research Forest Forestry Land Use and Housing Reduce/Recycle Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed The 2024 short session runs Feb. 5 through March 10th. Bills in most committees must be scheduled for a work session by Feb. 12 and acted on by Feb. 19 th in the first chamber. The legislative calendar is posted on the Oregon Legislature website . Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Lisa Charpolliz Hanson was confirmed by the Oregon Senate on Feb. 9 th as the permanent Dept. of Agriculture Director . Air Quality The 2022 Air Quality Monitoring Report is now available on Oregon DEQ’s website . Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch On Feb. 7 th , the House and Senate Revenue Committees heard the latest Revenue Forecast . The revenue from December was only up $76 million, but in closing the books for the 2021-23 session, an additional $446 million was returned to the General Fund unspent. There is about $1.656 billion total to be allocated. However, some legislators have shared that, because much of that money will need to be used for housing (the Governor asked for $600 million), Measure 110 costs (both behavior health and community safety), childcare ($78 million or more) and other priorities, there may be only $100 million for other legislator requests. Peter Wong of the Portland Tribune reports “Steiner said she wants to maintain the transfer of 1% of the budget’s ending balance to the state’s general reserve, known as the rainy-day fund, which is required by law. She also said an additional amount should be reserved for the full two-year cost of new programs started in this budget cycle.” “The economists have trimmed their outlook for revenue growth later this decade.” LC 305 was filed on Feb. 7 th as the beginning omnibus budget bill for 2024. (It will become a Senate Bill.) You will see items approved during the November and January Legislative Days in LC 305. Then there are state agency adjustments that have been requested. And monies to be saved in case of emergencies (such as our summer wildfire season) before the 2025 session and changing needs under the Oregon Health Authority and Dept. of Human Services. Currently there are concerns about revenue for that 2025-27 session so budget writers will want to keep money to cover those expected costs. Bonding capacity remains the same: $65.8 million in remaining general obligation bond capacity and $27.4 million in remaining lottery bond capacity for the 2023-25 biennium. See LC 308 and LC 309 that will be filled with bonding requests. These will be House bills and will show up in the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction at the end of session. Every policy bill that is sent to Ways and Means will be considered with the recognition of this limited revenue and if there will be “roll-up” costs for 2025-27 or are they one-time expenditures. Look for those bills to be considered in the Ways and Means Subcommittees ONLY when they have been approved by the Ways and Means Co-Chairs and Senate and House Leadership. As part of the 2025-27 costs, the average for PERS contributions is expected to go up from 18.6% to 19.7%, according to a Milliman projection at a PERS meeting on Feb. 2 nd . That is slightly better than the 1.7% increase estimated last fall when the cost to the 2025-27 budget was estimated at $13 billion additional employer contributions. The official rate will be announced Oct. 4 th . The agency budget process for 2025-27 is beginning. Look for presentations to agency Boards and Commissions soon. More quarterly revenue forecasts will be provided before the Governor presents her budget by Dec. 1 st . Personal income taxpayers can determine the amount of their kicker using a “What’s My Kicker?” calculator available on Revenue Online . To use the calculator, taxpayers will need to enter their name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2022 and 2023. Taxpayers may also hand-calculate the amount of their credit by multiplying their 2022 tax liability before any credits—line 22 on the 2022 Form OR-40—by 44.28 percent. Your 2023 tax returns could be filed starting January 29. Here is a good video on property taxes in Oregon. Cities and counties rely on property taxes for the services they provide. It’s possible that there will be conversations on property tax reform in 2025. The Oregonian provides some insight into that future conversation. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch The League signed a letter in support of HB 4132 , Marine Reserves. The bill passed the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water on Feb. 8 th and was sent to Ways and Means. Currently there is a fiscal request of just under $900 million for this biennium. The League adopted our position on Marine Reserves after doing our Coastal study in 2012. This bill recognizes the first ten years of this program, creates more specific requirements on its management and on-going public engagement. Those who were concerned about this program have, for the most part, joined us in celebrating its success. Dr. Sarah Klain will be the Oregon Marine Reserves Program’s new human dimensions project leader. The League provided comments on HB 4080-1 that would both address union labor IF offshore wind projects happen on our South Coast and create a robust public engagement process before any projects are approved. It is expected that the federal government may approve leasing parts of federal waters for offshore wind projects as early as this fall. A Dept. of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) letter provides more information. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is working with DSL to identify In Lieu lands (lands owed the State of Oregon on statehood that have not yet been allotted to Oregon). Click here to view the BLM Proposed Classification Decision , and a public notice that two forestland properties in Linn County that have been identified to meet the criteria for some of those In Lieu lands. Learn more and provide public comment through April 9, 2024. Drinking Water Advisory Committee By Sandra Bishop The Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) meeting was postponed to February 20 th . Agenda . Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch A Dept. of State Lands interim advisory group on the ESRF met on Jan. 18 and again on Feb. 7, Feb. meeting materials . Work is continuing on eventual adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Forest Management Plan for the forest. Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . The State Land Board will receive a report at their Feb. 13 th meeting . A recommendation with structural governance may be before the Land Board on April 9. If approved, look for appointments to the new ESRF Board at their June 11 th meeting. Forestry (ODF) The Oregon Dept. of Forestry is holding community conversations in February as they do strategic planning. The public is encouraged to participate. On Feb. 23 rd the Board of Forestry will have a special meeting on Post-Disturbance Harvest Rulemaking. Agenda . There are a number of bills this session around funding wildfire. For information on the various bills, see the Wildfire section of this report below. Land Use & Housing/Dept. of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) By Peggy Lynch The League has been engaged in discussions for months on the Governor’s land use/housing bill, SB 1537 . A -4 amendment has been filed that reflects many of the changes as a result of multiple work groups engaged in this important bill. This bill and others may see additional amendments and be worked in the Senate Committee on Housing and Development on Feb. 13. As part of the effort to provide infrastructure so housing can actually be built, the League supported HB 4134 with testimony . The bill that will have a Work Session on Feb. 13 th . The bill includes a list of infrastructure projects in small towns around Oregon to be funded with a promise of new housing, especially for middle income Oregonians. Follow the work of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) Rulemaking Committee on the department’s Housing Rulemaking webpage . And watch their meetings on the department’s YouTube channel. The Department of Land Conservation and Development is recruiting committee members for rulemaking for Goal 9 and certain Economic Opportunities Analyses processes. Applications to serve on the Rulemaking Advisory Committee (RAC) must be submitted by midnight on February 13 th . See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Reduce/Recycle By Camille Freitag The League weighed in again this year on a Right to Repair bill, SB 1596 . We also joined others in support of the bill. There will be another public hearing on Feb. 13 in the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment ONLY for those who had signed up last week and didn’t get to speak. Then a work session is also scheduled for that same day. There are a number of amendments listed on OLIS. We understand that the fiscal (cost) of administering the bill has been removed because the Dept. of Justice has an existing fund for enforcement that is adequately resourced to meet the need. Meeting materials for the fifth Recycling Modernization Act Rulemaking Advisory Committee have been posted on the Recycling 2024 website. The meeting will be held on Feb. 14 on Zoom. The next meetings are scheduled for March 14 th and April 3 rd . To attend please Register via Zoom . To learn more about this rulemaking and the advisory committee, view the rulemaking web page at: Recycling Updates 2024 . Water By Peggy Lynch The Oregon Water Resources Dept. is considering recommending changes to Oregon’s groundwater rules to the Water Resources Commission. This slide deck was presented at their last rules advisory committee meeting. A written public comment period will open from March 1 st through June 1 st . Regional meetings will be held April 4 th in Bend, April 18 in La Grande, May 16 in Central Point, and May 21 st in Salem, with the Salem meeting being available on the internet as well as in person. It is expected that the Oregon Water Resources Commission will consider and may adopt the new rules at their Sept. meeting. The League is watching this work closely as is LWV Deschutes County and looks forward to the Water Resources Commission's adoption of this first set of updated rules which can then lead to updated Critical Groundwater designations as the data determines is necessary. In the meantime, many Oregonians are experiencing dry household wells. Updates on the Lower Umatilla Groundwater Management Area (LUGWMA) and our fellow Oregonians who are suffering from dangerous nitrates in their domestic wells: OPB and the Oregon Capital Chronicle provided articles as we follow this serious public health issue. The Department of State Lands is creating a new statewide program (Abandoned and Derelict Vessels) to address hazardous vessels across Oregon. They want your feedback on the proposed program framework. Share your input by Friday, March 8th! See the proposed framework for the ADV program here (PDF). The League has supported the creation of this program and the funding needed to remove these hazardous vessels from Oregon’s waterways. OWRD anticipates releasing a draft of the updated Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) for public review and comment in March. An updated draft is then anticipated to be available for a second public comment opportunity in May. The Oregon Water Resources Commission will hear public testimony and consider the adoption of the 2024 IWRS at their September meeting. For more information about this process, please visit the IWRS page on their website. The League hopes members will engage since we were actively engaged in the original legislation and in the first two IWRS documents. As a result of that work, our state water agencies have been funded to a greater degree than ever before. Quagga mussels, a serious invasive species that can raise havoc with water infrastructure, were discovered on a boat coming into Oregon from Lake Mead. Oregon needs to consider funding to address this invasive problem as Idaho is doing. Look for this issue to be addressed in 2025. It is a current license program at the Oregon State Marine Board with transfer of funds to the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife who use that money for an inspection program at Oregon’s borders that found those invasives. The League assisted in support of these programs. 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 the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco, Harney, Sherman, Lake, Jackson, Gilliam, Douglas, Lincoln, and Morrow counties. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The short session is underway, and things in the wildfire arena are, pardon me for this, heating up! Leading up to the short session was a meeting of the Governor’s Wildfire Programs Advisory Council (WPAC) on Jan. 19. Doug Grafe, the Governor’s Wildfire Director, started things off with an overview of the bills the Council will be tracking and working on with legislators. Much time was spent on two upcoming bills from Senator Golden. The first, SB 1511 , would create a Neighborhood Protection Cooperatives Grant Program, administered through the Dept. of the State Fire Marshal. It would also direct the Dept. of Business and Consumer Services to work with insurance companies to explore the possibility of “rewarding” communities that participate in these standardized risk reduction programs with more favorable rates for homeowners’ insurance. The League testified in support of this bill at a public hearing on Feb. 8 before the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire. The second bill discussed at the WPAC meeting was Senator Golden’s funding bill, SB 1593 , which would repeal the current forest products harvest tax regime and impose a new version of the timber severance tax, which was repealed in the 1990s with devastating consequences for wildfire program funding. The new tax would apply to private lands with larger than 500 acres of timber and would provide funding to counties and to programs to protect homes, neighborhoods and water supplies from wildfire damage. This bill would be a referral to the voters. Two other funding bills were presented, and details of those can be found later in this report. There was also discussion of HB 4016 , which provides some technical fixes and tweaks to a prescribed fire liability program and establishes funds related to responding to wildfire smoke and home hardening. The League also monitored a public hearing on this bill on Feb. 5 before the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment. Closing out the WPAC meeting there was a presentation from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on “The 20-Year Strategy – The Future of Landscape Resiliency in Oregon” and highlights of past and ongoing work to address fuels on the landscape, especially around communities. There appears to be a growing focus on the needed strengthening of the partnership and coordination between federal and state agencies with regard to our wildfire crisis. This is evidenced by these same organizations giving similar, expanded presentations to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire on Feb. 6 th which was followed by the League. As previously mentioned, the League is following two other wildfire funding bills that have been introduced this session. The first, HB 4133 , chiefly sponsored by Reps. Marsh and Owens and Sens. Steiner and Findley, makes changes related to the forest products harvest tax, establishes a State Forestry Dept. Large Wildfire Fund, and makes changes related to forest protection districts. That bill’s original iteration had a $10 tax on each property in Oregon, but that provision has since been dropped. Finally, Rep. Paul Evans has introduced HJR 201 and HB 4075 . HB 4075 would set up a task force to develop a plan for the legislature to establish a statewide public safety funding authority in Oregon. The Authority would have taxing power of up to $0.25/$1,000 property tax value. The establishment of this body requires a constitutional amendment which would have to be referred to the voters in the next general election in Nov. 2024. HB 4075 only takes effect if HJR 201 is approved by the voters. This article outlines some of the pros and cons of each bill. Update: The League will be signing on to a budget request for additional monies to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Dept. of Forestry to address Community Wildfire Protection and Landscape Resiliency. 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.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/6 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Agriculture Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Land Use/Housing Radioactive Waste State Lands Toxics Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team LWVOR has a statutory seat on the OHA’s Drinking Water Advisory Committee and we need a volunteer! Bills are being heard quickly as the session moves toward the first deadline: Feb 21 is the last date to file new bills, with a few exceptions. Then March 17 is the deadline for bills to get a Work Session (to be considered to vote on, in committee) with April 4 the last day for those bills to be voted on by the committee in the first chamber. With only 1.5-hour hearings twice a week, committees are struggling to hear bills assigned to them. One committee chair stated that they will only get to about one third of all the bills assigned to them. Agriculture SB 530 , the Natural Climate Solutions bill, will be heard Feb. 15 in Senate Natural Resources. See more info in the Climate section of this legislative report. Budgets/Revenue Natural Resource agency budgets are beginning to be heard. This week SB 5527 , the budget bill for the Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. was heard. Meeting materials will help explain the agency’s budget. The League may provide testimony on the budget on Feb. 9. See below in Land Use on the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development budget ( HB 5027 ) up for hearing Feb. 13 with public testimony Feb. 14. The Dept. of Geology and Mineral Services budget ( SB 5510 ) is up Feb. 15 with public testimony on Feb. 16. They have yet to provide a formal informational sheet, but see below under DOGAMI info on policy option packages in the Governor’s budget. See below in Water information on the Oregon Water Resources Dept. budget ( HB 5043 ). No hearing dates have been announced. We understand that tentatively the Oregon Dept. of Forestry budget ( HB 5020 ) will be scheduled for the end of February. Oregon Fish and Wildlife ( SB 5509 ) will be the week of March 20. Dept. of State Lands ( HB 5037 ) will be held mid-March and Dept. of Environmental Quality ( HB 5018 and HB 5019 ) at the end of March. Governor Kotek’s first biennial budget is here . 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 use of those funds is not expected, nor is the kicker money expected to be returned to taxpayers. More information on potential kicker distribution amounts will be provided during the Feb. 22 Revenue Forecast. 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. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt The League has provided testimony in support of HB 2903 , to require Fish and Wildlife and State Lands to implement a program around Oregon’s marine reserves and new management areas. For more information on this issue, please review the Surfrider Foundation testimony . Department Of Environmental Quality The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission met February 9 and 10 , for a special meeting to interview the two DEQ Director position finalists (Leah Feldon and Jamie McLeod-Skinner). League members engage in this agency’s multiple missions and will be interested in the Commission’s decision. We will share results in our next report. Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) By Peggy Lynch The DOGAMI budget ( SB 5510 ) is up Feb. 15 with public testimony on Feb. 16. They have yet to provide an informational sheet, but see below info on policy option packages in the Governor’s budget: Package 101, MLRR ePermitting, has been approved in full (2 positions), Package 104, Consolidated Mining Permit Lead 0.75 FTE retained, and 0.25 FTE added, Package 106, Infrastructure Permit Support, has been approved in full, (2 positions), Package 107, Unpermitted Surface Mining Program, has been adjusted to provide two Limited Duration positions (half of original proposal request). Package 104 is a cost recovery position and paid for entirely by Paramount Gold Nevada (also known as the Calico Gold Mine project out of Vale, OR) under a budget line that is labeled Other Fund. Packages 101, 106, and 107 are General Fund Positions in 2023-25. Elliott State Research Forest By Peggy Lynch The Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Authority Provisional Board of Directors met February 8 in Roseburg. Here is the Elliott website for more information. It was the first meeting of the new Board—a group that will be responsible for our new Elliott State Research Forest Authority—a new Oregon public agency as of Jan. 1, 2024. Topics discussed included brief project updates, review of a draft 2023 Elliott Work Plan, and discussion of the roles and responsibilities of the Board. Meeting materials. Meeting video will be posted to the Department of State Lands YouTube channel and meeting notes are posted to DSL's Elliott website here . There is still much to be done. A contract needs to be written that will have OSU manage the Forest. We are still awaiting a clear financial plan, something LWVOR wants. The Shutter Creek facility is still being considered for the Forest, but again finances need to be clear. DSL is formally consulting with one of Oregon’s tribes on Feb. 23. DSL needs to decide to officially request the facility by March 1 and may have to pay for 12-months of maintenance (@ $30,000 per month) until all decisions are made about who owns what. The League did point out the importance of the Shutter Creek sewer system to the City of Lakeside. Lastly, the new public agency will need to go through the official state budget process in the 2024 legislative session. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch The Dept. of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) Governor’s Budget bill ( HB 5027 ) will be up for a hearing Feb. 13 with public testimony Feb. 14. The Governor invests heavily in the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis program (See HB 2889 below). But the wildfire and climate positions, among others, are not in the Governor’s budget. SB 70 was heard Feb. 8 in the Senate Natural Resources . The bill amends the definition of high-value farmlands for residential rezoning of lands within the Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region from SB 16 (2021). LWVOR opposed SB 16 due to conversion of EFU lands and the need for water and septic systems for rural housing; however, it did pass in 2021. Because Malheur County has concerns about implementing SB 16 EFU definitions, SB 70 has been filed this session. LWVOR provided testimony in opposition, continuing to focus on water quality and quantity. It is unclear whether SB 70 significantly changes a definition of high value farmland such that others might be able to apply to build on land in irrigation districts. More land requests are being considered by the Semiconductor Committee. Here is a KGW article on the land use requests. HB 2889 : Establishes Oregon Housing Needs Analysis within the Housing and Community Services Department. LWVOR supports . This is a Priority housing bill for LWVOR this session. We understand the bill will have amendments and may have another public hearing next week. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Radioactive Waste By Shirley Weathers The Oregon Department of Energy (ODOE) has indicated that it will publish its initial draft proposed rules after processing informal input from RAC members (deadline March 1) and will then convene an additional RAC meeting to review the draft rule language and outstanding policy issues sometime this spring. Recycling By Kathy Moyd The Right to Repair bill, SB 542 , was heard in Senate Energy and Environment (SEE) Feb. 9. We have written testimony in support. The remaining three “Zero Waste” bills related to polystyrene and plastics, SB 543 , SB 544 , and SB 545 , will be considered during a public hearing in the SEE Feb 14th. We are preparing written testimony. State Lands By Peggy Lynch HB 2238 would allow for rulemaking to increase fees related to removal or fill permit applications, wetland delineation reports and general authorizations. The League supports this work to more fairly fund the removal/fill program among users while keeping some costs for the public because these are public lands. Toxics By Paula Grisafi LWVOR is following SB 426 , the Toxics Free Schools bill. It has been assigned to Senate Education. We understand the hearing will be Feb. 23 and League testimony will support. Water By Peggy Lynch LWVOR has a statutory seat on the OHA’s Drinking Water Advisory Committee and we need a volunteer! HB 2813 , the Safe Drinking Water bill, was heard on Feb. 2. Here is the introductory presentation by Dylan Kruse of Sustainable Northwest and here is our testimony in support. The League also provided testimony in support of HB 3125 to create a new Ratepayer Fund to help low income people pay for sewer and water bills. The Oregon Water Resources Dept. (OWRD) provided their one-pager on the Governor’s Recommended Budget with the list of Policy Option Packages included. We will need to compare this document with the Agency Request Budget to determine what testimony LWVOR will provide when their budget is heard in Ways and Means. The League has participated in the past two Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) documents. That document is set to be updated again and OWRD is partnering with Oregon’s Kitchen Table (OKT) to provide outreach and engagement for the 2023 IWRS update. The League has been asked to reach out to our members. Here are opportunities: OWRD and OKT will hold two identical Zoom calls for this discussion. If you are interested, please register for the one time slot that works best for your schedule, using the links below. February 21 at 2:00-3:00 pm https://bit.ly/Feb21OKT February 23 at 9:00-10:00 am https://bit.ly/Feb23OKT We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms. “When in doubt, stay out.” We will review HB 2647 , a bill that declares harmful algal blooms to be a menace to public health and welfare. The bill is set to be heard in the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water on Feb. 16. 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. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The League monitored the Senate Natural Resources February 6 public hearing on SB 82 , which prohibits insurance companies from using statewide map of wildfire risk as the basis for canceling policy or increasing premium, and SB 509 , which requires the Oregon Department of Forestry to study community-based programs for reducing wildfire risk, among other things, and would declare an emergency upon passage so that grant funding and other program items can begin immediately. See Meeting materials . LWVOR provided testimony in support of the -1 amendment while expecting more amendments to continue to improve the bill. The updated January 2023 Annual Report of the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council was referenced as an extremely valuable and informative publication repeatedly throughout the hearing on SB 509. An additional SB 505-1 scheduled Public Hearing was delayed due to time constraint. It directs the Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt wildfire hazard mitigation building code standards that apply to new dwellings and the accessory structures of dwellings. In a new study ( source ), we found a 246% increase in the number of homes and structures destroyed by wildfires in the contiguous Western U.S. between the past two decades, 1999-2009 and 2010-2020. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Above you can see the names of League volunteers who covered one or more issues. Volunteers are needed. What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. The 2023 legislative session is at hand with over 2,000 bills already filed. Help! Natural Resource Agency Boards and Commissions meet regularly 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 All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 5/1 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Air Quality Budget/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Elliott State Research Forest Hanford Cleanup Land Use/Housing Recycling Toxics Water Wildfire By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team The House voted out two of the session’s contentious bills: HB 2002 related to health care and HB 2005 related to gun safety. They now head to the Senate where a walkout on May 3 has delayed voting on these bills. Agency budgets are moving to chambers for a vote. Policy bills had a May 5 Work Session scheduling deadline (but the bills have until May 19 to be “worked”). Now we wait for the May 17 Revenue Forecast. There are, of course, a slew of bills awaiting funding decisions in Ways and Means. Air Quality LWVOR joined with others in support of HB 3229 . The bill would modify federal air quality (Title V) operating permit program fees. The bill sits in Ways and Means without recommendation. SB 488 A , relating to the Covanta medical waste incinerator, sits in Ways and Means. Budgets/Revenue HB 5008 , the budget bill for the Columbia River Gorge Commission, was worked on May 3. Here is the LFO recommendation. A climate change position that would help implement the Climate Plan adopted by the Commission has been funded by the State of Washington but not Oregon—yet. Another reason to hope for a good Revenue Forecast! The Oregon Dept. of Energy budget, HB 5016 , with its LFO recommendation, was also worked. Then on May 4, the Dept. of State Lands budget, HB 5037 , provided one of the better natural resource agency recommendation s . All three budgets should be seen in Full W&Ms next week. Last week’s budgets were considered in Full Ways and Means on May 5. Later that day, HB 5030 , the Lottery Bonds projects budget bill had a public hearing in the Capital Construction Subcommittee. Like the General Obligation Bond bill, expect additions to the current list in this bill. A reminder: in March we learned of the state’s bonding capacity : General Fund debt capacity results in $1.94 billion issuance for each biennium, or $969 million annually ($320 million greater than 2021-23). Lottery bonds: The State’s Lottery Revenue debt issuance capacity is $506.4 million in each biennium or $253.2 million annually over the forecast period ($9 million decline from 2021-23). We await the May 17 Revenue Forecast that will be the guide for the final 2023-25 balanced budgets. From former State Senator Rick Metzger on the upcoming Revenue Forecast: “The decision is critical. It can lead to important programs unnecessarily being placed on the chopping block, or funding new initiatives that will not prove sustainable. The figure has significant consequences.” Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency Report for overlaps. We encourage you to read both. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch We continue to await a new proposed amendment for HB 3382 . We truly believe this bill is a serious threat to our coastal planning and could reduce or remove the opportunity for future coastal NOAA grants. If an amendment is provided, we expect that it will not “blow up” the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), is within the land use program--just a minor new change related to Goal 16, that NOAA must unofficially sign off on the idea and the other state agencies (DLCD, DSL & ODFW--and maybe DEQ) are accepting of the concept. We understand that the local tribe wants "no net loss of eel grass". We need your voices to tell your legislators to Just Say NO if these factors are not part of any amendment. The local LWV Coos County has been doing an update and study of their local Port: The International Port of Coos Bay. You might want to watch a 44-minute video of a recent history of activities around the Port: Study of International Port of Coos Bay | MyLO (lwv.org) . On April 20, the Land Conservation and Development Commission unanimously adopted an amendment to the Rocky Habitat Management Strategy , Part Three of the Oregon Territorial Sea Plan (TSP). The decision added six new management areas that reflect needs of the communities that proposed them. Rocky Habitat Management Areas focus on balancing use and conservation through the enhancement of visitor experiences with education and interpretation to limit wildlife disturbance and habitat degradation. HB 2903 A , funding continuing work on marine reserves, is in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . Columbia River Treaty Here is an update on the April 19 Listening Session about the Columbia River Treaty, including a recording . U.S. Government representatives' written remarks are at the top of the meeting: https://www.state.gov/columbia-river-treaty/ . Send comments or questions: ColumbiaRiverTreaty@state.gov . Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) SB 835 A , as amended, would require DEQ to adopt rules to clarify when a single septic system can be used for both a primary residence and an ADU. It sits in Ways and Means. LWVOR provided testimony with concerns addressed by the amendment. Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries The League provided testimony on HB 220 and testimony on SB 221 , two bills addressing a new e-permitting system and how the new system should be funded. Both are in W&Ms. Dept. of State Lands HB 2238 , originally filed to provide permission for robust rulemaking to increase fees for the removal/fill program is back! The bill was amended in the House to remove the fee increase and instead allows the Dept. of State Lands to get rid of personal property collected during clean up of DSL-owned property after 30 days. A new amendment was filed to bring back the original purpose of the bill. The League continues to support . Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch Another Prospective Board meeting was held May 2 (the agenda ). Members struggled with how to respond to feedback from federal agencies that more protection is needed for the marbled murrelet in the proposed Habitat Conservation Plan, which would reduce the areas where logging was going to be allowed. That reduction causes an increasing gap between projected revenue and expenses as projected by OSU. The League has consistently raised this budget imbalance issue, since the OSU proposal was considered. Oregonians don’t expect the Elliott to be over logged since they helped create this new ESRF. In another wrinkle, a local tribe has suggested that the entire mapping of the forest be scrapped and instead manage the entire forest in a manner once done by the tribes. Environmental groups would find this approach disconcerting since they have worked hard with all parties to balance the uses of the forest for competing interests and felt an agreement had been reached. The Board will meet again in June. Their website provides information. The League continues to remind the Board of our continuing concern related to financial viability and hopes the Board can resolve this issue. We will continue to monitor these Prospective Board meetings. Separately, the Shutter Creek former Oregon Dept. of Corrections facility is being transferred by the federal government to the Dept. of State Lands in anticipation of the property being the home of the ESRF. There is also discussion around a tribal role for the property. SB 161 will have a Work Session May 9 in the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water Committee with a new proposed amendment, increasing a deadline for work being done on the transfer of the Elliott to the new Authority to Dec. 31, 2023. The bill adjusts some timelines as provided by the Dept. of State Lands’ April 25 testimony . Hanford Cleanup Board The Oregon Hanford Cleanup Board will hold a virtual meeting on May 9, beginning at 10 a.m. and concluding after the public comment periodnat approximately 2:15 that afternoon. Public participation is welcomed and encouraged. See a full meeting agenda , which includes information on how to participate, with other meeting materials. Land Use/Housing By Peggy Lynch A new land use “expand into farmland” bill, SB 1096 , has been filed by Senators Meek and Anderson and referred to Senate Rules. The bill, similar to SB 1051 which the League vigorously opposed and we hoped had died, is now a topic of discussion. It continues the false narrative that simply adding land to urban growth boundaries will solve Oregon's housing crises. Many surveys and studies have shown we have enough land zoned for residential use inside our UGBs - including thousands of acres recently added to UGBs - that are sitting empty because they need infrastructure investment. The bill puts at risk urban reserve planning and wildlife protections, increases the potential for development in high wildfire risk areas, exacerbates climate change through creating more impervious surfaces and housing farther away from core areas, and more. HB 3620 is an equally concerning bill. It authorizes certain cities with a demonstrated need for housing to add land to their urban growth boundary upon meeting certain conditions. It also amends principles that the Land Conservation and Development Commission must consider in adopting rules regulating urban reserves. And another: HB 3616 would allow owners of property outside an urban growth boundary to site additional dwelling on property for occupancy by an owner’s relative. Just another way to add more housing outside areas intended for housing and breaking our land use planning program. No new news on SB 1087 , filed on behalf of a farm in Lane County where they want to add a “café” (with seating for 250-300 people) on their Exclusive Farm Use (EFU)-zoned property. The League opposes this overreach of our land use program. The bill is in Senate Rules and could be scheduled for a Work Session at any time; not as of May 3. A public hearing was held in House Housing and Homelessness on SB 1013 . The League has worked with the sponsor and Sen. Hayden to assure that, should a recreational vehicle be allowed on a rural property, sewage and clean drinking water issues would be addressed by the counties. A -2 amendment is being offered to change that counties “may” adopt this law vs. “shall”. As of May 5, a possible May 11 Work Session is scheduled. It would die if not held. HB 3442 A will allow coastal communities to develop in hazard areas under certain conditions, with a May 15 Work Session in Senate Housing and Development. The amended bill responded to League concerns on the original bill. HB 3414 would create a new Housing Accountability and Production Office in DLCD and also includes a Section 2 related to processing of variances under certain circumstances. Variances are used to address exceptions to a code’s “clear and objective standards”. It is unclear how this provision will change a community’s control over residential development. The bill was moved without passage recommendation and referred to House Rules. The League understands that a new amendment may be offered to address at least some of our concerns with Section 2. SB 70A would allow housing on acreage in Malheur County. The League provided testimony in opposition on Feb. 8. On April 3, the bill was moved without passage recommendation to Senate Rules. LWVOR still opposes it. HB 2983 A would help with manufactured housing and housing parks, in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . See the Housing Report in the Social Policy section. Reduce/Recycle By Kathy Moyd/Greg Martin On April 25, the Senate voted 26-3 to refer SB 542 A (Right to Repair) to House Rules. There it will sit until more amendments are made or until there are enough votes to pass in the full Senate. The League provided testimony in support on Feb. 14. Toxics By Paula Grisafi HB 3043 A had a public hearing May 4 in Senate Energy and Environment, The bill revises provisions relating to chemicals in children’s products. SB 546 A (toxic free cosmetics) was sent to W&Ms although there was NO fiscal for the 2023-25 session because, although the measure takes effect January 1, 2024, all substantive portions of the bill are not operative until January 1, 2027. SB 426 A (toxic free schools) was sent to W&Ms without clarity on the fiscal impact. The bill’s advocates are working to assure that the fiscal impact statement is not over inflated by agency staff. Water By Peggy Lynch A major water bill, HB 3124 , was moved to House Rules without passage recommendation. The bill is a $250 million Drought Relief and Water Scarcity package and includes some of the other bills we’ve seen this session. The League provided comments , including a list of our priorities, using our participation in the HB 5006 Work Group as our guide. HB 3163 A is a League priority. It renews the Place-Based Planning program with a Fund to help groups participate in this program and was sent to W&Ms. The League participated in a Work Group last year to help develop program sideboards and provided testimony in support. HB 3100 A , a bill addressing the Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS), is in Ways and Means. The League provided testimony when the bill had its public hearing. Then we worked behind the scenes to provide guidance as the IWRS is updated and we support the bill. HB 3207 A , related to domestic well testing and data collection, is in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . HB 2813 A creates a grant program to protect drinking water sources, is in W&Ms. LWVOR supports . HB 3125 would create a Ratepayer Assistance Fund to help low income people pay for sewer and water bills, is in Ways and Means. LWVOR supports . 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. The League supports HB 2647 A to continue to address this public health issue. It sits in Ways and Means. We have an on-going drought in many parts of Oregon and League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Oregon’s climatologist and a variety of other Oregon scientific sources provide input into the drought map. Governor Kotek has signed drought declarations under ORS 536 for the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco and Harney counties. Lake County has now requested a drought declaration. In addition, many counties in eastern and southern Oregon have received Secretarial Disaster Designations from the US Department of Agriculture due to drought conditions. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The Wildfire Programs Advisory Council (WPAC) met on April 14. Doug Grafe, the Governor’s Wildfire and Emergency Response Advisor, shared presentations he and Mark Bennett, WPAC Chair, have been sharing with House and Senate Committees to educate and compel them to fund the needed activities for wildfire mitigation and response. This included an update to the Council on current status of various wildfire related bills in the legislature and their financial state as known so far. Director Grafe followed this with a report on two meetings held recently with National wildfire groups. The first, hosted by WPAC in Klamath Falls, was a meeting of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council . WPAC member John O’Keefe and Chief Ruiz-Temple of the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office are members of this body, which includes a wide array of agencies including EPA, DEQ, and others. The second was a meeting of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission , which is part of the US Department of Agriculture. This is a 52-member body on which Chief Ruiz-Temple and John O’Keefe also serve. This group will be reporting to Congress and making recommendations. Director Grafe was clearly proud of the fact that Oregon is “on the map”, so to speak, in the wildfire programs space, and is looked to as a leader. (And rightfully so!) Mark Bennett led the Council through discussions on various topics: future engagement with the legislature regarding funding, particularly for Community Wildfire Risk Reduction programs, and the public process for getting more holistic and broad-based input into the current mapping process, especially meetings with county officials, a step which was neglected during the creation of the first map. It is a widely held belief that the first map, associated with SB 762 (2021), the original Wildfire Bill, was plagued by this lack of public input and there is a strong desire to “do it right” this time around. Finally, there was a discussion of the map risk categories which are currently Extreme, High, Moderate and Low. Lastly, May is Wildfire Awareness Month and is a great time for us all to refocus on what we can do to help keep ourselves and our neighbors safe. A couple of interesting articles have been published recently, a. public awareness campaign for the Wildfire Awareness Month activities and a second article discusses the passage of SB 82 in delta land what it means for homeowners insurance policies with regard to wildfire risk and related rate increases and cancellations. On May 3, Jim Wallmann, U.S. Forest Service meteorologist at the National Interagency Coordination Center (NICC) issued their first Western wildfire season forecast. The Western wildfire season could start late at middle and high elevations thanks to the unusually wet winter, but forecasters say the bigger concerns are rangeland at lower elevations. Fire season could be pushed back a bit, by a couple weeks at higher elevations. That would occur if the rest of spring brings conditions close to normal. Trees at middle and high elevations will hold moisture later into the season as a result of the above-normal winter snow and rain. The bigger concern is lower elevation--referring to the rangeland. Wet conditions and above-normal soil moisture “contribute to a lot more grass growth,” he said. That will result in “a higher and more continuous fuel bed in the lower elevations in grass and sage.” Fire risk at low elevations would jump when the fine fuels dry out in late June and early July. Senate Natural Resources passed HB 2522 A to the Senate floor on May 3, to create a committee to review and make recommendations related to rural fire districts and areas in Oregon where communities exist without structural fire protection. This bill seems a good first step to seeking resolution of these issues with so many of our rural areas dependent on volunteer firefighters and new small enclaves of housing in remote areas. The League provided testimony in support of funding for the Oregon Conservation Corps in HB 5025 , the omnibus Higher Education Coordinating Commission budget bill. The bill is in W&Ms. SB 80 A , the omnibus Wildfire Programs bill, is in W&Ms as is SB 509 A , which aims to scale out neighborhood collaboratives to help whole neighborhoods reduce risk. LWVOR provided support for SB 509 A. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. The 2023 legislative session is 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 All Legislative Reports Governance Internships Legislative Report - Week of 4/10 Governance Team Coordinator: Becky Gladstone and Chris Cobey Artificial Intelligence: Lindsey Washburn Campaign Finance Reform: Norman Turrill Conflicts of Interest/Legislative Ethics: Chris Cobey CEI - Critical Energy Infrastructure : Nikki Mandell and Laura Rogers Cybersecurity Privacy, Election Issues, Electronic Portal Advisory Board: Becky Gladstone Election Systems: Barbara Klein Emergency Preparedness: Cate Arnold Immigration, Refugee, and Asylum: Claudia Keith Redistricting: Norman Turrill, Chris Cobey State Audit Working Group: Sheila Golden Voting Rights of Incarcerated People: Marge Easley Jump to a topic: Cybersecurity and Public Records Rights of Incarcerated People Redistricting Governance By Norman Turrill, Governance Coordinator, and Team Privacy, Transparency, Public Records, and Cybersecurity By Rebecca Gladstone Bills are appearing fresh here, including some we missed in the first chamber. These are complex issues meriting careful research, some with interestingly split votes: HB 2107 extends automatic voter registration via the OHA, Oregon Health Authority. We were sorry to see an amendment for a pending work session to cut the Powder River facility pilot project from the bill. HB 2129 : This communications transparency bill addresses executive session confidentiality, recording of confidential meetings, communications in the public interest and public records issues that relate to our SB 417 Task Force discussions. It passed from the House with broad support, public hearing rescheduled to Sen. Judiciary for April 20. SB 11 requires virtual public state meetings to record and promptly publicize recordings. This has strong bipartisan support for access and transparency. We will be looking for data retention cybersecurity guardrails. HB 2095 : This traffic-cams-in-cities bill passed from the House 35 to 20, awaiting Senate floor 2 nd reading. HB 3127 A : No hearing is set yet for this “TikTok bill”, referred to Sen. Vets, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs. It prohibits installing or downloading certain “covered products” onto state information technology assets. It passed 52 to 4 from the House floor, not on strictly partisan lines. (Reminder, this will not apply to other users.) HB 5035 : We noted 100 filed statements, most very brief, many openly responding to a request for Corporate Division funding support. The League, Common Cause, The Oregon Association of County Clerks, and the Attorney General submitted on other aspects of the bill. See Lobbying email from Oregon Secretary of State’s office raises eyebrows in Salem . We support this SoS budget bill ( our testimony ). SB 510 : This SB 417 funding bill was voted all ayes, with two excused from JW&Ms on April 7, with a Do Pass recommendation. It would improve efficiency, cost estimates and budgeting, and sustainable funding for the PRAC. See our testimony in support . SB 417 : The Task Force appointed at Sen. Rules’ Chair Lieber’s request after the Feb 7 public hearing, continues to meet weekly, hoping to conclude soon to propose an amendment. This phrase is an example from the bill: “(D) Whether waiving or substantially reducing fees would create an articulable and substantial burden on the public body in a manner that outweighs the public interest in disclosure….” We support this detailed PRAC bill to increase efficiency in processing public records requests, considering fee waivers, defining “media”, waiving records request fees when made in the public interest, and considering malicious intent in placing requests; see our testimony . SB 166 passed on a 2/3 not strictly partisan vote from the Senate Floor on April 6 and was referred to House Rules. This bill is not promising for the multiple concerns that we recommended be addressed in our testimony . This three-part bill would codify that actual voting on ballots is not revealed (never has been). It only addresses protecting elections workers, offending substances shall not be thrown at them, and elections should have cybersecurity plans. We recommend further amending, citing extensive references to our earlier relevant testimony. Technical harassment definitions should be expanded, as we note, for example to doxing, with extensive privacy issues, and extended to protect all involved in elections, even voters, from harassment and intimidation, as reported last fall, OPB . We anticipate the value of having these protections in place before the 2024 elections. We link to our other testimony support for elections as critical infrastructure, for cybersecurity, and for protecting our cyber defense plans. SB 1073 passed in a Senate Information Mgmt. and Tech. WS, April 5, was referred to W&Ms with a Do Pass recommendation, adopting the -3 amendment, which we support. Growing data management risks justify this bill to establish a state Chief Privacy Officer (CPO). This office in DAS would coordinate cybersecurity services with data governance and transparency / privacy concerns, would set rules, develop and share educational materials and forums. We again recommend reading our privacy and cybersecurity work. We support the networking for state agency CPOs and others around the state. Rights of Incarcerated People By Marge Easley After passing the Senate, SB 529 had a public hearing in House Judiciary on March 27 and was scheduled for a work session on April 12. The bill modifies legislative findings concerning alternative incarceration programs related to substance abuse. It requires that intensive addiction programs for incarcerated individuals address addiction as a chronic disease and include a range of treatment services. Redistricting There has been no movement on redistricting in the legislature. People Not Politicians has started collecting signatures on IP 14 petitions downloadable from its website. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. Worthy causes go unaddressed for lack of League volunteers. If you see a need and can offer your expertise, please contact our staff at lwvor@lwvor.org .

Jim joined the League of Women Voters of Oregon as Voter Newsletter Editor in 2023. Jim Buck Voter Newsletter Editor Jim joined the League of Women Voters of Oregon as Voter Newsletter Editor in 2023.

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/23 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: 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: Agriculture Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Forestry (ODF) Governance Land Use & Housing Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Recycling Regional Solutions Transportation Water Weather Wetlands Wildfire AGRICULTURE Sandra U. Bishop HB 4153 : Relating to farm stores. This bill would allow large stores in permanent structures on Exclusive Farm Use (EFU) zoned land and would allow for major expansion of agri-tourism. The bill did not address the problem of various counties interpreting the law in such a way that there are inconsistencies in what is allowed in different counties under the same statewide law. Two public hearings were held. Written testimony amounted to more than 1,000 submissions. A Work Session was held 2/17 in House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. The bill was moved out of committee (8-3) with a Do Pass with -3 amendments and referred to Ways and Means Committee. The – 3 amendments do not adequately address concerns brought up in League testimony . The League continues to oppose the bill. The Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee scheduled an Informational Meeting on farm store and farm stand regulations with invited speakers on 2/20. This informational meeting has been postponed twice and is currently scheduled for 2/24. Because bills moved to Ways and Means do not go to the second chamber policy committee, these informational presentations help members understand the policies being considered. One of the invited speakers is expected to be Alice Morrison, Co-Director of Friends of Family Farmers (presentation) . The League supports the sale of farm products at farm stands and maintaining agricultural land in Oregon primarily for agriculture use. 2/24 Informational Meeting on Farm Stand and Farm Store Regulations in Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee. HB 4130 : Relating to farm use . As introduced this measure would clarify the meaning of preparing farm products and by-products. No Work Session has been scheduled. The assumption is this bill is dead for this session; however, it does sit in House Revenue, a committee that stays open until close to the end of the session. BUDGETS/REVENUE Peggy Lynch See the Revenue section of this Legislative Report for in depth information. We encourage you to read ALL sections. The Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Natural Resources continues to receive reports as they grapple with balancing the budget. They focused on the Dept. of Environmental Quality on Feb. 18. HB 4144 A : Requires producers of batteries or battery-containing products to join a battery producer responsibility organization and implement a battery producer responsibility program for the collection and recycling of batteries. It has a Work Session in Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee Feb. 23. CLIMATE Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. COASTAL ISSUES Christine Moffitt SB 1525 would establish the Blue Economy Task Force to study and report on economic development plans or strategies for the “blue” (coastal) economy and opportunities for the state to nurture sustainable blue economy businesses while preserving and protecting Oregon’s coastal ecosystems. It would authorize the Oregon Ocean Science Trust (OOST) to create a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity to advance the trust’s mission. The trust has distributed $2 million in competitive grant funding for high-impact research projects, but more research is needed. The 501(c)(3) would serve as a dedicated fund-raising arm of the trust--“ technically clean, fiscally noncontroversial, and urgently needed .” The task force would sunset on 12/31/2027. The bill is starred for subsequent referral to Joint W&M. The League has been a continual supporter of the OOST. The committee voted unanimously to move SB 1525-3 to the Senate floor with prior referral to Joint Ways & Means. As amended, the bill would specify additional members of the task force including labor and tribal representatives. The bill would also authorize the Oregon Ocean Science Trust to create a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) entity to serve as a dedicated fund-raising arm of the trust. Note: The House has passed HB 4097 , as did the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire and sent this bill to the Senate floor. This bill would simply authorize creation of the tax-exempt entity. The bill was filed in case SB 1525 did not get out of Ways and Means. SB 5701 : Modifies previously approved lottery bonding provisions. (Includes monies for the Port of Coos Bay) Bond Authority. The bill was described as simply a correction/allocation issue. League members will follow up. Public Hearing Feb. 13 where the issue wasn’t raised. News Release : Draft Offshore Wind Energy Roadmap Available. The public may comment from February 17 – April 3, 2026. Public meetings are also scheduled for our south coast communities starting Feb. 25 th . The League provided Comments on HB 4080 in 2024. Public Access Rulemaking has begun to clarify how local governments will address protection of public access to Oregon beaches. Undersea Infrastructure and Easements in Oregon’s Territorial Sea Rulemaking begins Feb. 11. DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY (DEQ) HB 4102 : Modifies the authority of the Department of Environmental Quality to enter into agreements with regulated entities to expedite or enhance a regulatory process. It would allow DEQ to hire third-party contractors to expedite environmental permitting, as a response to DEQ’s sizable permitting backlog. Tech organizations and other advocates said the bill would speed up permitting for large projects and give businesses the certainty they need to grow jobs in Oregon. LWVOR opposed the bill in written testimony , expressing great concern about the use of outside contractors to perform important permitting work, especially if those contractors are paid by the regulated businesses. Multiple environmental organizations objected on the same grounds and pushed for sideboards to ensure that DEQ could identify qualified contractors and screen out those with conflicts of interest. Several committee members acknowledged these concerns and regretted that the tight deadlines of the short session prevented them from diving deeper into these issues. Other members suggested that agencies’ normal procurement practices would result in proper vetting of potential contractors, and this business-friendly bill was too important to delay. The committee essentially chose to punt these concerns to the Senate, assuming passage in the House, though the House would need to repass any amended bill. Bill passed the House. We appreciated Rep. Gamba’s statement on the House floor regarding …”the potential influence on a permitting process without further sideboards.” The bill has been assigned to Senate Energy and Environment with a Public Hearing Feb. 16 . An amendment has been posted that may address our concerns but goes well beyond our request as others also opposed the bill and the amendment may well also address their concerns as well. Senate E&E heard testimony on the proposed amendment, which essentially would replace the House-passed bill in an effort to ward off environmental opposition and win support from labor. Major provisions of the amendment would (1) require 3rd-party vendors to disclose potential conflicts of interest; (2) require permit applicants to report their history of compliance with environmental rules; and (3) specify labor standards relative to the employment of skilled Oregon workers on permitted construction projects. Labor groups that were neutral on the base bill strongly supported the amended bill, and some environmental witnesses said they could live with the -1. Much of the discussion was technical, centering on whether the bill's new language duplicates that of DEQ's existing contractual rules. Of interest, an Intel representative stated on the record that Oregon does “underfund our permitting agencies.” Work Session Feb. 23. FORESTRY (ODF) Josie Koehne The Board of Forestry is meeting March 4. News Release The following is a list of bills we will be watching and possibly commenting on: HB 4004 : Provides that additional taxes otherwise imposed upon disqualification of land from certain forestland special assessment programs may not be collected if the disqualification is due to the suspension of reforestation requirements as a result of insects or disease. The bill passed the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water after adoption of -11 amendments , -13 amendments and -14 amendments and sent to House Revenue where the – A 17 amendment was adopted and has been sent to the House floor. HB 4105 : Directs the State Forester to determine the available state forestland, establish sustainable harvest levels for harvesting timber on state forestland and manage available state forestland. Allows certain persons to seek a court order if the State Forester fails to establish sustainable harvest levels or manage available state forestland. Sponsors are working to reduce the fiscal impact in order to pass the bill this session. Look for amendments. The bill has a subsequent referral to Ways and Means. LWVOR opposed a version of this bill in 2025. Public Hearing Feb. 11. LWVOR testimony in opposition. Bill passed the Committee (10/1) and was sent to Ways and Means. SB 1590 A : Prohibits public bodies from assisting the federal government with privatization of certain federally owned lands. Bill was amended and moved to the Senate floor on a 3 to2 party line vote. Bill passed the Senate 17/11/2 on Feb. 19 and heads to the House Ag et al committee where there will be a Public Hearing on Feb. 23 and Work Session Feb. 25. GOVERNANCE Peggy Lynch The Natural Resources Team often follows bills related to permitting and rulemaking processes. Among the bills we are following: HB 4073 : Modifies provisions relating to administrative law. As with HB 2692 (2025), this bill creates burdensome and inefficient Administrative Rules Processes. LWVOR 2025 testimony . Public Hearing Feb. 10. The League signed on to a letter in opposition to the bill. HB 4019 : Requires certain agencies to base approval or denial of an application for a new permit on the rules and standards that are applicable at the time that the agency determines the application is complete. HB 4020 : Requires certain agencies to specify the authority justifying the denial of a permit application and provide the applicant a guide on how to contest the denial. Public hearing 2/03 -1 amendment was discussed and staff summary provided. LWVOR provided Comments . Work Session Feb. 12. Bill passed the Committee but was sent to Ways and Means due to potential fiscal concerns. The League appreciates recognition of agency costs to implement the bill. The -1 amendment was adopted. HB 4021 : Requires certain agencies to make adoption, amendment or repeal of administrative rules effective only on January 1, April 1, July 1 or October 1. Public Hearing Feb. 10. -2 amendment Work Session Feb. 17. The League’s concern is related to the need for rules to be adopted and implemented in a timely manner. If this bill passes, we will monitor that issue. The bill passed the Committee with the amendment, passed the House floor Feb. 20 and moves to the Senate Rules Committee. HB 4084 A : Establishes the Joint Permitting Council. The bill creates a fast-track permitting process for major projects, expand economic “enterprise zones,” and invest $40 million in industrial land site readiness to promote manufacturing. The Governor’s testimony on the bill at the Feb. 4 th Public Hearing. A -1 amendment was adopted. The bill passed the House Committee On Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade . Staff Measure Summary . The bill moved to House Revenue where an A -5 amendment will be considered. Public Hearing Feb. 16. The League does support the request for monies to help with site readiness while having concerns about the accelerated permitting. Both Wilsonville and Eugene provided testimony in support of such an allocation in the Feb. 13 hearing on SB 5702 . Work Session Feb. 19. A -14 amendment was adopted and the bill moved to Ways and Means. Rep. Reschke provided a number of amendments addressing a variety of issues, but he did not move them for consideration. Rep. Marsh shared that the Governor will be having conversations related to the role of data centers in Oregon and potential policies to be considered for further discussion in 2027. Rep. Smith’s comments on the effect of fast tracking permitting on school districts and others was a concern and he noted the $40 million in General Fund was a “drop in the bucket” regarding site readiness AND that money means less available for other needs this session. SB 1586 : Modifies the tax credit allowed for semiconductor research. Creates and amends certain programs offering tax breaks related to advanced manufacturing, enterprise zones and regionally significant industrial sites. Directs certain state agencies to establish deadlines within which the agency intends to process applications for permits and make the deadlines available to the public. Directs certain state agencies to publish a catalog of permits issued by the agency within 60 days after the effective date of the Act. This Oregonlive article provides a great review of the bill. The League OPPOSES . Public Hearing Feb. 16. -4 amendment was posted on Feb. 16. Public Hearing Feb. 18. Another Public Hearing Feb. 23. See the meeting materials posted in the Analysis section of the bill’s Overview for more information. We continue to expect further amendments. LAND USE & HOUSING Peggy Lynch Bills we are watching: HB 4035 : Expands eligibility for cities and Metro to amend their urban growth boundaries under a temporary program. Authorizes the Land Conservation and Development Commission to issue grants to implement the commission’s duties. The bill was filed after a Work Group conversation to consider reducing the sideboards from SB 1537 (2024) to expand UGBs. Presentation by Rep. Marsh. LWVOR engaged in SB 1537 and Work Group members have reached out during this process. Besides tightening up the use of exclusive farm land, we are concerned by the recommendation to expand the amount of acreage in HB 4035. -1 amendment . Public Hearing Feb. 5. Work Session Feb. 12. -3 amendment was adopted and the bill passed the committee to the House floor where it passed on Feb. 18 and is headed to the Senate Housing and Development where there is a Public Hearing and Possible Work Session Feb. 24. HB 4082 : Adds to a temporary UGB addition program an option for each city or Metro to also add to its urban growth boundary a site for manufactured dwelling parks, or for housing for older persons, that is affordable for households with incomes not more than 120 percent of area median income. Public Hearing Feb. 3. Work Session Feb. 10 where -2 amendment was adopted. This Oregonlive article explains the conversation around this bill. The League has stayed silent, seeing both sides of the discussion. IF the bill passes, we will monitor its effectiveness as cities consider implementation. Feb. 17: Bill passed the House. Headed to the Senate Housing and Development. where there is a Public Hearing and Possible Work Session Feb. 24. SB 1586 : Modifies the tax credit allowed for semiconductor research. Creates and amends certain programs offering tax breaks related to advanced manufacturing, enterprise zones and regionally significant industrial sites. Adds rural reserves in Washington County to Metro to be used for high technology and advanced manufacturing purposes. See more on this omnibus bill in the Revenue Legislative Report. The League has major concerns about sections of this bill. Oregonlive article provides a great review of the bill. The League submitted strong testimony in opposition. Public Hearing Feb. 16. -4 amendment was posted on Feb. 16. Public Hearing Feb. 18. Another Public Hearing Feb. 23. See the meeting materials posted in the Analysis section of the bill’s Overview for more information and look for possible additional amendments. HB 4108 : Requires a city to annex noncontiguous land upon receipt of a petition from all owners of the land that satisfies four eligibility criteria. Public Hearing held Feb. 3. Work Session Feb. 12. The League supports the concept of this bill as good planning with the -1 amendment . A -2 amendment was adopted limiting this policy as a “pilot project” for the City of Eugene. We are disappointed that the bill was narrowed, but glad to see some movement on this important land use issue. The bill passed the House on Feb. 18 and heads to the Senate Housing and Development for a Public Hearing and Possible Work Session on Feb. 26 where a -A 4 amendment will be considered. The 2025-27 Policy Agenda 2025-27 Policy Agenda was approved by LCDC on Oct. 24. There will be seven rulemakings on Housing alone, including: Housing Rulemaking for HB 2138 and HB 2258 (2025) and ( Rulemaking to clarify and allow housing and other needed development outside of wetlands. The rulemaking would create an optional, alternative compliance pathway for wetlands resources when a city is preparing to annex lands from the urban growth boundary (UGB) to accommodate needed housing and economic development. See their Rulemaking page for more info on all the rules work being done by this agency. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. OREGON DEPT. OF FISH AND WILDLIFE (ODFW) Melanie Moon HB 4134 is a bipartisan bill that would increase the state tax from 1.5% to 2.75% for transient visitors to Oregon including camping, hotels and vacation rentals. This 1.25% increase has the potential to raise tens of millions of dollars urgently needed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to protect hundreds of imperiled species and the habitat that supports them. As an added benefit, this investment in wildlife and habitat would help protect clean drinking water and provide protection from drought and wildfires. LWVOR signed on to a letter in support . High Country News provides an article on this bill. Public Hearing Feb. 4 . The Oregon Capital Chronicle also covered this bill. Work Session Feb. 16 in House Revenue. -1 amendment adopted and the bill moves to the House floor with 6-1 vote with a vote potentially on Feb. 23. RECYCLING HB 4144 A : Requires producers of batteries or battery-containing products to join a battery producer responsibility organization and implement a battery producer responsibility program for the collection and recycling of batteries. Public Hearing Feb. 2. Work Session Feb. 12 where the bill was amended and unanimously voted to move to Ways and Means due to the fiscal impact statement . Work Session in Ways and Means Natural Resources Subcommittee Feb. 23. The League has supported the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act and it has been upheld by judicial action . The federal district court of Oregon dismissed multiple claims against the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality last Friday in a lawsuit challenging the state’s Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act. The act remains in effect. The two remaining claims in the lawsuit will be decided in a trial in July. The court issued a narrow injunction that temporarily pauses DEQ enforcement of the act against producers who are members of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. Under the Recycling Modernization Act, producers of packaging materials are required to pay fees to help cover the cost of those materials to Oregon’s recycling system, and fund improvements to modernize and expand recycling opportunities for Oregonians. These fees are collected by a non-profit producer responsibility organization charged with implementing the act under DEQ’s oversight. However, businesses have concerns per this OPB article . Jefferson Public Radio reports on the start of this important program. REGIONAL SOLUTIONS The Regional Solutions Program : Within each of the 11 Regions, which are tied to Oregon’s federally designated Economic Development Districts, a Governor-appointed Advisory Committee sets Regional Priorities and a cross-functional Team of state agency staff works together to move projects forward. To receive their reports, use this signup page . The public is welcome to attend virtually or in person. Go to the program website and to the region to find the agendas and meeting materials posted a few days before the meetings. Public Comment is usually scheduled. Upcoming Regional Solutions Advisory Committee (RSAC) Meetings: Regional Solutions: Greater Eastern (Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, and Wheeler Counties) March 10th from 2:00-4:00pm Mid-Valley (Marion, Polk, and Yamhill Counties) March 12th from 1:30-3:30pm Northeast (Baker, Union, and Wallowa Counties) March 13th from 2:00-4:00pm Southern (Jackson and Josephine Counties) March 25th from 12:00-2:00pm South Valley/Mid-Coast (Benton, Lane, Lincoln, and Linn Counties) March 26th from 1:00-3:00pm TRANSPORTATION (ODOT) Bills we are watching: SB 1599 : Moves the election date for the parts of chapter 1, Oregon Laws 2025 (special session), referred to the people by Referendum Petition 2026-302 , to the primary election held on May 19, 2026. Bill was assigned to the new Joint Special Committee On Referendum Petition 2026-302 . Public Hearing Feb. 9. Work Session Feb. 12. -2 amendment adopted and bill passed the committee on a party line vote. Headed first to the Senate floor and then House chamber. The bill must pass both and be signed by the Governor by Feb. 25 to make the ballot. The minority party intends to use all means, including court action, to get this to the ballot in November instead of the May primary. On Feb. 18, the bill was set for a vote on the Senate floor but the Senate Republicans chose not to appear so a quorum was not present and the Senate gaveled out for the day. Oregon lawmakers need a two-thirds majority of members present to deliberate and act on bills. In the Oregon Senate that means it needs at least 20 members present. The House needs 40 representatives out of 60 to be present. On Feb. 20 the bill was carried over to Feb. 23. Because of the need to have the bill signed by Feb. 25, it is likely that this bill is dead and the referendum will be on the Nov. ballot. But we will continue to monitor. SB 1542 : Measure What We Drive: Performance-based scoring system to allocate road project funding, to include safety, climate and emissions. Annual Report Card. (Senate Transportation Committee) Informational meeting held Feb. 2. Public Hearing and Work Session set for Feb. 16. -2 amendment posted. Bill died in committee. SB 1543 : Guardrails for Good Governance: Adopt a transportation debt management policy with better transparency. Broaden representation on the Oregon Transportation Commission. (Senate Transportation Committee) Informational meeting held Feb. 2. Public Hearing and Work Session set for Feb. 16. Both a -3 amendment and a -5 amendment have been posted. Bill died in committee. HB 4126 : Get the Data for a Better Road User Charge (RUC): Require ODOT to report the total biennial cost of maintenance and preservation for the state’s road system, and to report the total mileage driven. This data could later be used to calculate the RUC. Public Hearing and Work Session set for Feb. 16. -2 amendment was adopted and the Committee moved the bill to Ways and Means. Fiscal Impact Statement HB 4008 : Transit Funding Task Force To determine the level of funding needed to maintain adequate transit service statewide and explore funding mechanisms to achieve that funding. (House Transportation Committee) The League supports. Public Hearing and Work Session Feb. 16 -5 amendment adopted 5/2 and bill was sent to Ways and Means. Fiscal Impact Statement : if the work required by this task force, or if the cumulative enactment of other legislation with interim committees and task forces exceeds Legislative Fiscal Office expenditure levels beyond those assumed in the 2025-27 budget, additional General Fund resources may be required. A press release from ODOT on Jan. 14 reports: Impacts of Funding Gap Isn’t Addressed. In the upcoming short session, legislators will be looking at a $297 million funding target to support ODOT’s operations beyond June 30, 2027. Without new resources for the current budget cycle, the agency estimates it would need to reduce its workforce by more than 1,000 positions, including eliminating 570 vacant positions and laying off approximately 470 current employees. KATU reminds Oregonians of the need for road maintenance. OPB reports on the Feb. 10 th ODOT presentation to the Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Transportation and Economic Development . Move Oregon Forward, a coalition of progressive groups, has offered a “ cheat sheet ” to legislators that includes options that weren’t included in ODOT’s proposal on Tuesday. The Oregon Capital Chronicle followed up with an article on Feb. 12. From Rep. Gomberg’s Feb. 16 newsletter: The first two options presented reduced spending by eliminating vacant positions or further reducing the workforce. Tier 1: $70 million No layoffs Losing 138 positions means permanent loss of institutional knowledge, expertise, and service staff. Project delays Fewer customer service reps at DMV Contract execution delays IT project and security risks Less reporting and oversight responsiveness Tier 2: $70 million 71 layoffs Eliminating 279 vacancies. In addition to the 138 lost in Tier 1 and laying off 71 employees means state-wide service reductions Less plowing, sanding, de-icing Unplanned DMV office closures: longer wait times at field offices, on phones, and for transaction processing Extended incident response time Delayed project delivery, increased costs. A second set of options included reductions in programs that support local improvements: Safe Routes to Schools helps fund sidewalks, bike paths, and crosswalks near schools. I t has awarded $110 million to 132 projects using HB 2017 dedicated funds. Connect Oregon invests in our ports, rail lines, and small airports.Since 2005, Connect Oregon has awarded $512 million to 240 projects. HB 2017 shifted funding away from lottery funds and created vehicle privilege tax Rail siding Dock improvements The Transportation Operating Fund supports passenger rail like AMTRAK, senior and disabled transportation, EV charging stations, and community paths. Funding source: Nonrefunded gas tax used in off-road equipment such as lawnmowers. Annual revenue: $20 million. Funds qualified usage: Senior and disabled transportation Non-State Highway Fund eligible programs in DMV such as REAL ID and Motor Voter Household Goods Movers Program Passenger Rail, Rail Safety, Federal grant matching for Passenger Rail EV Community Charging Program Innovative Mobility Program Community Paths Program A third set of options considers the delay of work on planned bridge repairs and highway projects. That might include work in Portland in the Rose Quarter or Abernethy Bridge, the Center Street Bridge in Salem, or dozens of rural and coastal bridges deemed less safe or seismically vulnerable. From ODOT press release : Learn more about our capital improvement plan for state and federally funded projects by visiting the draft 2027-2030 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, also known as the STIP, online open house . The online open house will be available through March 20. We may use your comments to make adjustments as we begin designing projects in the STIP. All comments will be included in the public comment record. This record will go to the Oregon Transportation Commission before they approve the final STIP in June. WATER Peggy Lynch Bills of concern: HB 4006 : Authorizes holders of certain Columbia River water rights to change the point of diversion or use the water right on land to which the right is not appurtenant, provided certain conditions are met. Public Hearing Feb. 9. Work Session Feb. 16. The League has concerns. The bill died in committee, but it is expected that interested parties will have conversations before 2027. HB 4049 : Directs the Water Resources Commission to encourage and approve voluntary agreements between ground water users in the Greater Harney Valley Groundwater Area of Concern to achieve reasonably stable ground water levels. -3 amendments posted. Public Hearing Feb. 4. Work Session Feb. 16. The League understands that Rep. Owens and the Governor’s Office are in negotiations. It is unclear if this bill is really needed to address the representative’s concerns. The -3 amendments were adopted and the bill was moved to Ways and Means. League members may want to check the U. S. Drought Monitor , a map that is updated every Thursday. Governor Kotek has declared a drought in eight counties ( map ) . Here is a more complete website about drought in Oregon. We all need to pay attention to the potential for harmful algal blooms ( HABs) . “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. Information on current advisories can be found on the OHA’s cyanobacteria bloom webpage at healthoregon.org/hab . The OHA has an online photo gallery to help community members identify signs of potentially harmful blooms. The League was concerned about the number of times during bill hearings on drinking water systems that potential algae blooms were mentioned. Our continuing warming water is not only bad for fish but for us humans! WEATHER Scientists are issuing a Dire Warning about lack of snowpack per this Oregonlive article : According to state climatologist Larry O’Neill, January was the fifth warmest and fifth driest on record across Oregon. Oregon depends on our natural water reservoirs—our mountain snowpack—for summer water. We may all wish for more rain this spring and summer! WETLANDS Peggy Lynch The next meeting of the Wetlands Rulemaking RAC, originally planned for February 23, 2026) will be postponed until later in the spring. Please stay tuned for a new meeting date after the close of the 2026 legislative session. DLCD’s rulemaking webpage. WILDFIRE Carolyn Mayers The League continued to follow the progress of several wildfire-related bills. SB 1541 , the Climate Superfund bill which would provide, among other things, funding toward wildfire mitigation and disaster recovery, was sent to the floor, after adopting the -2 amendment , with a do pass recommendation and referral to Ways and Means by prior reference. The vote was split along party lines, 3-2. SB 1551 , after adopting the -1 amendment , sending it to the floor with a do-pass recommendation with a unanimous vote. This bill would invalidate deed restrictions and planned community governing documents prohibiting the removal of non-fire-hardened building materials or installation of fire-hardened building materials on residential properties. Feb. 19: Passed the Senate and headed to the House Housing Committee for a Public Hearing on Feb. 24 and Possible Work Session Feb. 26. SB 1540 endeavors to align insurance company wildfire risk assessment with homeowner and community level mitigation efforts in an attempt to help address the rising cost of homeowners insurance. The Public Hearing covered the similarity of this bill with a bill recently passed by the Colorado legislature and one before the Washington legislature. It became apparent there was still work to be done to get all the involved parties to where they could support the bill. A Work Session was held by the same committee on February 12, where those differences seemed to have been at least partially worked out, but with hesitation still expressed by some in the insurance industry. Agreement was reached that the bill could be worked further in the Rules Committee, a path that was arrived at after much discussion and a brief recess. In spite of some committee members’ apparent uneasiness with the process, the bill was advanced, after adopting the -4 amendment , with a do pass recommendation and a request for a referral to Rules. Being sent to Rules keeps the bill alive for now but also means that the policy is not ripe OR there are not the votes to move the bill on the Senate floor. We’ll watch to see if the bill gets another hearing. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Natural Resources? You can help. Volunteers are needed. We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning • Air Quality (Dept. of Environmental Quality) • Columbia River Gorge Commission • Hanford Cleanup • Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife • Parks and Recreation Dept. • Recycling/Materials Management (Dept. of Environmental Quality) • Toxic Control Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Revenue , Governance , and Social Policy report sections.

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Legislative Report - Week of 2/13 Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Housing Criminal Justice Gun Safety Immigration/Refugees and other Basic Rights Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Governor Kotek has underscored the need to address the state’s housing emergency, and the legislature is coalescing around bills to serve communities around the state in sheltering the unhoused, providing low- and extremely low-income housing, and serving those experiencing economic inequality. HB 2889 – Oregon Housing Needs Analysis in OHCS This bill proposes to locate the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) within Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to advance comprehensive reforms to the state’s land use planning systems. The goal is to pave the way to increase housing production and enhance flexibility in housing choice and location. With state guidance, local communities must address disparities in housing outcomes with an emphasis on housing those most in need. This bill is moving forward in the Governor’s Recommended Budget for OHCS, as of February 6, 2023. LWVOR submitted testimony in support of this bill. HB 3010 – Mortgage Interest Deduction This bill would limit the mortgage interest deduction on personal income taxes available to high earners and on second homes. The resulting increase in state revenue would be deposited in a First-Time Home Buyer Account administered by Oregon Housing and Community Services. The bill calls for creation of a Task Force on First-Time Ownership that would report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by Sept. 2024. The bill has been referred to the Housing and Homelessness subcommittee with a subsequent referral to Tax Expenditures. SB 611 – Reasonable Rent This bill would increase relocation assistance in landlord-based no fault evictions. In addition, it would limit annual rent increases to 3% plus consumer price index, or 8%, whichever is lower. It extends protections to tenants of all buildings more than 3 years-old. Buildings up to 15 years-old currently are exempt. SB 611 is a priority bill of the Housing Alliance, of which LWVOR is a member. On 1/15/2023, it was referred to Senate Housing and Development. HB 2001 – Oregon Housing and Community Services Governor’s Budget The House Committee on Housing and Homelessness has proposed an amendment to OHCS’s budget. Amendment-1 would require OHCS to study issues related to housing and report back to the Interim Committee of the Legislative Assembly related to housing by September 15, 2024. The amendment replaces the measure in six key areas summarized below. HB 2001-1 Proposed Amendment and Staff member document summary . · Homelessness Emergency . Declares homelessness as a statewide emergency in Oregon, and applies provisions of Executive Order 23-02, issued by the Governor on January 10, 2023, to the entire state. · Youth Homelessness . Expands the use of the Emergency Housing Account funds to include services and assistance to school-aged children or their families who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of experiencing homelessness. Allows the Housing and Community Services Department to award grants to organizations that provide evidence-based services for youth experiencing homelessness in underserved areas. · Termination of Residential Tenancy for Nonpayment . Extends, for residential tenancies, a 72-hour timeline for issuance of notice of intention to terminate a rental agreement based on nonpayment to 10 days and extends the 144-hour timeline to 13 days. · Modular Housing Funding . Allocates, for the biennium beginning July 1, 2023, $20 million in General Fund moneys to the Oregon Business Development Department to provide grants or loans to entities developing modular housing or related components, under advisement from a temporary advisory committee. Requires grant or loan recipients to prioritize, in order, disaster recovery, low-income, and middle- income housing construction. · Affordable Housing Predevelopment Grants. Allocates beginning July 1, 2023, $3 million in General Fund moneys to the Oregon Facilities Authority to provide financing or refinancing support for local governments or housing developers for infrastructure development and predevelopment costs for moderate income projects. A public hearing was held on February 14 by the House Committee on Housing and Homelessness. SB 599 - Child Care in Rental Homes This bill requires landlords to allow tenants to use their units for childcare purposes as long as the home is certified or registered with the Office of Child Care, the tenant has notified the landlord, and the home does not violate zoning regulations or an association’s governing documents. The childcare provider must carry liability insurance or parents must sign a liability waiver. Lack of access to childcare is a significant barrier for all parents, but particularly to women’s participation in the workforce. SB 599 removes one roadblock for tenants who provide childcare services in their homes. On 2/8/2023 the Housing and Development Committee recommended a do pass with amendments. On 2/14 it was carried over by unanimous consent. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley and Karen Nibler HB 3035 , which creates the crime of threatening a mass injury event, was heard in House Judiciary on February 13. The bill is the product of a work group convened by Rep. Courtney Neron in response to concerns about threats of violence in schools and other public settings. There is currently no law in Oregon that specifically addresses a threat of mass violence. If no loss of life occurs the crime would most likely be considered a lower-level Class B felony. This bill increases the penalty to a Class C felony, punishable by five years’ imprisonment, $125,000 fine, or both. The increased penalty allows for formal supervision and possible mental health treatment, firearm prohibition, and stricter release conditions. Juvenile offenders would be given special consideration and remain in the juvenile justice system. The League is also monitoring SB 763 , heard on February 14 in Senate Judiciary, which prohibits an employer, state agency, or licensing board to deny consideration to those who commit crimes as a juvenile. Senate Judiciary discussed SB 763 on access to juvenile records on February 14 and SB 519 on expunction of juvenile records on February 16. Both bills are in the revision process. SB 470 asks that the Oregon Health Authority request coverage of medical assistance to persons under 19 in juvenile detention facilities. The counties are responsible for medical care in county facilities, which can be very expensive. The Legislature passed SB 588 in 2017 to cover all kids below 300% of the federal poverty level, but there is an age gap under consideration. House Judiciary focused on crime victims and child advocacy centers last week. The Criminal Justice Commission and Department of Community Corrections were on this week. DOC reported a 28% decrease in law violations among the 21,000 adults on supervision in the community after the pandemic. HB 3194 granted short term transitional leave, 120 day early release, which has shown an improvement in recidivism rates. More information is available on the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission website. Public Safety W&Ms heard CJC reports on the Family Preservation Project at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. The CJC staff were optimistic about the positive effects on the women’s families. Gun Safety By Marge Easley A precedent-setting court ruling on February 15 regarding the status of two “Second Amendment Sanctuary” ordinances in Columbia County is receiving nationwide attention. The Oregon Appeals Court struck down the 2018 and 2020 ordinances, which had declared all state gun laws to be violations of the Second Amendment and would not be enforced. The ruling states that such ordinances are illegal, given that state law gives the Legislature the sole authority to regulate firearms. The League, along with many gun safety groups, have long awaited a ruling on the issue, which is sure to have repercussions across the country where these ordinances have been passed, including 16 Oregon counties. According to The Center Square , “as of June 2021 there were 1,930 counties protected by Second Amendment Sanctuary legislation at either the state or county level, representing 61% of 3,141 counties and county equivalents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.” Immigration/Refugees and other Basic Rights By Claudia Keith Support – Public Hearing Scheduled HB 2957 : Financial assistance to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status recipients for specified purposes. (>7M$). A large portion of the source funding is Federal ARPA funds. Rep Ruiz, House EC&HS Public Hearing is 2/22 HB 3176 Requires Dept HS and Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement, to award contracts to organizations to provide support services to immigrants and refugees. Appropriates moneys from the General Fund. Directs Office of Immigrant and Refugee Advancement to convene representatives from state agencies, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to coordinate policy recommendations. Representative Reynolds, Senator Jama, House ECHS then JW&M. Public Hearing 2/22 Bills moved from Policy Committee to JW&Ms: SB 627 : Funding for universal (legal) fees for non-documented individuals (15M$) Sen Lieber. Passed out of Sen Judiciary, DO Pass, Feb 7, sent to JW&Ms. The League has supported this policy / funding category in the past. Bills of Interest or possible League support: (Bills that have been posted to OLIS that may move forward via a committee public hearing. – an Incomplete list) Basic Needs SB 610 : Establishes Food for All Oregonians Program within Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (snap), unclear what the funding ask may be. Chief sponsors: Senator Campos, Representative Ruiz, Senator Manning Jr, Gorsek, Representative Bowman, Dexter, Gamba . Sen Human Services then to JW&M. May replace the ‘Workers Relief Fund’ . ‘Oregon Worker Relief measures impact in infrastructure’| Statesman Journal. SB 856 Establishes COFA Food Assistance Program to provide nutrition assistance to COFA citizens who would qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits but for their immigration status and who have incomes at or below federal poverty guidelines. Legislative Counsel has not adopted standards for drafting measures that establish exemptions from disclosure of public records. Chief Sponsor: Senator Meek, Patterson, Hansell. Posted to OLIS 2/7/23 Immigration SB 185 Requires the Department of Justice to study immigration in this state; may include legislation recommendations to the interim committees of the Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2024. Requested by Attorney General Rosenblum. In Sen Judiciary. Sunsets January 2, 2025. SB 603 : Establishes People's Housing Assistance Fund Demonstration Program, administered by Dept Human Services, to provide 12 monthly payments of $1,000 to individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, are severely rent burdened or earn at or below 60% of area median income. (Includes immigrant, and refugee status.) Starts with a PSU $250K study. A potential $500M program. Rep Pham K and Senator Campos, Sen Cmt on Housing and Dev, then JW&M. SB 849 requires professional licensing boards to provide culturally responsive training to specified staff members, publish guidance on pathways to professional authorization for internationally educated individuals and waive requirement for English proficiency examination for specified internationally educated individuals…. Sen L&B. Senator Jama, Dembrow, Frederick, Campos, Manning Jr, Woods, Representative Chaichi, Nguyen H . Other SB 613 : Creates Commission for Indigenous Communities. SB 216 Related to data collected by OHA. (Request of Governor Kate Brown for OHA).The Oregon Health Authority set a goal of eliminating health disparities by 2030 including those based on race, ethnicity, language, or disability (REALD) and sexual orientation or gender identity (SOGI). Sen HC, 2/8 Work Session carried over. No fiscal impact identified. 2/15 with amendment carried over . HB 2458 : Prohibits conversion therapy. Public Hearing 2/24

Back to All Legislative Reports Natural Resources Legislative Report - Week of 2/12 Natural Resources Team Coordinator: Peggy Lynch 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: Water: Peggy Lynch Wildfire: Carolyn Mayers Ways and Means Natural Resource Budgets/Revenue: Peggy Lynch Jump to a topic: Air Quality Budgets/Revenue Climate Coastal Issues Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Dept. of State Lands (DSL) Drinking Water Advisory Board Elliott State Research Forest Forestry Land Use and Housing Reduce/Recycle Water Wildfire Volunteers Needed By Peggy Lynch, Natural Resources Coordinator, and Team Air Quality The Dept. of Environmental Quality presented information on the status of our Title V air quality program fees after the significant increase adopted in 2023. Budgets/Revenue By Peggy Lynch The budget bills for the session have been filed. SB 5701 is the omnibus budget bill for 2024. It is currently populated with the items approved during the November and January Legislative Days. We know there are state agency adjustments that have been requested, as well as monies to be saved in case of emergencies (such as our summer wildfire season) and changing needs under the Oregon Health Authority and Dept. of Human Services before the 2025 session. Also added to this bill at the end of session will be this session’s revenue requests and adjustments. Look for bills sent to Ways and Means to be considered in the Ways and Means Subcommittees ONLY when they have been approved by the Ways and Means Co-Chairs and Senate and House Leadership. Many bills sent to Ways and Means will still be there at the end of session. HB 5201 and HB 5202 are the bonding bills. They had a public hearing on Feb. 16 in Ways and Means Capital Construction where a multitude of requests were shared in 2-minute testimonies. Like the budget bill, these bills will reflect changes and possible additions to the 2025 approved bonds. Bonding capacity remains the same: $65.8 million in remaining general obligation bond capacity and 27.4 million in remaining lottery bond capacity for the 2023-25 biennium. SB 5702 will be populated with new or increased fees adopted by state agencies since the 2025 session. HB 5203 and HB 5204 were also filed. One will be the “program change bill” to address miscellaneous changes to agency programs. The other is held in case it is needed. It may be used for containing revenue requests due to Measure 110 changes. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means met on Feb. 16th when they approved a list of grant requests and accepted an even longer list of reports. If the grants are awarded, they will need to be approved by the legislature in order to be spent. The reports are used to help the legislature follow up on bills passed and/or agencies funded in past sessions. For budget wonks, the Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office has published its 2023-25 Legislatively Adopted Budget Detailed Analysis , which provides 632 pages of agency program descriptions; analysis of revenue sources and relationships; discussions of budget environment; and review of budget decisions made by the Legislative Assembly for the 2023-25 biennium. This document will be updated after the 2024 session. The agency budget process for 2025-27 is beginning. Look for presentations to agency Boards and Commissions soon. Quarterly revenue forecasts will be provided on May 29 and August 28. Then the November 20 th forecast will be the basis of the Governor’s Recommended Budget to be presented on December 1 st . Personal income taxpayers can determine the amount of their kicker using a “What’s My Kicker?” calculator available on Revenue Online . To use the calculator, taxpayers will need to enter their name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2022 and 2023. Taxpayers may also hand-calculate the amount of their credit by multiplying their 2022 tax liability before any credits—line 22 on the 2022 Form OR-40—by 44.28 percent. January 29th was the first date to file 2023 tax returns. Climate By Claudia Keith and Team See the Climate Emergency section of this Legislative Report. There are overlaps with this Natural Resources Report. We encourage you to read both sections. Coastal Issues By Christine Moffitt/Peggy Lynch In a surprise announcement as covered by the Oregonian , the federal government finalized two offshore wind energy areas that will allow leases to be sold off the coast of Coos Bay and Brookings. The League provided comments on HB 4080-1 that would both address union labor IF offshore wind projects happen on our South Coast and create a robust public engagement process before any projects are approved. HB 4080 A was moved to Ways and Means on Feb. 14 th . Important to the League will be financing the public engagement by the Dept. of Land Conservation and Development’s Coastal Program as required by the bill. The League signed on to a letter in support of HB 4132 , Marine Reserves. The bill is in Ways and Means. Currently, there is a fiscal request of just under $900 million for this biennium. Dept. of Environmental Quality (DEQ) By Peggy Lynch The League participated in an annual rules advisory committee meeting to consider increasing water quality program fees by 3%. The recommendation will be considered by the Environmental Quality Commission later this year. Among the items discussed were the efficiency of the agency’s permitting and the number of certified staff needed throughout Oregon to ensure the drinking water and wastewater permit requirements are met for the public health of all Oregonians. Dept. of State Lands (DSL) By Peggy Lynch The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is working with DSL to identify In Lieu lands (part of the 1,400 acres of lands owed the State of Oregon on statehood that have not yet been allotted to Oregon). Click here to view the BLM Proposed Classification Decision and a public notice that two forestland properties in Linn County that have been identified to meet the criteria for some of those In Lieu lands. Learn more and provide public comment through April 9, 2024. Drinking Water Advisory Committee By Sandra Bishop The Drinking Water Advisory Committee (DWAC) meeting was postponed to February 20 th . Agenda . Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) By Peggy Lynch The State Land Board received a report (See information starting on page 133) on the plans for the ESRF under Dept. of State Lands (DSL) management. The Land Board approved the plan. The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources will receive a request on Feb. 19 th from DSL asking that the $4.1 million that had been set aside for the former proposed separate ESRF state agency to instead be added to the DSL budget as the managers of the ESRF. Also at the Ways and Means meeting, Oregon State University will provide context and concerns regarding their future role in the ESRF. In the meantime, work is continuing on the eventual adoption of a Habitat Conservation Plan and a Forest Management Plan for the forest. Visit DSL's Elliott webpage to learn more . A recommendation with structural governance may be before the State Land Board on April 9. If approved, look for appointments to the new ESRF Board at their June 11 tth meeting. Forestry (ODF) The Oregon Dept. of Forestry is holding community conversations in February as they do strategic planning. The public is encouraged to participate. On Feb. 23 rd the Board of Forestry will have a special meeting on Post-Disturbance Harvest Rulemaking. Agenda . There are several bills this session around funding wildfire. For information on the various bills, see the Wildfire section of this report below. Land Use & Housing By Peggy Lynch A -9 amendment was adopted into the Governor’s land use/housing bill, SB 1537 , and sent to Ways and Means. One major element of contention was that urban growth boundaries could be expanded without using the current process. The acreage in the amendment reduced that expansion acreage by one-third. Much of the money in the original bill was removed as was the climate/housing electrification section. However, SB 1530 A also passed out of committee and included some of the money that had been included in SB 1537. A news release by the Senate President explains the elements of both bills. As part of the effort to provide infrastructure so housing can actually be built, the League supported HB 4134 A that includes a list of infrastructure projects in small towns around Oregon to be funded with a promise of new housing, especially for middle income Oregonians. Additionally, HB 4128 A was amended and also moved to Ways and Means. The League is concerned that HB 4128A lists monetary grant awards to certain cities for water infrastructure without clarity on what projects will be funded. We look forward to the Ways and Means recommendations on spending for specific infrastructure projects that can help housing development, especially affordable housing development. The Citizen Involvement Advisory Committee is recruiting for a new member from Oregon’s Third Congressional District. Applications are due by March 18, 9 a.m. Follow the work of the Oregon Housing Needs Analysis (OHNA) Rulemaking Committee on the department’s Housing Rulemaking webpage . And watch their meetings on the department’s YouTube channel. See also the Housing Report in the Social Policy section of this Legislative Report. Reduce/Recycle By Camille Freitag The League weighed in again this year on a Right to Repair bill, SB 1596 . We also joined others in support of the bill. The bill was amended and will be on the Senate Chamber floor on Feb. 19 th . Water By Peggy Lynch The amended HB 4128 sent to Ways and Means includes an allocation of $3 million to be added to the Water Well Abandonment, Repair and Replacement Fund . The League was engaged in helping create this fund in 2021. The Dept. of Environmental Quality updated the legislature on their Water Data Portal Project. The League is supportive of this project that will create a database of water and infrastructure from nine of our state water agencies. We hope Leaguers will engage with the Oregon Water Resources Dept. as they consider changes to Oregon’s groundwater rules. This slide deck was presented at their last rules advisory committee meeting. A written public comment period will open March 1 st through June 1 st . Regional meetings will be held April 4 th in Bend, April 18 in La Grande, May 16 in Central Point and May 21 st in Salem, with the Salem meeting being available virtually as well as in person. The Department of State Lands is creating a new statewide program, Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADV), to address hazardous vessels across Oregon. They want your feedback on the proposed program framework. Share your input by Friday, March 8th! See the proposed framework for the ADV program here (PDF) . The League has supported the creation of this program and the funding needed to remove these hazardous vessels from Oregon’s waterways. OWRD anticipates releasing a draft of the updated Integrated Water Resources Strategy (IWRS) for public review and comment in March. An updated draft should be available for a second public comment opportunity in May. The Oregon Water Resources Commission will hear public testimony and consider adoption of the 2024 IWRS at their September meeting. For more information about this process, please visit the IWRS page on their website. The League hopes members will engage since we were actively engaged in the original legislation and in the first two IWRS documents. As a result of that work, our state water agencies have been funded to a greater degree than ever before. 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 the counties of Crook, Jefferson, Grant, Deschutes, Wasco, Harney, Sherman, Lake, Jackson, Gilliam, Douglas, Lincoln and Morrow counties. Wildfire By Carolyn Mayers The League continues to monitor several wildfire funding bills this session. A work session was held on February 13 by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire to discuss Senator Golden’s bill, SB 1511 . This bill focuses on grant funding for community resilience programs, and standardizing homeowner risk mitigation measures as part of an exploration into potentially reducing insurance rates. The League testified in support of the bill. It passed the committee unanimously with a do-pass recommendation and was referred to Ways and Means because of the $5 million General Fund request. Shortly thereafter, the House Committee on Revenue held a Public Hearing on HB 4133 , Senator Steiner and Representative Marsh’s wildfire funding bill, which proposes changes in the harvest tax and forest protection districts, and creates a Large Wildfire fund in the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). Another of the bill’s sponsors, Senator Lynn Findley, spoke first about the difficulties of rangeland landowners being able to afford the current rates for protection. He proposed that they need a long-term solution to the funding model, not a “one-time band-aid”. Senator Steiner walked the committee through the details of how the bill evolved and why, and how what they were presenting would be contained in a forthcoming amendment (which was still not available at the time of this report). She also emphasized that she saw this as the beginning of a process and that the work would continue after the session. Doug Grafe, the Governor’s Wildfire Director, followed and provided general information on the wildfire crisis and the differences between the current funding structure and the proposed structure. The Committee Chair, Representative Nathanson, asked about whether a long-term solution is needed, and Senator Steiner said there would be further discussions after session addressing both, rates and policy. This was followed by public testimony, most of which was neutral. The hearing was continued to February 14, at which time Senator Golden testified. One of his points was that if any bill ends up reducing the share of the burden the timber industry pays towards addressing wildfire, the conversation with voters about a new property tax will be more difficult. To continue with a busy February 13, Representative Evans spoke before the House Committee on Rules at a Public Hearing on his wildfire funding bills, HJR 201 and HB 4075 . The end result of these bills would be the establishment of a public safety funding authority to help fund wildfire and other public safety issues by imposing up to $.25/1,000 of property tax. Requiring a Constitutional amendment, this would have to be approved by the voters. Chief Ruiz-Temple of the Department of the State Fire Marshal, and Mike Shaw, of ODF, both testified on the bill, taking neutral positions but emphasizing the need for a funding solution. Other testimony included opposition from the League of Oregon Cities and the Association of Oregon Counties. A work session scheduled for February 14, for Representative Marsh’s bill on prescribed fire liability and home hardening, HB 4016-1 , before the House Committee on Climate, Energy and the Environment, was moved to February 19. Finally, Senator Golden’s wildfire funding bill, SB 1593 , has an amendment to fund a STUDY on his proposed imposition of a timber severance tax, as opposed to the actual imposition of said tax. There will be a Public Hearing before the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue on February 20. The League will provide testimony in support of the study of changing to a severance tax to provide more money to both the state and to the counties where timber is harvested. The League is so concerned with wildfire funding needs that we signed on to a budget request for additional monies to the State Fire Marshal’s Office and the Dept. of Forestry to address Community Wildfire Protection and Landscape Resiliency. 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.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice resources for members of the League of Women Voters. / Brand Guidelines / Brand Guidelines and Resources Brand Guidelines (LWVUS) League of Women Voters Brand Standards Includes logo best practices, color profiles, and more. Find logo files and branded merch here . Get the PDF Flickr Photo Archives (LWVOR and LWVUS) Photo Archives for Local Leagues to Use Use any of the photos you find here for your League branded material. LWVOR Archive LWVUS Archive

Back to All Legislative Reports Social Policy Social Policy Team Coordinator: Jean Pierce • After School and Summer Care: Katie Riley • Behavioral Health: Trish Garner • Criminal Justice/Juvenile Justice: Marge Easley / Sharron Noon • Education: Jean Pierce / Stephanie Engle • Equal Rights for All Ballot Measure: Jean Pierce Kyra Aguon • Gender-Related Concerns, Reproductive Health, Age Discrimination: Trish Garner • Gun Safety & Gun Issues, Rights for Incarcerated People: Marge Easley • Hate and Bias Crimes: Claudia Keith/ Becky Gladstone /rhyen enger • Health Care: Christa Danielsen • Housing: Debbie Aiona and Nancy Donovan Note: Education reports after January, 2024, are included in Social policy reports. Education reports prior to February, 2024, can be found HERE . Please see the Legislation Tracker for 2025 Social Policy bills . Jump to topic: Afterschool and Summer School Criminal Justice Gun Safety Healthcare Educatio n Housing Legislation Afterschool and Summer School, Child Care By Katie Riley During the November Legislative Days hearings, The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education held informational briefings on early learning as well as education regarding costs, performance considerations, and proposed cuts due to the pending loss of $880 million in federal funds. Child Care: In response to the Governor’s request to outline potential budget cuts of 5% and 2.5 %, the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) recommended that no cuts be made to the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program and the Early Learning Parent Education program at the 2.5% level. Overall, recommendations showed potential cuts to administrative functions prior to programs. Programs with Reductions at 2.5% and 5.0% Scenarios 21.0M $2.4M $36.7M These are listed in prioritized order for reductions, and most are not targeted for a full 2.5% for the first scenario. Other Early Learning Grants Child Care Supports Early Learning Hubs Early Learning Professional Development Early Learning Program Supports Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten 5 Preschool Promise Health Families Oregon Relief Nurseries Early Childhood Equity Fund Programs Held Harmless for both 2.5% and 5% reductions Baby Promise Birth to Five Literacy Kindergarten Partnership Innovation Tribal Early Learning Plan & Fund (Early Learning Tribal Hub) Every Child Belongs (Mental Health & Behavior Supports) No decisions were made on reductions. Long-term effects, alternative funding sources, reserves, and income potential will all be considered. On the plus side, a report from Jessica LaBerge on 11-18-25 representing the Eastern Oregon Childcare Business Accelerator for the Southern Oregon Regional Solutions Exchange reported that the business accelerator has started its first cohort of 13 potential childcare providers across Eastern Oregon. This program will help provide childcare businesses with small business advising, childcare educational credits, curriculum support and ongoing assistance with the business side of childcare. The goal is for the participants to be fully licensed and opening their own childcare business to provide additional capacity for Eastern Oregon communities. She is hoping to find additional funding to start a Spanish speaking cohort and additional cohorts in the future. Afterschool Care New data on the demand and need for afterschool care was included in the report, America After 3 pm , published by the Afterschool Alliance, October 2025 Citing the most recent survey of over 30,000 parents nationwide, the Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Jodi Grant said “Families at all income levels want afterschool opportunities and those with resources invest heavily in afterschool programs and activities. But it’s concerning that, after adjusting for inflation, afterschool spending by families in the lowest income bracket has decreased since 2020, while spending by families in the highest income bracket has grown, exacerbating inequities. Afterschool programs give students a safe place to go after the school day ends, boost their academic achievement, help address the youth mental health and chronic absenteeism crises, provide alternatives to screen time, give working parents peace of mind that their children are safe and supervised, and more. Our country will be stronger and more successful when all children can take advantage of what afterschool programs offer – but, sadly, this study shows we’re nowhere near reaching that goal. We need greater support from federal, state, and local governments, businesses, and philanthropy. Every child deserves access to a quality afterschool program.” Oregon data shows that parents of 331,262 children want afterschool programs but 5 out of 6 children are not able to participate due to availability, access (location and transportation), and cost, the largest factor. “In Oregon, the demand for afterschool programs is incredibly high. Parents value the benefits afterschool programs provide for young people—keeping them safe, helping build life skills, and getting them excited about learning. They say that afterschool programs help them keep their jobs and provide peace of mind. Still, just a fraction of Oregon families who want afterschool programs have them…Overwhelmingly, Oregon parents are in favor of public funding for afterschool programs.” Recent surveys confirm this: 2025 89% 2020 90% 2014 83% 2009 79% Support for public funding is high across the political spectrum in Oregon Democrats 92% Independents 94% Republicans 81% However, currently, no public funding is available from the state specifically for afterschool care. Funds from the Student Success Act can be used for that purpose, but most school districts use that funding for teachers and counselors. Public funding is available for afterschool programs in some cities, e.g. Portland, Hillsboro. Summer care: The appropriation for summer school that was funded in the 2025 legislative session is probably not in danger of being cut because the appropriation was made into a special fund outside the general fund. Funding is still available for summer 2026 and 2027. These funds are designated to school districts for summer literacy and although there is a mandate to involve at least one community-based organization, the requirement does not include after school hours care. Criminal Justice By Marge Easley The Senate Judiciary hearing on November 17 provided an update on wrongful conviction legislation, SB 1584 (2022), and the need to pass additional legislation to ensure a more effective and timely compensation process for those who have been wrongly convicted. The 2025 Oregon Justice for Exonerees Act (SB 1007) failed to make it out of session. The Innocence Project and the Forensic Justice Project will also push for fixing gaps in current law that have allowed convictions based on flawed and outdated forensic science, including hair comparisons, bite mark analysis, and comparative bullet lead analysis. Education By Jean Pierce In the coming session, school funding will be a major concern. On November 19, Legislators heard a report from LPRO and LFO staff outlining deficiencies of the Quality Education Model used to determine equitable funding. This is an ongoing issue that needs to be addressed. In addition, education agencies were not immune from the request to identify potential spending cuts. Their proposals are outlined below. However. public school administrators are urging lawmakers to allocate money from the $1.2 billion education stability fund to meet the current budget emergency. K-12 Education The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) used the following guiding principles when they decided where to make cuts: Protect student-centered supports Maintain statutory compliance Preserve organizational stability Limit disruption to districts and classrooms Establish programs to hold harmless ODE is proposing partial reductions in General Funding to some programs, including Every Day Matters, which addresses barriers to attendance Career and technical Education grants and career pathways ·High School Success Further, ODE is proposing State School Fund cuts to 10 th Grade Assessment Educator Advancement Fund English Language Learners Health Schools Fund Local Option Equalization Menstrual Products Speech Pathologist Talented and Gifted Members of the Ways and Means subcommittee expressed concerns particularly about the potential loss of the Educator Advancement Fund (EAF). The EAF provides professional development, mentorship, and Grow Your Own programs for teachers. This would mean less support for teachers who are charged with implementing the recently-approved science of reading curriculum. The Grow Your Own program recruits teachers from local communities, particularly minorities. Higher Education Proposing cuts to higher education funding comes at a particularly challenging time for colleges and universities which are experiencing cuts to research and other programs from the federal government. When the Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC) shared their proposals for 2.5% cuts, they noted that the cuts would result in hundreds of eliminated positions, including full-time faculty and administrators. They reported using these criteria for cuts: There would be minimal impact on support for the most vulnerable students. Other programs could continue to support the affected populations. Targeted programs were new or had received a large funding increase in the past four years. Merging or consolidating programs could increase administrative efficiency. The proposal includes cuts to The HECC agency Workforce development grants Career pathways funding for community colleges Childcare grant for student parents would no longer support new students Oregon Promise would no longer support new students The proposed cuts to the HECC budget would cause universities to increase tuition by close to 7% and community colleges to increase tuition by 10%, making higher education unaffordable for a number of students. Gun Safety By Marge Easley Supporters of Measure 114, including the League, will be pushing for the passage of a bill in the upcoming session to provide implementation details and technical fixes for Measure 114, the 2022 measure that requires a permit to purchase a firearm and bans high-capacity magazines. It has been under court review since that time. The Oregon Supreme Court hearing on its constitutionality occurred on November 6, and it most likely will take several months for the ruling to come down. Last session SB 243 set the date of March 15, 2026, for implementation of Measure 114 with the condition that the Oregon Supreme Court decides in its favor. The Christmas Tree bill also allocated over $14 million to the Oregon State Police to help cover implementation costs. Healthcare By Christa Danielson Legislative meetings held last week focused on how we are going to continue to provide our current level of services for Medicaid and SNAP in light of HR.1. Speaker of the House Julie Fahey reported cuts in the Medicaid and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) budgets of up to 15 billion in future years for Oregonians. In light of this, the legislators are looking at funding sources such as decoupling some taxes from the federal budget or using the reserve fund. There is also a task force convened by the governor to consider how to sustain Medicaid benefits. The system is already straining in light of new work requirements, eligibility checks and budgeting for a possible revenue shortfall from the state, i.e. the hospital tax. Enhanced premium tax credits are due to expire at the end of 2025. They were set up during Covid via the American Rescue Plan. Some families will have to pay double what they pay now for health insurance. Average premiums could increase by 12-25 %. Housing By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona Interim committees are meeting to prepare for the upcoming legislative session. They are studying policy issues, learning from invited leaders, and considering recommendations for potential legislation. Recently, the Senate and House housing committees invited agency leaders to speak on a range of housing issues as reported below. Presentations to the Senate Committee on Housing and Development, November 17, 2025 Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) Executive Director Andrea Bell presented information on the impact of federal funding and policies on Oregon. The state received a little over $530 million from the federal government for housing production and services for people accessing housing and homeless programs. That amount represents about 15 percent of the state’s housing resources. Congress has not yet finalized the Housing and Urban Development budget. OHCS serves as a pass through for federal dollars to local jurisdictions and non-profit providers. Inclusionary Zoning Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) promotes mixed income housing developments by requiring developers to include affordable units in their housing projects. The policy was banned by the Legislature in 1999. They relegalized it in 2016 (SB 1533) and required developers to include a percentage of units affordable to households at 80 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). It does not apply to buildings with fewer than 20 units. LWVOR supported the 2016 legislation. Portland is the only city in Oregon that implemented IZ. It was fully funded for projects in the central city and underfunded for projects in surrounding neighborhoods. Underfunding led to developers creating projects with just under 20 units in order to avoid the IZ requirements. Portland recently revisited its policy and fully funded the IZ program throughout the city. It prioritized development of 60 percent AMI units in higher priced neighborhoods. In the first six months, 20 projects opted in to the program, fewer developers are proposing projects with fewer than 20 units. Regular check ins are essential. A Habitat for Humanity representative presented information on the potential for applying IZ to affordable homeownership in condominium projects. Presentations to the House Interim Committee on Housing and Homelessness met on November 18 Andrea Bell, Executive Director of Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS), began by saying her agency is tracking the evolving federal landscape on housing and homeless service programs. During the shutdown a majority of federal funds awarded to OHCS were accessible and obligated during the shutdown. When the furlough affected federal staff, some projects were on pause, such as contracts and project certifications. FY 2025 funding levels were sustained for the agency. Oregon is working, although homeless numbers continue to grow. The importance of a full continuum of services is essential to keep the system viable. New homelessness is largely economically driven, a problem that is decades in the making and will take time and effort to remedy. Jimmy Jones, Executive Director of the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency in Salem, presented information to both the House and Senate committees. He explained that his agency focuses on reducing poverty, including housing assistance, child care and youth programs, and offers support for those experiencing homelessness. He commented on the history of federal homeless housing programs, and the importance of retaining the Continuum of Care program. He also highlighted “observables” in his presentation: 1) What we are doing in Oregon is working, 2) homeless numbers continue to grow, 3) observable 2 is not connected to observable 1, 4) a new wave of homelessness is largely driven by economics, 5) criminalization will fail, 6) we need full continuum of services and they are all interconnected, 7) the problem is decades in the making and will take time to solve. He is concerned about the July 2025 Executive Order issued by the White House on homelessness and related topics. It seeks to encourage civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves in appropriate facilities for periods of time. In the past, homeless individuals were expected to work their way through a stair step into permanent housing. More recently policies have prioritized Housing First and harm reduction that do not require working through specific steps to qualify for housing, but instead place clients into housing and then provide services and support. The Trump administration will fund the older failed approach to addressing homelessness. It will focus on criminalizing homelessness, reducing funding for permanent supportive housing, incentivizing treatment first and transitional housing. It will shift funds to faith-based providers, require cooperation with immigration enforcement, and disallow racial and transgender preference policies. States will need to re-compete for federal funding grants. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED : What is your passion related to Social Policy? You can help. Volunteers are needed. We particularly need help tracking legislation concerning Criminal justice Hate and bias crimes Juvenile justice Interested in reading additional reports? Please see our Climate Emergency , Governance , and Natural Resources , and Revenue report sections.

Join the League of Women Voters of Oregon. Become a member to build power in your community. / Join / Become A Member / Become A Member Join 1 of 15 local Leagues or State Units! LWV of Oregon has members throughout the state with 15 local Leagues or State Units. Most Leagues offer free or discounted membership for students. Join the League in your area! Find Your Local League Register or Renew at the State Level Members who don't reside near a local League can join at the state level as a Member-At-State (MAS)! If you've already joined at this level and are looking to renew, you can use the same registration form linked below or download our printable registration form . Join or Renew Now! Find Your Local League "I fully support this organization with my efforts and funding- studies of current issues, Voter registration and education, volunteers doing legislative advocacy, something for everyone. Help us!" Rebecca Gladstone, LWV of Lane Co.

local leagues Local Leagues In Oregon We have members throughout the state of Oregon and 15 local Leagues or state Units. Members who don't reside near a local League can join at the state level as a Member-At-State (MAS)! Most Leagues offer free or discounted membership for students. Join the League in your area! LWV of Clackamas County PO Box 411 Lake Oswego, OR 97034 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Coos County PO Box 1571 Coos Bay, OR 97420 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Corvallis PO Box 1679 Corvallis, OR 97339 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Curry County PO Box 1859 Gold Beach, OR 97444 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Deschutes County PO Box 1783 Bend, OR 97709 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Klamath County PO Box 1226 Klamath Falls, OR 97601 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Lane County 175 West B Street #2 | Island Professional Center Springfield, OR 97477 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Lincoln County PO Box 1648 Newport, OR 97365 Become a Member Go To Website Linn County Unit 1330 12th St SE Suite 200 Salem, OR 97302 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Marion/Polk Counties P. O. Box 421 Salem, OR 97308 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Portland PO Box 3491 Portland, OR 97208 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Rogue Valley PO Box 8555 Medford, OR 97501 Become a Member Go To Website LWV of Umpqua Valley PO Box 2434 Roseburg, OR 97470 Become a Member Go To Website Union County Unit 1330 12th St SE Suite 200 Salem, OR 97302 Become a Member Go To Website Washington County Unit 1330 12th St SE Suite 200 Salem, OR 97302 Become a Member Go To Website