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• Afterschool and Summer 

• Behavioral Health

• Education

• Higher Education

• Gun Policy

• Healthcare

• Housing

• Public Safety

• Workplace Age Discrimination

Social Policy

By Jean Pierce, Social Policy Coordinator and Team

Afterschool and Summer 

By Katie Riley

The Governor’s budget includes $80 million for summer school but it is not clear whether that includes summer child care. The HB4082 task force that was formed from last session held a follow up meeting on November 20 from their August summit to gather more community input. Final recommendations have not come out yet and no reports from ODE were scheduled for Legislative Days for either the House or Senate Education Committees. 

Behavioral Health

By Stephanie Aller

The House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care met on 12/11/2024.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA), presented an update on the findings of the Behavioral Health Workforce Workgroup created by HB 2235 (2023). The Workgroup is studying recruitment and retention issues facing behavioral health workers.

According to the Workgroup, key problems include:

• Low reimbursement rates and pay

• Administrative burdens/paperwork

• Shortage of providers with advanced degrees, especially in rural areas

• Licensing barriers

• Lack of career pathways/workforce development

• Extra burdens facing cultural and linguistically specific providers

• Extra burdens for CMHP and COA organizations

The Workgroup’s recommendations include more support for workers through paid

professional development, loan repayment, zero cost training programs, paid internships,

childcare, and housing support. They also recommended increased wellness and safety

support.

The Workgroup’s first report is due in January 2025 and a second report focusing on

legislative actions is due in December 2025. 

Chair Rob Nosse noted that he believes bills about licensure compacts are coming and

asked if the Workgroup discussed this topic. Although the Workgroup discussed compacts,

there was no consensus. The Workgroup plans to address licensure, staffing ratios, and pay

increases in the December 2025 report.

Education

By Anne Nesse

House Education Summary of LC’s for the coming 2025 Session:

1)     Bills to address the inadequacy of funding, especially for special education students.

2)     Improvements in the transparency, and efficiency of the functioning of the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), all summarized here.

Senate Education Summary of LC’s for coming 2025 Session:

1)     LC 776 moves the staffing responsibility for the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) into the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), while maintaining TSPC as an independent commission.

2)     A number of placeholder, and other bills relating to higher education and K-12 education: including financial budgets, the State School Fund current service level, chronic absenteeism, substitute teachers, statewide collective bargaining, ESD contracting, and raising the cap on the percentage of children with disabilities to allow more equitable funding between districts.

3)     LC 941 directs ODE to develop and implement a standardized method for electronic student data.

Higher Education

By Jean Pierce

According to a report from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, Oregon has the highest average resident tuition and fees in the region at our public four-year institutions and the second highest at two-year institutions.

From the Senate Education Committee meeting: Oregon has a disproportionately high ratio of individuals with some college but no credential. In 2025, the legislature will be asked to consider participating in the Re-up program, which works to re-enroll former students  so that they earn a credential. This program is currently being used in 31 other states.

From the House Higher Education Committee Meeting: In 2025, there will be legislation which supports the Oregon  Community Table on Postsecondary Education and Training  (OCTPET) in providing financial aid to help meet basic needs (e.g. food, housing, childcare, transportation) of  traditionally under-served students  (e.g. rural communities, low-income, students with disabilities, undocumented, as well as racial and  ethnic minorities). Through the Education Champions Program,  OCTPET students receive civic education teaching them how to make their voices heard in government.

Similarly, there will be legislation requesting additional funds for tribal student grants which offset the cost of attending higher education. Like the Oregon Opportunity Grant, this money can go to private, non-profit institutions.

Gun Policy

By Marge Easley

Organizations working on gun policy legislation in Oregon have reconvened as a coalition under a new name, “Alliance for a Safe Oregon”. LWVOR has joined this alliance, and we endorse their priorities for 2025, including:

• Funding community violence intervention programs

• Banning rapid-fire devices (aka “bump stocks”)

• Strengthening protection orders that will ensure compliance when a court mandates weapon surrender

• Ensuring effective implementation of Measure 114 if the Oregon Court of Appeals issues a favorable ruling to allow the measure to go into effect

• State licensing of firearm dealers and instituting a dealer code of conduct

•  Increasing use of Oregon’s Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law

• Raising the age from 18 to 21 for purchase of semi-automatic rifles

Thus far OLIS lists two Legislative Concepts (LCs) related to firearms. LC 3066 directs the Department of State Police to study whether the process for conducting criminal background checks for firearm transfers can be made more efficient. LC 3062 directs the Judicial Department to study the number of extreme risk protection petitions that are filed and orders issued each year.  

Updates on previous legislation:

1.  Oregon’s 2023 law banning ghost guns went into effect on September 1, 2024.  The first-time penalty for possessing firearms and firearm parts without serial numbers is a fine up to $1000, with repeat offenses resulting in higher fines or prison time. 

2. Measure 114 (2022), which requires a permit to purchase a firearm and bans high-capacity magazines, continues to wend its way through the appellate courts. The most recent hearing was before the Oregon Court of Appeals on October 29, with LWVOR joining an amicus  brief on the case. We await the court’s ruling, which hopefully will allow the measure to go into effect during the appeals process. 

Healthcare

By Christa Danielson

The Senate and House healthcare committees heard  reports from task forces that had been formed over the last several years -  specifically HB 3610 which had studied alcohol addiction and prevention and HB 3396 which had studied hospital discharge. 

Based on their findings, we can expect bills that help fund alcohol rehabilitation from wine and beer, not just hard liquor, and up to eight recommendations for bills to help the discharge process from the hospital.

Also discussed were improvements to eligibility verification for OHP patients as an audit from the Secretary of State found significant errors. As these errors accounted for up to $445 million (from 2019-2022) we can expect changes that support improved supervision in the eligibility process. 

Housing

By Nancy Donovan and Debbie Aiona

State of the State’s Housing Report

Oregon Housing and Community Services recently released its first State of the

State’s Housing report. It paints a grim picture of the situation facing Oregonians in

need of a safe and stable place to call home. Following is some of the key

information from the report:

Homelessness

• When adjusted for population size, Oregon ranks third in the nation for people experiencing homelessness, behind only New York
and Vermont.

• Oregon ranks first in the nation for unsheltered homelessness among families with children.

• The number of children experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Oregon is 14 times higher than the national average.

Rental housing

• Cost burden for renters (spending more than 30 percent of income on housing costs) increased by 11 percent between 2019 and 2022. The increase predominantly affects households making between $45,000 and $75,000, whose representation among cost-burdened renters grew from just 18 percent in 2001 to 44 percent in 2022.

• More than 27 percent of
all renters are severely cost-burdened, meaning they spend 50 percent or more of their income on housing.

• The number of eviction cases filed in 2023 was the highest Oregon has seen since 2011.

Homeownership

• For every dollar Oregonians earned in wage increases between 2013 and 2022, the median
sales price of a home increased by $7.10.

• BIPOC communities, which have historically been excluded from homeownership, continue to face significantly lower homeownership
rates (49 percent) compared to their white counterparts (66 percent). 


2025 Legislative Session Housing Bills

Legislative committees met recently to explore ideas for bills they may consider in the 2025 session. Possible proposals include:

• Imposing rent control on manufactured home parks and marinas at a rate no greater than inflation,

•  Limiting landlords’ ability to pocket deposits from tenants applying to secure an apartment They would be required to refund the deposit if they failed to provide a lease for reasons such as overbooking a unit or trying to rent a unit that is not habitable.

• In buildings with 10 or more units, require landlords to provide cooling sufficient to keep bedroom temperatures 15 degrees below the outside temperature and no more than 80 degrees

• Reduce the number of years from 10 to six during which condo owners can file complaints against construction companies potentially responsible for defects

Governor Kotek’s Budget

On Dec. 2, Governor Kotek released the state’s 2025-27 budget proposing to invest

$39.3 billion in homelessness, housing, behavioral health, and education.

Budget amounts applicable to housing and homelessness:

Homelessness: $700 million

• Maintain Oregon’s statewide system of shelters

• Maintain efforts to transition Oregonians out of homelessness and into

• housing

• Provide services to prevent people from becoming homeless

Housing Supply: $1.4 billion

• New bond authority to build affordable rental housing and new

• homeownership units

• Establish a new housing infrastructure program

• Support for homebuyer assistance programs first-time homebuyers

Oregon Housing Alliance

The Oregon Housing Alliance workgroups met this fall to consider proposals to include in their legislative priorities. In January, members will meet and vote on the Housing Alliance agenda for the 2025 legislative session. LWVOR is a member of the Housing Alliance and participated in the workgroup meetings.

Public Safety

By Karen Nibler and Jean Pierce

The Senate and House Judiciary Committees heard an update on SB337 (2023) from the Oregon Public Defense Commission. The bill charged the Commission with finding ways to address the fact that a public defender shortage left many in custody without representation. Between July and October of 2023, the in-custody population who are unrepresented went down significantly. However, the costs of the Temporary Hourly Increase Program (THIP) increased dramatically in that time period. THIP uses higher hourly rates as incentives for lawyers to serve as public defenders. Under that program, 395 attorneys have taken over 7200 cases serving close to 5000 clients. Most of the increase in costs has gone to attorney fees.

The Commission asked the Emergency Board to extend THIP funding through June, 2025. In July, they anticipate replacing flat-fee contracting with a workload model. They are currently crafting policies and programs needed for this. The Emergency Board agreed to refer the request for $2.45million to the full committee.

The Senate and House Judiciary Committees also heard about Oregon State Police Safe Kit DNA testing which requires highly trained  analysts.

The Department of Corrections presented its  Substance Abuse Treatment Programs in prison facilities.  The adults in custody are diagnosed when they enter DOC facilities and assigned to treatment programs including medication assistance for opioid abuse. The abuse rate is high in adults in custody but they can be trained as peer mentors in the prison and in future roles in the community.

An important report was heard from a Task Force on Specialty Courts which are part of the state court system but require separate funding. The Task Force presented 14 recommendations including terminology, data systems, advisory committees, and case management systems. The recommendations will be considered during the upcoming regular session.

Follow up to HB 4002 (2024) The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission reported to the Joint Committee on Addiction and Public Safety that between September 1st and December 4th, 442 people had been referred to deflection programs; 323 were actually eligible for a program; 263 enrolled; 10 have completed; and 216 are still In programs.

Workplace Age Discrimination

By Trish Garner

The topic of workplace age discrimination was raised in an informational hearing held on December 10 in the House Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee. Representative Sosa is the Chair of the Committee and the Chief Sponsor of the bill (LC 567 - which is still in the Legislative Counsel's Office awaiting final edits).