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Sine Die Legislative Report 2020-2021 has been completed by LWV Oregon’s Action Team. Read the full report here!

NATURAL RESOURCES Coastal Issues:  The Territorial Sea Plan, Part Three Section E and Appendix C are now available for Review.  Elliott State Forest: There has been a flurry of activity around the Elliott State Forest this past month. Read the report and then visit Oregon.gov’s webpage. Forestry: A flurry of rulemaking meetings is in progress currently that will define details of implementing the comprehensive wildfire bill, SB 762, to provide for wildfire risk reduction, response and recovery, with programs related to defensible space, prescribed fire (the Burn Manager Program), landscape resiliency and community emergency preparedness. Land Use: The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) continues to receive reports on the implementation of HB 2001 (2019). Northwest Energy Coalition:  The Northwest Power and Conservation Council, the region’s official power planning agency, has just released its draft 2021 Northwest Power Plan. The public now has until November 19 to submit written comments, and several opportunities to testify at public hearings (virtually). Recycling: Since Governor Kate Brown signed the Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act (SB 582-2021) into law on August 6, DEQ has been developing an implementation plan, estimated timeline and other resources to support implementation of the new law and inform interested parties Transportation: The Malheur County Development Corp. last week got Americold’s signature on a 20-year lease to operate the Treasure Valley Reload Center near Nyssa. Work on the facility will begin in November. Water: The Water Resources Dept. (WRD) received a huge infusion of staff positions and program changes with the 2021 session. Wildfires: We are pleased to report that Oregon’s communities are seeing some recovery after the Sept. 2020 wildfires. The policy changes and infusion of monies by the legislature and the federal government have helped some homes and businesses return. There is, however, much work to be done. Read more in the full Natural Resources report.

EDUCATION Education Updates: LWVOR would like to clear up some media mis-information about temporarily revising Oregon’s High School graduation requirements, with a more accurate OPB report. Read the full Education report.

GOVERNANCE Redistricting: The legislative redistricting bill, SB 882, was by comparison relatively non-controversial; although, all Senate and House Republicans and two Democrats still voted against it. Various redistricting evaluation services rated the proposal as fairly well drawn. Campaign Finance: A collaboration of organizations, including the LWVOR and organized by Honest Elections Oregon, have been meeting with stakeholders to draft an initiative petition for the 2022 ballot. Read the full Governance report.

CLIMATE EMERGENCY Federal Updates: Both the Biden administration and bipartisan Congressional proposed Build Back Better: $1.2T and $3.5 T infrastructure bill and reconciliation package, if passed in any form, will significantly affect Climate Change mitigation and adaptation funding and policy in Oregon. Clean Energy: Lots of activity regarding the Climate Protection Program, Cleaner Air Oregon, Clean Fuels Program, Landfill Methane Rules, and Oregon Regional Haze Plan. Read the full Climate Emergency report.

SOCIAL POLICY Housing: The federal government allocated $204 million to Oregon for the rent assistance program. Unfortunately, social service agencies throughout the state have been slow to process assistance applications due to complicated requirements, lack of staff, and software issues.  Read the full Social Policy report.

REVENUE Since the close of session in June and our Sine Die report on September 14, there is little to report since the Legislature has not been in session, and the committees that were to convene on September 22-25 were canceled due to a case of Covid in the state Legislature, as well as an extension of the Special Redistricting Session, not yet concluded due to disagreements concerning the CD maps. Read the full Revenue report.

Contact your Senator and Representative to support SB 762 A, the omnibus wildfire bill!

Quote from the Action Alert 9/16/21:

The League of Women Voters of Oregon supported SB 762, the omnibus wildfire bill. Now agencies are writing the rules to implement the bill. The Board of Forestry has opened a public comment period, from now through October 1, on whether the state should adopt the WUI definition that is most commonly used throughout the United States, especially in the West, and by the federal government – the “International Wildfire Urban Interface Code” definition: “that geographical area where structures and other human development meets or intermingles with wildland or vegetative fuels”.

As a reminder: on the final day of the 2021 session, the legislature passed Oregon’s first comprehensive, forward-looking wildfire preparedness and resiliency bill, Senate Bill 762. This bill is a critical step for Oregon to increase community preparedness, reduce future wildfire risk, and build resiliency to withstand the increasing severity and frequency of wildfires in Oregon.    Now it is time to implement SB 762 – the bill requires several state agencies to take actions and make investments towards achieving that wildfire resiliency. The Oregon Board of Forestry is currently in the process of adopting a definition of “wildland urban interface” (WUI) – this is the foundational definition on which much of the state’s wildfire preparedness investments, regulations, and guidance will be based.   The Forestry Board needs to hear from you – how have Oregon’s recent wildfires impacted your life, and what do you expect from the state to better prepare Oregon & all Oregonians for the future? Right now, the Board especially needs to hear that:

This rule is the first step in implementing SB 762.  Another rulemaking committee is developing the set of specific maps identifying which properties are most at risk. Look for opportunities to comment on those maps in the coming months.  For now, we support this foundational definition as work continues to refine the work specifically for a diverse Oregon.  

Send your experiences and comments to the Board of Forestry at: sb762.rulemaking@oregon.gov

You can also speak at one of three public hearings by logging into the below zoom links and indicating you want to testify: 

• Sept. 22, 2021, 2 p.m., Zoom meeting
• Sept. 23, 2021, 7 p.m., Zoom meeting
• Sept. 24, 2021, 9 a.m., Zoom meeting

To learn more about this WUI rulemaking process, go to: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/Pages/rac.aspx

Join women and men in Douglas County in The Women’s March. It’s being held all over the country, and we need to join in too.

Saturday, Oct. 2nd at 11AM
On the Corner of Garden Valley Blvd & Stewart Parkway.

Find more information Roseburg-specific on Facebook here. Thank you for organizing this, Alana!

We will join in to stand with our sisters across the country to vocally oppose the extreme Texas’ anti-abortion law. 

We must challenge this heinous move against women and families! The vigilante part is so un-American and bigoted we cannot be still. Put on your activists hats and meet us on the southeast corner of Garden Valley and Stewart Parkway at 11:00 am.

Bring appropriate signs and wear a smile! A march will be held for those who want to march from the corner to the Mercy hospital and back.

Forty-six years ago, in 1971, the U.S. Congress designated August 26 as “Women’s Equality Day.” Thanks to Congresswoman Bella Abzug who got it passed, the date was selected to commemorate the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that granted women the right to vote. This was the culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women that had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. Observance of Women’s Equality Day not only commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.

We can all be thankful for the work done before us. Let us continue the legacy together!

Join the League of Women Voters!

For the status of bills you are watching. The Legislature is almost done for the year. The end of the 2021 session is June 28.

The Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS)

Also read the succinct, easy to read League Action Team’s Legislative Report which comes out weekly.

Get your ballot to the Drop Site or pop it in the mail (does even need a stamp – just get in in time!). The deadline is 8PM May 18th.

It’s time to figure out who and what to vote for in the May 18 Specials Districts election.

Look for candidate interviews that are being held by The News-Review. Do a search on “candidates” on their main page to find the articles.

• Ballot Drop Site Locations
• Link to governance issues going on in the Legislature.
• Douglas County’s Elections Overview.
• List of candidate filings (contains contact information)
• Current Measures (3) regarding water and sanitary districts

Register to Vote!

Learn the latest on the LNG project in southern Oregon.

Douglas County, Oregon citizens will vote by mail for this coming Special District Election on May 18th.

• Last day to register is April 27, 2021
• Ballots will be mailed by April 4, 2021
• Election Day is May 18 – must have ballots in by 8PM – postmarks do not count.

There are 277 candidates running for positions in 87 districts ranging from school boards, fire, water and sanitary districts, parks and recreation, the Port of Umpqua, and a library district.

See the Douglas County Elections department list of candidates.

See current ballot measures.

More information on the Douglas County Elections website.

Make Your Voice Heard!

Tell your Senators to support S1

Contact Oregon Senators

If you’re from another state, here’s a link to contact your Senators.

The following is from the latest Legislative Report by the League of Women Voters of Oregon (LWVOR). The League’s Action Team is monitoring the goings-on at the Capitol. The Legislature is in session now until June 28, 2021.

On Thursday, February 25th all the Republican Senators did NOT show up for the floor session. There is conflicting wording on exactly what this is called – some including the media have called it a “walkout” and others a “denial of a quorum” to protest the Governor not reopening schools. They claim that the rest of legislative business continued as normal, so arguably it was not a walkout. Either way, these Senators were not at work and did not have excused absences. No one is sure whether this will become the norm or this will be the only time it happens this session. If this was one of your Senators let them know whether you agree or disagree with their actions.

Also…

Make your Voice Heard – Testify Virtually: This past year was the year of the decennial census and now it is time for redistricting reapportionment. The House and Senate Redistricting Committees started a series of meetings on March 9 to take public testimony on the redistricting process. This is usually a road show, however because of the pandemic this will also be done virtually. It is important that we tell our Legislators that we want these new districts to meet all the criteria outlined by law, that there be no gerrymandering and that all districts are equal and fair. The League will be testifying, however it is important that all of you also testify as individual Oregon residents/voters. See https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/redistricting/ for more information and all the details.

Paula Krane, Access Coordinator

Read League of Women Voters of Oregon testimony here.