Bills to Follow: 2023 Oregon Legislative Update
The vernal equinox is right around the corner, and buds are swelling despite the recent snowstorms here in the Pacific Northwest. As the season turns, we’ve been following climate bills as they move through the Oregon Legislature, and contemplating ways to make climate action for families easier, and less like a chore (you’ve already got plenty!).
Sarah Lazarovic put this dilemma perfectly in the most recent edition of her always excellent newsletter, Minimum Viable Planet. She discussed all of the opportunities for individuals to take action that on the surface seem great, but when you look closer, take a whole lot of effort for a not-very-impactful outcome. Case in point: recycling a variety of typical materials through the well-intentioned company, TerraCycle.
“My vexation stems from the fact that this is the individualization of the wrong kind of responsibility,” she writes. It’s a taxing kind of effort that sucks all our energy, but not in the direction of real systemic change. As Saul Griffith, the founder of Rewiring America, puts it in a new documentary:
“My worry for the world is we’re just taking spare time away from parents and there’s less creativity and less imagining in households than ever before. You know it’s 8:43 and we’ve got to get the kids to school by 9:15 and lunches aren’t made. How are we going to solve climate change?”
This quote really spoke to us. As an organization with a mission to advocate for climate action on behalf of families, it feels especially important to concentrate on our collective efforts to create larger change, and to help folks utilize their creative energy in meaningful ways.
Contacting your elected representatives on behalf of progressive climate solution legislation is a small act that, when done as a collective effort, has far-reaching impacts. As such, today we’re highlighting some of the great work being done during this legislative session.
Keep reading to learn about some of the climate bills we’re supporting and what you can do to help!
Bills We Believe In
This legislative session features over a dozen progressive bills that seek to create climate solutions from a variety of angles. We’re spotlighting a few that address different areas of climate challenges—from turning off the money pipeline to fossil fuels, to carbon sequestration, to making joyful bike-buses available to more schools instead of diesel ones!
We support the passage of these bills and hope you’ll help us advocate for their passage with our handy template email you can customize and send to your legislators!
Natural Climate Solutions Bill (SB 530)
The Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) calls natural and working landscapes “Oregon’s untapped climate solution.” The idea is that smarter management of Oregon’s forests, waters, and agricultural lands can help combat climate change and increase the resilience of our natural resource economies to ever-worsening climate impacts. SB 530 is a bill that invests in resilience efforts for forests, farmlands, and wetlands by helping maximize carbon sequestration. SB 530 better positions Oregon to leverage federal funding by providing incentives and technical support to forest owners, farmers, and ranchers to implement natural climate solutions. Learn more about SB 530 with this OCN one-pager.
Healthy Heating and Cooling for All Bill (SB 868)
Lack of energy efficient homes is an important climate justice issue. Not only does energy inefficiency create more pollution, it’s also more expensive for residents and building owners to keep up and can create poor indoor air quality that disproportionately affects people of color and lower-income households and impacts rural communities in Oregon more acutely. To address this issue, SB 868 sets a target to install 500,000 new heat pumps that will both heat and cool homes efficiently and affordably and provides financial assistance and other help to purchase and install heat pumps and prioritizes low-income households and those at highest risk from extreme weather. Learn more about the bill with Building Resilience here.
Treasury Investment and Climate Protection Act (HB 2601)
The Oregon Treasury has a fiduciary responsibility to protect all of Oregon’s investments for the long term, including those in public employee retirement funds such as PERS. However, the current Treasury investment strategy leaves investments critically vulnerable to fossil fuel related climate risk. As such, HB 2601 seeks an immediate moratorium on new carbon-intensive investments and seeks to exit all existing investments in the fossil fuel industry and carbon-intensive investments. Additionally, the bill will establish a portfolio-wide Climate Resilience Plan with an environmental justice framework. Learn more about the bill supported by Divest Oregon here.
Bike Bus Bill (HB 3014)
Recognizing that local school districts are seeking creative solutions to reduce the impact on climate change, but are limited by what school transportation money can spend it on (currently only on vehicles), the Bike Bus Bill (HB 3014) will help offer school districts more options. The bill increases local school district control and flexibility to be able to spend money on active transportation (biking, walking, transit). This will allow districts to use funds to support student use of public transit, crossing guards, and walking/biking groups (a.k.a Bike Bus) to get students to school safely. Learn more about the bill here.
What You Can Do
The most impactful thing you can do right now is to contact your representatives and ask them to support climate bills. You can access a template letter and details about how to reach out to your legislators here. If you have some extra time and would like to craft your own personal letter to your elected officials, our template is a great place to start.
Other Bills to Follow
Keep track of other climate bills right now.
Right to Refuse Dangerous Work (SB 907) Provides the employee with right to refuse to perform tasks in dangerous environment (e.g., outdoor farm work when the air is toxic from wildfires). We SUPPORT this!
The TREES Act (HB 3016) Establishes community Green Infrastructure grant program with an emphasis on workforce development. We SUPPORT this!
Ebike Bill ( HB 2571) Directs the DEQ to provide rebates for ebike purchases. We SUPPORT this!
Fix It First Bill (HB 2677) Directs the DOT maintain new roads before adding lane miles to the system. We SUPPORT this!
Build Smart from the Start (SB 869) Ensures state building codes for energy efficiency and materials in new construction align with our state climate goals, which is healthier for people, for climate and for family budgets. We SUPPORT this! Sign this petition from Building Resilience and subscribe to their newsletter.
Building Performance Standards (SB 870) Set standards for energy efficiency and pollution reduction for large, commercial buildings, with enough transition time and financial incentives for owners to make the needed upgrades. We SUPPORT this! Sign this petition from Building Resilience and subscribe to their newsletter.
Lead by Example (SB871) This legislation makes it a priority to upgrade public buildings - including schools - for increased energy efficiency and safety so that they lead by example on creating resilience and transition to clean energy. We SUPPORT this! Sign this petition from Building Resilience and subscribe to their newsletter.
Prohibiting Gas Bans (SB 647)– We OPPOSE this bill, which would prohibit cities and counties from requiring electrification in new buildings.
The Beaver Believer Bill (HB 3464) - We SUPPORT this bill, which would remove the “predatory animal” designation from beavers. Read more here.
Community Resilience Hubs Bill (HB 2990A) - We SUPPORT this bill, which would create funding for communities to build centers that allow them to support themselves before, during, and after disasters.
The Port Exemption Bill (HB 3382) - We OPPOSE this bill, which would exempt major ports from land use and environmental regulations.
