Unfortunately, two of the bills we were following died in committee (SB 681 and SB 1187). Thanks to David P, Cindy B, Sheila G, and Angela G for their leadership, and thanks to the many more Third Actors who joined them in writing testimony and lobbying and rallying in Salem!
SB 681, a proposed moratorium on private investments by the State Treasurer in fossil fuel dominant funds, called the “Pause Act” (Chief sponsor: Senator Golden). Divest Oregon led the coalition supporting the bill. Nearly 300 people submitted testimony supporting the bill, and many, including Third Actors, attended the hearing in the Committee on Finance and Revenue on March 19th. Unfortunately, the Oregon Treasury opposed the bill, and there is no path forward. The Divest Oregon coalition supports the alternative Treasury-supported HB 2200, while continuing the campaign for a stronger bill in the future.
SB 1187 (formerly SB 682) proposed a Treasury process to collect monies from the fossil fuel industry based on proportional GHG emissions to fund a state resiliency plan to address those climate impacts (chief sponsors: Senators Pham, Golden, Campos, and Representatives Andersen and Gamba). Hundreds rallied for the bill on April 7th, the day the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment heard testimony from more than 30 people, including several Third Actors. Despite the support, the bill died in committee without a vote after a second day of hearings on April 9. TAO will continue the campaign by talking about the bill with leaders in towns, cities, and counties that are struggling to pay the costs of protecting their citizens from extreme weather events.
But several other important bills are still alive! These include:
SJR 28, a proposed amendment to the Oregon Constitution relating to a clean, safe and healthy environment (Chief sponsors: Senators Golden, Manning J., and Prozanski, and Representatives Andersen, Gamba, and Tran). Third Actors joined a lobby day organized by OCERA on March 26th visiting legislators, attending and testifying at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Rules, and joining a rally outside the Capitol. We are waiting for the next action on this bill.
The Critical Energy Infrastructure HUB (HB 3450; HB 2949; HB 2152) provides 90% of the state’s liquid fuels and 100% of the state’s jet fuel – but is at great risk of becoming a catastrophic disaster that will endanger the state’s economic and environmental health – because it is located on unstable liquefaction soils and in a wildland-urban interface fire zone. TAO is supporting 3 bills to prevent these well-documented dangers.
- CEI Hub Transition Plan (HB 3450) that will support a holistic plan, with clear implementation benchmarks to ensure that Oregonians have long-term access to the fuels they need and that public and environmental health and safety are protected.
- 4/11 Working session complete. Recommended for pass, referred to Ways and Means by order of the Speaker. No scheduled events.
- Risk Bond Requirement (HB 2949) will require privately-owned facilities – not the public – be financially responsible for damages that result from spills, releases, or fires.
- 4/11 Working session complete. Recommended for pass, referred to Ways and Means by order of the Speaker. No scheduled events.
- Fuels for Disaster Response (HB 2152) directs the OR Department of Energy to develop strategies to geographically diversify liquid fuel reserves for disaster response and recovery.
- 4/08 Working session complete, recommended for pass. Committee voted 4-3. Next step: referral to Ways and Means.
We’ve added another bill to our list!
A bill for a “One-Stop-Shop 2.0” (Chief Sponsor Levy), will expand the existing energy efficiency and incentives directory program, supporting more dynamic navigation services, reducing complexity, and providing better service to customers. It has just passed from the Committee on Energy and Environment to the Ways and Means Committee. We’ll need volunteers to help shepherd this bill to passage! Please let us know if you’re interested in joining this team.
In your communication with legislators, join CAAT and TAO in thanking our Senators and Representatives who are working hard on these bills for their efforts to safeguard Oregonians. Find info on all the bills and your legislators on the OLIS site. If you want help, let us know!
Let us know if you have questions or if you’d like to join CAAT! Write to us at: oregon@thirdact.org.