Make Polluters Pay

SB 1541, the Climate Resilience Superfund Bill requires Big Oil to pay their fair share for climate-related disasters and to fund solutions that prepare our communities for future impacts. Funds will be prioritized for wildfire preparedness, recovery, and climate resilience projects, such as:

● Preparing homes, buildings, powerlines, and more to be wildfire safe;
● Sustainable, preventative work such as controlled burns to reduce wildfire risk;
● More energy-efficient cooling and home weatherization to protect us from extreme heat and smoke, while lowering utility bills;
● Rebuilding better and more resilient after major floods or wildfires;
● Combating water shortages with more efficient irrigation equipment for Oregon farmers.

For decades, the world’s largest polluters have knowingly dumped pollution into our air and water without any accountability, all while banking massive profits. Under current policy, we’re stuck paying — with our dollars and our health — for damages from wildfire, extreme heat, smoke-filled air, flooding and more. It’s well past time that polluters (not Oregonians!) pay for recovery, adaptation, and resilience costs. Check out the coalition info sheet on this bill here!

Status Update: This bill is currently in the Ways & Means (budget) Committee.

Here’s the most important way you can push this bill forward in the final stretch: Join us on Monday evening, March 2, for a Make Polluters Pay Action Briefing & Phone Zap. You’ll get the most up-to-date info on the bill and what we’re hearing from inside the Capitol. We’ll remind ourselves why this matters so much and what’s at stake for us and our communities. Then we’ll take strategic action together in real time — calling our legislators and neighbors, and putting pressure on the Joint Ways & Means Committee members who most need to hear from us. Can you join this effort to advance this critical legislation? RSVP here.

1.25% for Wildlife

350PDX is a member of the 1.25% for Wildlife coalition, which is fighting to support critical funding to protect and recover Oregon’s native wildlife.

HB 4134, The 1.25% for Wildlife bill, will secure long-term, dedicated funding to recover Oregon’s most imperiled fish, wildlife, and habitats by raising Oregon’s lodging tax for tourists from 1.5% to 2.75%. The additional 1.25% will be used for habitat conservation and restoration, including fish and wildlife that are threatened or endangered. Last legislative session this bill received bipartisan support but didn’t make it over the finish line. 

Status Update: Passed the House on Tuesday with bipartisan support! The bill had a Senate committee hearing yesterday and is scheduled for a vote on Friday, 2/27. Crossing our fingers that it will shortly be on its way to a vote in the Senate! With your advocacy, we have a real shot at passing this historic funding bill in the 2026 session and putting Oregon’s most vulnerable wildlife on a better path.

Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub-related bills

HB 4032, Fuels Diversification – make disaster fuel reserves available in other parts of Oregon. This bill calls on the Oregon Department of Energy to report to the Oregon legislature in 2027 a prioritized list of potential fuel storage sites that are: located on state-owned/controlled land; located within or adjacent to previously identified areas subject to disasters (wildfire, tsunami…); located within/adjacent to previously identified “population islands;” and accessible by transportation routes. Learn more about this bill here.

HB 4100, Risk Bonds/Financial Assurances – the goal of risk bonding is to ensure that money is more quickly available in the event of a fuel disaster to cover emergency response and recovery costs. This bill would require the owners or operators of bulk oils or liquid fuels terminals to obtain a certificate of financial responsibility from the Department of Environmental Quality. Learn more about this bill here.

Status Update: These bills are in the Ways and Means Committee.

Safe, Clean, and Accessible Transportation:

As part of the Move Oregon Forward coalition, 350PDX advocates for transportation legislation that centers safety, reduces emissions, and increases accessibility and affordability of public transit.

SB 1542, Measure What You Drive: sets standards to ensure major new transportation projects actually meet Oregon’s transportation goals. Creates a performance-based, easy-to-understand accountability framework for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to use that assesses projects based on safety, infrastructure maintenance, climate impact, and more.

SB 1543, Guardrails for Good Governance: establishes strict oversight to improve how the agency manages its debt, budget, and projects. Adopt a transportation debt management policy reflecting ODOT’s unique capacities and the unique needs of our transportation system – balance flexible funding for the future with today’s cash flow needs.

More information on both of these bills can be found here.

Status Update: Both of these bills will not be moving forward this session. 

Reduce building emissions and increase individual and community resilience:

350PDX is a member of the Building Resilience coalition, which supports these bills related to building emissions, energy justice and affordability, and community and climate resilience.

SB 1588 – Upgrade & Save: Inclusive Utility Investments – Defunding of State and Federal Programs demands creative alternatives! Utilities pay the upfront costs of upgrades. Customers pay for the upgrade as they save. (More information here)

HB 4080 – Balcony Solar – Provide solar opportunities for those who can’t access rooftop solar. Customer pays for the solar panel. Offsets some utility bills over time. Modest cost and climate impacts. It will remove barriers so these technologies can be installed if/when they are approved nationally

Status Update: Both of these bills will not be moving forward this session. 

Keep Oregon’s Moratorium on New Nuclear Power

350PDX opposes HB 4046. 350PDX continues to be a proud member of organizations fighting to keep Oregon nuclear free. Nuclear energy is expensive and there is still not a sustainable way to store nuclear waste—we do not need to pay for another study to find this out. We already know that renewable energy is less expensive, can be built more quickly, and is better for the environment. Nuclear energy is not a climate solution. Learn more here.

Status Update: This bill passed this session, but our coalition worked hard to make this less damaging.