The 2024 Oregon Legislative Session is in full swing! Now through when the session ends on March 10, it’s critical we make it clear to legislators that we need them to pass key climate justice bills, and prioritize climate justice in Oregon’s budget.

Do you have 2 minutes to take action for climate justice today? How about 5 minutes? Or maybe you have some time to sit down and learn about a bill in more depth and make your voice heard through public testimony. See below for simple to more involved actions.

2-minute action: Tell your legislators to support climate action this legislative session

Use this one-click tool to send an email to your Senators and Representatives, telling them to pass key bills for climate justice and prioritize climate in budgeting decisions.

Tell your legislators: pass key climate justice bills!

5-minute actions: Send these one-click emails on specific climate justice priorities

  • COAL Act (HB 4083): Contact your legislators to let them know you want the Treasury to remove coal from our state’s investment portfolio
  • Climate Change Fund: Support this fund for farmworker payments on days they can’t work due to climate emergencies and extreme weather
  • OPPOSE Forest Harvesting Targets (HB 4106): Send this email rejecting the idea of timber quotas in public forests

LONGER ACTIONS: Submit written testimony for climate justice bills and opposing harmful bills

Even a couple sentences about why you care about the bill is helpful for written testimony. If you’re wondering how to submit written or verbal testimony, watch this video of our climate policy manager, Cherice Bock, showing how to navigate OLIS (Oregon Legislative Information System).

SB 1593 Fire Safe Communities

This bill will establish a study to explore funding mechanisms for a durable long-term source of funding to invest in community resilience to fire, including the option of reinstating the timber severance tax with a focus on large corporate timberland holdings.

TAKE ACTION: Submit testimony in support of the bill before the 2/20 hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. Use this testimony guide.

We are OPPOSING HB 4106 Forest Harvesting Targets

This bill would require the Oregon Department of Forestry to set timber harvest targets to maximize timber harvest (Maximize Net Present Value) over all other values, including clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreation, requiring state forests to be managed like private tree farms with short rotations.

TAKE ACTION: Submit testimony in opposition to this bill before the 2/20 hearing in the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. Use this fact sheet to help you write your testimony.

Day-long action: Join us for our small 350PDX Lobby Day on 2/20

On Tuesday, February 20th, we’re holding a small afternoon Lobby Day (we’re aiming for 20 or so people). We will leave Portland in the late morning and spend the afternoon talking with Portland-area legislators with us about climate justice bills. Please sign up for the Lobby Day by tomorrow (Friday, Feb 16) so we can arrange carpools.

Note: We will also be holding a lobby day prep meeting on Sunday, 2/18, at 3pm, where you can receive training and ask any questions you have. (It will be recorded if you can’t make it).

Let’s do this,

Dineen O’Rourke (350PDX Campaign Manager), Brenna Bell (350PDX Forest Climate Manager), and Cherice Bock (350PDX Climate Policy Manager)

P.S. Read more about the bills and budgeting decisions 350PDX is supporting this legislative session on our 2024 Legislative Priorities page

P.P.S. Want to get more involved in the 2024 legislative session? Sign up to receive more frequent action alerts and updates!

350PDX Newsletter: Tell your legislators to pass key climate justice bills! 350PDX is recruiting new board members