We’re halfway through the 2023 Oregon Legislative Session, so we thought it’s time to give you a longer update on how everything’s going – and ask you to take action to pass key climate justice bills!
Over the past few months, we’ve been working hard to guide critical climate justice bills towards victory. Together, we’ve made our asks to legislators again and again: sending over 400 messages, making calls, speaking with them in person in Salem and at Constituent Coffees, attending public hearings, and more.
This movement is powerful, and when we show up in huge numbers, decision-makers have to listen! Thanks to people taking action, we’ve been able to keep most climate bills moving forward through the legislature. This in itself is a huge win — but we still have to get these bills over the finish line.
Right now, it’s essential that we keep up momentum.
Several of the climate justice bills we’re supporting were approved by committee and have moved to the Joint Committee on Ways & Means (read about each bill below!). The Ways & Means Committee sets the State’s budget and has the power to allocate funding to proposed legislation. If Ways & Means does allocate funding, then the bill gets referred to the legislature for a final vote. If the Committee does not allocate any funding, it effectively kills the bill.
The Ways & Means Committee’s job is to weigh the State’s priorities. So our job, as the people of Oregon, is to tell them that climate justice needs to be a priority. The climate crisis is on our doorstep, so now is the time to fight with everything we’ve got for a just transition to clean energy. We need to call on ALL our legislators to join us in the fight.
If you’re a constituent of a member of the Ways & Means Committee, then your voice as a constituent really matters, so use it!? You can check who your legislators are here and see which legislators are on the Committee here).
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Learn about some of the bills we’re supporting!
NATURAL CLIMATE SOLUTIONS (SB 530)
Introduced in the Senate by Sen. Michael Dembrow & Jeff Golden, companion house bill by Rep. Mark Gamba
Bill summary: This bill supports the viability of Oregon’s forest owners, farmers, and ranchers by investing in natural climate solutions, primarily by funding incentives for land managers to adopt practices that increase carbon sequestration and storage on natural and working lands. Learn more here.
Why we’re supporting this bill: Based on the Oregon Global Warming Commission’s Natural and Working Lands proposal, this bill is to authorize funding for natural climate change solution projects as well as establishing a process to inventory carbon sequestration and storage on natural and working lands. These funds will be dispersed through Oregon Dept. of Energy and will be used to provide incentives to landowners to adopt land management practices that increase carbon storage. While this bill proposes creating a fund, it does not appropriate money as Oregon is in a budget shortfall. But, with such a fund created, the state could disperse federal funds and future state funds.
CLEAN, EFFICIENT, HEALTHY, AND AFFORDABLE HOMES & BUILDINGS
350PDX is a proud member of the Building Resilience Coalition, a statewide coalition of climate justice and public health, business and labor, faith and frontline communities, environmental, family, and youth organizations, and thousands of individual Oregonians advocating for legislative action to promote healthy, affordable, resilient homes and buildings that run on clean energy. This legislation session, the Coalition is working to pass 4 priority bills:
– SB 868 – Healthy Heating and Cooling for All: aligns energy efficiency programs with state climate goals, sets a heat pump target for the state, supports workforce development, and improves navigation of federal and state incentives for energy efficiency and retrofits of homes and businesses.
– SB 869 – Build Smart from the Start: ensures new buildings in Oregon are constructed energy efficiently and are more resilient to climate impacts.
– SB 870 – Building Performance Standards: establishes a Building Performance Standard for large commercial buildings to reduce their energy use and climate emissions over time.
– SB 871 – Smart State Buildings: removes barriers to accelerate energy retrofits and upgrades in state buildings.
Why we’re supporting these bills: Buildings are the second largest source of climate pollution in Oregon. When we build a new building that’s dependent on fracked gas for cooking or heating, we’re locking in our community to using that dirty energy for decades to come. We need to rapidly reduce the use of fossil fuels in our buildings, both new and existing, to meet our state’s climate goals. We must also ensure that our buildings are resilient to climate impacts and that they are affordable for all Oregonians.
TAKE ACTION: Join us at the Building Resilience Lobby Day on Thursday, April 20th all day in Salem! This is a crucial opportunity to show our legislators that there is a vast movement behind these bills. There will be free lunch for all participants, a lobbying training, and carpools available.
COMMUNITY GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE GRANT PROGRAM (HB 3016)
Introduced by Rep. Khanh Pham
Bill summary: This bill creates a Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program administered by the Department of Land Conservation and Development for the purpose of offsetting the cost of planning and developing community green infrastructure projects; and providing direct social, environmental and economic benefits to communities across this state.
Why we’re supporting this bill: “Green infrastructure” means a measure that uses plant or soil systems, permeable pavement or other permeable surfaces or substrates, stormwater harvest and reuse or landscaping. This provides environmental, economic and social benefits, including resilience to climate change, stormwater management, air temperature regulation, air quality benefits, noise abatement, energy savings and economic development opportunities. The bill also directs the Oregon Dept. of Forestry to acquire and maintain a statewide urban tree canopy assessment tool.
COMMUNITY RESILIENCE HUBS (HB 2990)
Introduced by Reps. Khanh Pham and Pam Marsh
Bill summary: HB 2990 will create a grant program through the Office of Resilience and Emergency Management that will go directly to communities to build and implement Community Resilience Hubs and networks. This bill will create: resilient buildings, new or retrofitted with heating and cooling, air filtration, and emergency supplies; collaboration in energy systems and community-based renewable energy programs like electric heat pumps and solar panels with battery backup; community based communication networks, resource navigation systems, and services across districts. Learn more about this bill here.
Why we’re supporting this bill: As the climate crisis worsens, the need for our communities to be adequately prepared for future impacts is simply imperative. Resilience hubs and networks will keep communities safe, healthy, and well-connected before, during, and after disasters. Investing in community resilience hubs will support local economies, cut disaster relief expenses, and unlock new federal funds for clean energy.
TAKE ACTION: Join us at the Community Resilience Hubs Lobby Day on Tuesday, April 25th all day in Salem! This is a crucial opportunity to show our legislators that there is a vast movement behind this bill. There will be free lunch for all participants, a lobbying training, and carpools available.
Please join us in calling on our legislators to support climate justice bills. Thank you for all you do for climate justice, and for engaging in this important opportunity for political change.
Let’s do this,
Dineen O’Rourke, 350PDX Campaign Manager &
Brenna Bell, 350PDX Forest Climate Manager