Photo by Dan Meyers

Advocacy in Action:

Our Proactive Work at the Oregon Legislature

The Oregon Legislature’s 2024 “short session” launched into action on Monday, February 5th for its short six week sprint.  And Restore Oregon’s advocacy effort has hit the ground running too!  

Our legislative agenda is focused on:
  1. Housing production
  2. Resiliency and capital funding for the arts/culture/heritage sector
  3. Climate resilience and carbon reduction

Restore Oregon staff and our expert volunteers on the Policy & Advocacy Committee have already initially reviewed over one hundred bills just made public on February 1st. 

Here are a few bills we’re already tracking that impact historic preservation: 
Funding

HB 4124 (Rep Nosse)/ SB 1582 (Sen. Frederick) - RO SUPPORTS – this bill (same language in both bill versions) aims to provide $27 million in funding to 14 capital projects and resiliency funding to cultural organizations in Oregon.  We have already submitted testimony in SUPPORT of HB 4124 at today’s hearing in the House Committee On Economic Development and Small Business.  Please take time to add your support into the official record too – TAKE ACTION HERE AND please send emails or calls to members of the House Committee (especially if they are your representative!) 

Housing

SB 1537 – RO OPPOSE FOR TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS – This is the “son of HB 3414” that was defeated in the last session that, among other things, mandates adjustments / variances to land use regulations applicable to housing.  Although recent revisions to this bill include critical sideboards for historic preservation protections, where it makes clear that any obligation for an adjustment is only available to new from-the-ground-up construction, we are still evaluating the broader implications and overall impact statewide.  

The Senate Committee on Housing and Development held a public hearing Thursday morning and you can review the meeting online for the discussion and details.

 

There are about a dozen other bills that we are currently reviewing to decide whether we will take a position and testify.  Please stay tuned for more action alerts and any requests for your help in providing testimony or contacting your legislators – as you know sometimes we only have less than 24 hours notice for important hearings.

If you’d like to learn more about what’s happening in the 2024 Legislative Session, OLIS is the online system used by the Oregon Legislature providing you access to explore, track and  participate in the process.