2024 Legislative Session Recap

Now that the Oregon 2024 short session is behind us and we’ve had some time to settle, we’d like to share a recap of what went down. There were some wins and losses this past session and many opportunities for future success. 

Together, we showed up in Salem, advocating for the top priorities we identified in community, and holding our elected officials accountable. We know that none of this would be possible without the support from you, our APANO community. Thank you for showing up in Salem, submitting testimonies, attending our events and many more shows of support as we navigated this short legislative session. 

Due to the nature of a short session, much of this year’s legislative work was focused on funding asks and bills. Prior to the start of session, the state legislature reported a whopping $1.3 billion surplus. We were determined to ensure they were allocated in the right places for a more equitable and socially-conscious Oregon, and there were a number of successful efforts. (If you need a refresher on our policy priorities from this past session, feel free to revisit our one-pager here.)

OUR WINS

House Bill (HB) 4098 - CHIPS Act Child Care Funding

As the name suggests, this integral bill will make it possible for the state to acquire federal funds for child-care-related costs, as laid out in the CHIPS Act. It will also make available new sources of funding and resources for the great need for child care in Oregon. 

Senate Bill (SB) 1530 - Rental Assistance and Healthy Homes Initiative Funding

The best way to ensure our communities are housed is to support their ability to pay rent and stay in their homes. To address the many areas of need, this pool of funding supports a number of initiatives, including rental assistance, keeping shelters open and updating low-income housing with climate-resilient solutions. This is a huge win for Oregonians and our efforts to fund the Healthy Homes initiative.

SB 1533 - Expanding Voter Languages

To ensure our voting process is equitable and accessible to all Oregonians, our educational materials need to be in the languages Oregonians speak. To that end, SB 1533 requires that materials are translated into the 10 most-commonly-spoken languages in each or Oregon’s 36 counties. 

SB 1596 - Right to Repair 

After many attempts in previous legislative sessions, the Right to Repair bill finally passed with overwhelming support from our state legislature! This bill gives consumers the right to repair their own technologies without fear of manufacturer backlash.

Universal Representation and Restorative Justice

From our friends at Fair Shot for All: “Restorative justice is a survivor-centered approach to accountability that focuses on promoting healing for those who have been harmed and on fostering true internal accountability for those who have caused harm… $4M in ongoing funding means this important work will continue in order to realize restorative justice’s full potential to deliver a just and safe place for all.” Our communities are better off with community-driven alternatives to prosecution. 

SB 1595 - Family Financial Protection Act

This senate bill makes critical updates to the debt-collection practices in Oregon. Namely, it establishes protected income to limit wage garnishment and requires debt collectors to adhere to stricter compliance regulations. This act will protect Oregonians in their ability to pay for their most basic needs while navigating debt collection. 

HB 4083 - Divestment from Coal for State Treasury’s Office 

This house bill would move the State Treasury department to reduce the amount of money invested in thermal coal companies, in recognition of the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities and the harmful role that fossil fuels play.

Funding the Employment-Related Day Care (ERDC) Program

Thousands of Oregonian families are struggling to make ends meet and create a better life. One enormous barrier to prosperity is the enormous lack of access to child care across the state. 

One way to address this barrier was to support those most in need with employment-related day care subsidies through the ERDC program. Per child care advocates’ (like APANO and Family Forward) insistence, it was severely underfunded and a waitlist was put in place in the fall of 2023. To put an end to the waitlist, advocates shared the need for $250 million. 

Despite the clear need, the legislature allocated just $171.2 million to the ERDC program this past session, leaving a nearly-$80-million-funding gap. Parents and caregivers will continue to stay on a wait list, unable to pay for things like school and child care. We will continue advocating for additional funding to ensure all Oregonians have the resources they need. 

OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS

HJR 202 - Simple Majority Quorum 

In Oregon and in states across the country, this would change the required number of legislature needed in Salem, on the voting floor, to pass or stop a bill from going forward. As we saw with previous walkouts, when our state legislature refuses to do their job, our state suffers. We advocate for laws to change this and not punish our voters for the faults of our electeds. This resolution did not make it to vote, however we are glad to start the conversation. 

A quick note about walkouts: this year, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that state elected officials that walked out last year during session will not be eligible for reelection this year. This further supports our need for candidate and elected accountability and we heavily support these efforts. 

HB 4060 - Oregon Agricultural Heritage Fund

‍While this bill never made it to vote, we hope that Heritage sites continue to fight for general funding for the important work they do.

‍HB 4070 - School Based Health Centers adding Mental Health

This bill unfortunately did not pass and we hope to see it back next year. This bill asked for $18.2 million to add mental health services to already existing health centers in our schools across Oregon.

HB 4158 - Small Center Childcare Infrastructure Fund ‍

This bill would have allocated $5 million specifically for childcare centers that have fewer than 75 children and would have covered administrative and expansion costs.

SB 1559 - Updating Climate Emission Goals‍

This bill would have changed our outdated greenhouse gas emission reduction goals to current standards and practices which had not been updated since 2007. 

OPPOSE: HB 4002 (passed) - Drug Recriminilization and Measure 110 Repeal‍

The community called for real solutions and the time necessary to properly implement Measure 110. Those calls were met with recriminalization and carceral punishment, which we know disproportionately hurt our Black and brown communities. HB 4002 will only perpetuate racial disparities in our state and we are deeply saddened to see such a bill pass. (Learn more about this measure here.)

Despite these setbacks, APANO will continue to fight for the issues and policies that will support Oregonians in making their lives better. No matter where we come from or how we identify, we all deserve that opportunity. Together, we can create a more equitable state through sound policy creation. 

Interested in learning more and getting involved? Sign up for our email newsletter and let us know if you’re interested in volunteering! And for even more short session info, check out a recent Community Education Session presentation here.

From your local school board elections to offices at the national level, 2024 is a critical election year. Learn more about the upcoming May primary election and the leaders we’re endorsing in our Voter Guide here.

For any questions, concerns or comments, please reach out to Policy Manager Sam Guthman. For any media inquiries, please reach out to Ashley Mumm.