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Writer's pictureOne Small Thing
Jan 2, 202110 min read

Tools for Legislative Activists

Updated: Jan 4, 2021

2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION RESEARCH WORKSHEET

(This worksheet can be adapted if you are researching a potential ballot measure.)


1. Name of Point Person who completed this form:

2. Date:

3. Research topic: (Campaign Finance, Climate, Immigration, Revenue, Other)

4. What bill(s) has been introduced or is expected to be introduced regarding this topic? (Provide name and number in both Senate and House, if available.)

5. Who are the bill’s champions in the Legislature?

6. Who are the bill’s opponents in the Legislature?

7. What advocacy group(s) is supporting this bill and who is your contact person for that group? (Please also provide contact information for the group so that others could contact it; this may not be the contact information for your contact person if that person does not want to field questions from the public.)

8. What group(s) is opposing this bill?

9. Summarize the policy positions of the supporters and opponents of the bill(s).

10. What is the likelihood that the bill will pass?

11. What is your recommendation regarding whether A4D should take a position on this bill? You may want to consider the following criteria but are not required to do so:

a. Does A4D or other progressive groups across the state care strongly about this issue?

b. Does this bill protect or expand the rights of marginalized populations?

c. Does this bill help change the rules and structures of the democratic system to make it work better?

d. Is this an issue area that is entirely controlled by the states or an issue over which states have a great deal of power?

e. Is this fight winnable?

f. Would constituent power add value and make a difference?

g. Other considerations?

12. List the relevant dates concerning the bill(s). (scheduled committee hearings, votes, lobby days, other scheduled advocacy, phone banks, post card parties, etc.)

13. What activities does the advocacy group wish to mobilize A4D members or other activists to engage in? (phone calling, post cards, emails, LTEs, lobby days, other?)

14. Are there any media contacts?


LEGISLATIVE TASK FORCE RESEARCH TOOLS – 12/29/20


General Source Material


Legislature Homepage (OLIS): https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/

Legislative Trackers: https://www.legiscan.com/


Topic Area Advocacy Groups/Contacts


Campaign Finance Reform

A4D contact: Bill Vollmer, cyclinguybill@gmail.com

Common Cause -- https://www.commoncause.org/oregon/; Kate Titus (503.283.1922; ktitus@commoncause.org)

OSPIRG


Climate/Environment/Energy

A4D contact: Michael Heumann, heumanncycle@gmail.com

The Climate Reality Project


Revenue

A4D contact: Elsa Porter, porterelsa@gmail.com

Tax Fairness Oregon -- http://www.taxfairnessoregon.org/;

Center for Public Policy -- https://www.ocpp.org/


Immigration

A4D contact: Guy Nelson, gnelson181@aol.com

Causa -- https://causaoregon.org/; Adriana Miranda (503-999-5940; adriana@causaoregon.org ) and Joel Iboa (joel@causaoregon.org)


Criminal Justice


Education


Gun Safety


Health Care

Physicians for a National Health Program -- http://pnhp.org/chapter/oregon/

Laura Zeigen, chair of the OPHA Policy Committee -- laura.zeigen@gmail.com.


Housing

Oregon Housing Alliance, Alison McIntosh – amintosh@neighborhoodpartnership.org

Stable Homes for Oregon Families Coalition


Voting Rights/Gerrymandering

Next Up! -- nextuporegon.org (formerly The Bus Project)

League of Women Voters -- lwvor.org


PROPOSED LEGISLATION

Allies for a Healthier Oregon (AHO)) 15 December 2020 Meeting Summary


AHO is a member supported program of We Can Do Better- donation form

Contact: Suzanne AHO Coordinator: aho@wecandobetter.org or aho.oregon@gmail.com

Zakir Kahn, Chief of Staff

Introduced Proposed BIPOC Caucus Legislative Policy Agenda 2021:

  1. Mental Health Workforce LC 2893– sponsor Rep. Bynum – lead bill

    • Increase access to culturally appropriate behavioral health services

    • Increasing providers and enhancing workforce capacity

  2. Hold police officers accountable

  3. Eliminate legalized slavery in Oregon – Sen. James Manning

· Constitutional amendment addressing incarceration as enslavement

  1. Support workers and small businesses recovering from COVID-19 pandemic

  2. Acknowledge racism as a public health crisis

  3. Equitable access to the ballot – Rep. Hernandez

  4. Voice in property development – Judiciary Committee

  5. Relating to foreclosures and property development processes

  6. Remove student achievement barriers - Rep. Alonso Leon/ Sen. Frederick bill on disproportionate discipline in schools

  7. Make Capitol more accessible – improve access enhance diversity

  8. Expand options for building housing – provide more housing and stable housing

Pam Johnson, Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, pjohnson@npaihb.org –

Increasing Access to Care Through Dental Therapy LC 2307 – sponsor Rep. Sanchez

· Mid-level licensed oral health provider to expand access to care

· Pilot project serving several tribes over the past five years has proven the project is working with expected results

· Urgency to move beyond pilot projects which limit capacity to recruit providers and serve more of the population in need in BIPOC communities and rural areas

· Coalition of more than twenty (20) organizations and providers

· Find fact sheet with LC number here, and endorsement form here!

Sarah Lochner, Multnomah County, sarah.lochner@multco.or.us –

See Multnomah County 2021 State Legislative Agenda

· County generally advocates for budget allocations related to safety net programs

· Multnomah County has five policy bills and is supporting several others

Multnomah County sponsoring five bills covering the following:

Three equity bills/LCs:

  1. Justice-remove fees, bail, and provide better education to juveniles in detention

  2. Curb “predatory tactics” by brokers and developers (through board sanctions) to protect homeowners & prevent further gentrification

  3. Require state agencies to do a racial equity analysis for OARs/Administrative Rules (Reimagine Oregon bill)

Other bills/LCs:

  1. Enable county collaboration to respond to, and prevent, youth suicide – primarily a housekeeping bill

  2. Increase communication and collaboration with DHS IDD workload analysis (supporting policy changes outside of legislative process)

Sybil Hebb, Oregon Law Center, shebb@oregonlawcenter.org –

Stable Homes for Oregon Families Coalition

Two concepts that are expected to be considered at Third Special 2020 Legislative Session on December 21 – Note that both passed on December 21

  1. Extend the rental housing eviction moratorium

  2. Provide rent assistance that protects both renters and landlords

Defining Need: Thanks to the current eviction moratorium which expires December 31, renters have had a place to stay at home and stay safe – the current eviction moratorium has been key to our successful response to COVID-19 pandemic – it needs to be extended concurrent with the continuing pandemic

Kate Suisman, Northwest Workers Justice Project, kate@nwjp.org –

OSHA Temporary Standard 437-001-0744 on infectious disease standards in the workplace effective for six months as of November 16, 2020

  • Community input has been significant in strengthening workplace protections and requiring worker notifications and including worker voice in development of protection protocols

Rule-making has already begun on permanent rule

  • Draft expected by the end of January according to Michael Wood, OSHA – public comment period will immediately follow

  • Concern that permanent rule-making discussions indicate interest from business representatives to weaken workplace protections in comparison to temporary rule

  • Community input will continue to be critical to quality of permanent standards

  • Information graphic on OSHA Temporary Standard 437-001-0477

  • Full wording Temporary Rule 437-001-0477

  • Risk Assessment forms

  • Details to submit public comments

Andrew Swanson, Oregon Recovers, andrew@oregonrecovers.org –

  • Governor did not include beer and wine tax to generate revenue for addiction services in GRB

  • Legislative concepts are part of a package of policies to require drug and alcohol industries to recognize public health aspects

Rep. Sanchez is sponsoring a new bill LC 1581 Addiction Crisis Recovery Act:

  • Directs OLCC to study issues related to revenue derived from sales of alcoholic beverages with legislative report September 2022 beverages with legislative report September 2022

  • Strategy caps alcohol distribution at 10% higher next biennium

    • Generating $148 mil in General Fund Savings

    • Reduce overall alcohol consumption by 10%

  • Consideration of 20% increase in tax on all forms of alcohol would counter impacts tax increase on beer and wine only would have to drive consumers toward other forms of alcohol

Other bills relating to public health aspects of addiction:

  • LC 2592 relating to network community recovery centers

  • Change marketing at OLCC adding public health and addiction backspin

  • Break up beer and wine distribution monopoly – Sen. Dembrow

  • Require cancer warning labels and addiction warnings on alcohol products

Debbie Lindgren, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, debbiejlindgren@gmail.com –

Supporting Four Legislative Concepts for 2021 Legislative Session:

Secure Storage of Firearms

Ghost Gun regulation

Open Carry of Firearms regulation

Closing the Charleston Loophole in regards to background checks on all gun sales

Nathaniel Boehme, Oregon Public Health Association (OPHA), nathanielboehme.opha@gmail.com, and Angel Harris, NAACP Corvallis –

LC1766- Declarers Racism a Public Health Crisis in Oregon:

  1. Declare racism as a public health crisis in Oregon

  2. Acknowledge Oregon’s racist history and its current day impact on policies and systems that perpetuate institutional racism

  3. Articulate investments and strategies (six key strategies outlined) needed to address health inequities among BIPOC Oregonians and Oregon Tribes

Additional links for resources related to LC1766:

  1. Complete this endorsement survey as an individual, an organization (if applicable), or both.

    1. There’s additional information about the LC on this link

    2. Share this endorsement survey widely with your networks.

  2. OPHA constituent guide to contact legislators and support this concept.

  3. Sign a petition from OPHA partner, Leslie Gregory from Right to Health, to declare racism a crisis nationally.

Matthew Green, OHA, matthew.green@dhsoha.state.or.us –

  • See OHA 2021 Legislative Concepts which he spoke about at AHO Nov 10 meeting

Health Highlights of 2021-2023 Governor’s OHA Budget Request:

  • Despite some reductions to OHA requested funding, there remain significant investments in three categories (see details in handout information materials):

1. Advance health equity

2. Strengthen behavioral health

3. Contain health care costs and advance health transformation


Other notable highlights GRB:

  • Reduced OHA request $68 mil investments in Modernization of Public Health to $30 mil

  • Invest $10 mil in Cover All People – a pilot project to extend health care coverage reducing rates of uninsured

James Barta, ODHS, james.barta@dhsoha.state.or.us –

  • ONE eligibility system roll-out going well and remainder of the state will be fully on board with roll-out on February 1 when people re-certify or apply for first time

  • OHP has been part of the system for some time; ODHS joined for SNAP, TANF, ERDC

  • ERDC co-pays still at zero until end of January

  • Contact him if interested in participating in monthly calls and updates

  • Pandemic coverage for ERDC which replaces school lunches – federal grant difficult to fulfill

  • GRB includes $10 mil for domestic violence services to survivors and expand services for tribal lands while increasing resources for underpaid worker system

Jesse O’Brien, DCBS, jesse.e.obrien@oregon.gov –

Annual Drug Price Transparency Hearing December 16 announcement

Legislative concepts for 2021:

LC560 - addresses out of network surprise billing reimbursement rate which sunsets in 2022

  • Want to improve on the law and reset the rate

  • Congress is looking at federal legislation (check the pending federal stimulus bill negotiations which are said to be considering including a requirement that rates must be negotiated and reduced)

LC561- relates to auto insurance – shows how DCBS is trying to prohibit discrimination and address structural racism that has been inherent in financial regulations

  • Rating factors have been used to discriminate and this bill has anti-discrimination language

LC563 – Drug Price Transparency Program – minor technical changes to program

Healthcare placeholder bill – ACA changes

Chris Bouneff, NAMI Oregon, chris@namioregon.org –

LC pending related to Parity Behavioral Health – two essential components:

  1. Stronger reporting of data that indicates whether or not adhering to parity –

    • granting equal access relative to medical/surgical services

    • compensation to provider networks

    • access to treatments that treat the underlying cause driving behavioral health care needs

  2. Elaborates on what parity actually means defining parity

    • Recent case law providing clarity on what parity means US Court decision

    • Broad coalition multi-states introducing model legislation on which this Oregon LC is based

  • Profound differences exist in what care is available depending upon coverage regardless of what carrier – this could/would provide much-needed clarity on what is and is not covered where coverage is regulated by the state

Trish Garner, AAUW Oregon, garner37@me.com and Andrea Meyer, AARP Oregon, ameyer@aarp.org –

  • Age Discrimination – reintroducing bill to set up a task force; would like to introduce bill of more substance but looks like task force best strategy now

  • Diversity for Corporate Boards – national trend calling for corporate diversity setting state standards for minimum representation of women and other minorities on boards of publicly traded companies

John Mullin, johnmullinhce@gmail.com –

Oregon Coalition for Affordable Prescriptions (OCAP) legislative agenda:

  • LC2003 - Create Prescription Drug Affordability Board:

    • Board can identify prescription drug products that cause affordability challenges, set an upper payment limit for those drugs, and penalize emergency price gouging by Pharma

  • LC2014 - Prohibit Pay-for-Delay of Less Expensive Generic Drugs

  • LC1996 - Require Ethics Education, Registration of, and Disclosure by Prescription Drug Sales Representatives

Also supporting:

  • OCPP Legislative agenda (see attached information materials from Daniel Hauser, OCPP) and Age Discrimination Bill campaign led by AARP Oregon and AAUW Oregon

Jamie Pang, Oregon Environmental Council (OEC), jamie@oeconline.org –

Climate oriented legislative policy priorities 2021 including:

LC1077- Strengthen Toxic Free Kids Act:

  1. Modernize OHA authority to address classes of chemicals so that they are not limited to regulating individual chemicals

  2. Limit exemptions granted to manufacturers to three years

  3. Remove limits on the number of chemicals that can be added to the high priority chemicals of concern for children’s health

  4. Adds brand-name and product model of a children’s product to reporting requirements

  5. Streamline some definitions to harmonize with Washington’s law

OHA Climate and Health Report 2020 has been made public Governor’s Order 020-4

OEC and PCUNE will be hosting a webinar presentation on the Oregon Health Authority (OHA)'s recently-released Climate + Health in Oregon 2020 report. The webinar will take place on Friday, January 8th at 1:00 pm, and will provide an overview of:

· The public health impacts of climate change highlighted in the new OHA report (including impacts and implications for racial equity, frontline workers, wildfires/extreme heat, mental health and covid);

· Policy solutions identified in the report to mitigate climate change and maximize health co-benefits; and

· Opportunities to apply the report findings to our agency and legislative advocacy, with specific focus on the intersections with other OCAP issue areas (transportation, cap and reduce, clean energy, clean buildings and natural and working lands).

  • There will be a Q&A following the presentation with labor, public health and youth representatives.

  • Please use this link to register for the webinar, and feel free to share the invitation with others in your network. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Charlie Fischer, OSPIRG, cfischer@ospirg.org, and Meribeth Guarino, mguarino@ospirg.org -

State public option health plan LC is Rep. Salinas bill

Goals of public options:

  1. Bring down costs of health care and health care coverage

  2. Increase the value of health care on the Marketplace

  3. Offer small businesses impacted by pandemic economy who had to drop employee insurance coverage and/or raise employee premiums

Would address specific issues:

  • People who are so-called subsidy cliff dwellers – just above subsidy eligibility but personally burdened by health care coverage costs

  • Underinsured population (not uncommon) are those who spend 5 – 10% or more of their income on health care costs and health care coverage (which offers limited coverage)

  • Family glitch where people cannot afford employer-based coverage but are locked out of Marketplace

  • Medicaid churn population who moves in and out of eligibility

  • Offer small businesses impacted by pandemic economy who had to drop employee insurance coverage and/or raise employee premiums

Open to input on this bill:

  • Public option health plan available on the insurance Marketplace will increase competition and bring down costs

  • Considering how to engage CCOs to pay into public option and encourage value-based payments (VRB)

  • Contract with CCOs who currently administer Medicaid in the state to provide health plans with lower premiums and higher value for Oregon consumers

See also OCAP legislative agenda (John Mullin above) which OSPIRG is supporting

Tom Sincic, HCAO, president@hcao.org –

  • LC809 - Proposes amendment to Oregon Constitution establishing obligation of the state to ensure every resident access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care

  • LC1794 - Extends for one year sunset for Task Force on Universal Health Care

  • Also supporting LC1766 Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis





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