OFB Asking Farmers To Voice Support For House Bill 2334

The Oregon Farm Bureau is asking the Ag community to vocalize their support of House Bill 2334, which is scheduled to have a hearing Thursday. Samantha Bayer, Policy Council with the Oregon Farm Bureau, said HB 2334 focuses on reinforcing the original goal of the Small Business Impacts and Analysis, originally passed in 2005. That 15 year old legislation requires rules proposed by the state government to look at how proposals would impact small businesses, including family farms. Bayer noted, had it been on the books, HB 2334 would have been beneficial from the start of the pandemic.

“OSHA would have probably realized that was really expensive requirement for not a lot of benefit, and we probably would have seen some mitigation in the rules that would have alleviate some of those costs.”

Bayer noted this legislation will help close many of the loopholes that developed from the 2005 bill. She said this bill is about proper governance, and making sure Oregon’s farming community is considered before rules are handed down from Salem. Bayer said the OFB is now asking farmers to write to their legislators, encouraging them to support HB 2334.

“Explain some of these costs that they’ve experienced over the years.  I think we talk a lot about that added layer and layer and layer of rules and regulations that we’re expecting our very small family run farms to exist under, and it’s very difficult.”

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