Oregon legislature

Last week, the Oregon House passed a bill that attempts to help homeowners in high-risk fire areas keep their insurance.  Some property owners report losing coverage.  Medford-area state Senator Jeff Golden said the bill directs the state to help communities take action to reduce wildfire risk.   "All prope...

Oregon lawmakers are trying to find a regular source of funding to pay for fighting wildfires.  Fighting wildfires across the state costs around $300 million annually.  The Legislature is trying to find a regular source to pay that bill, instead of relying only on the general fund.  State Senator Fre...

Oregon voters could decide whether to raise the bar on the initiative petition process.  Currently, paid signature gatherers focus on the metro area, where it's easy to fill petition sheets.  But state Senator Todd Nash said that ignores rural Oregon.   "Getting i...

State lawmakers are looking for new ways to fund wildland firefighting efforts in Oregon.  2024 was a record year for the size and cost of wildfires across the Beaver State.  Doug Graf, Governor Tina Kotek’s advisor on wildfire prevention, told lawmakers last week they can't keep going to the general fund.   "The sustainable...

A controversial law involving Oregon’s Wildfire Risk Map would be repealed, under a bill in the Legislature.  The map would have required property owners to take steps to reduce wildfire risk on their property.  Derrick Wheeler, with the Department of Forestry, said the new bill would remove those requirements.   "It removes the ...

The Oregon Farm Bureau is warning the Ag and non-Ag industry alike of the detrimental impact House Bill 2548 would have on the entire farming industry.  OFB spokesperson Jenny Dresler says HB 2548 looks to create a Workforce Standards Board for Agriculture.  ...

Clocks change to Daylight Saving Time on Sunday.   But two bills in the Oregon Legislature could eventually make that twice-a-year change obsolete.  State Senator Dick Anderson wants Standard Time all year.   "A growing body of research has shown that regions in countries that have abolished Daylight Saving Time, such as Arizona and Hawaii, have seen positive results," he noted.     Stat

Oregon could soon have an officially designated state steak.  A bill in the legislature aims to honor the T-Bone.   “It features two premium cuts, the strip steak and the tenderloin, symbolizing the diversity and strength of ranching operations across the state," noted Oregon Cattlemen’s Association President-Elect Diane Wirth.  She added her group unanimous...

The 2025 Oregon Legislative Session gets underway next week in Salem.  And while the priorities for the farming community vary quite a bit, there will be several key issues discussed; water, regulation and overtime.  For Jeff Stone Executive Director for the Oregon Nurseries Association, overtime will be one of, if not the top issues.   “What we'r...

Oregonians stayed cooler and had cleaner air this summer, because of a program created by the Legislature.  Warming temperatures and wildfires make it more important for Oregonians to have air conditioning and air filters.  Oregon's Medicaid Director Emma Sandoe said some parts of the state are affected more than others.   “In rural ...