Oregon LCV: Environment Wins Big in the Legislature

Immediate Release:   June 28, 2007

Contact: Tresa Horney, 503 -421- 9710, Sybil Ackerman, 503- 419-8454

The Environment Wins BIG: Leadership, Collaboration and Public Appetite bring bluer skies and a greener future to Oregon 

Groups cite preparation, collaboration, leadership, and public support as the keys to the most environmental legislative sessions in three decades.

Salem: Members of the Oregon Conservation Network (OCN) celebrated the passage of all five of their priorities in the most successful environmental session in decades.  In addition to passing five pieces of proactive, pro-environment legislation, the members of OCN blocked several proposed rollbacks that would have weakened many of Oregon’s effective environmental protections.

OCN, a coalition of over forty environmental groups, worked together during 2006 to identify five proactive environmental “Priorities for a Healthy Oregon,” all of which have passed the 2007 legislative session.  The priorities include a suite of bills to promote renewable energy and energy conservation, legislation to promote biofuels, legislation to clean up Oregon’s waterways, establishing a system for recycling computers and televisions, and reforming Measure 37. 

OCN identified four keys to its success in the 2007 Legislature:  preparation, collaboration, leadership, and a public hungry for environmental progress. 

OCN carefully laid the groundwork to pass the priorities well before the session started.  “We were coordinated and ready to roll before the session began. We met with the Governor, legislative leaders, and allied groups to discuss what we felt needed to get done to keep Oregon a great place to live,” said Ivan Maluski, lobbyist for the Sierra Club’s Oregon Chapter.

Strong public support for environmental progress was also a key this session, according to OCN groups. “The environment isn’t taboo,” said Sybil Ackerman, Legislative Affairs Director for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters (OLCV).  “Legislators have realized that the environment is not a liberal or conservative issue. Protecting our water, air and natural places are mainstream Oregon values.”

“To be an Oregonian is to be an environmentalist,” said Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem/Gervais/Woodburn). “The Legislature has reaffirmed this proud tradition with its work on the Bottle Bill, clean water and renewable energy.”

Jeremiah Baumann, advocate for Environment Oregon (the new home of OSPIRG’s environmental work), worked with a broad coalition of constituency groups and legislators to pass one of the strongest renewable energy standards in the country.  “The public’s appetite for progress on environmental and energy issues has translated into environmental victories,” said Baumann. 

“Citizens support tangible legislation like the 25% by 2025 renewable energy standard and the electronic waste recycling bill because they know it will leave their children a better world,” said Baumann. 

OCN groups collectively represent more than 100,000 members and the groups were able to tap into public sentiment by organizing thousands of their members to write letters, send emails, attend hearings, and show up at the capitol.  

The change in Legislative leadership and a strong commitment from the Governor were cited by OCN as another key to environmental progress this session.  “The voters sent a loud and clear message last November: the environment is a priority,” said Ackerman. Many legislators ran under a platform of strong support for environmental protection, particularly through support for renewable energy.   “We are very pleased the new leadership and the Governor carried through on their promises to pass laws that will promote a healthy environment in ways that create new job opportunities throughout the state,” said Ackerman.

Lindsey Capps, Legislative Director of the Oregon Environmental Council, added that an increased collaborative effort attributed to OCN’s success. “We worked hard to identify the top environmental priorities for this legislative session, but we could not have been this successful alone.” He continued, “We collaborated more with each other, we collaborated more with elected leaders, and we collaborated with allied groups.”

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