LOC News
2025-2026 Legislative Priorities Approved by LOC Board of Directors
As part of the legislative priorities, the LOC Board added one additional priority in response U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Johnson v. Grants Pass. This issue was not part of the original ballot because there was no decision from the court at the time ballots were created. The LOC Board of Directors reviewed options to address this issue during its October 16 meeting, and passed a resolution represented in Legislative Priority #9 below.
The following represent the top priorities the LOC will advance over the next two years. It’s important to understand that in addition to the top nine issues below, the remaining legislative recommendations brought forward by the seven policy committees remain part of the overall focused advocacy effort from the LOC’s lobby team. We also use the LOC’s Municipal Policy and Organizational priorities to evaluate all legislation. Listed below each priority description are the primary LOC contacts for each:
1) Community Infrastructure and Housing Development Funding - The LOC will advocate for a comprehensive infrastructure package that supports increased water, sewer, stormwater, and road investments from that state. Without continual infrastructure investments, communities cannot build needed housing; these two priorities are inherently linked. To this end, the LOC will advocate for continued state investments to support the development and preservation of a range of needed housing types and affordability.
Michael Martin – mmartin@orcities.org
Alexandra Ring – aring@orcities.org
Jim McCauley – jmccauley@orcities.org
2) 2025 Transportation Package - The LOC will support a robust, long-term, multimodal transportation package focused on: stabilizing funding for operations and maintenance for local governments and ODOT; continued investment in transit and bike/ped programs, safety, congestion management; and completion of projects from HB 2017. This objective includes support for a transition from gas tax to road user fee and improved community safety and livability.
Jim McCauley – jmccauley@orcities.org
3) Recreational Immunity - The LOC will introduce legislation to protect cities and other landowners who open their property for recreational purposes from tort liability claims.
Scott Winkels – swinkels@orcities.org
4) Behavioral Health Enhancements - The LOC will support legislation to expand access to behavioral health treatment beds and allow courts greater ability to direct persons unable to care for themselves into treatment through the civil commitment process.
Scott Winkels – swinkels@orcities.org
5) Lodging Tax Flexibility - The LOC will advocate for legislation that increases the flexibility to use locally administered and collected lodging tax revenue to support tourism-impacted services. These services include public safety, community infrastructure, and housing-related investment.
Jenna Jones – jjones@orcities.org
6) Shelter Funding and Homeless Response - The LOC will support a comprehensive homeless response package to fund the needs of homeless shelters, response efforts statewide, and capital projects. Funding will include baseline operational support to continue and strengthen coordinated regional homeless response and include a range of shelter types and other related services.
Alexandra Ring – aring@orcities.org
7) Address Energy Affordability Challenges from Rising Utility Costs - The LOC will support actions to maintain affordable, reliable, and resilient energy resources and invest in programs and new technology that support energy efficiency, renewable energy, battery storage, and resilient communities. These efforts will help address members’ concerns about increased costs associated with energy usage.
Nolan Pleše – nplese@orcities.org
8) Operator-In-Training Apprenticeships - The LOC will advocate for funding apprenticeship training programs and expanding bilingual training opportunities to promote the workforce development of qualified wastewater and drinking water operators.
Michael Martin – mmartin@orcities.org
9) ORS 195.530 Johnson v. Grants Pass - The LOC will advocate public policy that allows cities to respond to the unique needs of their community’s housed and unhoused members. This advocacy will include adjustments to ORS 195.530 to provide cities with the necessary tools to address unsafe camping conditions, safeguard public spaces, and protect the health, safety, and wellness of all community members.
Alexandra Ring – aring@orcities.org
Jim McCauley – jmccauley@orcities.org
Scott Winkels – swinkels@orcities.org
Detailed descriptions of each priority are available here.
Get Involved - Join the LOC's Advocacy Efforts in 2025!
As we enter the 2025 session, member grassroots advocacy will remain a key factor in the LOC’s ability to achieve our top legislative priorities and protect our members from continued efforts to reduce “Home Rule” authority. The LOC lobby team will reach out throughout the session and in the interim to ensure we can expand our reach with every state elected official. Those local-state relationships in your communities are critical to the overall outcome of the legislative process.
Stay tuned during the session for weekly legislative reports and calls to action. We’ll schedule Friday Zoom meetings beginning the second week of January and as needed throughout the session.
Attend City Day at the Capitol on January 28 in Salem. We’ll have a full slate of activities for members, including an opportunity to hear from Governor Kotek, legislative leadership, and the LOC’s lobby team. There will also be sessions to learn more about lobbying, how to secure funding for your communities and opportunities to meet directly with your state legislators. In addition, Irma Esparza Diggs, Senior Executive and Director of Federal Advocacy from the National League of Cities (NLC) will be sharing the latest on federal advocacy.
Your lobby team is up to the challenge, and I’m confident every member city is as well. Join us in our efforts to represent your local community’s interests.
Contact: Jim McCauley, Legislative Director jmccauley@orcities.org
Last Updated 10/25/24