LOC News
Local Government Priorities for Special Session
By close of business Friday, we should know next week’s start date for a special session of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. It is likely Governor Kate Brown will call multiple sessions to deal with the complexity that has consumed everyone as the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic reaches communities across Oregon.
The LOC’s government relations team has been working with other local government interests for the better part of the last two weeks to develop a list of legislative needs for the special session. These organizations include the Association of Oregon Counties, the Special Districts Association of Oregon, the Oregon School Boards Association and Metro.
This collaborative work has framed a legislative solution that will provide additional continuity for local government operations that are currently confined to existing statutes related to public meetings, public records, state budget law and the land use process. This is a comprehensive list of absolute needs and is not a “wish list.” Our message has been simple: “If flexibility is not provided, the state Legislature is endangering the ability of local governments to provide services.” Moreover, and perhaps most importantly, this proposal won’t cost the state or taxpayers a dime.
Governor Brown and her staff have been incredibly helpful in articulating this message inside the Capitol. For local governments, it has been more frustrating dealing with the Joint Special Committee on Coronavirus Response (JSCCR). The committee has been focused on providing financial relief to workers and businesses in Oregon. Today the JSCCR produced a Co-Chair’s letter detailing the issues they plan to advance during the first special session. Local government issues did not make this list. The unified message from LOC and other local government partners have been very clear about the importance of our needs.
At the time of publishing, the language intact with leadership includes: flexibility for public meetings, state budget law and land use. Flexibility for public records and collective bargaining are no longer in the current draft. We need every LOC member and every local government partner to reach out to their local legislators and delivery a simple message of support for our efforts. We are hopeful that our legislative proposal will make the priority list before the special session starts next week.
Contact: Jim McCauley Legislative Director - jmccauley@orcities.org
Last Updated 3/27/20
Related Resources
- COVID-19 – State Legislature, Next Steps - LOC Bulletin (March 20, 2020)
- Coronavirus Resources for City Leaders