Collaborative Legislative Solutions

Since 1969, OEC staff and volunteers have worked every legislative session in Salem to advocate for the interest of all Oregonians in a clean, healthy environment, with history-making results.

In the 2010 special session, OEC forwarded two proposals:

• SB 1059 to help Oregon's major metropolitan areas reduce global warming pollution through transportation and land use solutions. This bill passed and will create a foundation of tools and resources to help urban Oregon plan for future population and employment growth while simultaneously meeting the climate challenge. 
• SB 1032 to reduce young children's exposure to the harmful chemical bisphenol A. Despite overwhelming public support, this bill did not pass, but we'll be back in 2011 with robust legislation to protect children from toxic pollution.

OEC also supported the recent passage of Measures 66 & 67 to help funding for our natural resource agencies intact so they can play their important role protecting our air, water and land.

Get Involved!

For handy tips on how to communicate with your state legislators, check out our Citizen Lobby Guide [PDF]. Curious who represents you in Salem and Washington, DC? Find out here.

In 2009, OEC's major legislative accomplishments included:

• Safeguarding school-age children from exposure to pesticides through legislation that requires the use of safer non-toxic and least-toxic pest control in Oregon schools.

• Protecting school kids from future asthma attacks and long-term health threats triggered by exposure to diesel exhaust through legislation that accelerates the clean-up and replacement of dirty diesel school buses.

• Helping achieve the strongest ban in the nation of the toxic flame retardant, Deca-BDE, which contaminates our bodies and our watersheds.
• Ensuring that oil companies will begin to do their fair share to slow global warming through passage of legislation that requires development of a low-carbon fuel standard. This standard will reduce the carbon content of Oregon’s transportation fuel by 10% by 2020.
• Embedding sustainability concepts into state transportation policies, which will reduce the environmental impacts of moving people and goods by changing the way Oregon plans and builds its transportation system.

OEC amplifies the voices of concerned Oregonians by supporting thoughtful, collaborative legislative solutions to environmental issues. Our collaborative legislative principles are to:

1. Promote the health and potential of every Oregon child by providing a cleaner environment for our kids to live, learn and grow.
2. Protect Oregonians' quality of life and enhance our future prosperity by advancing solutions to global warming.
3. Foster a clean water legacy for Oregon’s great rivers and the freedom of Oregonians to enjoy our waterways now and for generations to come.
4. Invest in energy independence, a healthy environment and economy, and stronger communities for all Oregonians through solution-oriented partnerships focused on business innovation and sustainable economic development.

In all of our work, OEC puts our  Values in Action.