2024 OR Legislative Scorecard

HB4083 mandates that the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council divest the state's Public Employees Retirement Fund investments from thermal coal companies. Investments may be retained if the companies are transitioning to clean energy. The Treasurer is also required to provide annual reports to the Legislative Assembly on the actions taken.

The Oregon State House of Representatives passed HB4083 on March 6, 2024 by a vote of 34 to 21. We have assigned pluses to the nays because prioritizing political agendas over financial returns undermines the free market and threatens investments made by public employees. Divesting from thermal coal companies based on ideology, rather than sound economic principles, is a push to advance the green agenda, including initiatives such as the United Nations' Agenda 2030. Additionally, taxpayers and employees should not be forced to fund the state’s Public Employees Retirement Fund, which should be handled by the private sector.

HB4098 establishes the CHIPS Child Care Fund to support childcare funding. The bill directs the Oregon Business Development Department to collaborate with the Bureau of Labor and Industries to develop and manage a financial support program for the construction workforce. Additionally, it creates a work group to recommend requiring certain businesses to contribute financially to the CHIPS Child Care Fund. The work group is tasked with reporting its recommendations to the legislative committees on childcare and workforce development by November 15, 2024.

The Oregon State House of Representatives passed HB4098 on March 6, 2024 by a vote of 46 to 9. We have assigned pluses to the nays because it is not the government's or taxpayers' responsibility to subsidize childcare. This program embraces socialism by using taxpayer funds to support childcare, which disrupts the free market. Government agencies and bureaucracies should not impose financial obligations on businesses to fund such programs.

SB1533 would expand foreign-language support in election materials. The bill increases the number of the most commonly spoken languages in each county, other than English, that the Secretary of State must include on voters' pamphlets from five to ten. Additionally, it raises the threshold for a language to qualify for translation from 100 to 300 speakers within a county. The bill also expands the Translation Advisory Council by increasing the number of translator members.

The Oregon State House of Representatives passed SB1533 on March 6, 2024 by a vote of 45 to 9. We have assigned pluses to the nays because promoting multilingualism at the expense of English proficiency undermines the unifying role of a common language. Our founding documents and historical texts are written in English, and effective governance relies on a shared language. This bill represents unnecessary government expansion, prioritizing language accommodations over fostering a cohesive, informed electorate. If voters cannot understand who they are voting for, it raises serious concerns about the integrity and functioning of the election process and our elected officials.

HB4127 introduces protections for warehouse workers by regulating the use of productivity quotas. The law requires employers to provide transparency regarding work quotas and ensures that such quotas do not infringe upon “workers' rights” to take meal or rest breaks, use bathroom facilities, or adhere to occupational health and safety standards. Employers are prohibited from enforcing quotas that prevent compliance with these rights. The Bureau of Labor and Industries is authorized to investigate violations and enforce compliance, with civil penalties imposed on employers who fail to adhere to these regulations.

The Oregon State House of Representatives passed HB4127 on March 6, 2024 by a vote of 42 to 15. We have assigned pluses to the nays this bill expands government interference in commerce. Government interference in entrepreneurship violates this principle. This bill represents unnecessary government intrusion into business operations and free-market principles, forcing warehouses to comply with government-imposed quotas and work conditions instead of allowing market-driven products and jobs.

SB1530 allocates $300 million in funds to various state agencies—including the Housing and Community Services Department, Oregon Health Authority, Department of Human Services, State Department of Energy, Oregon Business Development Department, Department of Transportation, Water Resources Department, and the Department of Administrative Services—for a range of programs.

The Oregon State House of Representatives passed SB1530 on March 4, 2024 by a vote of 51 to 6. We have assigned pluses to the nays because these appropriations are a gross abuse of taxpayer funds. Expanding bureaucratic agencies and pouring money into government-controlled housing, healthcare, energy, transportation, and business development programs are not the proper roles of government. This bill funds wasteful spending under the guise of community services while pushing a big government agenda. Taxpayer dollars should not be used to grow government power, interfere in the market, or fund programs that should be left to the private sector. Oregon legislators should cut taxes and shrink government.