Newsroom

You are here: / / News

No Curbs For ODOT’S Budget Woes as Curb Ramp Costs Ramp Up

/by

The budget of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is looking up. Up in the price of asphalt. Up in the price of construction labor. Engineering, design, steel and aluminum. All up, up and away. The department is bleeding with historical debt, inflation spikes, delay expenses and changing regulatory frameworks.

The budget paramedics of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation have been busy applying tourniquets and preparing sutures to stabilize the bleeding but are struggling to agree on the form of fiscal therapy to prescribe for long-term health.

A project tax dollar today buys maybe 50 cents of project costs by the time it navigates the bureaucracy of process and arrives at the construction phase. Errors in design and engineering escalate expenses even more. The Abernethy Bridge over I-205 at Oregon City was penciled in at $248 million. It has now ballooned to over $800 million.

The Interstate Bridge Project has doubled in projected costs over the years and the I-5 Rose Quarter Project, once estimated at $450 million is now projected at nearly $1.9 billion.

A lot of attention has been focused on the eye-popping costs of those two projects, but another huge project cost is sitting on the ODOT budget sheet hiding in plain sight. In fact, it is the third most expensive project under construction by the agency, now topping an estimated $1.65 billion in total cost. Few have heard of it. Fewer have ever even mentioned it. But it is a necessary, unavoidable, yet costly consumer of scarce department resources.

That $1.65 billion is the current cost project completion estimate for installing curb cuts and wheelchair accessible ramps at the intersections of all state highways throughout the state. Cities have their own budget costs for these ramps, but since ODOT owns many highways that run through cities, the number of curb cuts and ramps pegged as the state’s responsibility exceeds 27,000.

The curb cuts and ramps were part of a legal settlement finalized by the state stemming from a lawsuit brought by disability rights advocates in 2016. The original cost for delivery was estimated at $400 million over the 12-year life of the project but has quadrupled to that $1.65 billion as of today. That is the equivalent of 16 years of state highway paving based on current allocations.

Transportation Commissioner Lee Beyer noted “the cost of steel, concrete and pads have just gone up.”

Legislative transportation veterans, Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Dundee) and Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany), are aware of the budget impact and recently shared their thoughts on a podcast hosted by Sen. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). Boshart Davis noted that federal rules are so strict that there are “curbs to nowhere” being installed as a result. She noted an agricultural area east of I-5 where a traffic light was installed on a dangerous intersection.

That installation triggered the ramp requirement even though, she noted, “There won’t be a sidewalk that links that area to the nearest gas station in 120 years.”

Starr said that after the legal settlement the federal standards changed again, upping the cost. He noted that if the inspector finds an installation is off by 1/8th of an inch “it has to be torn out and redone.” All of which helps blow up that budget balloon.

To be clear, accessibility needs are critical, and the public policy is sound. But the lack of flexibility for practicality in rural outposts just adds to ODOT’s financial woes.

A billion here and a billion there add up quickly. Legislative leaders are searching for an offramp of their own to meet an ever-expanding transportation need but unanimity has thus far proven elusive. The clock is ticking while the debt keeps rising. For advocates of new projects, it’s time to install their own curb-the one on enthusiasm.

Voters Approve More Than Two-Thirds of Oregon’s Local Bond Measures

/by

Voters across Oregon considered 49 ballot measures in this week’s special election that would create or extend taxes, levies, and bond sales for public projects. Of the measures, 34 were passing as of Thursday at 10 a.m. for an overall pass rate of 69.4%.

Voter turnout surpassed 20%, with about 600,000 ballots counted from the state’s more than 3 million registered voters. This marks a modest increase from the 16.2% turnout in May 2019, though slightly below 21.3% in 2023 and 25.5% in 2021.

Voters showed overwhelming support for fire protection and education-related bonds, while police facility proposals struggled. Here’s how the major policy areas broke down, sorted by the number of total measures on the ballot.

🚨 Public Safety, Other (EMS/Mixed): 9 measures — 77.8% pass rate

🚓 Public Safety, Police: 8 measures — 50% pass rate

🏫 Schools: 7 measures — 85.7% pass rate

🏞️ Parks & Recreation: 6 measures — 66.7% pass rate

🧯 Public Safety, Fire & Rescue: 5 measures — 100% pass rate

📚 Libraries: 3 measures — 66.7% pass rate

🚗 Transportation: 3 measures — 66.7% pass rate

💧 Utilities: 1 measure — 0% pass rate

🧾 Other/Miscellaneous: 7 measures — 71.4% pass rate

Passed

  • City of Albany: Renewal of the Ambulance, Fire, and Police Local Option Tax — 77.86% YES to 22.14% NO (margin: +55.7%)
  • Santa Clara (Eugene) RFPD: Five Year Local Option Tax for General Operations — 76.9% YES to 23.1% NO (margin: +53.8%)
  • Prospect Rural Fire Protection District: Five-Year Local Option Levy for general operations — 57.5% YES to 42.5% NO (margin: +14.9%)
  • Molalla Fire District: Bonds for Public Safety — 56.6% YES to 43.4% NO (margin: +13.2%)
  • East Lincoln County Fire & Rescue District: Five-year levy for equipment and disaster preparedness — 55.8% YES to 44.2% NO (margin: +10.6%)
  • Lowell RFPD: Five-year operational levy — 52.1% YES to 47.9% NO (margin: +4.2%)
  • Central Oregon Coast Fire & Rescue District: Renewal of 5-year Operational Levy — 54.8% YES to 45.2% NO (margin: +9.6%)

Failed

  • Rocky Point Fire & EMS: Five-year levy for operations and maintenance — 48.4% YES to 51.6% NO (margin: –3.1%)
  • East Klamath County Public Safety District: Formation of District, $89 tax/lot — 21.4% YES to 78.6% NO (margin: –57.2%)

Passed

  • City Of Sweet Home: Police Five-Year Operating Levy Renewal — 67.1% YES to 32.9% NO (margin: +34.2%)
  • Columbia County: Renewal of Tax Levy for Jail Operations — 63.9% YES to 36.1% NO (margin: +27.9%)
  • City of King City: Police and Public Safety Local Option Levy — 62.7% YES to 37.3% NO (margin: +25.5%)
  • City of North Bend: Public Safety Fee Increase — 53.2% YES to 46.8% NO (margin: +6.4%)

Failed

  • City of Forest Grove: Bonds to Replace Police Facility — 48.8% YES to 51.2% NO (margin: –2.3%)
  • City of Dallas: Police Facility Bonds — 45.1% YES to 54.9% NO (margin: –9.8%)
  • City of Umatilla: Bonds for New Police Station — 41.9% YES to 58.1% NO (margin: –16.2%)
  • Curry County: Law Enforcement Levy — 39.8% YES to 60.2% NO (margin: –20.4%)

Passed

  • Dufur Recreation District: Three-Year Operations Levy — 80.8% YES to 19.2% NO (margin: +61.6%)
  • Midland Community Park: Formation of New Park District — 57.6% YES to 42.4% NO (margin: +15.2%)
  • City of Salem: Five-Year Operating Levy for Parks, Recreation, Libraries, and Senior Services — 55.68% YES to 44.32% NO (margin: +11.36%)

Failed

  • City of North Bend: Parks, Recreation, and Pool Fee — 28.8% YES to 71.2% NO (margin: –42.4%)
  • City of North Bend: Dog Park Fee — 20.6% YES to 79.4% NO (margin: –58.8%)
  • Madras Aquatic Center and Recreation District: Formation of New District — 47.9% YES to 52.1% NO (margin: –4.2%)

Passed

  • Lincoln County School District: Bonds for safety, repairs, and vocational education — 67.77% YES to 32.23% NO (margin: +35.5%)
  • Portland Public School District 1J: Bonds to modernize, repair schools, improve safety — 57.64% YES to 42.36% NO (margin: +15.3%)
  • Sheridan School District 48J: Bonds for safety/security and capital improvements — 51.88% YES to 48.12% NO (margin: +3.8%)
  • Chemeketa Community College: Bonds to upgrade CTE, technology, facilities, and safety — 51.63% YES to 48.37% NO (margin: +3.3%)
  • Tigard-Tualatin School District 23J: Bonds to modernize schools and improve safety — 50.34% YES to 49.66% NO (margin: +0.7%)
  • Morrow County School District No. 1: Bonds to remodel, replace schools; improve safety; address structural deficiency — 50.3% YES to 49.7% NO (+0.6%)

Failed

  • Mt. Hood Community College: Bonds for career education, safety/security, and facility repairs — 48.68% YES to 51.32% NO (margin: –2.6%)

Passed

  • Jackson County Rural Fire Protection District 4: Five-year local option tax — 60.0% YES to 40.0% NO (margin: +20.0%)
  • Lake Chinook Fire & Rescue: Five-year operations levy — 59.4% YES to 40.6% NO (margin: +18.8%)
  • Hoodland Fire: Bonds for new fire station — 58% YES to 42% NO (margin: +16.0%)
  • Aumsville Rural Fire Protection District: EMS operations levy — 53.7% YES to 46.3% NO (margin: +7.4%)
  • Hubbard Rural Fire Protection District: Fire & EMS Levy — 52.0% YES to 48.0% NO (margin: +3.9%)

Failed

None

Passed

  • City Of Sweet Home: Library Services Levy Renewal — 68% YES to 32% NO (margin: +36%)
  • City of Stayton: Five-Year Library Support Levy — 56.7% YES to 43.3% NO (margin: +13.4%)

Failed

  • Jefferson County Library District: Library Bond for Facilities — 47.23% YES to 52.77% NO (margin: –5.5%)

Passed

  • City of Milton-Freewater: Transit Levy Renewal — 61.1% YES to 38.9% NO (margin: +22.2%)
  • Two Rivers North Road District: Five-Year Local Option Tax — 60.5% YES to 39.5% NO (margin: +20.9%)

Failed

  • City of Hubbard: Local Fuel Tax — 46.2% YES to 53.8% NO (margin: –7.5%)

Failed

  • North Bend City: Sewer Rate Increase — 42.4% YES to 57.6% NO (margin: –15.2%)

Passed

  • Pine Eagle Health District: Local Option Tax — 78.1% YES to 21.9% NO (margin: +56.1%)
  • Black Butte Ranch Service District: Five-Year Local Option Levy — 68.4% YES to 31.6% NO (margin: +36.7%)
  • Clatsop County: Fairgrounds Levy Renewal — 67.7% YES to 32.3% NO (margin: +35.4%)
  • White River Health District: Tax Levy Renewal for Health Clinic — 63.8% YES to 36.2% NO (margin: +27.6%)
  • Cascade View Estates Tract 2 Special Road District: Road Resurfacing Levy — 56.8% YES to 43.2% NO (margin: +13.6%)

Failed

  • Tillamook County: Lodging Tax Increase (10% → 14%) — 49.9% YES to 50.1% NO (margin: –0.3%)
  • Polk County: Fairgrounds & Events Center Tax — 40.6% YES to 59.4% NO (margin: –18.8%)

While most outcomes are clear, several measures passed or failed by narrow margins and may shift as final ballots are counted and certified over the coming month, with final certification required by July 7.

At a time when inflation and cost of living remain top concerns, the results of this election reflect a notable trend: Oregonians are still willing to invest in community-level services — especially those tied to safety, education, and quality of life.

ChatGPT OpenAI was used to collect and calculate the data used in this report, and the Pac/West team reviewed and verified the finals results.

Floyd Prozanski: Iron Man of the Oregon Capitol

/by

The year was 1994. The iPhone and iPad were more than a decade away from being invented. Electric cars were still a futuristic concept and the median price of a home in Portland was about $130,000.

It was also the year a former Texan named Floyd Prozanski ran and won election to the Oregon House of Representatives.

Almost a third of a century later, the State Capitol is still in his orbit. Occasional thoughts of stepping aside are always outweighed by the gravitational pull that keeps Oregon’s “iron man” lawmaker crafting public policy.

Prozanski moved to the Senate in 2003 and has been a mainstay of the Senate Judiciary Committee ever since. He has witnessed firsthand the evolution of the legislative process.

“When I came into the Legislature I had an IBM typewriter and three land lines,” Prozanski chuckled. He also had a cubby hole of an office, a situation that still perplexes him to this day.

“When Peter Courtney pushed to have the Senate and House wings remodeled, I never could understand why he didn’t make them the same size,” Prozanski said.

It was in those formative years as a state representative that shaped his path forward.

He remembers fondly the mentorship he received from those on both side of the aisle.

“Peter, Del Parks, Kate (Brown) and Lisa (Naito) really took me under their wing. Their mentorship really meant a lot to me” he said. “I think I got more bills passed my first session than any other freshman ‘D’.

“Neil Bryant was also a great mentor. He emphasized from the outset that in judiciary, you check your partisanship at the door.”

Reflecting on those earlier days, the senator from Eugene has noticed not all change has been positive. In particular, he recalls a greater sense of collegiality, one he believes was stifled at least in part by an overreaching ethics bill that was pushed by Kate Brown and Jeff Merkley in 2007 as both were contemplating a run for higher office.

“Things were more congenial in the day,” Prozanski said. “The lack of engagement makes a difference: Kate and Jeff were anxious to pass the ethics bill. I told them the $50 limit was too low, but they went ahead anyway. Thats one reason I started the Oregon Craft Brewers Caucus to give people the chance to get together and interact more. David Brock Smith is having dinners now too. I think it makes a difference when you get to know each other and understand their perspectives.”

When it comes to the day-to-day work of the legislature, Prozanski has also noticed a change.

“I see leadership taking more of a centralized approach to the process — not allowing as much latitude. More micromanaging of committees at times, especially toward the end of session,” he said.

He also notes that reducing committee hearings from two hours to 90 minutes has had a negative effect on the ability for proper vetting of critical issues. That is one reason he respects and values the role of advocates.

“I cherish constituents who take time out of their day to be a part of the process,” he said.

“I also really respect our lobby. They help with the process. They provide more information for legislators to weigh in making decisions.”

Prozanski has seen his share of good ideas, and remarkably poor ones, during his tenure. A lot of legislation that is passed is often to clean up earlier mistakes. Floyd keeps shoveling, working to balance the needs of multiple stakeholders and produce sound public policy.

Through it all, he gives high marks to his staff who he says are critical in giving legislators the ability to have what is needed to do the job as effectively as possible.

The IBM typewriter is long gone. So too, are all of those who served with him when he first entered the rotunda of the Capitol. But he still relies on their advice which lives on in his memory.

Wisdom: aged and refined by the seasons, imprinting the decisions yet to come.

Feeding The World

/by

Editor’s note: This is the fifth and final installment in a series of features by Pac/West Lobby Group Communications Director George Plaven detailing his professional development journey with REAL Oregon. To read previous installments in this series, click the links below:

A large video board displaying a world map hangs inside the SAGE Center near Boardman, one of many interactive exhibits at the museum and visitor’s center showcasing Eastern Oregon agriculture.

From a console below, visitors can press one of 13 buttons that each represents a different commodity produced in the region. The map then lights up revealing where those products are shipped globally — wheat to Japan and Korea, potatoes to Mexico and South America, and beef to China and Canada, among other markets.

An interactive exhibit at the SAGE Center shows where Eastern Oregon agriculture is shipped around the world.

For our final session together, REAL Oregon Class 8 gathered in Umatilla and Morrow counties for a glimpse at farming east of the Cascades, including industrial-scale operations that must strike a balance between feeding the world and maintaining sustainability at home.

According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Oregon as a state shipped $2.4 billion in agricultural exports in 2022, ranking 24th nationally. Top exports by value were nursery plants, wheat, hazelnuts, beef, and processed vegetables.

While much of what we saw was familiar from my days reporting for the East Oregonian, I am always struck by the incredible size and innovation of farms and food processors here. Our conversations as a class also raised important issues like the ethics of corporate farming and impacts on smaller producers.

Having such frank and honest discussions was, truly, one of the biggest takeaways for me from REAL Oregon. None of the issues we’ve explored over the last five months has been simple. The program teaches that effective leadership requires an open mind and active listening, and I am appreciative of my classmates for helping me to sharpen these skills.

Closed-Loop System

 Perhaps the apex of modern farming can be found at Threemile Canyon Farms, a massive 145-square-mile oasis in the sand and sagebrush 15 miles west of Boardman.

Greg Harris, director of farming and agronomy at Threemile Canyon, showed us the central control room where they oversee the farm’s expansive irrigation system. Using advanced technology such as soil moisture sensors and flow meters, employees can adjust irrigation in real time to conserve as much water as possible.

Greg Harris, of Threemile Canyon Farms, shows REAL Oregon the irrigation control room.

Threemile Canyon manages 39,500 acres of irrigated farmland, growing both conventional and organic crops including potatoes, onions, carrots, dry corn, alfalfa, blueberries, hemp, and, coming soon, winegrapes. Another 23,000 acres is set aside as a wildlife conservation area, managed by The Nature Conservancy.

But the most well-known aspect of Threemile Canyon is, without question, the Columbia River Dairy, with its 70,000 head of cattle including 36,000 milking cows. Cows are milked twice daily on large robotic carousels that can hold up to 80 cows at a time. They produce about 2.5 million pounds of milk per day. Every drop is used to make Tillamook cheese at the nearby Port of Morrow.

Outside the Columbia River Dairy milking parlor at Threemile Canyon Farms.

Threemile Canyon proudly touts its “closed-loop system,” whereby nothing on the farm goes to waste. The farm grows its own feed for cows (a mix of triticale, alfalfa, and corn silage), and recycles manure for both fertilizer and to make renewable energy at its digester facility. Leftover dried solids from the digester are used for animal bedding.

Nitrate Worries

During a driving tour of the Port of Morrow’s East Beach Industrial Park along the Columbia River, we got to see the diversity of industries that has helped Morrow County rank fourth statewide in total payroll growth, including an eye-watering stop at the Boardman Foods onion processing plant.

A whole lotta onions in storage at Boardman Foods. 

Being a major agricultural hub has also raised concerns about elevated levels of potentially harmful nitrate in the local groundwater. The state designated the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area in 1990, and while farming isn’t the only source of nitrates, the majority of the contamination — about 90% — is estimated to come from irrigated agriculture, large dairy and cattle farms, and animal pastures.

This is a highly contentious issue that has been bubbling up for decades. Efforts to curb nitrate pollution have historically relied on voluntary measures, though community activists argue the state and federal governments should intervene to protect residents whose wells are polluted.

In the meantime, the Oregon Health Authority is working with partners to test residents’ wells and provide clean drinking water to those who need it, free of charge, while longer-term solutions continue to take shape.

Graduation Day

Our Eastern Oregon session wrapped up with a graduation ceremony, including a keynote address from former state Sen. Bill Hansell.

Former state Sen. Bill Hansell delivered the keynote address during graduation for REAL Oregon Class 8.

Of course, this is not the end. Rather, it is the beginning. I look forward to seeing how I can advocate for agriculture and natural resources in the future and apply the skills I have learned in my role at Pac/West Lobby Group.

REAL Oregon has been an amazing experience, and I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about our state’s natural resources to participate. I look forward to seeing my fellow program alumni at our upcoming reception in Mt. Angel!

Receiving my graduation plaque from REAL Oregon board chairman Brent Klumph. 

Apply for Class 9

Anyone interested in applying for REAL Oregon Class 9 can do so online, or click here to download a hard copy of the application. The application deadline is July 31, though early submissions are strongly encouraged.

For questions, please contact Program Coordinator Lauren Lucht at info@realoregon.net, or (503) 710-7001.

Rep. Skarlatos Gets Crash Course on Health Care Challenges

/by

After just one hour meeting with Dr. Sarah Agsten at Family Tree Medical Clinic in Roseburg, Oregon Rep. Alek Skarlatos (R-Winston) said he learned more about the delivery of health care than he had since joining the Legislature earlier this year.

Their meeting on Feb. 28, organized by the Douglas County Independent Physicians Association (DCIPA), was an opportunity to discuss issues facing coordinated care organizations and ways lawmakers can improve the system for both doctors and patients. DCIPA is one of the partners behind Umpqua Health Alliance, a local CCO serving 38,000 members in Douglas County.

Skarlatos heard from Agsten about the challenges she faces daily at her practice, including the declining value of Medicare reimbursement for physician services and how lower medical pay affects recruiting doctors in rural areas like Douglas County.

After witnessing a patient intake (the patient consented in advance), Skarlatos reflected on the increasingly burdensome documentation of health metrics required by Medicare and Medicaid.
“It’s just a lot of overhead for an office visit,” Skarlatos said.

Agsten also emphasized the importance of protecting the Prioritized List, which ranks certain conditions and treatments based on evidence to determine what gets covered under the Oregon Health Plan.

“It works,” Agsten said of the Prioritized List.

Following his visit at Family Tree Medical Clinic, Skarlatos toured the Emergency Department at CHI Mercy Health, also in the Umpqua Health network. There, he spoke with Todd Luther, the hospital’s director of emergency services, about tweaking legislation that could help reduce wait times and provide more efficient care for patients.

That would involve modifying HB 2697, passed in 2023, which requires staffing committees at hospitals to develop written hospital-wide staffing plans. Currently, the law mandates that a maximum nurse staffing ratio for emergency departments be set at 1-to-4, regardless of the acuity of patients being cared for.

Luther said it would be beneficial if emergency departments could segregate lower acuity patients and raise the maximum nurse staffing ratio to 1-to-6 when caring for “fast-track” patients with less serious conditions.

“Making these changes will help ensure we can continue to care for the patients in our community, reduce wait times, and improve overall efficiency in our Emergency Departments while ensuring nurses still have safe patient assignments,” Luther said.

DCIPA will provide updates on this proposed change. We appreciate Skarlatos visiting with our partners and showing commitment to improving health care in our rural Oregon communities.

Squeeze Play on Housing Providers

/by

They are the big guys in housing. In fact, in Oregon, they are the biggest of all, operating hundreds of multi-family apartments, almost exclusively for low-income renters. And, as recently as 2023, they authorized rent increases averaging 8.6% on 45 of the properties in their portfolio. No wonder tenant advocates are demanding the Legislature take action and mandate housing providers slash maximum rent increases to no more than 6%, regardless of market conditions or expenses.

Except the “big guy” in this case isn’t some Wall Street equity firm or corporate behemoth. No, the “big guy” is the State of Oregon, whose Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) agency maintains operational control over thousands of low-income housing units in its portfolio. Under state and federal laws, requests for rent increases of more than 5% in these properties must be authorized by the state if necessary to meet developer, operational, and maintenance expenses and to pay back state bond obligations.

OHCS has done a remarkable job in providing housing opportunities to low-income Oregonians. In doing so, however, even the state realizes that price controls without regard to financial stability in its own portfolio are untenable. And these projects already have significant public dollars invested in them.

Rent Control (Ironically) Puts the Squeeze on Low-Income Oregonians

That realization seems lost in HB 3054, which in its latest iteration, seeks to place tighter price controls on communities of manufactured homes by reducing the maximum rent increase to 6% per year. Unlike the mostly newer units in the OHCS portfolio, these parks are decades old and in constant need of expensive maintenance and repair. Unlike OHCS properties, these property owners are not subsidized by the government. Why the double standard?

Regular efforts to ratchet up price control in Oregon have led to the destabilization of rent stabilization. Some owners have indeed raised rates to the current 10% cap — ironically, in many cases, increases greater than they would have done without price controls — out of fear that the Legislature would continue to move the goalposts and leave them unable to cover future expenses. That fear has shown itself to be justified. Rent control has actually raised rents.

These parks remain one of Oregon’s most affordable housing values, and without government dollars. While exact numbers are unknown, the statewide average rent rates in manufactured home parks are likely below $900 per month. In contrast, according to RentCafe, the average apartment rent in Portland is $1,729, and $1,809 in Eugene.

A couple of new wrinkles in HB 3054 have been tossed into the mix. Proposed amendments would allow owners to increase rent by 12% once every five years if the majority of renters vote to approve the increase. Instead of a concession, it’s more like a poisoned pill. What renter is going to vote to double their rent increase? It would be like having grocery shoppers vote on how much the store must sell them bananas.

The other provision would exempt manufactured parks with fewer than 30 units from the new constraints. It’s an opaque attempt to get at “corporate owners” without regard to the fact that many larger parks are owned by Oregon families — some for generations.

Tenants at Hillsboro Park At Risk of HB 3054

The reality is that most of these manufactured home parks are in or adjacent to the city limits. They are flat, already equipped with urban services, and ripe for redevelopment.

Hilja has owned her park for 49 years. She has more than 20 acres in her park in the middle of Hillsboro’s urban growth boundary. Developers call nearly every day. Hundreds of market-based apartments could be built on her prime site in the middle of Oregon’s Silicon Forest. Her land is far more valuable as a redevelopment than housing her 63 families. If she has to sell because her income is squeezed further, not only will her lowest-income families be forced to find new homes, so will the rest of the families living in the park. In parks across the state, well-intentioned efforts to help the lowest-income residents can put all residents in jeopardy.

The real issue is poverty. Name it, address it. No set of price controls will solve it. The solution is to address the core issue.

Rather than put all manufactured home community residents at risk, direct assistance to those most in need. If the Legislature wants more government-funded housing, it should fund it. This can be accomplished by following established programs already used for the development of new affordable housing. The state can establish a fund specifically for rent assistance to the most financially vulnerable residents in a manufactured park. As state and local governments do with new housing developers, they can provide subsidies to park owners in exchange for voluntarily reducing rent increases to a clearly identified and qualified cohort of residents within the park.

But implementing government price controls on private property owners and mandating they become unsubsidized low-income state housing providers is not the answer.

The Legislature should pause and direct the Office of Economic Analysis to conduct a thorough and comprehensive independent study on the impact Oregon’s rent control law — and the uncertainty created by new rent control proposals — has had on housing affordability, availability, development, and preservation of existing affordable housing. Then, in the 2027 session, the Legislature will be armed with real data and analysis to guide what changes, if any, should be made to current law.

Investigate, evaluate, and then act. Not the other way around.

Agriculture, Solar Energy Need Not Be Foes

/by

From hazelnuts to hay, wine to watermelons, and pears to potatoes, Oregon farmers have rightfully earned a reputation for producing some of the highest-quality crops enjoyed around the world. Yet according to the latest USDA Census of Agriculture, our state has seen nearly 2.4 million acres of farmland taken out of production between 1997 and 2022.

It is an alarming trend with no singular cause. As a reporter covering agriculture in the Pacific Northwest for over 10 years, I’ve sat at the kitchen table across from farmers and ranchers who have told me how burdensome regulations and added costs are pushing their operations to the breaking point. Extreme weather and wildfires fueled by climate change have also made farming more unpredictable, forcing growers to adapt.

With these myriad challenges, some producers have turned to solar energy as a lifeline. While opponents argue solar development poses a threat to agriculture, others are demonstrating how these two industries can be not only compatible, but symbiotic.

This solar project in Lake County was developed in cooperation with the landowner to produce renewable energy.  (Contributed by NewSun Energy)

Oregon needs to build more solar energy to meet its decarbonization goals set in House Bill 2021 and satisfy power demands for growing economic sectors, including energy-hungry data centers. Farmers and ranchers typically make between $300 and $2,000 per acre per year leasing land for solar, providing much-needed income to help them weather volatile global markets and stay in business.

As of August 2024, Oregon has about 1,815 megawatts of installed solar capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). That represents a 23-fold jump over the past decade. Still, solar makes up only 4% of Oregon’s total electricity generation, showing ample room for growth as investor-owned utilities work to decarbonize retail electricity sales by 2040. Data centers like those near The Dalles and Hermiston will be particularly energy-intensive going forward, requiring 10-50 times more per square foot than commercial office buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

When it comes to siting solar projects, developers must meet stringent requirements aimed at protecting communities, farming, and natural resources. Site certificates are reviewed by the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC), and projects on public land are also subject to the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). These reviews ensure that solar projects are built in appropriate areas that avoid harming or fragmenting high-value agricultural land.

Additionally, researchers at Oregon State University are now studying ways that solar panels can be incorporated on farms to benefit crops and forage. The concept, called agrivoltaics, is now being put to the test on a research farm at OSU’s North Willamette Research and Extension Center. Chad Higgins, who is leading the project, said agrivoltaics is showing promise to not only add another revenue stream for farms, but also better manage sunlight to grow healthier plants using less water.

All of this goes to show that farms and solar panels cannot just coexist, but they can be mutually beneficially. Rather than scapegoating solar for Oregon’s declining farmland, lawmakers should be focused on improving the regulatory environment that will improve both our food and energy production together. Oregon farmers and ranchers have a long history of innovation, and solar energy should be treated as a friend, not foe, to this important industry.

The Halls of Power

/by

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of features by Pac/West Lobby Group Communications Director George Plaven detailing his professional development journey with REAL Oregon. To read previous installments in this series, click the links below:

There’s something exciting about walking the halls of the Oregon State Capitol, dressed for success, passing legislators on the way to their next meeting, seeing the inner workings of government in action.

If the goal of REAL Oregon is to grow leaders in agriculture and natural resources, then it only makes sense a tour of the Capitol would be next on the agenda for our class’s February session in Salem. Whether it is farming and ranching in Klamath Falls, logging in Roseburg, or commercial fishing in Newport, the issues affecting each industry eventually make their way here, where decisions have a lasting impact on producers and rural communities.

Our tour of the Oregon State Capitol included a stop on the floor of the House of Representatives.

On our tour, we had excellent guides in the form of two of our classmates — Austin McClister, communications director for the Oregon Farm Bureau, and Ryan Tuthill, legislative director for the Oregon House Republicans. They led us around both the House and Senate offices, where staffers explained the legislative process. We briefly chatted with a few representatives, including Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) and Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham), but with the 2025 Legislature in full swing they understandably had only a few minutes to spare.

Finally, we gathered in the balcony overlooking the House of Representatives as they convened for a brief floor session. During courtesies, we received a shout-out from Boshart Davis, who said REAL Oregon graduates “exemplify dedication to our state’s natural resources.”

Where Urban Meets Rural

 Thinking about Western Oregon and the Willamette Valley, it is easy to think about urban hubs like Portland metro or Salem. But there is also a vast and richly abundant agricultural landscape, with tight-knit communities and farms growing diverse specialty crops including hazelnuts, hops, winegrapes, and nursery stock.

At Pearmine Farms in Gervais, fourth-generation farmer and REAL Oregon alum Molly McCargar showed us their on-farm housing for workers who come every year to pick cherries in a nearby orchard. Recently, the state Occupational Safety and Health Division updated its rules for farmworker housing that farmers like McCargar worry will further strain their budgets and operations — particularly during harvest.

Fourth-generation farmer Molly McCargar, of Pearmine Farms, discusses farmworker housing.

Land use and agritourism is another hot topic being debated this legislative session, questioning which activities should and shouldn’t be allowed on farmland. For some farms, like TMK Creamery in Canby, agritourism can help sustain the rest of their business. Visitors are invited to meet the TMK’s “cowlebrities,” as they’re called, before heading inside the farmstand for a scrumptious grilled cheese sandwich and cheese curds made using the farm’s own milk.

Meeting the ‘cowlebrities’ at TMK Creamery in Canby.

With so many environmental, regulatory, and labor challenges facing Oregon farms, it’s no surprise to see many turning to automation to cut down on costs. In the case of Canopii, the Hubbard-based company has pioneered a fully autonomous greenhouse with robotics handling every step of the growing process, from seed to harvest.

While equipment like this won’t make sense for every grower, it was eye-opening to witness the level of innovation and where it may be taking agriculture into the future.

Robots plant vegetable seedlings inside an automated greenhouse designed by Canopii.

Success Is Possible

Oregon agriculture has certainly had more than its share of legislative setbacks, but it was nice to hear about one recent success.

In 2023, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 955 creating the AgriStress Helpline, a 24/7 suicide prevention hotline for those working in agriculture, fishing, and forestry. Since its launch, the helpline has received calls from 25 of Oregon’s 36 counties, many of which were either from or on behalf of rural men over 49 years old — a group identified as “high risk” for suicide.

SB 955 allocated $300,000 from the state general fund to set up and run the helpline. Sen. Todd Nash (R-Enterprise) and Rep. Bobby Levy (R-Echo) are sponsoring legislation this session that would allocate $2 million for the helpline over the next biennium.

That bill, SB 779, has been referred to the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health Committee. A public hearing was scheduled for Feb. 20. While suicide prevention for those working in agriculture should be as uncontroversial as it comes, it is still inspiring to see that common ground can be reached in the halls of power.

I can understand why some conservative farmers and ranchers bristle at Oregon politics. With Democrats holding a supermajority in both chambers of state government, it may feel pointless to speak up. What incentive does the majority have to listen, after all? Others have become so fed up they are pushing for a large chunk of rural Central and Eastern Oregon to defect entirely, joining Idaho.

As frustrating as it can be, the message to our class was one of persistence. Oregon agriculture and natural resources are worth fighting for, and that’s precisely what REAL Oregon is training us to do. There will likely come a day when one or more of us are called upon to testify on a bill or meet face-to-face with those wielding a key vote. When that day comes, I am confident that we’ll be ready.

REAL Oregon Class 8 gathers for a group photo on the floor of the Oregon House of Representatives. 

 

Oregon’s Roadmap to Lower Rental Costs Runs Through Denver and Austin

/by

Austin, Texas and Denver were two of America’s biggest boom towns in the 2010s. Housing demand far exceeded the supply of affordable housing, and rental rates were climbing. Economists generally agreed that the path to lower housing costs would not come by artificially restricting the current supply, but by increasing it. Failing to focus on supply would only exacerbate the affordability problem.

In response, the Democrat-controlled city councils in Denver and Austin initiated an aggressive pro-development approach to build tens of thousands of new rental units as quickly as possible. Planning doors were swung wide open, red tape slashed, and developers responded. Austin has built tens of thousands of units in the past three years and Denver has added more than 21,000 rental units this past year alone. (Source)

The results: Austin has seen declining rental rates for 19 consecutive months and rental costs in Denver have dropped almost 6% in the last year.

In the summer of 2024, the Biden administration proposed capping rental rates nationwide. Colorado’s Democratic Gov. Jared Polis criticized the approach, saying the plan “would lead to less affordable housing being built and substantially increase housing costs.” The governor was seeing the impact of a supply generation approach firsthand, and the results are impressive.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has a firm grip on the economics of the state’s housing needs and has called for an ambitious annual goal of 36,000 new housing units statewide. The legislature also responded with an infusion of capital on multiple fronts in the past two years and more is on the way.

Despite these efforts, Oregon has not seen the rapid response as experienced in Austin or Denver. Kotek rightfully sees affordable housing as an emergency, but not everyone has moved with the focus and speed this emergency requires.

The state cannot create new housing stock without the commitment of local governments, as seen in Austin and Denver, to move aggressively to meet the state’s stated benchmarks. That means streamlining the permit processes, easing development codes wherever possible, and setting unit objectives and timelines to achieve those goals. Both state and local government can help incentivize builders for both market-rate and subsidized projects by reducing the time — and thus the costs — associated with getting shovels in the ground.

Success requires focusing on increasing the supply of affordable rental housing and avoiding distractions from the stated goal. Yet there is movement in the Legislature this session to sidetrack from that focus by further tightening rent caps in parts of the housing market, such as aging manufactured home parks. That approach has not only proven ineffective but could rapidly accelerate park closings as owners seek to redevelop the land for more financially stable purposes, leaving more people searching for affordable housing.

Multi-family developers, who are keys to meeting this housing emergency, may also be wary of investing large sums of capital in an environment where stifling rent control ideas are constantly looming.

As Jason Furman, the top economic advisor to former President Barack Obama, said last summer: “Rent control has been about as disgraced as any economic policy in the toolkit,” in an interview with the Washington Post. He went on to say that “it will ultimately make our housing supply problems worse, not better.”

The Legislature and local housing authorities can help those currently struggling on fixed incomes to meet housing costs by ensuring those impacted individuals are aware of all existing assistance programs and resources, and supplementing those resources wherever possible, without jeopardizing the financial viability of current housing providers.

Oregon needs more affordable housing, and on an accelerated pace to make up for lost time and escape this every-other-session Band-Aid approach to systemic issues. Gov. Kotek has identified the solution and the path forward. Time to stay focused on outcomes. If they can do it in Texas and Colorado, we can do it in Oregon.

Pac/West Welcomes James Moffitt as Winter Intern

/by

Pac/West Lobby Group is pleased to announce the addition of winter intern James Moffitt to the lobby team, continuing the firm’s commitment to help develop the next generation of business leaders.

James Moffitt

Moffitt, 24, is a student at Portland State University. He will graduate in June with a degree in political science. Moffitt said he was initially drawn into news and politics by the 2016 presidential campaigns between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

“Since 2016, it feels like politics has been in the news 24/7,” Moffitt said. “And so, I decided why not get into that?”

Moffitt will assist projects and track bills affecting Pac/West clients in the 2025 Legislature. He is particularly interested in issues affecting affordable housing, homelessness, small businesses, and redevelopment from his vantage point in downtown Portland.

“I look forward to contributing my skills and passion while supporting our organizational goals and growing within a company that values commitment and teamwork,” Moffitt said. “With my proactive approach and readiness to learn, I am confident I can make a meaningful impact.”

Moffitt graduated from Southridge High School in Beaverton in 2018. When not at work, he enjoys gaming and thrift shopping. He is also a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers and WWE.

Ryan Tribbett, president of Pac/West Lobby Group, said professional development and helping people start their careers is part of the company’s DNA. The intern program provides students with hands-on job training as they prepare for future careers.

“James comes to us from PSU’s Political Science Internship Program, which also provided my first entry into politics. We are excited to have him on the team,” Tribbett said. “His knowledge and enthusiasm are a natural fit for what we do and will add tremendous value for our clients.”

The team at Pac/West Lobby Group has decades of experience advocating for diverse groups before the legislature, state agencies, and the relevant boards and commissions. We cover industries including health care, organized labor, agriculture, transportation, local governments, and more.

Let’s Get Started

Western Oregon Office

1201 Court St NE
Suite 301
Salem, OR 97301
info@pwlobby.com

Eastern Oregon Office

P.O. Box 221
Hermiston, OR 97838
info@pwlobby.com

Copyright © 2025 - Pac/West Lobby Group. All rights reserved.