By Oregonians for Food and Shelter,
OFS legislative priorities are narrowed down to just a handful of bills at this point in session, with the Governor’s SB 1154 being the primary bill we’ve been spending time on over the last several weeks, in addition to our budget priorities. The bill aims to improve process and clarify roles related to the state’s response to areas with groundwater contamination concerns. The initial version was large and complex with many expanded agency authorities across 6 state agencies. We continue to work hard to narrow the scope of the bill and address the issues of concern without making changes to Oregon’s groundwater protection statutes that would significantly impact producers around the state without any clear benefits.
Given the agricultural sector’s concerns about the Governor’s other bill, SB 1153, dealing with water right transfers and sensitive habitats, the fate of these two bills remains uncertain. Both bills are expected to have public hearings in the Senate Rules Committee, with SB 1153 scheduled for June 3rd at 1pm. If you’d like more information or talking points on SB 1153, see Oregon Farm Bureau’s action alert.
MAHA Report Cites Studies that Don’t Exist
Headlines this week noted significant issues with the recently-released MAHA report, including citations for studies that do not actually exist in the literature, and others that are clearly misinterpreted. We know that the sections of the report addressing pesticides simply push activist talking points that lack scientific basis. OFS will continue to advocate for science-based policies when it comes to food and fiber production and the tools that land managers need to grow and maintain crops, forests, and other working spaces. We will be following the MAHA Commission’s work and will engage where appropriate to defend science and technology and ensure that food and fiber producers do not become a target of this effort.
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