Heather Wilson

2023 AIA Oregon Legislative Forecast

This is a collaborative report from Cindy Robert – our AIA Oregon lobbyist, and Heather Wilson, AIA Oregon EVP / CEO.

Happy New Year!

Being an odd numbered year means we are moving into a long legislative session. Here is what to expect:

January 9 – First convening and swearing in of legislators – Afternoon swearing in of Governor Kotek and her inaugural address.
This will be followed by three days of training for legislators – we will begin to see pre-session filed bills printed and published for public viewing.
You will receive your first bill tracking list!
January 17 – 2023 Legislative Session begins.
June 25 – Constitutionally required end to Legislative Session.

What happens between January and June is hard to say…but here are some facts that will impact:

The Capitol is “open to the public” but with seismic retrofit and renovation construction going on through 2025 and most of the older portions of the building closed, capacity is limited. Security will count comings and goings and restrict the number of people permitted inside. Leadership has asked lobbyists not to have “advocacy days at the legislature” and the lack of parking, no lobby message center for meetings or storage of items, no restaurant or water fountains, closed lobbies outside House and Senate Chambers, and reduced availability of hearing rooms will certainly make for a less functional place to be.
We will have a new Senate President for the first time in almost two decades.
Democrats have majority in House and Senate – but not a supermajority – so Republicans will need to help with approval of any new taxes and fees.
The House Majority Leader and the New Governor have both signaled that Housing will be a top issue. Oregon needs 550,000 new units in the next 20 years to help house citizens, some legislators are focused on more affordable workforce housing and the ability for people to buy and others will certainly look to compel landlords to keep people housed.
Behavioral/mental health is top of mind for many as we see failures statewide to help those in need, to recruit and train those to help and to dedicate dollars needed for programs.
The Joint Transportation Committee will wrangle with ongoing needs for road and bridge funding as the gas tax we rely on continues to decrease as electric vehicles increase. They will also be looking for funding for the new bridge between OR & WA.

House Committee membership is here…Senate Committee membership is here….Committee schedule is here. If you do not already know your representatives, please take a moment to look them up. Perhaps even send them an email, letting them know that you are one of their constituents, and that you are tuned into legislative session. If you would offer yourself as a resource on the built environment, you may be able to help better inform our decision makers in the Capitol, who often turn instead to developers, real estate agents and homebuilders for advice about such important topics as energy efficiency, building code, and housing affordability.

Your AIA Oregon Legislative Affairs Committee, chaired by Kim Olson, AIA, is already at work determining our priorities for 2023. The group will meet throughout session and any member is welcome to join. Please email Heather Wilson for details: hwilson@aiaoregon.org. If you have questions regarding any specific bills or actions taken, you may also reach out directly to Cindy Robert, with Rainmakers, LLC: cindy@rainmakersgovernmentstrategies.com. We are looking forward to serving the AIA Oregon membership and will provide updates here in the T@3 through session, including any needed Calls to Action, so stay tuned!