Latest news with #SenateBill427
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Slate of bills to modernize Oregon water laws await votes in final month of session
An irrigation pivot sits in a crop of canola near Echo. (Photo by Kathy Aney/Oregon Capital Chronicle) In an effort to modernize and streamline how state officials allocate what's left of Oregon's ground and surface waters, lawmakers are considering a slate of bills meant to get resource agencies collaborating on permitting reform, data collection and 'management' rather than 'regulation.' That's according to primary water bill sponsors, state Reps. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, and Mark Owens, R-Crane, the chair and vice chair of the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water Committee. The two are sponsoring six of at least nine bills being considered in the final month of the 2025 legislative session. 'We're moving from a bias toward regulation to a bias toward management. All this stuff is moving in that direction,' Helm said of state water policy. The two have been working on updating Oregon's water laws — specifically improving water accounting and the permitting and transfers laws — for years to preserve over-drawn basins and to deal with a backlog of more than 220 contested water rights cases currently sitting with the Oregon Department of Water Resources. 'We look to our river basins, we look to our groundwater aquifers, we've learned we probably allocated too much water. I mean, bluntly, there's not enough. There's no more water, really, to hand out,' Owens said. Updating water laws is also a priority for Gov. Tina Kotek and her natural resources advisers, who are behind two bills this session that would require environmental reviews in water rights transfers and improve the state's ability to respond to groundwater contamination. Senate Bill 427 Senate Bill 427 would require an environmental review before water rights are transferred for new uses. According to supporters at WaterWatch, the bill would 'close a harmful regulatory loophole' that currently allows water rights to be transferred and used for new purposes without consideration for how the change in use can lower stream flows, harm wildlife and erode water quality. The bill is sponsored by state Sens. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, and Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, at the request of the Oregon Water Partnership, a coalition of seven nonprofit conservation groups including WaterWatch, The Nature Conservancy and the Oregon Environmental Council. More than 300 letters of testimony have been submitted in support of the bill, and 23 in opposition. Various local water management groups and districts, including the Eugene Water and Electric Board and the League of Oregon Cities, who wrote that it would be redundant because municipal water authorities are already subject to water safety regulations, and that the Oregon Water Resources Department lacks capacity for more review. 'Before considering any changes to transfer statutes, we must first address critical improvements to the contested case process and overall efficiency within the Oregon Water Resources Department,' they wrote. After a public hearing in February it received a unanimous vote without recommendation as to passage from the Senate Natural Resources and Wildfire Committee to the Senate Rules Committee. Senate Bill 1153 Similar to Senate Bill 427, Senate Bill 1153 would require state agencies to review water rights transfers to ensure they do not result in a loss of instream habitat for threatened or endangered species, and that the transfer will not harm water quality. It allows state agencies to make transfers conditional on instream improvements, such as enhanced fish passage, and allows tribes to review transfers in some areas. Modernizing water rights transfers is a priority of Gov. Tina Kotek and her natural resources team, who have presented on the bill sponsored by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire. Other supporters include the nonprofit fishing and conservation group Trout Unlimited and WaterWatch of Oregon. 'Our challenges will only intensify. A hard look at our water laws is long overdue,' Kotek natural resources advisor Chandra Ferrari wrote in a presentation to the Legislature. The bill has received more than 400 written pieces of testimony, equally split with about 200 opposed and 200 in support. Those opposed include the Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Winegrowers Association and the Oregon Water Resources Congress, a nonprofit trade group made up of irrigation, water and drainage districts. 'The practical reality is that a significant number of streams in Oregon are designated as habitat for a sensitive, threatened, or endangered species or are listed as temperature impaired under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act due to low water flow,' officials from the groups wrote in testimony opposed to the bill. 'Under these circumstances, almost any new transfer application could trigger some concern about habitat or water quality impacts.' An informational hearing about the bill is scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate Rules Committee, followed by a public hearing. A vote on the bill in the committee is scheduled for Thursday. Senate Bill 1154 Senate Bill 1154 would give state agencies more authority to intervene earlier in Oregon's contaminated groundwater areas and establish thresholds for contaminants that automatically qualify them as critical groundwater management areas. The bill also more clearly spells out which agencies are responsible for participating in action on groundwater management areas and what each agency is responsible for doing. Next to modernizing water rights transfers, Kotek and her advisers' big water priority this session has been to update how groundwater quantity and quality are tracked. Kotek backs the bill, which the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire sponsored. Nonprofit environmental and social justice groups including Latino Network, Oregon Environmental Council and Oregon Rural Action also support it. 'Groundwater pollution continues to get worse in our most vulnerable communities and fuel public health crises in places like the Lower Umatilla Basin,' Latino Network Executive director Tony DeFalco wrote in a letter of support. 'Our current laws have failed to give agencies the tools they need to enforce the law, and have failed to protect at-risk Oregonians.' The bill has now garnered more than 800 letters of opposition, due in large part to a campaign by the nonprofit trade group Oregon Natural Resource Industries. Many opposed are rural well owners and farmers. State Reps. Bobby Levy, R-Echo, and Greg Smith, R-Heppner, spoke in opposition to the bill at its first public hearing in April. Levy called it an 'unacceptable overreach of state power,' and a 'persecution' of rural Oregonians. 'It grants broad, unchecked authority to state agencies, allows them to walk onto private property, dig up soil, impose arbitrary restrictions and suspend water use that is critical, not only to agriculture, but to basic human life,' she told legislators. The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire sent it to the Rules Committee without recommendation as to passage. It's been in the Rules Committee since April 17. House Bill 3116 The bill would appropriate $3.35 million to the Oregon Water Resources Department to grant to soil and water districts in Lincoln, Union and Gilliam counties and to the nonprofit High Desert Partnership, based in Harney County, for 'place-based water planning.' Helm and Owens. The Association of Oregon Counties and the Oregon Association of Conservation Districts also support it. WaterWatch of Oregon opposes the bill as written and has asked that it be amended to narrow its scope. Wild Salmon Center, though neutral in its official position, has submitted testimony critical of the bill. 'We encourage the Legislature to make use of the existing Place-Based Water Planning Fund that it created in 2023 to support not only the existing pilots, but also planning efforts in other geographies,' Caylin Barter, water policy director at the center, wrote. In April, the bill passed the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water and was referred to Ways and Means with the recommendation that it pass. House Bill 2169 Establishes an interagency water reuse team at Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality to coordinate and expand water reuse and storage projects across the state. Helm and Owens. It also has support from unions, environmental organizations and water irrigation districts. The bill faces no major opposition. A vote on the bill is scheduled for Tuesday in the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources. House Bill 3501 It would largely nullify Senate Bills 427 and Senate Bill 1153, prohibiting the consideration of the public interest and potential impairment when water rights are awarded or transferred. Owens. The Oregon Farm Bureau and the Oregon Groundwater Association also support it. The bill has received more than 100 letters of opposition, and just nine letters of support. 'In Oregon, all sources of water belong to the public. To expressly prohibit the consideration of harm to these waters will have a major negative effect on Oregon's values and our waterways' beneficial uses, including recreation, aesthetics, and aquatic life,' wrote the executive directors of Willamette Riverkeeper. The House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee sent it to the House Rules Committee in April without recommendation as to passage. House Bill 3544 House Bill 3544 and amendments, also referred to by sponsors as the 'contested case bill,' creates a uniform process for hearing contested cases in water rights permitting and transfers. It would drive parties in a contested case to reach settlement rather than litigation, reducing the backlog of contested cases, currently at more than 200, at the Oregon Water Resources Department. Helm and Owens. 'They're going to have to open up their checkbooks to get this done, instead of sitting around on protests for years, decades or multiple decades,' Helm said about contested water permitting cases. The nonprofit conservation group Columbia Riverkeeper as well as the Oregon Farm Bureau are opposed. In a letter opposing the bill, Miles Johnson, a lobbyist for Columbia Riverkeeper, said the bill would 'significantly restrict individuals and public interest organizations from protesting problematic OWRD decisions.' House Bill 3544 got two public hearings in March and April, followed by a unanimous vote out of the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. The bill has been sitting in the Joint Ways and Means Committee since April 16. House Bill 3342 Digitizes paperwork and payments processing when it comes to water rights permits and transfers; limits extensions on the time water rights holders have to develop infrastructure and to put the water to 'beneficial use' to seven years from the date of permit approval. Helm and Owens. Conservation groups including WaterWatch of Oregon and Wild Salmon Center also support it. 'Right now, when a person puts in for a permit to use water, they have a five year period of time in order to protect that. The department has defaulted to some very long extensions, and sometimes unlimited extensions. I've seen extensions granted in the Harney Basin for 30 years, which is water speculation,' Helm told the Capital Chronicle. The Oregon Cattlemen's Association, Oregon Farm Bureau, League of Oregon Cities are among those opposed to the limits on water rights extensions and the new deadlines for responding to reviews from the Oregon Water Resources Department. Awaiting Kotek's signature. House Bill 3106 Establishes a cross-agency team led by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries to create a state water data portal where water availability, flows and usage data are centralized and accessible. Helm and Owens. Conservation groups including WaterWatch of Oregon and Wild Salmon Center also support it. The Oregon Forest Industries Council and a coalition of natural resource trade groups, including Oregon Farm Bureau, Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers and the Oregon Association of Nurseries. The groups wrote in their testimony that they'd prefer statewide water data be centralized at Oregon State University's Institute for Water and Watersheds. Passed near-unanimously out of the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water in April with referral to Ways and Means, and recommendation that it be passed with amendments. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WV governor signs bills eliminating Equal Opportunity office, exempting some teens from work permits
The West Virginia Capitol in Charleston, (West Virginia Legislative Photography) Gov. Patrick Morrisey has signed dozens of Republican-backed bills into law, including measures officially eliminating the state's Office of Equal Opportunity and rolling back work permit requirements for some teenagers. The bills were among 73 measures signed by Morrisey April 25 ahead of the governor's bill signing deadline by the end of the day Wednesday. In total, the governor has signed 161 bills, and on Monday, Morrisey said in a post on social media platform X that another 48 bills will be signed and shared in the coming days. 'The final 40 bills are under close review, as we continue to research them and see whether there are adequate arguments to approve these bills to determine whether they should become law,' Morrisey wrote. 'For the future, folks should know that if your bill costs taxpayers money and you haven't provided an offset (a saver) for your proposed program, the odds of your initiative getting approved will be slim,' he continued. Morrisey approved Senate Bill 837, sponsored by Sen. Patricia Rucker, R-Jefferson, that will formally eliminate the state's Office of Equal Opportunity by repealing its mandate in state code. The office was tasked with complying with federal disability rights and investigated discrimination and harassment claims from public employees. While vetting the bills, members of the House of Delegates learned that the OEO seemed to already be gone without lawmakers' required approval. The office doesn't have any employees or a website. Lawmakers opted to keep the office's director position within the Division of Personnel, though the position is currently vacant. Rucker said the bill was an effort to streamline state government since the OEO's work was already being done by the Division of Personnel. Morrisey also signed another measure sponsored by Rucker that will terminate the 'Employee Suggestion Award Board' by terminating five sections of code, including a program that provides cash or honorary awards to state employees whose adopted suggestions result in substantial savings or improvement in state operations. 'We heard that this is not really helping the state. We were very hopeful when this got passed years ago that employees would be able to give us ideas that would really significantly find waste and we could reduce cost to the state. But that is not what has happened,' Rucker said during bill debate March 20 in the Senate. 'Unfortunately, It has been years since there's been a single suggestion.' Rucker said they encouraged state agencies to still accept suggestions from employees regarding cost savings. The governor signed Senate Bill 427 that will roll back work permit requirements for 14- and 15-year olds in West Virginia. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Rupie Phillips, R-Logan. Current state law requires 14- and 15-year-olds who want to work to get a permit from their school superintendent; the new law, which goes into effect in July, no longer requires that permit. Employers seeking to hire the teenagers will still be required to obtain an age certificate verifying the child's age from the state Division of Labor and the written consent of the child's parent or guardian. The age certificate would include the child's age, name and date of birth, as well as information about the job they're seeking, among other things. The governor still hasn't signed off on a number of high-profile Republican-backed measures from this year's legislative session, including a bill tightening the state's already-strict ban on gender-affirming care for minors and a measure requiring school employees to alert parents when a child requests to be referred to by a different name or pronouns that are different from the student's biological sex. While Morrisey issued an executive order eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs in state government, he hasn't yet signed a bill that would codify that order. The measure is facing a potential legal challenge after the Senate's Democratic members said the bill was not legally passed on the final night of session because of a 'series of procedural irregularities.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WV House passes bill exempting 14- and 15-year olds from work permit requirement
The West Virginia House of Delegates passed Senate Bill 427, which would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work without getting permission from school superintendents, on Friday, April 11, 2025. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) West Virginia 14- and 15-year-olds seeking employment would no longer be required to have a work permit under a bill approved by the House of Delegates Friday morning. Delegates passed Senate Bill 427 with a 91 to 9 vote. The House's nine Democrats voted against the bill. There was no discussion on the bill prior to Friday's vote. The minimum legal age to work in West Virginia is 14. Current state law requires 14- and 15-year-olds who want to work to get a permit from their school superintendent. The permit includes age certification, a commitment by the employer to employ the child legally, a description of the work the child is applying to do, a signature by the child's principal saying that they're attending school and parental consent. Under Senate Bill 427, employers seeking to hire the teenagers would be required to obtain an age certificate verifying the child's age from the state Division of Labor and the written consent of the child's parent or guardian. The age certificate would include the child's age, name and date of birth, as well as information about the job they're seeking, among other things. Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, chairman of the Senate Workforce Committee said the legislation is meant to simplify kids' ability to work. 'We're going into vocational training more and more in our public schools, and this provides a way that we're not tasking the local county superintendents with having to approve the work permits instead going with the age permits,' Roberts said. 'Fourteen and 15-year-olds can already work, but this will now allow the parents to make that decision.' Opponents of the legislation say that eliminating work permits may lead to children being exploited. Kelly Allen, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy, said in a statement that work permits are vital protection for children and families to help ensure compliance with child labor laws. Research shows that child labor violations are lower in states that require them, she said. 'While Senate and House committees certainly improved the legislation via amendments from the extremely dangerous introduced version, the final product is unnecessary at best and harmful at worst,' Allen said. 'We will closely follow the implementation and impacts of this legislation to ensure youth workers are protected.' Roberts disagreed with concerns, saying that federal child labor laws still have to be followed. 'So no, they won't be working in coal mines and with heavy machinery and all these kinds of things,' Roberts said. 'Basically, what I envision is that we're helping the kids at entry level to get into the workforce.' He added that the 18 to 24 age group is the lowest performing age group for workforce participation. The bill will next go back to the Senate to approve any changes in the bill the House made. After that, it will go to Gov. Patrick Morrisey's desk for approval. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
WV House committee advances bill repealing work permits for children
The House Government Organization Committee on Wednesday approved Senate Bill 427 with an amendment from Del. Kayla Young, pictured here. The bill would repeal the work permit process for 14- and 15-year olds in the state. Young's amendment clarifies that an age certificate must include a job description supplied by the employer, not the child seeking employment. (Perry Bennett | West Virginia Legislative Photography) A bill that would repeal the work permit requirements for West Virginia 14- and 15-year-olds seeking employment is nearing a vote in the House of Delegates. The House Government Organization Committee on Wednesday signed off on Senate Bill 427 on Wednesday. The minimum legal age to work in West Virginia is 14. Currently, state law requires 14- and 15-year-olds who want to work to get a permit from their school superintendent. The permit includes age certification, a commitment by the employer to employ the child legally, a description of the work the child is applying to do, a signature by the child's principal saying that they're attending school, and parental consent. If SB 427 becomes law, employers seeking to hire the teenagers would be required to obtain an age certificate verifying the child's age from the state Division of Labor and the written consent of the child's parent or guardian. The age certificate would include the child's age, name and date of birth as well as information about the job they're seeking, among other things. The committee adopted an amendment from Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, that the job description listed on an age certificate be supplied by the employer as opposed to the child. Brooke Farber, deputy commissioner and counsel for the state Division of Labor, testified that the agency prefers that the job description come from the employer to ensure that the job doesn't violate restrictions on children working in hazardous working conditions. State and federal law prohibits minors from working in certain hazardous occupations, including roofing, mining, operating fork lifts and others. 'We just want to make sure, and a 14 or 15 year old might not necessarily be familiar with a hazardous occupation, so that would be it,' she said. The bill will next go to the floor of the House of Delegates to be read three times before delegates vote on the bill.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
WV Senate passes bill repealing work permit for 14- and 15-year-olds, bill now moves to House
Senate Workforce Committee Chair Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh, addresses the Senate on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 in Charleston, Senators unanimously passed a bill that would exempt 14- and 15-year-olds from needing a work permit to seek employment. (Will Price | West Virginia Legislative Photography) A bill advancing in the West Virginia Legislature would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work without first obtaining a work permit. The Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 427 Friday. Currently, state law requires 14- and 15-year-olds who want to work to get a permit from their school superintendent. The permit includes age certification, a commitment by the employer to employ the child legally, a description of the work the child is applying to do, a signature by the child's principal saying that they're attending school, and parental consent. If SB 427 becomes law, employers seeking to hire the teenagers would be required to obtain an age certificate verifying the child's age from the state Division of Labor and the written consent of the child's parent or guardian. The bill would not change the law that prohibits children under 18 from working in certain dangerous jobs, such as logging or demolition, according to Senate Workforce Committee Chair Sen. Rollan Roberts, R-Raleigh. 'Overall, the bill would make it easier for teenagers seeking job opportunities in the state to begin learning valuable skills,' Roberts said. The House of Delegates passed a similar bill last year, but the bill did not make it through the Senate. Opponents of the legislation argued that repealing the work permit process could leave some children open to exploitation by their parents. The bill will next go to the House of Delegates for consideration. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
