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CapitalPress.com
Friday, April 29, 2022
OFB Spring 2022 Update
Oregon Farm Bureau Legislative Champions
As always, Oregon agriculture had some amazing champions in the state
Capitol. We want to recognize the extraordinary efforts of Rep. Shelly
Boshart Davis (R-Albany and a member of Linn County Farm Bureau) and
Rep. Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). Representatives Boshart Davis and
Bonham went above and beyond in their work on ag overtime (HB 4002),
participating in the workgroup leading up to session, engaging closely with
the coalition during session, educating legislators and the public on ag over-
time, introducing amendments, and pointing out the myriad of issues with HB
4002 during the work sessions on the bill. Oregon agriculture could not have
two better advocates in Salem, and we want to recognize their hard work this
legislative session.
This month, OFB organized a series of seminars to help
ag employers navigate the new ag overtime laws. The first
seminar was held in Salem on April 6 — and it was recorded
for Farm Bureau members who are interested in the law’s
impacts, but could not attend. If you want a link to the two-
hour recording emailed to you, please send a request to
maryannecooper@oregonfb.org.
Ag overtime
T
he 2022 legislative
session was the most
challenging for Oregon
farmers and ranchers in
recent memory. Ag over-
time (HB 4002) was the
top priority of progressive
Democrat leadership,
with leadership and labor
unions and Oregon Food
Bank pushing forward a
40-hour threshold over
the opposition of thou-
sands of farmers and
ranchers across the state,
and in spite of numerous
workable proposals that
would have been better
for both farmers and their
employees.
against the bill. Zero paid
lobbyists testified against
the bill. Nearly all of those
who testified in favor of
the bill were paid lobbyists
for unions and Oregon
Food Bank.
As an organization, OFB
led a coalition of agricul-
tural associations, com-
missioned a third-party
economic study, lobbied
legislators nonstop for
the last 12 months,
intervened in the lawsuit
brought by labor advo-
cates to force a 40-hour
threshold in the Courts,
and engaged in a state-
wide media campaign.
The ag coalition stood
strong and remained fully
In the end, the bill passed united throughout in spite
of efforts to buy off differ-
along a party line vote in
the House, and in the face ent commodities.
of bipartisan opposition in This is a devastating
the Senate, with Senator
loss and a failure of both
Lee Beyer (D-Eugene)
legislative leadership and
joining Republicans in vot- process by party leaders
ing against the proposal.
who have lost touch with
common sense. Members
We are so proud of the
and staff stood up and
hundreds of Oregon
did everything we could
Farm Bureau members
do on this issue. And we
who showed up in force
did it well and with honor
to explain what the ag
and honesty and integrity
overtime proposal would
and good faith. We will not
mean to your operations.
give up the fight. As soon
You hosted legislative
as there is an opportunity,
tours, participated in
workgroups, wrote op-eds, we will push for meaning-
ful changes to this law to
shared your financials,
wrote your legislators, and help family-scale agricul-
showed up to testify. At the ture remain viable in Ore-
House committee hearing, gon. Do not give up hope!
over 80 farmers, ranchers, We are here, and we will
continue to fight for you.
and employees testified
OFB also had strong advocates in Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson, the new House
Republican Leader, Rep. Mark Owens, Rep. Bobby Levy, Rep. Jami Cate,
Rep. Jessica George, and Rep. Anna Scharf, all farmers and Oregon Farm
Bureau members who do an amazing job helping agriculture in the Capitol.
We also want to give a special thanks to Rep. Christine Goodwin and Rep.
David Brock Smith for championing the predator control district bill and a
large number of other ag causes. We appreciate their hard work and dedica-
tion to agriculture. We thank all our champions for their stalwart advocacy and
for always supporting Oregon agriculture.
In the Senate, Senator Bill Hansell, Senator Chuck Thomsen, Senator Lynn
Findley and Senator Fred Girod were amazing champions for agriculture and
put in yeoman’s work to help Farm Bureau this legislative session, particularly
on ag overtime.
We also want to recognize and thank retiring Senator Lee Beyer for his cou-
rageous vote and his outstanding speech on ag overtime highlighting what
happens when rural economies die. Senator Beyer has always been a strong
champion for agriculture and will be missed by OFB.
Better News
Bad Bills Killed
OFB helped kill a number
of bad bills, including a
bill to force annexation
into rural first protection
associations, a new
working lands carbon
sequestration approach
developed without con-
sultation with working
landowners, and a bill
that would phase-out die-
sel statewide by 2029.
Diesel Ban HB 4141
HB 4141 would have
banned nearly all petro-
leum diesel in the state
in favor of renewable
diesel. The bill was later
amended into HB 4141A,
which created a taskforce
to study the availability
and cost of renewable
diesel and make recom-
mendations to the legis-
lation. HB 4141A died in
committee; however, a
budget note was added to
HB 5202 directing a report
to be done by Department
of Environmental Quality.
OFB joins suit against
DEQ’s rules
of nonsense, and we’re
ready for 2024 should the
activists find a way onto
On March 18, OFB joined
the ballot.
a broad coalition of
businesses from across
Oregon’s Farm Dog
the state filing a court
of the Year
challenge to the state’s
“Climate Protection” Pro- The Oregon Agricultural
Education Foundation
gram rules.
(OAEF) is launching a
“The rules were adopted
competition to select Ore-
by the agency in Decem- gon’s Farm Dog of 2022.
ber and would impose
significant new fuels costs Does your farm dog have
what it takes?
on all Oregonians, which
we know Oregon’s family “We want to celebrate the
farms and ranches cannot dedicated canine compan-
ions who make long days
afford to pay,” said OFB
VP of Government Affairs on the farm easier and
inspire us to have fun and
Mary Anne Cooper. “It
work harder,” said OAEF
would spend that money
Director Sherri Noxel.
on hand-picked offset
projects largely in urban
All Oregon Farm Bureau
areas.”
members who are at least
18 years old are eligible
In enacting these rules,
to participate. Visit Ore-
DEQ acted well outside
its authority. “Our coalition gonFB.org/oaef and follow
the entry submission
cares deeply about this
instructions. The deadline
state and the substantial
impact that these rules will to enter your farm dog is
June 1.
have on Oregon families
and businesses,” said
The winner of the contest
Cooper. Oregon’s green-
will receive a professional
house gas emissions
video that can be used
have been going down for to compete in the Amer-
decades and the state is
ican Farm Bureau’s
not a significant contrib-
American Farm Dog of
the Year contest.
utor to climate change,
making these rules even
For more information,
more unfounded.
visit OregonFB.org/oaef
IP-13 withdrawn for 2022
The two people behind
IP-13 — the measure
that sought to criminalize
animal husbandry and
farming practices, hunting,
fishing, trapping, and pest
control — have with-
drawn their petition for the
November 2022 ballot.
This is great news!
or call Sherri Noxel at
971.727.7212.
VOTE MAY 17!
Good public policy
depends on electing good
leaders to office. We
can’t win if we don’t vote.
Please get your ballots
completed and returned
by 8 p.m. May 17. You
can enter “Oregon Sec-
However, we are not yet
retary of State My Vote”
American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall and wife Jennifer Duvall learned
out of the woods. They
into any search engine to
about Oregon agriculture during a tour April 11-13 led by OFB President Angi Bailey. This
have already filed a
find Oregon’s online ballot
photo was taken at the fruit orchard of Devon Wells, president of Hood River County Farm
similar ballot initiative, this
tracker to make sure your
Bureau. At the national level, Duvall said top American Farm Bureau priorities include
time named IP-3, for the
vote has been received
massive costs increases on inputs and supply chain disruptions that are impacting
2024 election cycle. They and will count. With the
American farmers and ranchers and the need for ag labor. He also gave updates on Waters
will have to get another
governor’s race and a
of the U.S., the Endangered Species Act, and securing more disaster relief risk management
1,000 signatures to qualify huge number of open leg-
programs for specialty crops in the next Farm Bill. “I knew the political environment in
the “new” measure to start islative seats, this is the
Oregon was tough,” said Duvall, “After being here and hearing from you all, I don’t think
the process again. OFB
most important election
there’s another state in the country that is rougher on our farm and ranch families.” Pres.
is
part
of
a
coalition
of
17
Duvall has spent an enormous amount of his time as national president in the West and
cycle in years.
ag groups and businesses
advocating for issues of particular concern to the West including protecting dams and
PLEASE VOTE.
organized to fight this kind
making productive use of our federal lands. Duvall met with over 120 OFB members.
Get more complete information at www.oregonfb.org/stateissues and sign up for email alerts at www.oregonfb.org/advocacy
You can find Oregon Farm Bureau on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.