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June 21, 2005

CUB Legislative Successes

Good news from Salem! House Bill (HB) 3363, the Energy Efficient Appliance Bill, has passed both the Senate and the House. The bill will now go to the Governor's desk for signing. This bill will save Oregon consumers money, approximately $250 million within the first 14 years; and resources, in an amount that has been estimated to include 200 million gallons of water, 1.7 million therms of natural gas, and 75 million kilowatt-hours of electricity -- all of that saved every year! This is the kind of win-win solution that makes CUB happy to represent ratepayers in Salem session after session. Thank you to the CUB members who contacted their elected representatives and urged them to support this bill.

Another piece of good policy CUB helped craft and pass through both the House and Senate is Senate Bill (SB) 983, the Domestic Violence Telecommunications Bill. This bill will help ensure that those leaving an unsafe domestic situation are able to set up phone service in their new homes, which has often presented economic or logistical hurdles. It is important for everyone to have access to a phone in today's world, but especially important for a person who has experienced domestic violence and might need to call for help in the future. SB 983 will provide a necessary basic utility and a little extra peace of mind for those beginning again. The bill was signed into law by Governor Kulongoski on June 9th.

The session is not yet over, and we have hopes regarding a piece of legislation supporting solar energy, the Oregon Community Power bill, and the bill which would reform the practice of utility phantom taxation in Oregon. We will let you know what happens with each.

Posted by Oregon CUB at June 21, 2005 09:42 AM

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