2019 Session Adjourned: A Post-Legislative Report

Outcomes for CUB’s legislative agenda, at the close of the 2019 Oregon session, were a mixed bag. We experienced a few major disappointments, but there were significant successes as well, and CUB plans future advocacy work on three strategic issues leading into 2020.

The Disappointing
HB 2020, the Clean Energy Jobs Act, did not become law in 2019. CUB will not be deterred, however, and we are encouraged by the Governor’s intent to explore executive order options to reduce carbon pollution and address climate change. 

Another disappointment was the Senate’s inaction on HB 2184 to modernize the Oregon Universal Service Fund (OUSF) and provide resources for rural broadband grants. CUB will continue working on restoring fairness to the OUSF. The Oregon Legislature created this fund in 1999 to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable voice service throughout the state. The Legislature at that time exempted wireless providers (and their customers) from contributing to the OUSF. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) was not yet a viable alternative to landline for some customers as it is today.

That historic approach is now unfair to landline customers, and wireless and all VoIP companies should be paying their fair share into the OUSF. This additional revenue is needed to improve the existing program by reasonably compensating phone companies for their “carrier of last resort” (COLR) obligation that requires them to ensure fair, safe, reliable, and affordable voice service throughout Oregon. HB 2184 would have also provided $5 million annually for broadband infrastructure and community planning grants, particularly in rural areas.

The Successes

• HB 2173 to create the Oregon Broadband Office (OBO) passed on the last day of the Legislative session. While the OBO will coordinate state-level broadband policy, its broadband grants program is undermined by the defeat of HB 2184.
• CUB authored HB 3065 with Representative Pam Marsh and technical support from Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) staff. The bill instructs the PUC to open a public proceeding, in which CUB will serve as a key stakeholder, to investigate phone companies’ COLR obligation and determine administrative or legislative policy changes to protect residential customers. The bill received bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.
• SB 1044 establishes policy goals for Oregon regarding the purchase and use of Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by state agencies and the public at large. The bill also allows school districts that have completed all feasible weatherization using public purpose funding to reallocate those monies for ZEV infrastructure and bus fleet conversion. SB 1044 passed with bipartisan support through both the House and Senate with CUB’s support.

Further Action Needed

• CUB authored HB 2866 with OSPIRG and ACLU of Oregon. The bill sought to protect Oregonians’ personal information and digital privacy, but only received an informational hearing. However, CUB anticipates proactive steps from the Oregon Department of Justice to assemble a Consumer Privacy Taskforce this fall. The taskforce will assume a mission of authoring comprehensive digital privacy legislation for the 2021 legislative session. CUB will be a leader among digital privacy advocates on the taskforce.
• HB 2242 sought to create a low-income and environmental justice advocate within the PUC, while also compelling the PUC to better consider low-income energy burden in utility programs and ratemaking. The bill passed through the House Energy and Environment Committee but stalled in the Joint Ways & Means (budget) Committee. CUB will seek input from environmental justice advocates on their priorities for this or similar legislation in 2020.
• CUB advocated for HB 2688 – Oregon’s Right to Repair (R2R) bill – but the bill only received an informational hearing. R2R means if you buy it, you own it, and have the right to fix it. CUB wants to harness public support to persuade the Legislature that R2R is common sense and consumer-first policy that will benefit all Oregonians, but especially low and moderate-income families with limited or no access to DEDs. You can help, starting today, by contacting your legislator(s) and signing onto our letter advocating for Oregon R2R.

Thank you!
While the 2019 Oregon legislative session certainly did not go as planned, a well-deserved thanks goes out to the more than 300 CUB members and followers who lent 400 signatures to four CUB advocacy letters, and the many more who contacted their legislator(s), or sparked conversation with friends, family, or colleagues after learning something new about energy or telecom policy.

CUB legislative advocacy campaigns begin with analysis and education. We pour over details to keep members and followers informed about policies impacting residential utility customers. Obviously, not all of CUB’s priority bills made their way to the Governor’s desk this legislative session. The Senate’s failure to take up HBs 2020 and 2184 is particularly frustrating. Yet it’s important for readers to not give up hope, and to know that public support boosted our advocacy efforts across the board in 2019. These efforts will be more important than ever in 2020.

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