Minimum Wage Increases:
On July 1, 2022, Oregon’s minimum wage increase will take effect. In Oregon, the minimum wage rate varies depending upon an employer’s location categorized by (1) standard counties; (2) Portland’s metropolitan area; and (3) nonurban counties. The wage increase for each location will be as follows: (1) standard counties: $13.50 per hour; (2) Portland metro region: $14.75 per hour; and (3) nonurban counties: $12.50 per hour.
POLICE REFORM:
George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer triggered a national reckoning on civil rights. Oregon lawmakers responded with several bills aimed at improving police conduct and oversight.
PUBLIC MEETINGS:
House Bill 2560 makes permanent a pandemic-era change. It requires government agencies, whenever possible, to stream their meetings online and give the public the opportunity to testify remotely. The bill passed the House 42-5 and the Senate 25-2.
COLD MEDICINE:
Oregon was one of just two states (Mississippi was the other) that required a prescription for cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, a restriction established to limit people’s ability to buy large quantities and use it to make methamphetamine. But lawmakers concluded that a multistate system for tracking purchases, and meth production shifting to labs outside the country, made Oregon’s law obsolete. So House Bill 2648 repealed Oregon’s restriction. Now, people can buy cold medicines by asking a pharmacist, who registers the transaction with the database. The bill passed the House 54-4, and the House 27-2.
ELECTIONS:
House Bill 3291 requires Oregon to count ballots mailed the day of the election. Previously, counties would count only ballots actually received on or before Election Day. It passed the House 39-21 and the Senate 16-13. This will delay how quickly election results can be determined but is likely to lead to higher election turnout.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING:
Senate Bill 8 requires local governments to allow development of affordable housing even on land not zoned for residential use, with some exceptions for lands designated for heavy industry and publicly owned properties next to sites zoned for school or residential use. It also lowers the duration for which such housing must be classified as affordable, from 40 years to 30. The bill won overwhelming legislative support, passing the Senate 25-5 and the House 46-3.
HATE CRIMES:
Senate Bill 398 makes it a crime to intimidate people by displaying a noose. Violators face up to 364 days in prison and a fine of $6,250. The bill passed the Senate 27-1 and the House 54-0.
RACIAL EQUITY:
House Bill 2935, known as the Crown Act, bans discrimination in schools or the workplace “based on physical characteristics that are historically associated with race.” The law specifies hair style and hair texture are among those newly protected traits. It passed the House 58-0 and the Senate 28-1.
Representatives:
Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) is replacing Rep. Tina Kotek as House speaker after she resigned to focus on a run for governor.
