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Environmentalists get re-energized for throwback to the 'Tom McCall years'
By BETH CASPER The Statesman Journal, July 3, 2007
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The 2007 legislative session marks the first time in about 30 years that the environment has played a prominent role in the state's politics. Not since the era of former Gov. Tom McCall have so many major environmental priorities passed. Because of bills passed this session, the state has to have 25 percent renewable energy by 2025, free and convenient electronic recycling for all state residents, biofuels mixed in Oregon fuel and tax incentives for energy efficiencies. One of the most veteran people in the Capitol said the list of new environmental legislation is long. "It is a landmark session for the environmentalists," said Dave Barrows, who has been a lobbyist for 48 years. "They have had a very lengthy list of successes ... this is almost exceeding the Tom McCall years." Barrows, who represents 3M, Progressive Insurance, Nike and several other businesses, said the results are even more impressive given the environmentalists' lack of Capitol experience. "Most of the folks that are working on environmental issues at the Capitol this session are not old hands," Barrows said. "They are, by and large, people working on their first session, so you have to give them even more credit for their successes." Lobbyist Sybil Ackerman, the legislative-affairs director for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, said the environmental agenda fared better than in the past in part because of the Democratic control in the House, Senate and governor's office. "The switch in leadership really made a huge difference," she said. "The political climate really made it so the environment was part of our society in a normal way rather than an extreme thing." Five priorities of the Oregon Conservation Network, a coalition of more than 40 environmental groups, all passed: biofuels promotion, a suite of bills to promote renewable energy and energy conservation, cleaning up Oregon's waterways, establishing a system for electronic waste recycling and revising Measure 37. Sen. Brad Avakian, D-Portland, and Rep. Jackie Dingfelder, D-Portland, led the effort to make environmental issues a priority. They both led environment committees in their respective chambers and they worked on an agenda together before the session started. "Oregon is a state with a very long legacy in smart, natural-resource management, so I think this was just Oregon returning to its roots," Avakian said about the 2007 session. "It's one of those great moments in Oregon history when we return back to these environmental landmarks." Dingfelder was able to see several bills pass that she had championed during the past three sessions, including electronic recycling and a package of tax credits and incentives regarding biofuels. She said she was disappointed, however, in a lack of action to protect Oregon's water. "Water is going to be one of the big issues in the future in terms of scarcity," she said. Bills related to measurement of water use, limiting groundwater withdrawals and studying water storage died. Funding, on the other hand, increased to agencies that deal with water issues. But Avakian and Dingfelder both said they are confident that this session laid the groundwork for more environmental legislation next session -- to further deal with water supply and storage, global warming and better recycling methods under the bottle bill. "Clearly, this session is the best session in over 30 years on environmental issues," Dingfelder said. "It puts us back on the map." bcasper@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 589-69 |
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