Fresh Legislative Concepts from Central Oregon Lawmakers

In the upcoming legislative session that begins Feb. 2, each lawmaker is allowed to introduce two legislative concepts. The short session runs just 35 days, and there’s no guarantee these concepts will become bills.

These are the concepts introduced by local lawmakers.

Rep. Jason Kropf, HD-54

LC 273 would make changes to the gun permit and transfer process and to the large-capacity magazine prohibition. The concept specifies where a person may apply for a permit to buy a firearm and adds a requirement regarding eligibility. The issuance timeframe is extended from 30 to 60 days from receipt of the application by which an agent must issue or deny an applicant, in addition to other measures.

LC 262 would tell the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission to allow a distillery to operate as a craft low-proof spirit distillery. The act would also allow some stores to sell low-proof spirit beverages, whose sales would be taxed. The concept would also direct the OLCC to create a craft brewery and distillery marketing and economic development grant program to support the respective industries. Some tax dollars would benefit qualified victim services programs.

Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-27

LC 1 declares an emergency prohibition of state public bodies from helping the federal government sell their public lands to a private person. These lands include those managed or administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. National Park Service or the U.S. Department of the Interior. The concept does not apply to real property that is within an urban growth boundary, is being transferred for a specific infrastructure, utility or transportation use. It also does not apply to property held in trust or for the benefit of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Oregon or a member of a tribe. The act would sunset on Jan. 2, 2029.

Rep. Emerson Levy, HD-53

LC 27 takes a proactive approach to prevent fires at landfills, transfer stations and in waste collection vehicles, according to Rep. Levy’s office. The act would establish an Oregon-wide battery recycling program that would reduce fires by keeping lithium batteries out of the waste stream. Costs would be offset by the recovery and reuse of valuable minerals found in batteries. The legislative concept is the collaborative effort between the state’s solid waste industry, local governments and national battery makers, according to Rep. Levy’s office.

LC 29 formalizes the McKinney-Vento program — whose role is integral in ensuring educational stability for unhoused students, their families and school districts — into statute. Protections include immediate enrollment, school of origin protections and transportation support, according to Rep. Levy’s team.

Additionally, Rep. Levy is collaborating on other concepts, including LC 282, which confronts how artificial intelligence platforms are affecting mental health and user safety.