Legislative Wins
The State Legislative short session is a wrap, and we're particularly grateful for our Portland state legislators who secured key accomplishments addressing community needs. Here are four wins that Commissioner Hardesty advocated for that will directly benefit Portlanders. Her experience at the legislature, expertise and decades of advocacy are needed to tackle the complex problems our city is experiencing.
Oregon's aging fuel storage housing millions of gallons of flammable materials poses a serious threat to our region. Addressing the significant risks to our Northwest Portland Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub along the Willamette River identified in the joint city-county study that Commissioner Hardesty was an early champion for, Senator Michael Dembrow led the Fuel Disaster legislation. Senate Bill 1567 passed with bipartisan support, requiring energy terminal owners to submit comprehensive seismic vulnerability assessments and risk mitigation plans.
Portland is experiencing a major spike in traffic deaths, and one key tool in reducing speeds and crashes is photo radar. Thanks to State Representative Jeff Reardon whose district includes East Portland, the legislature passed House Bill 4105 that gives cities like Portland the option of having a civilian traffic enforcement agent instead of only a sworn police officer to administer photo radar citations. This helps keep costs low and supports our police officers to do work they've been trained to do instead of sitting behind
Two major investments Commissioner Hardesty advocated for will help keep Portlanders cool and safer. The legislature passed Emergency Heat Relief, House Bill 1536 that eases barriers to renters accessing portable cooling devices during severe weather events, co-sponsored by Senator Kayse Jama. Representative Travis Nelson secured $15 million dollars towards a new North Portland Aquatic Center after the Columbia Pool closed indefinitely in August.
