Latest news with #PamMarsh
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon House passes new tax on oral nicotine, taps rainy day fund for wildfire prevention
The Oregon House passed a bill June 23 that would tax oral nicotine products, tap the state's rainy day fund and increase the timber tax to pay for preventing and fighting wildfires. House Bill 3940 would raise more than $40 million — and possibly much more — to fund programs aimed mostly at mitigating wildfires with a smaller amount going to fire suppression. HB 3940 passed the House 37-8, garnering bipartisan support at a time when political tensions are high in Salem. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. 'Oregon is facing a new era of wildfire risk, and we need 21st-century solutions,' said Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland. 'This bill is about prioritizing wildfire mitigation, making our communities safer, and building a funding system that is more sustainable. We're investing in resilience and taking real steps to reduce the long-term human and economic toll of wildfire.' Marsh acknowledged it wasn't enough — lawmakers had sought to raise up to $300 million per year to prevent and fight wildfires. Revenue raised in this bill goes almost entirely toward wildfire prevention — hardening homes and reducing hazardous fuels. She said more was needed to pay for wildfire suppression, likely to be proposed in separate legislation. But she called it a 'crucial first step.' The bill includes a new tax on products such as Zyn — a nicotine pouch that are tobacco-free and designed to be placed between the gum and lip. The new tax is $0.65 per container for packages containing up to 20 units, with an additional tax of 3.25 cents for each unit beyond 20. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, previously told the Statesman Journal the Zyn lobbyist was open to the tax 'because if we're taxing it, it would greatly reduce the chances we ban it in the future.' 'In Central Oregon, wildfire smoke is a leading cause of public health risk during the summer months,' said Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety. 'Oregon has a long history of taxing nicotine products to support public health initiatives, and it just makes sense to use revenue associated with these products to help keep Oregonians safe and healthy.' The bill also requires transfer of 20% of the interest earned by Oregon's rainy day fund, which amounts to a little under $30 million in the 2025-27 biennium but that is expected to grow. The bill would also increase the Forest Products Harvest Tax from 62.5 cents to $1 per thousand board feet. The new taxes would begin Jan. 1, 2026. Money from the nicotine tax and rainy day fund would be sent into funds aimed at preventing wildfires. For example, over the next two years — biennium 2025-27 — an estimated $29.2 million would go into a Community Risk Reduction Fund managed by the Oregon State Fire Marshal to addresses home hardening, defensible space and neighborhood work, Marsh said. Another $14.1 million would go into the Landscape Resiliency Fund aimed at reducing hazardous fuels in forest and rangeland near communities by the Oregon Department of Forestry. Money from the increased timber tax, around $1.7 million in 2025-27, would go into the Forestland Protection Fund, which is used for suppression. Marsh acknowledged the state needed far more wildfire suppression, but noted that money was expected to come in different legislation. In 2024, Oregon lawmakers held a special session to approve spending $218 million the state couldn't cover in costs associated with fighting one of the busiest wildfire seasons on record. Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@ or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors and BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon House passes new tax on oral nicotine to pay for wildfires
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bill shielding Oregonians from utility rate increases by Big Tech heads to Kotek
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A bill passed the Oregon legislature on Thursday, aiming to shield Oregonians from taking on increased utility rates from Big Tech facilities in the state. House Bill 3546, known as the Protecting Oregonians With Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act, would hold companies behind facilities such as data centers or cryptocurrency operations, responsible for their own utility bills, If signed into law, the bill would create a separate pricing system for energy users who demand more than 20 megawatts, or roughly the same usage as a small city, according to the Democratic Majority Office. Tillamook opens first owned-and-operated facility outside of Oregon 'Data centers play an important role in our growing technology needs in the United States, and they need to pay their fair share for infrastructure required to meet their energy needs, rather than passing the costs on to residential ratepayers,' said Senator Janeen Sollman (D – Hillsboro, Forest Grove & Rock Creek), a chief sponsor of the bill. 'Large energy users have the potential to place significant strain on the grid, especially in regions where energy capacity is already stretched thin.' 'The cost to serve certain large energy users is spilling on to other ratepayers,' added Rep. Pam Marsh (D – Southern Jackson County), a chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. 'This bill will help state regulators assign these high costs to the data centers and crypto mining entities that are consuming the energy.' The Democratic lawmakers note that industrial users currently pay about eight cents a kilowatt hour while households are charged more than double the rate at 19.6 cents per kilowatt hour. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'The bill helps protect everyday users, like families and small businesses, from paying the costs that big businesses are running up,' said Sen. Deb Patterson (D – Salem), who co-sponsored the POWER Act. 'Household budgets are stretched far enough as they are. They shouldn't be covering corporate costs, too.' The POWER Act passed the Senate in an 18-12 vote on Tuesday, with the Oregon House of Representatives concurring for the bill's final passage on June 5. The bill now heads to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's desk for signature. When the bill was introduced in the House, Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) raised concerns that the bill would discourage tech companies from growing their presence in Oregon. Drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after largest meth bust in Oregon history In his letter – which was supported by industry advocates such as the Data Center Coalition along with unions IBEW 48, IBEW 280 and UA 290 – Brock Smith said, 'data centers strengthen grid reliability through infrastructure investments and help stabilize residential electricity rates by providing consistent demand. The current proposed legislation, with its misaligned regulations, threatened these widespread community benefits and could discourage future development that supports our digital economy.' The bill comes as large technology companies are facing two growing demands to raise their energy supply for artificial intelligence and data centers, while meeting long-term goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the Associated Press. AI uses 'vast amounts of energy,' said, noting a 2024 report from the United States Department of Energy estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled in the last decade and is anticipated to double or triple again in 2028, when tech companies could consumer 12% of the nation's energy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon bill shielding utility rate increases from Big Tech passes Senate
PORTLAND, Ore. () – A bill passed the Oregon Senate on Tuesday that would shield Oregonians from paying higher utility costs to cover electricity usage by Big Tech facilities in the state. House Bill 3546, known as the Protecting Oregonians with Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act, would hold companies behind facilities such as data centers or cryptocurrency operations, responsible for their own utility bills, the Democratic Majority Office announced in a press release. The bill would establish a separate pricing system for electricity users that use more than 20 megawatts – which is roughly the same amount used to power a small city, the lawmakers explained. Neighbors, PBOT fed up with NW 13th outdoor plaza 'Data centers play an important role in our growing technology needs in the United States, and they need to pay their fair share for infrastructure required to meet their energy needs, rather than passing the costs on to residential ratepayers,' said Senator Janeen Sollman (D – Hillsboro, Forest Grove & Rock Creek), a chief sponsor of the measure in the Senate. 'Large energy users have the potential to place significant strain on the grid, especially in regions where energy capacity is already stretched thin.' Since 2021, electric rates from some power companies have risen by nearly 50% and thousands of families have had their power shut off because they could not afford the bill, the Democratic office said, noting large industrial users pay about two cents per kilowatt hour, while households are charged more than triple that rate. 'The cost to serve certain large energy users is spilling on to other ratepayers,' said Rep. Pam Marsh (D – Southern Jackson County), a chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. 'This bill will help state regulators assign these high costs to the data centers and crypto mining entities that are consuming the energy.' Oregon hurdler somersaults over finish line to win state title 'Traditionally, growth in energy demand was relatively balanced across all users, justifying roughly equal distribution of costs. But the explosion of huge technology facilities has upended that traditional metric,' Marsh explained in a for the bill. 'Without intervention, the costs created by the disproportionate demand of big energy users will be borne by residential consumers who are already struggling.' 'The bill helps protect everyday users, like families and small businesses, from paying the costs that big businesses are running up,' Sen. Deb Patterson (D – Salem), a cosponsor of HB 3546, added in a statement after the bill's passage. 'Household budgets are stretched far enough as they are. They shouldn't be covering corporate costs, too.' The POWER Act passed the Senate in an 18-12 vote, moving the bill back to the Oregon House of Representatives for final passage. ICE used 'deceptive' practices to detain asylum seeker at Portland courthouse, attorneys say In written testimony against the bill, Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) raised concerns that the bill would discourage tech companies from growing their presence in Oregon. In his letter – which was supported by industry advocates such as the Data Center Coalition along with unions IBEW 48, IBEW 280 and UA 290 – Brock Smith said, 'data centers strengthen grid reliability through infrastructure investments and help stabilize residential electricity rates by providing consistent demand. The current proposed legislation, with its misaligned regulations, threatened these widespread community benefits and could discourage future development that supports our digital economy.' The bill comes as large technology companies are facing two growing demands to raise their energy supply for artificial intelligence and data centers, while meeting long-term goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the Associated Press. AI uses 'vast amounts of energy,' said, noting a 2024 report from the United States Department of Energy estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled in the last decade and is anticipated to double or triple again in 2028, when tech companies could consumer 12% of the nation's energy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon lawmakers OK changes to landmark bottle redemption law amid concerns over homelessness, drugs
Oregon lawmakers approved changes to the state's landmark bottle redemption law on Wednesday, allowing redemption sites that some say have become magnets for drugs and homelessness to refuse returns of empty beverage containers during nighttime hours. The trailblazing law to reduce littering by incentivizing recycling helped cement the state's reputation as a leader in the emerging environmental movement. It has also become a financial security net for many, including those experiencing homelessness. The legislation was drafted in response to concerns that the nation's first 'bottle bill,' signed into law in 1971, needed an update to address its interplay with the dual fentanyl addiction and homelessness crises in Oregon. 'This bill is responsive to concerns from retailers both large and small, as well as some of our constituents," said Democratic state Rep. Mark Gamba, who carried the bill on the House floor, adding that it would 'help to create a balance in our redemption system while maintaining the program we all seek to protect.' The bill passed the state House with broad bipartisan support, 48-4. It previously passed the state Senate 28-1. Democratic state Rep. Pam Marsh, who was among the four representatives to vote against the bill, had previously voiced her opposition during a committee hearing last week. Marsh said she worries the bill will undermine access to bottle and can redemption sites for people 'who need to turn in cans and bottles for immediate return because they actually need those dimes and those quarters to buy dinner, to help pay rent, to take care of basic life needs." Consumers currently pay a 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage cans and bottles. They get that deposit back when returning them at stores or redemption centers, which can hand count containers or provide counting machines and drop-off areas. People can sign up for accounts in which their refunds are deposited or choose cash redemptions. The state's bottle drop program had over a million account holders last year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which operates the program on behalf of its distributor members. 'From its inception, Oregon's Bottle Bill has helped protect Oregon's ocean, beaches, roadsides and special places,' the cooperative said in its 2024 annual report, adding that hundreds of thousands of residents used redemptions 'to save for college or disability support and to save on groceries.' In recent years, however, some residents and store owners, particularly in Portland, have become frustrated with redemptions and what they describe as negative impacts on their neighborhoods and business operations. Currently, stores must accept container returns when they are open, and owners of all-night convenience stores, particularly in Portland, have expressed concerns about employee safety. The bill passed by lawmakers Wednesday would allow stores to across the state to refuse container returns after 8 p.m. In Portland, the bill would allow for alternative redemption sites, including possible mobile sites such as trucks that travel to different neighborhoods. Nonprofits would run the alternative sites for people who redeem containers every day, relieving the pressure on retailers, particularly downtown. Stores in an area with an alternative drop site could limit or refuse hand-counted returns, with convenience stores specifically allowed to stop them at 6 p.m. The proposal was supported by retailers and associations whose members include 'canners' and waste pickers who collect containers for income. In 2023, roughly 87% of eligible containers were returned for redemption, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. That was the highest rate in the nation that year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.
21-05-2025
- Business
Oregon lawmakers OK changes to landmark bottle redemption law amid concerns
Oregon lawmakers approved changes to the state's landmark bottle redemption law on Wednesday, allowing redemption sites that some say have become magnets for drugs and homelessness to refuse returns of empty beverage containers during nighttime hours. The trailblazing law to reduce littering by incentivizing recycling helped cement the state's reputation as a leader in the emerging environmental movement. It has also become a financial security net for many, including those experiencing homelessness. The legislation was drafted in response to concerns that the nation's first 'bottle bill,' signed into law in 1971, needed an update to address its interplay with the dual fentanyl addiction and homelessness crises in Oregon. 'This bill is responsive to concerns from retailers both large and small, as well as some of our constituents," said Democratic state Rep. Mark Gamba, who carried the bill on the House floor, adding that it would 'help to create a balance in our redemption system while maintaining the program we all seek to protect.' The bill passed the state House with broad bipartisan support, 48-4. It previously passed the state Senate 28-1. Democratic state Rep. Pam Marsh, who was among the four representatives to vote against the bill, had previously voiced her opposition during a committee hearing last week. Marsh said she worries the bill will undermine access to bottle and can redemption sites for people 'who need to turn in cans and bottles for immediate return because they actually need those dimes and those quarters to buy dinner, to help pay rent, to take care of basic life needs." Consumers currently pay a 10-cent deposit on eligible beverage cans and bottles. They get that deposit back when returning them at stores or redemption centers, which can hand count containers or provide counting machines and drop-off areas. People can sign up for accounts in which their refunds are deposited or choose cash redemptions. The state's bottle drop program had over a million account holders last year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative, which operates the program on behalf of its distributor members. 'From its inception, Oregon's Bottle Bill has helped protect Oregon's ocean, beaches, roadsides and special places,' the cooperative said in its 2024 annual report, adding that hundreds of thousands of residents used redemptions 'to save for college or disability support and to save on groceries.' In recent years, however, some residents and store owners, particularly in Portland, have become frustrated with redemptions and what they describe as negative impacts on their neighborhoods and business operations. Currently, stores must accept container returns when they are open, and owners of all-night convenience stores, particularly in Portland, have expressed concerns about employee safety. The bill passed by lawmakers Wednesday would allow stores to across the state to refuse container returns after 8 p.m. In Portland, the bill would allow for alternative redemption sites, including possible mobile sites such as trucks that travel to different neighborhoods. Nonprofits would run the alternative sites for people who redeem containers every day, relieving the pressure on retailers, particularly downtown. Stores in an area with an alternative drop site could limit or refuse hand-counted returns, with convenience stores specifically allowed to stop them at 6 p.m. The proposal was supported by retailers and associations whose members include 'canners' and waste pickers who collect containers for income. In 2023, roughly 87% of eligible containers were returned for redemption, according to the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. That was the highest rate in the nation that year, according to the Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative.
