AOC kicked off the 35-day 2024 legislative “short” session on Feb. 5, with a full day of internal policy meetings followed by our 2nd Annual Open House. The event proved again to be a great success, bringing legislative and state agency leaders together with county commissioners and judges for networking and relationship building. Feedback from members and partners was enthusiastically positive, and AOC Executive Director Gina Nikkel confirmed that AOC will make the first day of session AOC Open House an annual event.

AOC appreciates members who joined us in advocating for our priority policy items in the Capitol, via virtual testimony, and by responding to calls to action during the fast-paced legislative session. The AOC legislative affairs team saw our staff and members focus on relationship-building and solutions-oriented advocacy pay off in a productive legislative session for counties. Our consistent messaging of state-county partnership is showing signs of progress, with legislative leadership, state agencies, and critical partner stakeholders increasingly looking to AOC for input early in the policymaking process. 

“Counties should consider the 2024 session a win both in achieving our policy goals and elevating the county voice in the Capitol. AOC members should continue to show up and engage in our process so we can extend this trend of success and carry proactive statewide policy proposals into the 2025-26 biennium,” said AOC President Danielle Bethell.

Please mark your calendars to attend the March AOC steering committees and Legislative Committee meetings where the legislative affairs team will provide a session recap. Be on the lookout for calendar invitations to ad-hoc meetings of AOC steering committees from April to early June. Deep dives and brainstorms this spring will lead into AOC steering committees and the AOC Legislative Committee convening June 20-21, in person, in Salem to consider and adopt AOC policy priorities for the 2025-26 biennium. AOC looks forward to diving into proactive policy development this spring and bringing statewide solutions to lift all Oregon communities in the 2025 legislative session.

Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | legislative affairs director