Aug 21, 2023 | AOC News
The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) has hired Jennifer Lewis-Goff as a legislative affairs manager. Her portfolio will cover issues related to public safety, veterans services, and community development.
Lewis-Goff comes to AOC with nearly 15 years of diverse experience in policy analysis, advocacy, and member association management. She brings established relationships and demonstrated success in coalition building in the Oregon State Legislature and will be an asset to the association.
“AOC is excited to have Jen on the county team. I know she will be a great fit for our organization and will effectively elevate the county voice with our partner agencies and organizations,” said Gina Firman Nikkel, AOC executive director, of the hire.
Lewis-Goff will complete AOC’s Legislative Affairs team, joining Mallorie Roberts, who serves as the association’s legislative director (covering transportation policy); and legislative affairs managers: Michael Burdick (governance, revenue, and economic development), Branden Pursinger (natural resources and land use), and Jessica Pratt (health and human services).
Lewis-Goff’s first day is September 1, 2023.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
Aug 17, 2023 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News
The 2023 AOC Legislative Summary is a comprehensive report that describes the outcomes of the Association of Oregon Counties’ top legislative priorities and provides a detailed overview of each piece of legislation on which the AOC Legislative Committee took a position during Oregon’s 82nd Legislative Assembly.
Over 2000 bills were introduced this session and 697 were passed into law. The AOC Legislative Affairs Team lobbied for/against 189 concepts and submitted fiscal impact statements on over 500 proposals with potential impact to county budgets.
The strategic input, lobbying efforts, and technical expertise from commissioners, chairs, judges, and county staff this session was critical to AOC’s ability to advocate successfully on behalf of all of Oregon’s counties in the State Capitol. Together we secured significant policy and budgetary wins, built meaningful relationships with key state leaders, and advanced the state-county partnership.
The AOC Legislative Summary was emailed to the membership in PDF form, a hard copy was mailed to each county, and it can be found at www.orgeoncounties.org.
Click here to view the 2023 AOC Legislative Summary.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts | Legislative Affairs Director
Aug 15, 2023 | AOC News
Each year, the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) holds eight district meetings where AOC’s member counties gather with regional partners for collaboration and knowledge sharing on the most important issues facing their communities. These meetings are typically held in-person, and hosted by a member county within the district.
District counties and meeting details are as follows:
District 1
- Baker, Grant, Malheur, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa
- Date: September 29; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 2
- Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake
- Date: September 21; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 3
- Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Sherman, Wasco, Wheeler
- Date: September 28; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 4
- Coos, Curry, Douglas, Josephine
- Date: September 18; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 5
- Benton, Lane, Linn
- Date: September 8; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 6
- Marion, Polk, Yamhill
- Date: October 6; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 7
- Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Tillamook
- Date: September 15; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
District 8
- Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington
- Date: October 4; Time: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Additional meeting information can be found here.
Contributed by: Mckenzie Farrell | Operations Director
Jun 27, 2023 | AOC News
National Association of Counties Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing Amplifies Message at White House, on Capitol Hill
As a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo) Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing, Gina Firman Nikkel, Ph.D, advocated last month in Washington, D.C. for policy priorities around mental and behavioral health. The commission also released new research highlighting county perspectives on this national crisis.
Part of Mental Health Awareness Month efforts, on May 10, the group joined the White House State and Local Partners Forum on Mental Health and Wellbeing, and on May 11, the commission met on Capitol Hill with the Bipartisan Mental Health Caucus and the Bipartisan Addiction Task Force. The commission shared crucial county perspectives geared towards strengthening the intergovernmental partnership and urging action to achieve shared goals.
“Counties in Oregon are the boots on the ground – and by law – the local mental health authority. We must continue to present the whole story of what is needed to coordinate and deliver an effective local continuum of care. This care should be driven by science not profit. It should be driven by people experiencing mental health challenges and addiction not commercialization. And, it should be driven by compassion not apathy,” stated Nikkel.
The commission released new data based on a survey of over 200 U.S. counties, with findings focused on the mental health landscape in counties and the areas of greatest need. Key takeaways from the research include:
- The nation is facing an acute escalation of the mental and behavioral health crisis.
- Seventy-five percent of counties reported an increase in incidence of behavioral health conditions in the last year, and 89 percent reported an increase compared to five years ago.
- Youth behavioral health needs are at the forefront of the crisis.
- Two-thirds (67 percent) of counties reported that youth behavioral health conditions are “definitely a problem” or “very prevalent and/or severe.”
- Limited access to services inhibits county residents from receiving the help they need.
- Seventy-four percent of counties cited financial costs as a barrier to expanding access to behavioral health services, and 71 percent cited lack of direct service providers.
- The crisis is exacerbated by a lack of behavioral health workers.
- Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of counties consider the shortage of behavioral health workers in their county to be “definitely a problem” or “a severe problem.”
- The financial and human costs of behavioral health are compounding across all county systems.
- Eighty percent of counties indicated that they incurred associated costs in the legal system (courts and jails), 77 percent indicated associated costs in law enforcement, and 54 percent indicated associated costs in the health system and hospitals.
“This data released on behavioral health conditions by the NACo Mental Health Commission is significant and supports what our counties are experiencing on the ground in their communities. We must tackle the workforce shortages, unfair policies, and the risks of profit over personalized care,” stated Nikkel.
The new research pairs key findings with associated policy objectives, including:
- Amending detrimental policies under Medicaid, like the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy (MIEP) and the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion
- Obtaining direct and flexible resources to support the recruitment, training and retention of a sufficient behavioral health workforce
- Enhancing the intergovernmental partnership for the development and modernization of local crisis response systems and infrastructure, and
- Enforcing policies that ensure equitable coverage for treatment of mental illness and addiction.
The events last month marked the first in-person meeting of NACo’s Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing since it was announced in February. The group is focused on building urgency, awareness, and crucial partnerships around the mental health crisis in America, with plans to release in-depth policy and programmatic recommendations in early 2024.
For more information about NACo’s Commission on Mental Health and Wellbeing, click here.
Jun 26, 2023 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News
The 82nd Legislative Assembly adjourned sine die on June 25, 2023 after a whirlwind of productivity during the initial four months followed by an historic six week stalemate. Under leadership from AOC policy steering committees and AOC Legislative Committee, members and staff spent the last six months advocating for AOC’s 2023 legislative priorities, negotiating away threats to county budgets and services, and securing significant policy wins and funding for counties.
This year saw a newly elected governor and administration, new leadership in both the House and Senate, and a large majority of freshmen legislators. Recognizing this as both an opportunity and a challenge, AOC prioritized meaningful relationship development this session. AOC President Derrick DeGroot and AOC Executive Director Gina Nikkel spent time over the last six months with Governor Kotek and staff, House Speaker, House and Senate Majority and Minority Leader offices, and key committee leadership.
“Politics is a person-to-person business,” said President DeGroot. For AOC and counties to achieve more influence and impact in Salem, we have to spend time developing long-term relationships and implementing thoughtful, productive strategy.”
Notable AOC wins this session include:
- HB 2101A – Surface Transportation Block Grant Fund Exchange Program stability
- HB 3201 – Critical updates to broadband statutes to secure nearly $900M in federal funding
- SB 80A – Improved Dept of Forestry/county engagement process on wildfire hazard map
- HB 2010A – Place based water planning and drought resources
- Interim work group on aid and assist liability mitigation and a risk fund
- SB 344A – Reauthorization of the Justice Reinvestment Initiative
The AOC legislative affairs team lobbied for/against over 180 bills this session, analyzed and submitted fiscal impact statements on over 500 bills, and secured interim legislative workgroup commitments for priorities that did not pass this session.
Details on every bill on which the AOC Legislative Committee took a position will be included in the AOC Legislative Session Report, published in the coming weeks. Please join the upcoming virtual meetings of the AOC Steering Committees for a deeper dive into policy and budget outcomes.
Contributed by: Mallorie Roberts, AOC legislative affairs director
Jun 26, 2023 | AOC Advocacy, AOC News, Governance, Revenue, & Economic Development
House Bill 2009 became the vehicle for negotiations that began early in session about several economic development and tax incentive programs long supported and utilized by counties. Negotiations centered on policy differences about the importance of these locally-driven tools to attract businesses to areas that need development and the alternative viewpoint that the subsidies in these programs needlessly reduce local revenues that could be used for other services, in particular schools.
AOC supported the efforts to keep these incentives as strong as possible and worked with other stakeholders, including the Oregon Economic Development Association and League of Oregon Cities to keep the programs intact.
After weeks of negotiation, public hearing testimony and advocacy from AOC members, and multiple rounds of amendments, a -15 amendment to HB 2009 was finally adopted and now goes to the governor for signature.
The compromise legislation does the following:
- Reinstates the research and development tax credit, which was discontinued by the legislature in past years
- Tax credit is in effect for 5 years, the percentage is 15 percent of the investment, and the maximum credit per taxpayer is $4 million
- Extends the Enterprise Zone and Long-term Rural Enterprise Zone programs through 2032
- “Fulfillment centers” are no longer eligible
- Increases the eligibility threshold for projects in the strategic investment program and indexes the eligibility threshold and the taxation threshold
- Adds a new “school impact fee” to the Enterprise Zone program
- Extends the Gain Share program through 2030
- Adds transparency and notice requirements
The most concerning part of HB 2009 for AOC was the addition of the new school impact fee. Fortunately, the initial proposal was negotiated down to be imposed only in years four and five for regular Enterprise Zones and year six for Long-term Rural Enterprise Zones. The fee will be negotiated between the school district and the zone sponsor and be between 15 percent and 30 percent of the property taxes that would otherwise be paid. Each fee negotiated would apply to all subsequent agreements.
Contributed by: Anna Braun, AOC contract lobbyist
