As part of the $4.3 billion transportation package approved by the legislature in October, Oregon’s gas tax will increase from 40 cents to 46 cents per gallon. We want to hear from you – Do you support this increase? Take our quick poll below to share your opinion. OPRI poll
Oregon is currently facing a projected budget deficit of $373 million. With the passage of H.R. 1 – the “One Big Beautiful Bill” – Oregon is expected to see a decline in revenue in 2026, largely due to reduced federal payments for SNAP and Medicaid. Additional costs are also anticipated to meet new requirements for…
The Oregon Investment Council (OIC) has faced recent scrutiny for prioritizing its investment strategy for the Oregon’s Public Employees Retirement System Fund (OPERSF) on private equity. According to an article from the Oregon Journalism Project, OIC’s consultants recommended investing 20% in private equity and 27.5% in public equity in 2024. Instead, 26.5% was invested in…
In the wake of the regular 2025 legislative session ending without passage of a transportation-funding plan, the Oregon Legislature held a special session to address a budget shortfall at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The department had projected a $300 million deficit for the upcoming biennium, prompting warnings of layoffs and service reductions. To…
The 2025 Oregon Legislative Session was both complex and unpredictable, with over 3,400 bills introduced — the most in two decades. Governor Tina Kotek focused on expanding affordable housing, improving mental health and addiction services, and increasing K-12 funding, but the sheer volume of bills slowed early committee work. Budget pressures loomed after the May…
Private equity investments have played a key role in keeping Oregon’s public pensions system in good financial health. But as returns in these investments have slipped in recent years, questions are rising about the long-term stability of this strategy. This article from The Oregonian takes a look at the complicated task of managing the Public…
The Oregon House recently passed House Bill 2081 A, which focuses on evaluating climate-related financial risk in Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund (OPERF). The bill directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to assess the financial risks that climate change – and investments in high-emission companies – may pose to the fund’s performance.…
In recent weeks, PERS has made headlines again after a retiree received a sizable pension benefit. While the idea of “PERS millionaires” certainly grabs attention, these cases have become increasingly rare and will continue to fade due to legislative reforms. Although some retirees do receive substantial benefits, they are exceptions rather than the norm. One…
Senate Bill 847 – This bill makes the first update to the health insurance subsidies provided to PERS retirees since 1988, when the Tier One and Tier Two subsidies were set at a maximum of $60 per month. SB 847 proposes a modest increase in the monthly subsidy to $100 and to include all members…
Discussions on ‘decarbonizing’ the PERS Investment Fund (OPERF) have gained momentum in recent years. This session has produced two bills—House Bill 2200 and Senate Bill 681—sparking debate over the balance between the perceived risk of investments tied to fossil fuels and financial performance. House Bill 2200 – proposed by State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner (D) –…
We are now at the mid-point of the 160-day Oregon legislative session. Since convening in January, Oregon’s 2025 Session has been characterized by a historic number of bills, full committee agendas, and budget concerns surrounding whether federal funds will materialize or not. The 2025 Legislature had an abnormally slow start compared to previous years, primarily…
Discussions around decarbonizing the PERS Investment Fund have been gaining momentum for years. One of this session’s key bills – House Bill 2200 – has sparked debate over how to balance the state’s climate goals with the financial responsibility of maximizing returns for retirees. Advocates for the bill, including Oregon Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner, argue that…
The Oregon PERS Retiree PAC was proud to support legislative candidates during the primary election on May 21, 2024. We are pleased to report that a majority of the candidates OPRI supported were successful in their primary races. House Representative John Lively – House District 7 (D Primary) Representative Farrah Chaichi – House District 35…
With a heart for service and a passion for learning, Colleen Johnson has dedicated her life to making a difference, both in academia and in her community. Colleen spent much of her childhood in southern California where she was born, though she also spent time in other states across the U.S. She married her husband,…
During the 2024 legislative session, OPRI monitored and advocated for the top legislative priorities for members during the 32-day session. The 2024 Oregon legislature performed almost exactly to script: Heavy bipartisan focus on reforming Measure 110 and increasing housing supply, very few overtly partisan issues, and prolific spending fueled by ever-increasing tax revenues that had…
The 2023 Oregon legislative session proved to be one of the most chaotic and dramatics sessions in recent memory. The full 160-day session began with significant political changes in the Capitol. For the first time in several years, Democratic dominance in the legislature was tempered slightly as Republicans gained just enough seats in the 2022…
As a voice for member PERS retirees, OPRI continues to be active on the legislative front. Since the 2023 Legislative session began in January, OPRI has been monitoring a number of bills that would impact PERS retiree benefits. There are a number of bills that could have a positive impact on PERS members, including: HB…
For decades, OPRI has been fighting legislative and political battles on behalf of our members, giving you a voice in Salem and protecting your hard-earned benefits. This work continues this session as OPRI is tracking a number of bills that could impact PERS retiree benefits. Here are some of the bills we are watching this…
OPRI offered testimony on bill that would require the Oregon State Treasury to divest from certain fossil fuel investments has been introduced for the 2023 session. HB 2601 would change the way the Treasury invests Oregon Public Employee Retirement Funds (OPERF), directing them to exit from certain carbon-intensive investments and modify future investment options. Supporters…
The Oregon PERS Retiree PAC was proud to support legislative candidates during the May primary election on May 17, 2022. We are pleased to report that a majority of the candidates OPRI supported were successful in their primary races. Representative Bobby Levy won her primary election in House District 58. With no opponent in November,…
During the 2022 legislative session, HB 4115 was introduced to require the Oregon Investment Council to publish a complete list of all assets held in investment funds. The primary purpose of HB 4115 was to evaluate the financial risk associated with fossil fuel investments. The bill passed the House, but ran out of time to…
OPRI is pleased to share our 2021 Legislative Session report. It is a pleasure to represent the interests of PERS retirees with the legislature. You can view the full report here.
This morning, HB 2875 cleared its final hurdle and passed the Senate on a 24-5 vote! The passage of this bill is the culmination of three years of working with the PERS Agency and multiple legislative sessions. We are proud to see this bill move to Governor Brown’s desk for her signature. OPRI would like…
Long-time OPRI Board chair, Jay Osborne, got his start in advocacy while working at the North Clackamas School District. But what started out as a stopgap job became a career and led to a lifetime of representing the interests of state employees, and now retirees. After spending 20 years as a home furnishings coordinator, Jay…
Today, HB 2875 passed the House on a 58-0 vote! The bill now goes before the Senate for a final vote. This is the final step in making HB 2875 a reality. Contact your Senator today and let them know this is an important bill for protecting PERS retiree benefits and urge them to vote…
HB 2875 is now one step closer to becoming a reality! HB 2875 passed out of the Joint Ways and Means Committee today. The bill now heads to the Floor for a vote by the legislature. This is an important bill for protecting PERS retiree benefits. Contact your legislator today and let them know that…
This afternoon, HB 2875 passed out of the Subcommittee On General Government on a unanimous vote. The bill now heads to the full Joint Ways and Means Committee for a vote this Friday. This is an important bill for protecting PERS retiree benefits. Contact the committee today and let them know that you support HB…
We are asking OPRI members to send an email or letter of support for HB 2875. This bill is important for protecting the hard-earned benefits of PERS members. It would do two things: HB 2875 would allow retirees to more quickly reinstate Tax Remedy Payments if they are unable to confirm their Oregon residency by…
PERS legislation took a step forward today as bills impacting members passed out of committee. OPRI’s two priority bills – HB 2867 and HB 2375 – were combined into a single bill, HB 2875, which was passed out of the House Committee on Business and Labor. HB 2867 was introduced by OPRI as a way…
OPRI continues to hear from retirees who are seeing their Income Tax Remedy benefits eliminated when they inadvertently are unable to certify residency with PERS. This is why OPRI has introduced House Bill 2867. This bill would more quickly reinstate Tax Remedy Payments for retirees who are unable to timely confirm their Oregon residency prior…
Charles Luukinen has spent a lifetime serving the community, both personally and professionally. For more than 20 years, he served Oregonians as a judge. He now works on behalf of public employee retirees as a member of the OPRI Board of Directors. Luukinen began his judicial career in 1986 as a District Court Judge. He…
Use caution with alternative light and heating sources to avoid unintentional fire from candles, harmful fumes from kerosene heaters used indoors without proper ventilation or deadly carbon monoxide from use of charcoal briquettes indoors. Lock in home heat by tacking blankets over windows and doorways to keep the cold out and putting rolled towels at…
By The Oregonian Editorial Board Gov. Kate Brown defended her decision to prioritize teachers for the COVID-19 vaccine as one of the tough calls she’s had to make amid a vaccine shortage. Reopening schools is paramount and necessitates immunizing educators, she said, pointing out the many shortcomings of remote learning, the social isolation students are experiencing…
OPRI is focused on protecting the hard-earned benefits of PERS retirees during the 2021 Legislative Session with the introduction of a bill that would more quickly reinstate Tax Remedy Payments for retirees who are either unable to timely confirm their Oregon residency or who establish Oregon residency during the year. HB 2867 is introduced by…
When Deanna Woods retired, she wondered what she would do with her time. But filling her time has not been a problem. The newest OPRI Board member shares that the key is to keep learning and to do something that makes a difference. Throughout her career, Deanna served in the Portland Public Schools, where she…
On August 6, 2020, the Oregon Supreme Court denied the challenge brought forward by public employee unions regarding pension benefit reductions which passed during the 2019 Legislative Session through Senate Bill 1049. The lawsuit alleged that SB 1049 was unconstitutional and sought to overturn provisions of the law. Here is a look back at the…
The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the reductions in public employee pension benefits that the Legislature passed in 2019 to help address the state’s burgeoning pension funding deficit and rein in the escalating pension costs and resulting budget problems for public employers. Read the full story on The Oregonian
Oregon lawmakers have successfully, if perhaps temporarily, halted the steady upward trajectory of public pension costs for government employers, according to a preliminary analysis of pension contribution rates that will kick in a year from now. That’s good news for public employers around the state struggling with revenue declines amid an economic recession, and increased service needs…
Helga Thompson dedicated her career to educating children. Now, as an OPRI Board member, she dedicates time to protecting retirement benefits for teachers like herself. Born in West Germany, Helga’s family immigrated to the U.S. when she was six years old. Helga describes her life growing up as calm and quiet, her father working in…
It’s been 10 weeks since Governor Brown issued the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order that resulted from our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregonians made many sacrifices to stay home as much as possible in order to slow the spread of the virus. Now, as Stay Home orders begin to lift across Oregon, many…
Coronavirus market chaos slashes Oregon PERS investments by billions – oregonlive.com The coronavirus market contagion has cleaved billions of dollars off the value of Oregon’s public pension fund investments and significantly increased the system’s unfunded liabilities. Continue reading story on The Oregonian
Schools, municipalities and public employers across Oregon will get a reprieve from the relentless increases in employee pension costs they’ve been facing since the 2008 financial crisis. Continue reading story on The Oregonian
Each year, OPRI conducts a membership survey to better understand member perspectives on PERS reform and make sure we are accurately representing the views of our members in the Legislature. Below are the results of this year’s survey. 1. Do you believe that Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System has become a financial crisis for state…
The five potential ballot measures filed earlier this year have been withdrawn.
In August, nine public employee union members filed a lawsuit with the Oregon Supreme Court challenging Senate Bill 1049, stating that it unconstitutionally reduces pension benefits. Senate Bill 1049 was signed into law in June after narrowly passing the both the Senate and the House with the bare minimum of votes necessary in both chambers.…
2019 Legislative Session Update: In the face of recent PERS reform legislation, current retirees can rest easy that their benefits will not be impacted by the passage of Senate Bill 1049. Senate Bill 1049 entered the spotlight during the 2019 legislative session in an effort to address the rising cost of the public employee pension…
Nine public employees filed a lawsuit earlier this month with the Oregon Supreme Court challenging the new law requiring public employees to help pay down the public pension debt. The lawsuit states that Senate Bill 1049 – which was passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor – unconstitutionally reduces pension benefits.…