Feb. 21, 2025
What happened: On Feb. 20, OBI Senior Policy Director Duke Shepard testified before the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans in opposition to HB 3062. Watch Duke’s testimony by clicking the video to the right and read his submitted testimony by following the link below it.
What the bill would do: The bill would increase the difficulty of developing industrial land within urban growth boundaries by requiring applicants to conduct public health impacts analyses for development within 1,000 feet of “sensitive uses” and submit to mitigating measures. Sensitive uses include residential areas, parks and schools. The requirements would apply to a range of defined industrial uses, including light manufacturing and recycling facilities.
The problem with the bill: Oregon suffers from a shortage of readily developable industrial land, in part because expanding urban growth boundaries is a slow, heavily bureaucratic and contentious process. HB 3062 would compound the problem by making industrial land within urban growth boundaries difficult and expensive to develop.
Why it matters: Oregon needs thriving businesses to provide jobs and generate tax revenue. Creating conditions that make it difficult and expensive for businesses to operate will encourage them to invest in other states.