By Debi Ferrer
This is the second of five weeks for the 2026 Oregon Legislative Session, and bills are moving quickly.
Your testimony can truly make a difference. Tell a story about why this legislation matters to you and your loved ones. It’s simple and it’s empowering, and together our voices have power. Strong state legislation can be a powerful tool against the chaos and cruelty of our current federal government.
Here are three bills that COIN has endorsed with some background information to help you write and submit testimony:
SB 1580 The Oregon Journalism Protection Act
The Oregon Journalism Protection Act is crafted to provide fair compensation to Oregon news content providers from the Big Tech companies such as Mehta and Google who poach local articles for their platforms. Offering 2 payment options, this Act aims to rebalance the market and reinvest in our local journalism that is in decline. Similar acts are producing revenue for local news providers in Canada, Australia, New Jersey, and California. We all recognize the crucial role that fair and honest journalism plays in our democracy. COIN endorsed a nearly identical version of this bill in 2025, but Sen. Sollman killed it on the Senate floor. Let’s work to get it passed this year.
COIN Information Worksheet for SB 1580
Click here to submit your testimony in support of SB 1580 by 5:00 PM on Tuesday 2/11
HB 4032 Diversification of Fuels bill
This legislation’s intent is to reduce the amount of fuel stored at the Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) Hub on the Willamette River and distribute it to more diverse and more stable sites throughout Oregon. The CEI Hub, with over 350,000 gallons of fuel and industrial chemicals, stores 90% of Oregon’s fuel supply, but it’s all located on unstable soil along the Willamette River in area at risk for multiple disasters: earthquakes, train derailments, wildfires and flooding. This location poses serious risks to human safety, to our environment, and to our critical energy supply.
COIN Worksheet for HB 4032
Sample Testimony from MCAT
Stop the Spill 3-minute video
Click here to submit testimony in support of HB 4032 by 1:00 PM on Thursday 2/12
SJR 203 Proposed Constitutional Amendment to Prohibit Secret Police
The bill, if passed, would refer to voters a proposal to amend Art. 1 of the state constitution to prohibit “secret police”, i.e., law enforcement officers may not be masked and must be in an official uniform which conspicuously displays both the name of the governmental agency employing the officer and the officer’s badge number. The only exceptions would be for undercover officers or those responding as part of a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
Sample Testimony from Common Cause Oregon
Article from State Democracy Research Initiative
Click here to submit your testimony in support of SJR 203 by Noon on Friday 2/13
For more legislation that needs your support, be sure to check the COIN 2026 Legislation webpage regularly. Your voice matters.
Debi Ferrer is a member of the COIN Legislative Team, and of Protect Oregon’s Progress (POP).