2021's Notable Leaders
Environmental Leader of the Year
At the start of session, Rep. Marsh suddenly became the chair of the House Energy and Environment Committee, a post she had not anticipated yet she rose to the occasion and helped pass some of our biggest priorities in the 2021 session. She played a crucial role in getting 100% Clean Energy legislation through her committee by shepherding it through a complicated and often fraught amendment process, and she ultimately carried the historic bill to the floor.
Perseverance Award
Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) and Passing large comprehensive pieces of legislation is hard––few know this as well as Senator Jeff Golden, who worked tirelessly to pass comprehensive wildfire legislation requiring the state to be better prepared and more resilient in future wildfire seasons.Transformative legislation that takes on powerful special interests is tough to pass, but that didn't prevent Rep. Salinas from pushing her bill the reform the Oregon Forest Resources Institute forward. The bill initially set out to eliminate the agency, then was reduced to reformation. Unfortunately, despite her strong leadership, HB 2357 didn't pass in the Senate. We thank both of them for their leadership and perseverance on transformative legislation. |   |
Unsung Heroes
Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) and A lot goes on behind the scenes to make sure that important bills get through, and to ensure that key programs get funding in the state’s budget at the end of the day. This challenging work within the powerful Ways and Means committee often goes unnoticed or unappreciated. This year we want to honor Rep. Dan Rayfield and Senator Kathleen Taylor for their incredible work that led to historically strong funding for the state’s natural resources agencies. |   |
Most Valuable Player
In her first term, Rep. Pham showed up for our Oregon Forest Resources Institute Reform bill (HB 2357) and 100% Clean Energy to ensure the bills moved to the floor of the House. While OFRI didn’t make it through the Senate, Rep. Pham’s leadership definitely helped it succeed in the House. Her efforts on a variety of environmental bills made it clear that she will always step up to the plate for the environment.
Rising Stars
Reps. Dacia Grayber (D-Tigard) and This year had an incredible lineup of freshman legislators, two that stood out on our environmental priorities were Reps. Dacia Grayber and Andrea Valderrama. Rep. Grayber brought her expertise on wildfire to the intense and ultimately victorious effort to pass a comprehensive wildfire bill. Rep. Valderrama hit the ground running after getting appointed to the legislature mid session. She got up to speed fast and helped 100% Clean and OFRI get through a key committee. Both representatives earned a 100% score on the OLCV scorecard. |   |
Honor Roll
Check out our scorecard to see the 24 Representatives and 11 Senators who earned 100% scores for the 2021 full session.