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OGEC's 2024 Forecast
It's Raining Raffles
Oregon public officials hold a position of trust, and with that comes limitations on the gifts they can accept. But what about raffles? The answer, like many ethical issues, depends on the specific circumstances.
The Oregon Government Ethics Laws, ORS 244.025, restricts public officials from accepting certain gifts from persons or entities with an interest in the public officials' decisions.
With raffles, a public official will need to figure out:
- If raffle prize qualifies as a gift. If it is a gift, then they will need to:
- Identify the source of the raffle prize and whether that source could have a legislative or administrative interest; and
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Determine whether the raffle prize is worth more than $50 (combined with any other gifts from the same source in the calendar year).
Here’s what public officials need to know:
Is the raffle prize a gift? A raffle prize could qualify as a gift, if it has economic value and the person winning the raffle prize is not paying full value for it.
Is the raffle available to the public on the same terms and conditions? If the raffle is open to members of the public and not just to public officials, then the raffle prize would not be considered a gift. On the other hand, if the raffle is only open to public officials, then the raffle prize would qualify as a gift.
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Gift Analysis: If the raffle prize qualifies as gift, it’s crucial to perform a quick gift analysis:
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Who is the source of the raffle prize? Who is paying for the raffle prize?
- Do they have a legislative or administrative interest? Could their business or work be affected by the public official's decisions?
- What is the value of the prize? Does it, combined with any other gifts from that source, exceed the $50 per year gift limit?
Example: A County employee attends a conference open only to public officials. The conference holds a raffle with a grand prize of a trip to Las Vegas. The raffle is only available to public officials, so the raffle prize would qualify as a gift. The prize is worth more than $50. If the source of the prize is a group that conducts business in or with the public official’s city, then that source would have a legislative or administrative interest. In this situation, the public official could not accept the raffle prize.
The key takeaway? Public officials should use their judgment. If a raffle win raises ethical concerns, it's best to apply the gift analysis to determine whether you are allowed to accept the prize. When in doubt, consult OGEC for guidance.
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Check Your Raffle Knowledge!
Question 1:
You serve on your City Council and are attending a conference. The conference is open to other City Council members, City staff, City counsel, and the general public. A vendor at the event is holding a raffle for a TV. If you enter the raffle and win the TV, is it considered a gift?
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Question 2:
You are an elected public official and entering a raffle at a conference that is only open to other public officials. Since you know this makes the raffle item a gift, you are performing the gift analysis to see if you can accept it or not. Is the source of the gift the vendor who is holding the raffle or the sponsor who donated the item?
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SEI Filers Hit an All-Time High |
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The filing period for Statements of Economic Interest, also known as SEIs, ended on April 15th. While there are still a few stragglers, this year had more filers than ever, with 7,096 public officials filing their 2024 SEIs.
Completed SEI records can be viewed via our Public Records Lookup below.
If you are a public official who has not filed your 2024 SEI, you can still file. Call our office at 503-378-5105 to file over the phone now.
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Public Meetings Law (PML) Watch
Rules Advisory Committee
OGEC has started the rulemaking process for Public Meetings Law. The Rules Advisory Committee (RAC) has met twice to discuss rules regarding definitions, with more meetings scheduled.
Get caught up with the process on the Rules Advisory Committee webpage where you can view the RAC membership, draft rules, agendas, and view recordings of the meetings.
Trainings
We know that many folks are eagerly awaiting OGEC’s Public Meetings Law training. We are currently in the process of developing curriculum and expect to be able to offer both webinars and in-person before the end of the year. What can you do to prepare for these trainings?
Sign-up to receive email notifications when the trainings become available. We'd also recommend signing up for one of our Ethics trainings that covers Conflicts of Interest.
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Sunny Skies Ahead, With a Chance of Trainings
Our training team is offering a variety of trainings to help public officials understand and comply with Oregon Ethics Law. These trainings allow you to sharpen your skills on essential topics, like:
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Conflicts of Interest: Learn how to identify and avoid situations that could create a conflict between your public duties and private interests.
- Prohibited Use of Office: Understand the proper use of public office and resources, and how to avoid using them for personal gain.
- Nepotism: Be aware of the rules concerning supervision and HR-related actions concerning relatives and household members.
- Gifts: Know the rules around accepting gifts as a public official.
This June, OGEC's training team will be traveling across the state to provide these trainings in-person:
 Several of these trainings are open to public officials from outside agencies, cities, and counties. Click on the links below to register:
If you are interested in browsing upcoming in-person trainings, requesting customized training for your public body, or viewing our monthly webinars, click the buttons below:
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A New Webinar Divergence:
We are excited to share that we are now offering a new Ethics Law webinar! Thank you to the participants who provided feedback on our webinars.
This feedback showed the need to focus on how the law applies to different public official roles.
Now, in addition to the monthly New Employee Orientation, we are offering an ethics law webinar for new board and commission members.
The New Board & Commission Orientation (NBCO) is for newly appointed or elected public officials.
This new training covers important ethics topics like Conflicts of Interest, Prohibited Use of Office, Private Employment, Nepotism, Gifts, Statements of Economic Interest, and Complaints.
Each topic is presented with real-life scenarios. The new official will be able to practice applying the law to help prepare for potential ethical situations.
The NBCO webinars begin in July, with the first one on July 10th at 10 am.
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LEO Training On the Radar:
The Legislative Equity Office (LEO) has published the schedule for the 2024 Respectful Workplace (Rule 27) trainings. This schedule is available on the their website. In-person training is required for in-state participants. Makeup sessions will not be offered.
The LEO is offering several sessions this fall, with morning and afternoon options. Sessions fill up quickly, we recommend registering early on the LEO website.
 The Respectful Workplace Training is a requirement for all legislators, legislative staff, interns and volunteers, as well as lobbyists registered with OGEC. It must be completed each calendar year.
Don't forget to update the Electronic Filing System with the date you took the training!
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A Welcomed Visitor Front
In May, OGEC partnered with WorldOregon to welcome a group of visitors from Laos through the U.S. Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program.
 Participants were from the State Audit Organization of Lao PDR, State Inspection Authority, and the National Assembly of Lao PDR.
They met with staff to discuss transparency and accountability in government. OGEC shared an overview of the agency’s history, jurisdiction, a breakdown of key concepts in the Oregon Government Ethics Law, an explanation of the complaint process, the purpose of the Statement of Economic Interest reporting, and training program highlights.
We appreciated the opportunity to work with the team from Laos and share our knowledge on Ethics Law!
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Some Scattered Clouds of Staff Updates
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Meet our new Compliance & Enforcement Coordinator, Casey!
A warm welcome to the newest member of the OGEC team; Casey Fenstermaker.
Casey moved all the way from Philadelphia to join on as our new Compliance & Enforcement Coordinator. We asked her a few questions to get to know her better.
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Tell us a little about your background, such as education and job experience.
I’m a graduate of Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania (undergrad), Vermont Law School in Vermont (law school), and the Universite de Montreal in Montreal, QC, Canada (LLM).
I got my start in state government working as Assistant Enforcement Counsel for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for about five years, regulating casino activities and reviewing background investigations for people and businesses affiliated with casinos. Most recently, I was Deputy Chief Counsel at the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue overseeing gaming taxes/cases, all of DOR’s contracts/procurements, and all of the Pennsylvania Lottery’s legal work.
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Farewell to Commissioner Hollister
 Commissioner Hollister’s term with OGEC ends June 30th.
We’ll be sad to see her go, but we are so grateful for the time and care she spent with the Commission. During her term, she served as Vice-Chair, then Chair, in a tenure that spanned the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you for your service, Commissioner Hollister!
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What inspired you to apply for OGEC?
My husband and I had been considering a big move for a while. I have really enjoyed my time working in state government. And my background involves a lot of compliance, enforcement and education.
So I was immediately drawn to OGEC’s mission and the specific work description for the position. It was the first job positing I looked at when we got serious about moving that I thought “Yes! I would really enjoy that work!”
What is your favorite part of your job here?
So far, I would have to say that it’s the people. It’s one of the reasons I enjoy working in state government. People care about what they do and want to do their jobs well (most of the time).
Dogs or cats?
Dogs.
Favorite color?
Green.
Favorite movie?
I can’t really think of one. My new colleagues will learn very quickly that I do not end up watching many movies and I lack a basic knowledge of pop culture references.
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Any hobbies or passions that you would care to share or talk about?
Hiking. Horseback riding. Reading. Trail running. Traveling. And I love working with flowers, whether it’s planting them or arranging them in vases – I’m a bit obsessed.
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Our team has loved getting to know Casey and is excited to continue working with her as OGEC nears 50 years of service.
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Stephanie Heffner: 2024 Ambassador of Public Service |
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Stephanie Heffner, our Curriculum and Training Coordinator, recently received the Ambassadors of Public Service award.
Each year, state agencies nominate and select employees to be awarded for Public Service Recognition Week.
Our Executive Director recognized Stephanie for her tireless commitments to continuous improvement and respect for every person - with these principles, she empowers others and creates a culture of excellence within state government.
We are proud to have her on our team and are encouraged by her hard work and determination each day.
Great job Stephanie!
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Become an OGEC Commissioner
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Are you interested in government transparency? There are periodically Commission positions open and applications are kept on file for two years. Meetings occur about every six weeks. Information on previous and upcoming Commission meetings can be found on on our Meetings webpage.
No more than three of the members of the Commission may be from the same political party. Please make sure to state your political affiliation in your application.
For more information and to submit your application, please see the position description on Workday.
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Upcoming Commission Meetings
• June 28, 2024
• August 2, 2024
• September 13, 2024
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