|
Ethics Matters Newsletter Autumn 2025 |
|
 A Note from the Executive Director
I would like to thank the Oregon School Boards Association (OSBA) for their ongoing partnership. We are very grateful to OSBA for their help in drafting and support for the passage of Senate Bill 983, which you can read more about under our section for Legislative Changes in 2025.
We are continuing our outreach efforts as part of our goal to expand OGEC's partnerships with organizations supporting public officials in Oregon. In September, we presented at the Oregon Association of County Treasurers and Finance Officers (OACTFO) conference, and the Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders (OAMR) conference.
Next month, I have been invited to represent OGEC at the Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO) Fall Metro Breakfast. And in November, we will be presenting at the Oregon County Counsel Association (OCCA) conference, the Oregon Fire District Directors Association (OFDDA) conference, and the Oregon Community College Executive Assistants Network (OCCEAN) conference. We appreciate being able to partner with these associations and the public officials they represent.
~ Susan Myers, Executive Director
|
|
Legislative Changes in 2025
The 2025 Oregon Legislative Session included some changes to the Oregon Government Ethics Law and Oregon Public Meetings Law. Let's take a look at two of the bills that have become law.
Senate Bill 983 - Government Ethics Law
Senate Bill 983 permits elected and appointed public officials to discuss and vote on the adoption of budgets, even if the budgets include their own stipends or compensation for relatives.
Public officials who vote on budgets need to remember:
-
You must still publicly announce your conflict of interest before taking any action.
-
This bill only applies to the adoption of the budget, not to the adoption of compensation or benefits.
|
|
Senate Bill 1109 - Public Meetings Law
During the 2024 Legislative Session, Senate Bill 1502 became law. This bill added a public meeting recording requirement for some educational public bodies.
On May 28, 2025, the Governor signed Senate Bill 1109 into law to clarify which governing bodies are subject to this requirement. Senate Bill 1109 specifies which governing bodies need to post video recordings of their meetings. The requirement applies to the following governing bodies:
- The board of directors of a common or union high school district
-
The board of directors of an educational service district
-
The board of education of a community college district
-
The board of trustees of a public university
These boards will need to post the video recording to their public body's website or social media site. They need to post the recording within 7 days of the meeting.
Senate Bill 1109 had an emergency clause and a retroactive clause. When the Governor signed it, Senate Bill 1109 became law immediately. The law is effective as of January 1, 2025 (the original start date for Senate Bill 1502).
|
|
Administrative Updates At a Glance |
|
Public Meetings Law Update
The numbers in the law have changed this legislative season.
|
Legislative Adopted Budget
OGEC's budget is live. Visit our website to view the current budget.
|
Leave Feedback for OGEC
OGEC's Customer Satisfaction Survey closes soon! Add your thoughts.
|
|
Training Reminders for Fall 2025
|
|
Evening Webinars
OGEC has resumed offering evening times for our instructor-led webinars on Public Meetings Law. Currently we are offering 2 evening webinars per month. Check out our calendar to sign up! In October, our evening webinars are taking place on Thursday, October 2nd, and Wednesday, October 22nd.
|
Required Training for Lobbyists!
If you are a registered lobbyist in Oregon, make sure to complete your yearly training. Every lobbyist needs to take a Respectful Workplace Training during the calendar year. If you need to take the training before the end of this year, here's what to know:
- The Legislative Equity Office (LEO) administers the Respectful Workplace Training.
- Once you have taken the training, you need to log your attendance in OGEC's Electronic Filing System.
- Registration through Workday is no longer required.
|
|
State of Oregon Virtual Career Fair |
|
|
Join us at the upcoming State of Oregon Government Virtual Career Fair!
October 15, 2025 12:00PM - 1:30PM
Learn more about upcoming career opportunities at OGEC.
|
|
Farewell to Commissioner Mason
After serving 2 terms with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, Dan Mason ends his tenure this month. We are sorry to say goodbye, but we are very fortunate that he has shared his thoughts:
"good governance depends on thoughtful, fair-minded people who are willing to make difficult decisions while remaining grounded in the principle of public trust."
|
Welcome to Commissioner Janci
As the most recent addition to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, Peter Janci offered some illuminating words on how his past experiences in public service inform his approach to the Commission:
"when faced with disappointing outcomes... transparency, ethics, the rule of law, and accountability are what help keep our trust in the system intact."
|
|
OGEC Welcomes A New Commissioner in October
In our next newsletter, we'll have some more Commission updates for you!
|
|
Good Luck Charlie!
One of our very engaging trainers, Charlie Esparza, has accepted a new position with the Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board (OVMEB). Charlie originally moved from Austin, Texas, to Oregon to accept a training position at OGEC. He brought creativity, laughter, and a strong community focus to our team. We wish him well in his new role at OVMEB!
|
|
Become an OGEC Commissioner
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 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, click the "Apply Here" button to see the position description on Workday.
|
|
Upcoming Commission Meetings
October 10, 2025
November 14, 2025
December 12, 2025
|
|
|
|
