On Monday, March 8th at approximately 3:35 pm, the House Committee on Business and Labor will hear HB 2358 — a radical bill that could drastically change the landscape of rural Oregon. In summary HB 2358 would require that all farms, regardless of size or seasonality, pay overtime to employees after the first 40 hours worked. It is a simple fact that many local farms and ranches simply cannot absorb the added workforce costs proposed in these bills.

I, along with other legislators who oppose this bill, need Oregon farmers, ranchers and those who want to preserve our rural way of life to stand up and say NO by submitting written testimony or by giving live testimony. The meetings are virtual, so there is no travel involved. Just a few moments of preparation this weekend can pay dividends to stopping this bill from moving forward for a vote.

How To Testify

Begin your testimony with "Mr. Chair and Members of the House Committee on Business and Labor, my name is...."

Be sure to be respectful at all times as you address the committee. You will most likely have a maximum of 2 minutes to present your statement to the committee.

Here is the link to the committee meeting which describes how to sign up to give live testimony or how to submit written comments (look towards the bottom of the webpage). Again, the public hearing is virtual, so no travel is required. You can call in by phone or use your computer.

The Oregon Farm Bureau has provided a two page document that gives more details about this bill to help you develop your testimony.

Finally, there is a broad coalition of organizations opposing this bill.