With a heart for service and a passion for learning, Colleen Johnson has dedicated her life to making a difference, both in academia and in her community. Colleen spent much of her childhood in southern California where she was born, though she also spent time in other states across the U.S. She married her husband,…

During the 2024 legislative session, OPRI monitored and advocated for the top legislative priorities for members during the 32-day session. The 2024 Oregon legislature performed almost exactly to script: Heavy bipartisan focus on reforming Measure 110 and increasing housing supply, very few overtly partisan issues, and prolific spending fueled by ever-increasing tax revenues that had…

The 2023 Oregon legislative session proved to be one of the most chaotic and dramatics sessions in recent memory. The full 160-day session began with significant political changes in the Capitol.   For the first time in several years, Democratic dominance in the legislature was tempered slightly as Republicans gained just enough seats in the 2022…

As a voice for member PERS retirees, OPRI continues to be active on the legislative front. Since the 2023 Legislative session began in January, OPRI has been monitoring a number of bills that would impact PERS retiree benefits. There are a number of bills that could have a positive impact on PERS members, including: HB…

For decades, OPRI has been fighting legislative and political battles on behalf of our members, giving you a voice in Salem and protecting your hard-earned benefits. This work continues this session as OPRI is tracking a number of bills that could impact PERS retiree benefits. Here are some of the bills we are watching this…

OPRI offered testimony on bill that would require the Oregon State Treasury to divest from certain fossil fuel investments has been introduced for the 2023 session. HB 2601 would change the way the Treasury invests Oregon Public Employee Retirement Funds (OPERF), directing them to exit from certain carbon-intensive investments and modify future investment options. Supporters…

The Oregon PERS Retiree PAC was proud to support legislative candidates during the May primary election on May 17, 2022. We are pleased to report that a majority of the candidates OPRI supported were successful in their primary races. Representative Bobby Levy won her primary election in House District 58. With no opponent in November,…

During the 2022 legislative session, HB 4115 was introduced to require the Oregon Investment Council to publish a complete list of all assets held in investment funds. The primary purpose of HB 4115 was to evaluate the financial risk associated with fossil fuel investments. The bill passed the House, but ran out of time to…

OPRI is pleased to share our 2021 Legislative Session report. It is a pleasure to represent the interests of PERS retirees with the legislature. You can view the full report here.

This morning, HB 2875 cleared its final hurdle and passed the Senate on a 24-5 vote! The passage of this bill is the culmination of three years of working with the PERS Agency and multiple legislative sessions. We are proud to see this bill move to Governor Brown’s desk for her signature. OPRI would like…