[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6304208,"mediaKeyId","2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e","parentId",2468060,"title","Public testimony supports 'Defend the Guard' bill that would bar undeclared-war deployments of Oregon Guard","audioSeconds",2751,"startMs",2000000,"endMs",4751000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e&start=2000&end=4751","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e/thumbnail_2000000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6304208/Oregon/Public-testimony-supports-Defend-the-Guard-bill-that-would-bar-undeclared-war-deployments-of-Oregon-Guard","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304208-28ca3bd17c56586d525809654d9cd32b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160070&Signature=JbbcdQKZbEp0LuFt5sQI3vJOs4oyWsL5tP7c7Fmb2x~XJ5ji9-0cRGovTdk3lmBqfheKvWU-KygG4SFtXqalRrv4X2m~0kbC0XUSbdxVzrJ2nVyb2K06hvmmf9ZC1tGoRG~s9l~ecvW2-aIXOTHMrh4U9lo3FyGGtmleQTO6-Zb-YewMmINuQ-XYI9TCMnmY1rEg-X7M1SjzIlxrKTqxCsyBUMKaH9ZYf3pQoPEnVXA2JbRNva7bdNNhRLlaQKpc6T7JYPWXFpkVDs8AxBr975di6C~wwJgVVaJZ7wxmdf1iQohUacErOknpQVo2Wh0RDNCzHSS4SoPSJsBnYawMPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-02-27T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Diane Linthicum (R., Dist. 28), sponsor of Senate Bill 667, told the committee the bill—widely called the \"Defend the Guard\" measure—would bar the deployment of Oregon National Guard units into active combat without a formal Congressional declaration of war.

\"This legislation would prohibit the deployment of Oregon's National Guard units into active combat without a formal declaration of war by Congress, as required by Article 1, Section 8 of The U. S. Constitution,\" Linthicum said. She and other witnesses emphasized the bill would not restrict the president’s or governor’s ability to activate the Guard for domestic emergency response or under Title 32 activations; the bill’s stated purpose is to require congressional approval before sending Guardsmen into armed conflicts outside the United States.

Representative Alex Carlados (House District 4), a former Guardsman who deployed to Afghanistan, testified the Guard is primarily meant to remain in-state for missions such as wildfire response and search-and-rescue and argued recent frequent overseas activations have reduced available forces for state emergencies. \"If that were to happen right now today, we would have almost no National Guard inside the state of Oregon to assist with that emergency,\" he said.

Multiple veterans, veterans' families and peace organizations provided testimony supporting the bill. Speakers raised concerns that deployments have occurred without clear congressional declarations and described consequences for service members and families. Testimony ranged from legal-constitutional arguments to personal accounts of long-term health and family impacts.

Committee members pressed technical questions about Title 10 and Title 32 activations, and Chair Manning clarified the governor cannot unilaterally send troops into combat: Title 10 federal activation places Guard units under the president, while Title 32 typically supports state-controlled domestic missions. Several witnesses and the sponsor acknowledged drafting and scope edits may be needed to align state statute with federal law and to avoid unintended consequences for training or allied-state cooperation.

Ending: The committee closed the public hearing on SB 667 after extensive testimony and discussion and did not take a vote. Staff and the sponsor indicated the bill may be edited to address drafting and governor/command-relationship concerns, and the sponsor expressed willingness to work with legislative colleagues on changes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee On Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs 02/27/2025 1:00 PM","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 667, the 'Defend the Guard' measure, would prevent deployment of Oregon National Guard units into armed conflict without a formal declaration of war by Congress; supporters told a Senate committee it would protect Guardsmen and preserve capacity for state emergencies.","taxTitle","Veterans, Emergency Management, Federal and World Affairs, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17995,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304213,"Committee hears testimony on bill to limit paid veterans-claims assistance; sponsors plan amendments",294,731000,1025000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e&start=731&end=1025","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e/thumbnail_731000.jpg","/articles/6304213/Oregon/Committee-hears-testimony-on-bill-to-limit-paid-veterans-claims-assistance-sponsors-plan-amendments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304213-ef8480464ace1549915bdeb746649ba2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160069&Signature=pAzEiXriZ9Bm9x248vPhpkogapCruG8sKc1hvWciXR6AGaCkGtdXM9Br7xS-HkXPl9XG6ZdSoHdf68-ZO97vy8SwvEPDQ2Zlho-xlM3~kT0V61BeqlSDU5StJJiDQdx8vxltocVMw6tSfn6~z2ygyS220gbNGGQUv06x1smSnzK11jBDYKApJpDxdq8sGxUHudG5~KzglecFi8tW5riCYWYr3obSGCn71FsMCBpD4QEU-M~TzYnUbVMtyAV1Q4LJ9BjgzZDX~mnX4mCrdyWpacTrU3hxYwHvhA0kltfNpilqGGcci4yrnUfQ6wud1l8L~EBpVEKaVucTWAafQIeNiQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 150, which the committee heard Feb. 27, would prohibit acceptance of compensation for preparing or advising on veterans benefits applications or appeals without specified written agreements and would bar guarantees that benefits will be received. The measure applies the prohibitions to services that a claimant could receive free from the Department of Veterans Affairs or an entity the VA has delegated authority to, and it makes violations unlawful. The bill would take effect 91 days after signing.

Committee members and legal counsel signaled support for protecting veterans from predatory actors but said the draft requires technical fixes and narrower scope so it does not remove legitimate options. Chair Manning said she had an amendment prepared and invited stakeholders to the table to refine language that would protect veterans while preserving access to lawful private assistance.

Several private firms and advocates opposed the bill as written. Benjamin Tipton, retired Army major and special projects officer at Veterans Guardian VA Claim Consulting, said his firm “fully opposes Senate Bill 150 in its current form and looks forward to working to modify it.” Tipton said private companies have helped claimants reach disability ratings they otherwise would not have attained and that many veterans “are making informed decisions” to use paid services.

Lisa Calkas, chief marketing officer and vice president of public affairs for Veteran Benefits Guide, also urged rejection of the bill as drafted, saying it “would severely and unfairly limit choices veterans have in seeking assistance” and that her company supports narrowly tailored guardrails such as disclosure requirements, fee caps and privacy protections.

Julie Parrish, chief of staff to State Senator Caden and a former state lawmaker who worked on veterans’ issues, told the committee that county and nonprofit veteran service officers (VSOs) do much of the first-line work but are stretched thin; complex claims often require specialized expertise and sometimes legal representation. Parrish said the state’s constitutional, lottery-funded veteran services program (Measure 96) helps but does not meet all needs for complex appeals.

Kimberly McCullough of the Oregon Judicial Department told the committee she was neutral on the policy but had technical drafting suggestions: rather than referencing an unnamed federal regulation for what constitutes an \"unreasonable fee,\" McCullough recommended spelling out the federal criteria in statute to avoid importing unrelated regulatory requirements.

Ending: The committee closed the public hearing on SB 150 and scheduled a future work session to consider the chair’s amendment and technical revisions. Staff and stakeholders will meet to refine the bill language and address concerns about protecting veterans from predatory practices while preserving legitimate paid options and clarifying compliance with federal law.","Senate Bill 150 would restrict paid preparation or advising for veterans benefits claims and require written fee agreements; private companies and some veterans said the bill as drafted curtails legitimate options and asked for guardrails rather than a ban. The committee will hold a work session to consider amendments.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304218,"Senator proposes removing Oregon residency requirement for some marine pilots' board members",106,362000,468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e&start=362&end=468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e/thumbnail_362000.jpg","/articles/6304218/Oregon/Senator-proposes-removing-Oregon-residency-requirement-for-some-marine-pilots-board-members","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304218-8026a9bdba9b7bcd7e84ba0d486f75a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160069&Signature=YIbTJ2pqJXI6-38VK2U1UB-u-rgO-FhjV12F7GRBzN60BjOCm8cyW-sEF2EWHAMaAsbDlj5ezj7ExGjeLguiMbW15M-iD4ImZ8eciaxpbtgxYtMsZAaElp-kP7-rj88iEbtrUt1XK2jimyq7heeTvOvroLT4UNtbqMOputJfBgX74MYty7mzITKWAWIfepsPDgbjQHDM3Hs1bHWOEIiaujGvKLgeG9iIf9wcOLdPywZlOSpglhjCWVETdaLQFyULRm3c8yryYtOIqeLFEQ0s7rq-M2SN6MCxkWR43LV1~us4O0kQGzgd9AFcHSMJpsDK3OcZ4pQNCFe0nKBeNyEDxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Suzanne Weber (R., Dist. 16) told the Senate Committee on Veterans Emergency Management Federal and World Affairs on Feb. 27 that Senate Bill 459 would remove a requirement that three licensee members of the Oregon Board of Marine Pilots be Oregon residents.

“Currently, membership on the board is made up of licensees, industry members, and the public,” Weber said. “Those who fill those roles currently must be citizens of Oregon. This presents a large issue when trying to recruit the best people to serve on the board.”

Weber said the citizen/residency requirement has narrowed an already small pool of potential board members. She noted Washington and California do not have citizenship or residency requirements for similar positions and said the bill would align Oregon with neighboring states. The senator cited Oregon Revised Statute 776.105 as the existing law that defines board composition for the Oregon Board of Marine Pilots.

The bill would remove the phrase “be a resident of this state” from the statute, Weber said, without changing other qualifications that narrow eligibility, such as licensure tenure and geographic representation requirements (for the Columbia River, Coos Bay/Yaquina Bay and other locales). Weber urged the committee to advance the bill to ensure the board can recruit qualified pilots.

Ending: Committee members asked questions; Senator Weber had no other witnesses to present and the committee closed the public hearing. The committee did not take a vote on SB 459 at the Feb. 27 hearing.","Senate Bill 459 would eliminate a state-residency requirement for three licensee members of the Oregon Board of Marine Pilots to broaden the candidate pool; sponsor said neighboring states have no such rule and the bill seeks to address recruitment challenges.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6304223,"Senate committee withdraws motion on bill allowing OEM to buy equipment after procurement concerns",246,61000,307000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e&start=61&end=307","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2468060-816489ee62d804c9a80e65d74eba9d1e/thumbnail_61000.jpg","/articles/6304223/Oregon/Senate-committee-withdraws-motion-on-bill-allowing-OEM-to-buy-equipment-after-procurement-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6304223-e58d14dcff8ce09c8e19b645e7817d83/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160069&Signature=LjFb~MGCtT87v9DbWmlf~IaBm-54vKCdIcrAcNMPpbpXF4oi~Gul-Zv~GTIHq6hginzY7HDFROo9T3Unjurysh~Fnq76S65-ylgPBSYO7j2-00v8cXhFShyDTiHsUWKy~cQaSRhyexRY9fY9o1-7mCrbatz5lvuBbIcs60jq3QKdQd-Zn0HMLbNtZ07slSI8C3FwWnECI7FGZFdeknSPtD4~VljeUEBWSprpyWljy~6OZ-uNXyQqhcrAKnnntj6QRQmZtlTKlqG1AVsq6rI8LadIK9goKGvY-tIScNQRUhrk5eXb7~tRabYYXYjuwkPfqhdyvljC-gYM0NLBp7rncQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chair Manning opened a work session on Senate Bill 823 on Feb. 27, 2025, then accepted a motion from Vice Chair Thatcher to move the measure to the Senate floor with a “due pass” recommendation. After members questioned whether the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) should be allowed to purchase or contract for materials, supplies and motor vehicles directly, the committee rescinded the motion and withdrew the bill for further review.

The measure would have allowed OEM “to purchase or contract for any materials, supplies, or equipment, including motor vehicles, which the department deems necessary to carry out its duties,” according to the staff overview presented in the committee. The staff summary also said the public hearing had been held Feb. 18 and that the bill had “no fiscal impact and no revenue impact.”

Why it matters: Members said the question of procurement authority affects interagency responsibilities and fiscal stewardship. Senator Brock Smith pressed whether the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) normally handles procurement and said OEM’s independent operations may not make DAS oversight appropriate. Another committee member said concerns about OEM’s administrative capacity—citing previous fiscal estimates tied to a coastal counties grant—warranted pausing the bill.

“I move Senate Bill 823 to the floor with a due pass recommendation,” Vice Chair Thatcher said when making the original motion. After further discussion, Thatcher returned to the dais and moved to withdraw the earlier motion. “I rescind the motion made earlier to move Senate Bill 823 to the floor with a due pass recommendation,” Thatcher said; the motion to withdraw carried.

The committee did not take a final vote on the substance of the bill. Members instead directed staff to get additional information from OEM on how it currently procures equipment, whether and how DAS is involved, and to report back at a future work session.

Ending: The committee closed the work session on SB 823 without advancing the bill. Staff and legislators will follow up with OEM and DAS to clarify procurement practice and any administrative or fiscal barriers before the committee considers the measure again.","A Senate committee halted consideration of Senate Bill 823 after members raised questions about whether the Oregon Department of Emergency Management should procure vehicles and other equipment directly or through the Department of Administrative Services and flagged administrative capacity and fiscal concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public testimony supports 'Defend the Guard' bill that would bar undeclared-war deployments of Oregon Guard

Committee hears testimony on bill to limit paid veterans-claims assistance; sponsors plan amendments

Senator proposes removing Oregon residency requirement for some marine pilots' board members

Senate committee withdraws motion on bill allowing OEM to buy equipment after procurement concerns