Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee divided on PSU-led farmworker study; growers warn study design could skew results
Summary
House Rules heard competing views on a dash-7 amendment to House Bill 25,48 that would fund a Portland State University study of farmworker wages, safety and access to benefits. Supporters said qualitative engagement is needed to fill data gaps; growers and some farm groups argued the design omits robust economic analysis and could be biased.
The House Rules Committee took testimony May 29 on House Bill 25,48 with the dash‑7 amendment, which would direct the Portland State University Center for Public Service to conduct a statewide study of farmworkers’ working conditions and protections and to report interim findings to legislative committees with a final report due Dec. 1, 2026.
Ira Cuyo Martinez, testifying for PCUN (Oregon’s farmworker union), said the study is intended to document worker experiences and inform lawmakers about enforcement and policy gaps. "We are not here to punish employers, but to go after bad actors who take advantage of farm workers and exploit them," Martinez said.
Proponents — including the Oregon Center…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
