Oregon lawmakers will hold emergency session to pay wildfire bills

By Dirk VanderHart
Oregon Public Broadcasting
November 26, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

State agencies say they don’t have enough money to pay for a fire season that burned almost 2 million acres. Lawmakers will step in to help next month. Oregon legislators will meet for a brief special session next month to approve emergency spending to cover bills for this year’s unprecedented wildfire season. Gov. Tina Kotek announced Tuesday she will call a session on Dec. 12 in order for lawmakers to send $218 million to state agencies grappling with the costs of fires that touched a record 1.9 million acres. “The unprecedented 2024 wildfire season required all of us to work together to protect life, land, and property, and that spirit of cooperation must continue,” Kotek said in a statement. “I am grateful to legislative leaders for coming to consensus that our best course of action is to ensure the state’s fire season costs are addressed and bills paid by the end of the calendar year.”

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