Legislature to address public trail access in 2024, wait until 2025 to focus on transportation funding

By Claire Roth

January 29, 2024

During the 2024 short session, the Oregon Legislature will focus on adjusting the state budget and addressing issues around housing, homelessness, and behavioral issues. They will also address a legal issue around public trail access. But they will wait until 2025 to take up a major transportation funding package.

Senator James Manning, Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis, Representative Julie Fahey, Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch, and Representative Nancy Nathanson at a recent town hall.

At a recent town hall, State Representative Julie Fahey explained that during the 2024 short session, the Oregon Legislature will focus on adjusting the state budget and addressing issues around housing, homelessness, and behavioral issues.

Fahey is currently the House Majority Leader. She is in line to become the next Speaker of the House. The current Speaker, Dan Rayfield, will be stepping down to run for Attorney General.

At the town hall, Fahey was joined by Senator James Manning and Representative Nancy Nathanson.

BEST executive director Rob Zako asked Manning about plans to address “recreational immunity.” As BikePortland explains, a law that was created to shield land managers and property owners from liability claims is under fire and public trail access across Oregon could be in jeopardy. That’s the state-of-play due to a decision in July 2023 by the Oregon Court of Appeals in a case that hinged on the legal concept.

Manning, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, said he is working with the chair of the committee, Senator Floyd Prozanski, who is bringing forward a bill to address the issue of recreational immunity. Manning invited interested members of the public to testify on the bill. But he could not promise that a fix to the problem will be passed during the short session.

Fahey added that the legal issue of recreational immunity is highly technical and that she expected lots of lawyers and judges to weigh in.

As in past sessions, BEST will be tracking transportation bills of interest and testifying as warranted.

Nathanson indicated that in 2025 the House Committee on Revenue, which she chairs, will be considering proposals to increase funding for transportation. The Joint Committee on Transportation, of which she is a member, will be considering how to allocate new funding.

The town hall was held on Sunday, January 28, 2024, in Harris Hall. It was introduced by Lane County Commissioner Heather Buch and moderated by Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis.

Further reading