What is a Green Amendment?
Green Amendments are self executing provisions added to the bill of rights section of a constitution that recognize and protect the rights of all people, including future generations, to pure water, clean air, a safe climate, and healthy environments.
What's Happening in Oregon?
The Oregon Green Amendment movement is getting back on track!
Oregonians, inspired by recent legal successes in the three Green Amendment states of Pennsylvania, Montana and New York, are working to re-up and advance an Oregon Green Amendment in the coming year.
The Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment (OCERA) is a growing coalition focused on amending the Oregon Constitution to protect everyone's right to a healthy environment and a stable climate by adding constitutional language that meets the Green Amendment definition and therefore ensures strongest constitutional protection.
OCERA is convening a Statewide Organizing Meeting for May 4. Check out the calendar page for more information and a pre-registration link.
In previous years, Senator Golden had put forth his version of a Green Amendment. While this version of the Green Amendment didn't progress through the process, the foundation was laid for future success. The language Senator Golden, working with Green Amendments For The Generations put forth, read:
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of Oregon: The Constitution of the State of Oregon is amended by creating a new section 47 to be added to and made a part of Article I, such section to read:
(1) The people of this state have the right to a clean and healthy environment, including pure water, clean air, healthy ecosystems and a stable climate, and to the preservation of the natural, cultural, scenic, recreational and healthful qualities of the environment. The state shall not infringe upon these rights, by action or inaction.
(2) The state, including each branch, agency and political subdivision, shall serve as trustee of all the natural resources of this state. The trust assets to be protected shall include this state’s waters, air, wildlife, fisheries, atmosphere, climate, public lands and natural ecosystems. The state shall conserve, protect and maintain these natural resources for the benefit of all the people, including generations yet to come.
(3) The rights stated in this section are self-executing, inherent and indefeasible, are among those rights reserved to the people and are in addition to, and may not be constrained by or limited to, those rights conferred by the state’s public trust doctrine or wildlife trust doctrine.
*******
Join The Movement For Your Environmental Rights:
If you want to join the movement and show your support for an Oregon Green Amendment, sign the petition and be sure to share it with those in your circle of life.
As the movement grows you will get newsletters and information about how to engage.
As the movement grows more information will be added to the resources and action pages of this website to help you to learn more and engage.
