Oregon’s race for governor is making national headlines, but faculty at the state’s largest public universities are looking beyond November. Regardless of who wins the election, they hope the next governor and legislature will focus on three core issues: housing; climate, energy and the environment; and the state’s economic development ecosystem.
Earlier this year, the first annual Oregon Policy Forum met at Portland State University to develop research-grounded policy recommendations for the state's top challenges.
"Whoever wins the upcoming elections will have to confront some incredibly tricky and complex public policy issues. As public universities, we have an obligation to benefit the residents of Oregon — and sharing our knowledge can help legislators make research-informed decisions that go beyond partisan soundbites or ideological preconceptions,” said Jeremy Youde, dean of the College of Urban and Public Affairs and co-convenor of the Oregon Policy Forum. “Our hope is that policymakers can draw on our deliberations to make decisions that will benefit Oregon as a whole and demonstrate how the state's three public research universities can collaborate for the greater good."
At its core, the brief argues for greater collaboration between Oregon’s universities and the government. For example, the group suggests funding university-based clearinghouses to close the data and technical expertise gaps that hinder under-resourced municipalities, allowing them to implement housing and climate policies more effectively.
Creating an end-to-end career pipeline is another solution identified across issues. The brief proposes introducing trade exploration in K-12 classrooms, streamlining pathways through community college and aligning trade licensing requirements with neighboring states to quickly boost the workforce needed to address the housing shortage.
Ultimately, the policy brief proposes moving away from siloed solutions in favor of a coordinated strategy that utilizes university partnerships and regulatory reform to address Oregon's most pressing issues.