Senator Jama supports bold action on climate change, and ensures the communities most impacted are centered in our strategies and solutions.
The wellbeing of our children—and future generations—requires that we take immediate action on the climate crisis. Rising temperatures, wildfires, and poor air quality are impacting communities across the state, including our farms, forests, towns, and cities.
Protecting Our Environment
Transitioning from Fossil Fuels: Senator Jama voted to mandate the state's transition to a 100% clean electricity system by 2040, pushing Oregon to meet its climate goals. As we make this transition to a sustainable energy system, we have the opportunity to invest in good, family-wage union jobs that will address the climate crisis and strengthen local economies across the state.
Marine Sanctuaries: The 2024 marine sanctuaries bill creates a more robust and responsive marine reserves program, deepening our understanding of how climate change impacts our ocean and ensure that marine reserves continue to benefit all Oregonians. Even though Senator Jama represents a district approximately 100 miles from the coast, he signed onto the marine sanctuaries bill as a Chief Sponsor because he understands that a protected, resilient ocean is an essential asset in the face of a changing climate. Improved social monitoring and comprehensive management of marine reserves will directly benefit the ecological well-being of District 24 residents and our entire state.
Climate Change Mitigation
Air Quality and Heat: Here in Senate District 24, we are impacted by heat islands and poor air quality, which are both exacerbated by rising temperatures. Of the over 100 people who tragically perished in the 2021 historic heat wave, 25% lived in our district. Senator Jama led the passage of a bill ensuring renters' rights to cooling and helped distribute 3,000 air conditioners to low-income community members, including those right here in Senate District 24.
Protecting Workers: Senator Jama has long worked to protect the communities most impacted by environmental injustices, including our Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and workers who are exposed to increasingly unsafe conditions with high temperatures and polluted air, such as our farmworkers. In 2022, he passed a bill to protect farmworkers during wildfire events and heat waves and advance workplace protections.