Advocacy is OMGA’s #1 Goal for 2025

OSU Extension Needs Your Help

Calling All Extension Master Gardener Volunteers!

OSU Extension has issued a CALL TO ACTION and needs your help to write letters and engage with your State Legislators and ask for Support for HB 2408 – OSU Statewide Public Service Programs funding bill. (OSU Statewides)

Why Our Help is Needed

OSU Statewides Budget directly affects Master Gardeners and the staff and faculty who manage the program.

By sending letters to your State Legislators to ask for their Support of HB 2408 (a YES vote), you are letting them know just how important and valuable the Master Gardener and all Extension Programs are in your community.

Thank you for taking your time to send these important letters. Our voices were impactful in the 2023-2025 legislative session. OSU Extension needs us to inform and educate the Legislature that by funding OSU Statewide Programs, they are providing essential services to their constituents and without fully-funded CSLs, the Extension’s ability to provide core mission services will suffer.

How You Can Help!

Get Involved TODAY!

To see a list of options for interacting and engaging with your legislators open this document.

Recap of Underfunding in Master Gardener Program

Maintaining Continued Service Level is critical for OSU Extensions’ core mission and services provided to our communities. Each year, it costs just a little more to keep all the OSU Extension programs and services operating and functioning. Without fully- funded CSL, the Master Gardener Program may once again face  staffing and service shortages.

In both the 2017-2019 and 2021-2023 biennium Budgets, CSLs for OSU Extension faced deficits which led to prolonged vacancies in staff and other support  positions within the MG Program.

In the 2023-2025 budget year OSU Statewides, with the help from Master Gardeners, secured the necessary funding to restore $2.2M for CSL, and allowed Extension to hire 12 new Master Gardener program faculty and staff. However, out of the 2023-2025 Budget request of $206M, OSU Statewides only received $183.7M, thus creating a shortfall of $17.5M to further fund necessary Extension services and programs.

See How Our Statewides are Funded for better understanding of OSU Extension funding.

Understanding the Legislative Path of a Budget Bill

  • The Legislative session began in January 2025, and budgets were discussed by our lawmakers.
  • In February, the Office of Economic Analysis usually produces another Economic and Revenue Forecast that gives us an updated picture of the state of the economy and tells us what resources are available for the budget.
  • Sometime after that forecast, likely in late February or March, the Legislature’s Ways & Means Co-Chairs will release their initial budget plan, called the “Co-Chairs Budget.”
  • After that is released, Legislative subcommittees (budget committees) will hold hearings on “Budget Areas” (i.e. Human Services, Higher Education, Public Safety, etc.). During this time, they usually hear from agencies, cities and members of the public.
  • They will also start the “Ways and Means Roadshow,” where legislators travel all over the state to hear from Oregonians about their budget priorities (See Ways & Means Committee Roadshow Schedule) There will be another revenue forecast in May that the Legislature will use to base their final budget.
  • The Legislature is bound by the Oregon Constitution to conclude in June, so the budget will be passed and finalized by that time.

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This Toolkit Makes Advocacy Easy

Resources prepared for you:

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