Oregon Attorney General Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of attorney general opinions issued in Oregon, with full citations and the original source on every page.
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Can Oregon use the 3 percent ratepayer surcharge on electric bills to subsidize small renewable energy projects, even when those same projects sell power to utilities at federally regulated 'avoided cost' rates under PURPA?
Yes. The AG concluded the federal Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 does not preempt Oregon's public-purpose-charge subsidies. PURPA limits federally mandated wholesale purchase rates fro…
If Oregon law tells law enforcement officers to return seized medical marijuana to a card-holder, but federal law makes possessing or distributing marijuana a crime, do the officers have to return the marijuana, and if they do, are they breaking federal law?
The AG concluded the federal Controlled Substances Act likely preempted ORS 475.323(2)'s return-the-marijuana requirement, leaving the state requirement 'without effect.' Officers returning seized med…
Do national banks have to comply with Oregon insurance laws when offering debt-cancellation contracts on their loans?
No. Debt-cancellation contracts offered by national banks under the National Bank Act and OCC regulations were not insurance for purposes of Oregon's insurance code. The 1999 opinion explicitly revers…
Are Oregon's laws requiring state approval before railroads close their agencies preempted by federal rail deregulation?
Yes. ORS 823.073 and 823.075 were preempted by the federal ICC Termination Act of 1995 (49 USC § 10501(b)). Oregon could not require ODOT approval before railroads closed their agencies.
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Attorney general opinions in Oregon are written by the Oregon Attorney General's office in response to questions from state agencies, legislators, and prosecutors. They are not binding like court decisions, but courts and agencies treat them as persuasive guidance on how state law applies. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the full original text.