Frequently Asked Questions

• What is MCAT’s mission? 
  • MCAT works to mitigate the climate crisis by actively pursuing effective legislative and executive branch actions in Oregon. More information can be found here.

• How is MCAT organized?
  • MCAT has an all-volunteer Steering Committee that oversees its operations and five working groups (“Teams”) focused on particular contributions to climate change. The different Teams are:
    • Transportation 
    • Forestry and Natural Lands 
    • Clean Energy and Buildings
    • Communications/Outreach/Education
    • Legislative Lobby

• How do members contribute to MCAT’s mission?
  • Members help support climate-relevant legislation by submitting written or in-person  testimony in response to Action Alerts (see below) issued by the Steering Committee. 
  • Members attend general meetings (primarily held virtually), usually quarterly, to stay informed about upcoming legislation and activities.
  • Members can lobby their legislators in face-to-face meetings that take place virtually or in Salem. MCAT Lobby Leads teach newcomers how to join in and participate at their comfort level. 
  • MCAT is always looking to increase its membership base, especially outside of our larger urban areas. If you have friends or family living in other parts of the state, tell them about us. We’d love more connections in less urban areas (outside the Portland Metro area) where engaged constituents might voice concerns.
  • MCAT has tables at fairs and other public events; you can volunteer to staff one and talk to the public about our mission. We advertise the need for volunteers via emails to membership.
  • If you have a particular interest or area of expertise, you can join a team to learn and perhaps attend additional meetings as you have time and interest. You can share your own expertise or learn. This page provides more information about the Teams and how to join one. 

• What is an Action Alert?
  • Action Alerts are strategic communications that notify MCAT members that a particular bill is due for a hearing or nearing a vote, and inviting them to submit a letter to their legislator regarding that bill. Action Alerts are sent out primarily when the legislature is in session. Additional Action Alerts may take place around rulings that State agencies are working through to implement energy and environment directives from Executive orders or legislation implementation.

• I’ve never provided testimony on behalf of legislation before. What makes for effective testimony?

• Action Alerts include talking points to explain the issues addressed by the bill. Effective letters are easy to read and brief (no more than one page). They state your position clearly and explain your reasoning.  The OLIS website (see below) provides a link for submitting your testimony. If other than legislative action alerts are released, talking points and easy links for submission are provided.

• I don’t know much about how the legislative process works. How can I find out more?
  • The Oregon State Legislature’s website provides excellent information on How Ideas Become Law. You can find a simple graphic of the process here.  The website also explains how citizens can engage with the legislative process. The Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) allows you to search for information on particular bills, their sponsors, votes, their progress through the legislative process, etc. ***

• Who are my legislators?
  • You can find the names of your state senator and representative at this website. 

• When is the Oregon Legislature in session?
  • In even-numbered years, the Legislature convenes for a “short” session of up to 35 days, beginning in February. In odd-numbered years, they meet for “long” sessions of up to 160 days, starting in January. 

•  I get too many emails. Will MCAT share my email address with other organizations?
  • NEVER! We do not share members’ information.

• Will MCAT ask me for donations?
  • As an all-volunteer organization, MCAT will ask you to give your time and energy, as you are able, but will not ask you for monetary donations.

• In the MCAT meetings I’ve attended, folks use lots of acronyms. What do they all mean? 
  • This depends in part on whether you are attending the meetings of a particular team. Here’s a handy list of Commonly Used Acronyms.

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