For decades, I watched as legislators punted when a difficult issue defied resolution: They appointed a task force.

Ah, a task force! As if lawmakers had accomplished something instead of doing nothing.

Until the digital age arrived, all those let’s-at-least-convene-a-task-forces were a boon to the bookshelf industry. The resulting reports had to gather dust somewhere. 

Purposeful task forces do have value. They come with all the trimmings of official legislatively decreed goals, membership, staffing and budgets.

However, in recent years, there’s been a shift from sometimes-questionable task forces to informal work groups. Task forces can take months to formally create, have limited membership, and can cost $10,000 to $20,000 to staff and run. In contrast, work groups can be put together quickly at little or no cost and with whatever participation is deemed appropriate. The idea is to get divergent stakeholders together, try to work out key differences and agree as much as possible on legislation. 

Work groups also have operated out of public view – a plus or minus depending on one’s perspective. Some work groups succeeded brilliantly, such as recently finding common ground on housing legislation. Others failed famously, such as on mandatory overtime for farmworkers. 

In the current interim between legislative sessions, a bunch of work groups are under way, along with various public task forces.

Another kind of work group also is unfolding this summer, with more of a fact-finding mission. It deals with chickens.

Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, who chairs the Senate natural resources committee, announced the work group members last week and said they would examine the potential effects of large-scale poultry operations. The issues include water supply, air and water quality, impacts on neighbors and whether such facilities are appropriate on high-value farmland. 

Confined animal feeding operations – known as CAFOs – are controversial in Oregon, though most discussion has been around dairies. The proposed chicken CAFOs have now raised the hackles of neighbors, farmers and public officials. During Legislative Days in June, Golden’s committee and the House agriculture committee held informational meetings to learn about such operations.

Millions of chicks could be coming to the mid-Willamette Valley each year. They would be raised in facilities built on undeveloped farmland and then sent to slaughter as fully grown chickens. One CAFO applicant has received initial approval from the Oregon Department of Agriculture but still has other conditions to meet. 

Golden tapped Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, to lead the work group. Dembrow is such a believer in bringing contrasting people together to achieve good public policy that he’s sometimes referred to as “Mr. Work Group” or “Mr. Task Force.” He’s involved in several at the moment, including a group he convened to address the shortage of educators. 

The poultry work group won’t create possible poultry legislation. Instead, it will assess the current regulations and laws affecting potential mega-operations and share that information with Golden’s committee, which could use it to shape concepts for the 2023 Legislature. Such advance work may prevent unintended consequences if a bill becomes law.

“My job will be to make sure that we fully understand the existing rules and statutes, understand the different perspectives on where they may or may not be appropriate for the proposed poultry mega-operations, that we understand the potential impacts of any changes to them, and that all voices are heard,” Dembrow said. 

And unlike many work groups, this one will not operate behind closed doors. The public can watch the meetings, which will be online, and at one least session will be reserved for public comment. 

The fine-print details:

Legislative members: Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, chair; Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem; Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, Rep. Jamie Cate, R-Lebanon; Rep. Zach Hudson, D-Troutdale. 

Other members: Casey Kulla, Yamhill County commissioner; Roger Nyquist, Linn County commissioner; Mike Freese, Romain Freese LLC; Kendra Kimbirauskas, Shimanek Bridge Farm; Bill Mattos, Northwest Chicken Council; Linda Minten, Scio; Tim Nesbitt, Fruition Farms LLC; Brian Posewitz, WaterWatch; Eric Simon, J-S Ranch; Jeff Stone, Oregon Association of Nurseries; Greg Holmes, 1000 Friends of Oregon. 

First meeting: 9 a.m. Thursday, July 7.