We are currently fighting to defeat Oregon House Bill 2491, which proposes to require registration of interior designers.  The bill is full of contradictions and purposely vague references.  If passed, it will give control of the interior design profession to only five individuals.  But that control extends to you, because your right to choose who you want to hire will be limited, and you will ultimately pay more for their professional services.  There is more information about HB-2491 in my previous blog, and this site contains detailed information about what organizations are behind similar legislation that's been introduced all over the United States, to achieve monopolistic control of the interior design profession.

It's easy for you to help us keep Oregon free from unnecessary legislation.  It should take no more than ten minutes, because all of the work has been done for you.  Below is a sample letter, and links to members of the Business and Labor Committee.  Just follow the simple instructions below the letter.  Thank you for your support and help!

I am writing to voice my strong objection to HB 2491 that is before the Business and Labor Committee.  If enacted, HB 2491 would impose licensing on the design profession, which is totally unnecessary.

House Bill 2491 should not be enacted for these reasons:

• There has been no outcry by consumers for the regulation of interior designers "to protect the health, safety, welfare, or peace" of the general public; existing codes and regulations do this.

• In this difficult economy, Oregon should not pass new laws which will increase the state's deficit, and make it even more difficult for its citizens to earn a living.

• It is bad for Oregon citizens because it limits our freedom to choose who we hire.

• It is bad for businesses that work in the building and construction industry (not only designers, but contractors and suppliers).

With a State unemployment rate at 10.6%, which exceeds the national average, and a budget deficit of over $3 billion, why would the legislature even consider a bill that will increase unemployment and increase the budget deficit.  No legitimate governmental interest will be served by the adoption of HB 2491.  I urge you to reject the effort of a few industry insiders who are asking the legislature to shut down their competitors.

Sincerely,

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Highlight and copy (ctrl C) the text  between "I am writing…" and "Sincerely,"
2. Click on the link to a legislator (see below)
3. Paste the text into the message body area
4. Type your name and address below "Sincerely"at the bottom of the text, then click the "send" button
5. Repeat steps #2-4 above for each one of the legislators listed

RECIPIENTS:

Freedom Fight in Oregon

Interior Design Legislation: 2/3/11 Update

HB 2491 is currently being reviewed by the Business and Labor Committee of the Oregon House.  The bill's sponsor is Representative Paul Holvey. 

Please read the bill — it's only five pages, with 20 sections.

Be on the lookout for contradictions, and purposely vague language, meant to lull you into believing that residential decorators and designers (and employees of retail establishments) are exempt, so you'll sit on the sidelines and let the bill pass. Compare Sections 1, 3, 5, and 11.  Section 14 contradicts itself with vague references to the Board of Interior Design Fund and the General Fund.  Where will the money come from?  Where will the money go? 

Be on the lookout for every clause that defers ultimate decisions about who can and who cannot practice interior design.  The proposed bill gives the Regulatory Board vast control without any provisions for overseeing by anyone.  Five people controlling the future of all Oregon designers?  "Board" is used 55 times in this bill!  Here's an example of the control that the Board would have:

"SECTION 3.  The Board of Interior Design may:

"(1) Adopt rules to enforce the provisions of sections 1 to 14 of this 2011 Act and to exercise general supervision over the practice of interior design in this state."

There's more!  Read Sections 12 and 13.  NO group of individuals should ever have that much control and power! 

Please take the time to read the Daily Journal of Commerce article, "Bill Would Define Interior Designers, Decorators".  Patti Morrow, the National Director of the Interior Design Protection Council, presented logical, factual comments to provide clear evidence that we need to defeat HB 2491 while it's still in committee.  Let's stop wasting valuable time and money on a bill that's not good for Oregon designers and Oregon consumers! 

Nothing about this bill protects consumers' health, safety, and welfare — oops, excuse me.  It's now peace, health and safety.  What?  Peace?  If this bill passes, will we have peace?  Please, give us a break!    Proponents can provide no evidence to support a real need for it, because there is none.  Join me in writing to the committee members, to let them know that we oppose HB2491.  Most of the work has been done for you; all you have to do is complete the e-mail with:

• Why you're opposed to the bill 
• Your name and city at the bottom  

Below is the committee members' contact information.  Take action now, and write them a short message, telling them that you oppose HB2491. 

Rep. Paul Holvey (Bill sponsor):  rep.paulholvey@state.or.us

Rep. Bill Kennemer, Co-Chair:  rep.billkennemer@state.or.us

Mike Schaufler, Co-Chair:  rep.mikeschaufler@state.or.us

Margaret Doherty, Co-Vice Chair:  rep.margaretdoherty@state.or.us

Sal Esquivel, Co-Vice Chair:  rep.salesquivel@state.or.us

Jason Conger:  rep.jasonconger@state.or.us

Val Hoyle:  rep.valhoyle@state.or.us

Mark Johnson:  rep.markjohnson@state.or.us

Greg Matthews:  rep.gregmatthews@state.or.us

Displaying a pink slingshot she had concealed behind her back, she began speaking. “When I first founded IDPC and told people what I was doing, I was met by horrified gasps. They could not believe I was taking on ASID* – a giant in our industry. Sure, it’s a bit of a David vs. Goliath fight,” she continued, “but, perhaps like David, I look at it from a different perspective. If they’re so big, how can I possibly miss! And our results have been astounding.”

Patti Morrow, the Executive Director of the Interior Design Protection Council, made a special trip to Seattle, at the request of Tami Michaels. Recently, Tami, a dynamic force in her own right, was hand-selected by Ms. Morrow to be the Chairperson for the Washington operation of IDPC’s new Northwest Chapter. Their goal is to fight — and kill, not just stall — interior design legislation that’s been plaguing Washington State for many years.

Ms. Morrow had everyone on the edge of their seat as she talked about her numerous battles with state coalitions all across America, who are the “front” for ASID’s push to control the interior design profession through regulation. Since 2006, she has been successful in preventing 100 efforts to expand or enact new interior design regulations. Legislation would end the careers of possibly hundreds of thousands of designers, and affect the future of interior design if states adopt the model bill that requires specific education, experience, and examination, otherwise known as “The Three ‘E’s’”.

“I have three goals for tonight: Educate you about what regulation is and what it does, Encourage you that your voice makes a difference, and Empower you to shape the future of our industry.  She laughed.  This is my version of three E’s”.  She spoke with the passion and conviction that has made her the absolute leader of the grassroots movement to fight ASID*, IIDA*, CIDA*, and NCIDQ*, which she calls the Cartel. She provided honest, reliable facts to discredit information contained in bills, public statements by the cartel, and misinformation that’s publicly displayed on the cartel’s websites.

One graphic that coalitions in favor of legislation continue to rely on, which is easily disputed, is a map of the United States, showing the number of states that have passed Title and/or Practice acts for interior designers. “They say there are 26 states that have enacted a government-imposed regulatory scheme, but that number includes Puerto Rico and Washington D.C., which are not states, and Colorado, which has only a permitting statute.  Their tally doesn’t include the states where acts have been struck down. The actual number of states with laws regulating the practice of interior design is only 21, and only three of those states have Practice acts.” [Pause] “Why do they continue to say 26 states?” [Longer pause]

Ms. Morrow looked around the room. No one had the answer. “Because they can tell legislators that the majority of states have passed legislation –  and they should, too.” With reliable facts like this, it’s clear why she has been so successful, even in states where she and Ed Nagorsky, the legal counsel for NKBA*, have been the only ones to testify against legislation.

She held the audience’s attention throughout her presentation, and finished on a very powerful note, but I’m not going to tell you what she did or said. You’re going to have to attend one of Ms. Morrow’s seminars to get the full impact of her message. It is everything she promises — and more. Everyone attending the meeting left with enlightenment and educational information about why interior design legislation is bad for everyone. She did empower us to fight for our right to freely work as interior designers.

The best way to protect your career is to join IDPC. You don’t have to fight legislation by yourself. You are not alone! Tami Michaels described IDPC beautifully in her closing comments. “It (IDPC) is the spine, the backbone of the national grassroots movement against legislation. We are the arms, the local chapter of this organization, to reach out and embrace everyone in our profession, to fight for our rights as a team.”

Proposed legislation defines “interior design” to include furniture dealers, stagers, commercial decorators, office equipment and furniture dealers, home improvement centers, and design-build firms. It proposes to limit the practice of “interior design” to people that are registered or certified, who meet stringent requirements for many years of education at specific schools, followed by extensive supervised internship, and successfully passing the NCIDQ examination.

To get more information about the issues and why it’s important to understand what’s at stake, visit the IDPC blog: http://idpcinfo.wordpress.com. Become a member of IDPC today. It’s easy, and the best investment you can make for your future: http://idpcinfo.org/membership.

*Footnotes:
ASID = American Society of Interior Designers

CIDA = Council for Interior Design Accreditation

IDPC = Interior Design Protection Counci

IIDA = International Interior Design Association

NCIDQ = National Council for Interior Design Qualification

NKBA = National Kitchen and Bath Association