Applegate wants to partition off about 270 acres for her own family's use. Nelson wants to leave the land intact. So far, court rulings have favored Applegate. Nelson offered to buy his sister out, but she refused. HB2886 would require courts to consider Oregon's land-use policy on agriculture when deciding whether to order a partition of farmland.
Current policy calls for leaving farmland in large tracts.
John U. Grove, an attorney from Milton-Freewater who represents Applegate, said the bill would directly affect the case. State ethics rules require elected officials to state whether they have a financial interest in an issue before they vote on it. Nelson said he doesn't think he has a conflict of interest. Nelson asked Rep. Bob Jenson, a fellow Republican from Pendleton, to introduce the bill in the House Stream Restoration and Species Recovery Committee, of which Jenson is a member. Jenson said he was not aware of Nelson's lawsuit when he filed the bill in February.