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To contact me, please click here: Rep.LucettaElmer@oregonlegislature.gov
March 14, 2025 Legislative Update
Friends,
This week we had the biggest public hearing we have had this session with House Bill 2548, which proposes a sweeping, one-size-fits-all mandate that would transfer critical decisions to an unelected, unaccountable, bureaucratic body. Our farmers and ranchers showed up in big numbers and made their voices heard. Your voice and engagement in this process matters.
I was proud to testify in opposition to House Bill 2548 alongside my friends and colleagues, Representative Shelly Boshart Davis and Representative Anna Scharf. Collectively, we serve as the three House Republicans on the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee.
You can watch my testimony HERE.
You can read more about House Bill 2548 HERE.
Rep. Boshart Davis, Rep. Elmer, and Rep. Scharf testify in opposition to House Bill 2548.
Prior to the public hearing on House Bill 2548, I had the opportunity to help facilitate a press conference to elevate the voices of several of our farmer legislators, as well as leaders in the Oregon agriculture community, including:
- Tami Kerr, Executive Director, Oregon Dairy Farmers Association
- Lesley Tamura, Board Chair, Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers
- Angela Bailey, President, Oregon Farm Bureau
- Brenda Frketich, Farm Owner Operator, Kirsch Family Farms, Inc.
This bill is being presented as a way to protect farmworkers, but here’s the truth: Oregon already has some of the strongest labor protections in the country. We follow strict safety standards, provide fair wages, some offer housing, and comply with a long list of regulations designed to keep workers safe.
From 2017-2022, we’ve lost 2,000 family farms in Oregon. Over the past five years, Oregon has lost 57 dairy farms. HB 2548 isn't about farmers and farm workers. It's about government overreach, political posturing, and division.
We support health and safety standards to protect our employees, but we cannot support overregulation that damages farmers and farm jobs. The proposed board in the bill would have no oversight. They could create whatever kind of wage and safety standard laws they want and because farmers simply cannot afford to keep up with those unreasonable standards, they would have no choice but to close up shop and sell to the highest bidder.
House Republican Press Conference on House Bill 2548.
Republicans Fight To Lower Costs, Cut Taxes
House Republicans want families to keep more of what they make by cutting income taxes and opposing new taxes and regulations that increase the cost of living. Lowering costs for Oregonians, starting with their tax bill, is our top priority.
House Republicans have proposed three major bills that seek to help ease the financial stress that Oregonians are feeling.
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HB 3753– Income Tax Cut
- Increases the Oregon standard deduction allowed for personal income taxpayers. By cutting taxes for working families, nearly tripling standard deductions, HB 3753 is a direct way we can help the most tax-burdened Oregonians keep more of their paycheck. While House Democrats look for ways to take more money from Oregonians to fund an ever-growing and inefficient government, House Republicans stand with families desperate for relief.
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HB 3914 – No Tax on Tips
- Creates an Oregon personal income tax subtraction for tips received by the taxpayer during the tax year. Eliminating taxes on tips helps thousands of Oregonians working in the hospitality and service industries keep more money in their pockets as they face inflation and rising costs.
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HB 2234– No Tax on Overtime
- Creates an Oregon personal income tax subtraction for overtime pay received by a taxpayer during the tax year. Oregonians who work extra hours to support their families deserve to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. No Tax on Overtime is a great way to give working Oregonians real, tangible, relief from rising costs.
Oregon ranks as the 10th most expensive state to live in according to Forbes while another report by Finance Buzz found that Oregonians pay the highest rate in state income taxes in the country. A recent poll commissioned by House Republicans found that a whopping 79% of Oregonians favor cutting taxes to make Oregon more affordable and 70% favor eliminating state income taxes on tips and overtime pay. The same poll showed that Oregonians see the cost of living as the top issue they face with 56% of Oregonians saying that taxes are too high.
It is clear to all those who live in Oregon that the cost of living is far too high. We trust you to budget for your family better than Salem bureaucrats. Let’s cut taxes help make life more affordable in our state.
Helping First-Time Homebuyers & Our Housing Supply
In response to Oregon’s housing crisis, House Republicans are leading the way to provide new programs for home ownership. House Republicans are pursuing policies that get government out of the way and eliminate heavy-handed regulations that are keeping families from buying a home:
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HB 3188– Reducing mortgage payments for first-time homebuyers
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HB 2316– Designating unused state lands to build housing for first-time homebuyers
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SB 974– Limits permitting wait times to build a single-family home
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HB 2400 & HB 3757 – Gives rural homeowners flexibility to build homes on their land
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HB 3759– Creates grants for the development of moderate income housing, paid to cover or offset permitting fees and charges
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HB 3758– Increase the land supply to build more housing
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HB 2257– Infrastructure grants to build more homes in coastal communities
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HB 3639– Delays SDC development charges until after the home is built
Oregon was recently found to be the 5th least affordable state for homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors. After decades of failing to keep up with demand, Oregon needs to add 500,000 housing units over the next two decades to address the current crisis, according to the 2024 OCHS ‘State of the State’s Housing’ report, but progress has been slow.
Despite this, Oregon remains woefully behind on the housing construction and development goals set by the Governor of 36,000 new homes per year. In 2024, Oregon was issued only about 14,000 permits, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the same number of permits as Massachusetts, a state with nearly half the population. Many of these units were multi-family homes such as duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes.
Republicans have broken down and reviewed every aspect and process of what it takes to build a home in Oregon. We have identified specific pinch points, including regulations, which we can eliminate to make a real difference in building more homes.
House Bill 3643: Youth Suicide Awareness Day
This coming Monday, March 17th, there will be a public hearing on House Bill 3643 in the House Rules Committee, which will designate October 9th of each year as Oregon Youth Suicide Awareness Day. I am proud to be Chief Sponsoring this legislation, alongside Representative Dacia Grayber (D- SW Portland & East Beaverton).
Did you know Oregon has the 12th highest youth suicide rate in the nation? Or that Oregon ranks last in the nation in balancing the prevalence of youth mental illness with access to care? Or that suicide remains the second leading cause of death in the nation among people aged 5 to 24? I didn't until I started preparing this legislation.
We have lost far too many young lives to suicide, and we are committed to doing all that we can to raise awareness to this critical issue. No family should ever have to go through this unthinkable tragedy.
We would like to encourage YOU to express your support for this legislation. Below is more information about how to take action.
WHEN: Monday, March 17th @ 8:00AM
WHERE: Oregon State Capitol (900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301), Hearing Room C
TAKE ACTION:
- To register to testify in-person or online, CLICK HERE. And then go to the tab titled "Register To Testify" (circled in red below).
- To submit written testimony, CLICK HERE.
House Bill 3838: Long-Term Care Standards Board
This Monday, in the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee, we are hearing House Bill 3838, which proposes the creation of an unnecessary, costly, and overly complex workforce standards board (similar to the one mentioned at the top of this newsletter) for all home and community-based care facilities and organizations in Oregon. This bill threatens to increase costs, reduce access to care for seniors, and impose burdensome regulations on an already strained system.
Oregon already has one of the strongest home and community-based care systems in the country. We lead the nation in:
- Comprehensive quality standards for long-term care facilities.
- The highest caregiver training requirements nationwide.
- The second-highest wages for direct caregivers in the U.S.
House Bill 3838 will increase costs for Medicaid providers, duplicate existing regulatory efforts, and create new administrative burdens that do not improve care or workforce conditions.
WHEN: Monday, March 17th @ 3:00PM
WHERE: Oregon State Capitol (900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301), Hearing Room D
TAKE ACTION:
- To register to testify in-person or online, CLICK HERE. And then go to the tab titled "Register To Testify."
- To submit written testimony, CLICK HERE.
Amity Townhall
This week, State Senator Bruce Starr and I hosted a townhall in Amity! Thank you to everyone who took time out of their evening to come. It was exciting to see so many people following the current discussions and debates going on in the Legislature. Your engagement and your voice in this process matters.
If you missed this one, don't worry! There are more on the horizon. Please see below.
Upcoming Townhalls (More Details To Follow):
- April 24th - Willamina Fire Department
- May 8th - McMinnville City Hall
Visitors At The Capitol
This week, I met with the Oregon Trails Coalition, which included a constituent from McMinnville. They are a coalition of broad-based, statewide partners dedicated to the preservation, development, and stewardship of a statewide network of sustainable trails that provide access to outdoor recreation and active transportation for all. Thank you for coming!
I also met with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) for their Capitol Advocacy Day! We had another House District 24 constituent represented in the group.
I am honored to serve you and our community at the State Capitol this session. Please stay in touch and reach out if there are any issues you would like us to work on.
Reach My Office
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All my best,
Representative Lucetta Elmer
House District 24
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1424
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-374, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.LucettaElmer@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/elmer
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