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To contact me, please click here: Rep.MarkOwens@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As we wrap up Week 13 of the legislative session, the pace continues to pick up on the House Floor. Last week, we were deep in work sessions, but this week much of our time has been spent on the House Floor working through a growing stack of bills. And we’re not done yet—we’ve still got over 35 bills to take up next week, which means we’re likely looking at some evening floor sessions ahead.
Today, I found myself twice explaining on the floor just how different life looks in frontier Oregon. During one bill on mail delivery service, I reminded my colleagues that some of us live so rural, we don’t even have home delivery—we rely entirely on post office boxes. It’s a good reminder that policy doesn’t look the same across every corner of our state.
A big thank you to Pine Creek School from Drewsey for visiting the Capitol this week. Their visit helped me show just how unique frontier schools can be—this one has only two students, which really helps put things in perspective for folks who don’t live in rural Oregon.
We’re also wrapping up the final Ways and Means Budget Hearings. The turnout in La Grande was fantastic, with strong representation from Baker, Grant, Harney, and Malheur counties. I’m grateful to everyone who took the time to show up and speak out. There’s one more opportunity to participate—our final hearing is in Klamath Falls on April 25.
Wishing everyone a great weekend and a joyful Easter.
Video Recap from Week 13 in Salem
We are well into the 2025 legislative session, and it’s shaping up to be one of the busiest in Oregon’s history—with more bills introduced than ever before. I want to take a moment to share updates on some key legislation I’ve been working on, as well as broader policy conversations taking place at the Capitol.
🏛️HB 2006 - Bringing Balance to the Legislative Process
House Bill 2006 is part of an ongoing conversation about how we manage the sheer volume of legislation being introduced. While the bill isn’t quite in a place I can fully support yet, I believe it highlights an important principle: the legislative branch should lead the charge in introducing laws—not executive branch agencies operating without clear legislative backing.
This session has seen a record number of bills filed, and it’s time we have a serious conversation about process. As one of the three branches of government, the Legislature is the appropriate body to carry and sponsor legislation. I would support changes to HB 2006 that require executive branch agencies to have a legislator sponsor any bill they wish to bring forward—just like any member of the public. It’s a commonsense reform that respects the role of the Legislature and helps bring more transparency and accountability to the process.
🔗 Bill Overview
🏡HB 3624 - Supporting Homeschool Families
Homeschool families have consistently voiced a desire for educational autonomy, and I share that value. House Bill 3624 offers additional flexibility for annual testing without imposing new mandates.
Currently, families can hire their own proctor and pay out-of-pocket, and that option remains unchanged. However, for families facing financial hardship, this bill allows Education Service Districts (ESDs) to host testing sessions three times a year. We discussed more sweeping changes, like waiving the testing requirement altogether—as is sometimes done in traditional public schools—but that approach is not politically viable right now. This bill is a balanced, respectful step forward.
This bill passed the House Floor on Thursday and will head over to the Senate Education Committee.
📺 Watch my floor speech
🌲HB 3328 – Federal Forest Reserve Payments for Grant County
This bill passed the House floor unanimously, had a public hearing in the Senate Committee this past week and is scheduled for a Senate work session on April 22. It would include Grant County in the distribution of federal forest reserve funds—supporting our rural communities and public services.
🔗 Bill Overview
🔥HB 2332 – Air Curtain Incinerators
This bill had a strong discussion in the Senate Energy & Environment Committee this week. It passed the House floor unanimously and promotes clean, safe, and efficient forest management.
🔗 Bill Overview | 📺 Watch the Hearing
📝HB 3127 – OVERS Death Certificate Reporting
This legislation modernizes how we register deaths in Oregon. It expands current reporting requirements to all facilities—not just hospitals with ten or more deaths annually—while maintaining exemptions for home burials. This bill passed the House unanimously and will be heard in the Senate this week.
🔗 Bill Overview
🌾HCR 12 - Celebrating Oregon Wheat Day
I’m proud to share that HCR 12, which officially recognizes February 11, 2026, as Oregon Wheat Day, has now passed both chambers of the Legislature. This resolution honors the 100th anniversary of the Oregon Wheat Growers League and the incredible contributions of our wheat farmers to Oregon’s economy and heritage.
 La Grande Community Budget Meeting
We’re wrapping up the Community Budget Hearings that have taken place across Oregon over the past two months. There’s just one more opportunity to join us in person—on April 25 in Klamath Falls. If you’d like to attend, you can sign up here.
A big thank you to Rep. Bobby Levy and Senator Todd Nash for hosting us in La Grande last weekend. We had a fantastic turnout, including many folks from House District 60. It was great to hear directly from so many of you. For many of you this meant hours on the road, and I extend my appreciation for your time.
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It was an honor to meet Amanda and Abel. Amanda reached out to my office last year to share with me more about Duchenne muscular dystrophy—a disease that could be detected early and treated if included in the newborn screening program. We have been working with Rep. McLain on HB 3192, for more funding for our current program and to add more screenings to the list.
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Amanda, Abel and Spiderman testifying on stage.
HB 3192 will strengthen Oregon’s newborn screening program, ensuring early diagnosis and treatment for rare diseases—because no family should have to wait for lifesaving care. I am grateful to Amanda for sharing her story and to all the dedicated advocates working to get this bill passed.
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Harney County Commissioner Rob Frank testifying on the Burns flooding damage, and the need for emergency resources in Harney County and Burns. He also spoke to HB 3800 supporting our ground water in the Harney Basin.
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I had the honor of recognizing some outstanding students and educators on the House floor. Madison Baker, a 6th grader at Pine Creek, is one of just 14 statewide finalists in the National Civics Bee for her powerful essay on Saving Library Funding 📚.
Madison is also no stranger to excellence—she's placed in the National Handwriting Contest for the past three years! Her sister, Alyssa (4th grade), teacher Katie, and aide Jody are also part of the incredible team that makes Pine Creek shine. And let’s not forget—Pine Creek has been the rural school talent show winner two years running!
We’re so proud of you all—keep making Eastern Oregon proud!
 ALL the students from Pine Creek School in Drewsey fit into my office!
I am pleased to share that the Oregon State Fire Marshal has awarded nearly $6 million through the 2025 Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Grant to support multiple fire agencies across House District 60. These funds will help local fire departments—especially in rural and under-resourced areas—hire additional staff and improve response times during wildfire season. This is a vital investment in our safety and preparedness, and I’ll continue working to ensure our communities have the resources they need to stay protected. You can view the list of awardees here.
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The 2025-2026 Oregon FFA State Officer team is ready and excited to begin their year of service! With passion and dedication, these six exceptional FFA members are set to lead, inspire, and serve Oregon's agricultural community, shaping the future of FFA in our state. I congratulated the FFA Officers a courtesy on the House Floor.
Where’s My Refund? tool improved for 2025
Taxpayers who want to check the status of their Oregon state income tax refund will find more information available this year when they use the Department of Revenue’s Where’s My Refund? tool.
For the 2025 tax season, Where’s My Refund? has been upgraded to provide:
- Additional detail about refund status.
- Added functionality to see when the agency is requesting additional information to complete processing a return.
- Website enhancements for improved customer experience.
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Which of Oregon’s free electronic tax filing options fits you best?
A variety of free electronic-filing options are available to Oregon taxpayers, including the new combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon.
While the free filing options have some income and other limitations, most Oregon taxpayers are eligible to file electronically at no cost using one of the free file options that can be found on the Department of Revenue website. Or follow the guide in this news release.
Free help filing Oregon tax returns
Taxpayers that don’t have a computer or need one-on-one help also have options for electronic filing. AARP Tax-Aide, the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs, MFS-CASH Oregon, and the United Way’s MyFreeTaxes offer in person and drop off services for tax preparation by trained volunteers. Learn more on Revenue’s Get free help filing your taxes webpage.
Thousands of taxpayers have filed state returns with Direct File Oregon
The newest free electronic filing option is the combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon. Almost 5,000 taxpayers have used Direct File Oregon to file their state income tax returns. Almost 2,000 of those state returns were filed in combination with federal returns filed with IRS Direct File.
More information about Direct File is available on the Revenue website. Videos are also available to show how to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1460
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-475, Salem, OR 97301
Capitol Email: Rep.MarkOwens@oregonlegislature.gov
Capitol Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/owens
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