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To contact me, please click here: Rep.LucettaElmer@oregonlegislature.gov
May 23, 2025 Legislative Update
House District 24,
It was a very contentious week in the Legislature, but there were some positive things, too!
As we head into Memorial Day Weekend, which is often celebrated with barbeques, parades, and outdoor activities, it is important to remember why we celebrate Memorial Day. Please join me in taking some time this weekend in reverence for those that made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our nation. Thank you will never be enough.
House Democrats Ignore The Pleas of Oregon Schools on Senate Bill 916A
On Wednesday, House Democrats on the House Labor & Workplace Standards Committee passed Senate Bill 916A which would make Oregon the first state in the nation to allow public employees to receive unemployment benefits while on strike.
This vote comes after all Members of the Oregon House of Representatives received a letter from the Superintendents of Oregon’s largest school districts asking legislators to oppose Senate Bill 916A. The letter was signed by Superintendents from Beaverton, Bend-La-Pine, Gresham-Barlow, Hillsboro, Medford, Portland, Salem-Keizer, and Tigard-Tualatin.
Read my joint statement with Representative Shelly Boshart Davis & Representative Anna Scharf below. Read more about this in the Willamette Week here.
 
Senate Bill 426A - Another First In The Nation Bill
Based on the update above, and this press release below, you might be wondering - what is a Minority Report? In the Legislature, a minority report is a committee report signed by at least two members who disagree with the majority recommendation on a specific bill. It allows those in the minority, like myself, to formally state their position and propose alternative actions to the Chamber. It is rare that we would declare two Minority Reports within just three days, but that was the case this week.
On Monday, the House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards passed Senate Bill 426A which would hold owners and upper tier contractors liable for unpaid wages of a subcontractors employees, with some limited exceptions.
Keep reading below for my full statement issued following the vote. Read more about this legislation in OPB here.
 
Oregon Youth Suicide Awareness Day One Step Closer To Becoming Signed Into Law
Some positive news - House Bill 3643 which would establish October 9th as Oregon Youth Suicide Awareness Day passed the Senate Committee on Rules. Next stop - the Senate Floor! After this, it will be sent to the Governor's Desk for her signature. We will continue to keep you updated.
House & Senate Republicans Announce Legislation That Redirects Funding, Makes ODOT Responsive To Oregonians
This week, my colleagues in the House and Senate announced legislation that stabilizes ODOT without raising taxes, while preserving operations and maintenance that serve core functions, such as plowing roads and filling potholes.
This comprehensive proposal makes statutory changes to redirect money outside of core mission back to paying for priority needs. This proposal serves as a bridge – an interim plan – to rebuild Oregonians’ trust in ODOT.
Our plan includes:
- Redirecting over $146 million of current spending on climate initiatives and $38 million in funding for passenger rail service.
- Redirecting half of the payroll tax to provide truckers with a tax credit on future tax bills, thereby repaying them for years of unconstitutional overpayments.
- Capping Oregon’s hidden gas tax (Clean Fuels Program) at the current level and returning the program to its original intent.
- Creating the Major Projects Office to manage projects costing more than $99 million.
- Creating a publicly accessible dashboard displaying key performance indicators for major projects.
- Establishing independent Dispute Review Boards for projects exceeding $5 million to resolve conflicts between ODOT and the contractor, ensuring smooth delivery, on-time completion, and budget adherence.
The next day, Democrats released an updated transportation proposal that somehow was more vague than the one they released announcing a dozen new tax hikes, new taxes, and fee increases.
But now, their proposal also includes a terrible idea my colleagues and I have long opposed: a cap-and-trade-scheme that will drive up costs on you and your family.
Bringing back this problematic idea with five weeks left in session is reckless and desperate. We must reach an agreement on funding transportation in a way that holds ODOT accountable and demonstrates good governance.
We reject the premise that if we don't make life more expensive for Oregonians, we can't fix potholes, plow the snow, or keep rural roads safe.
Is Your Kicker At Risk?
On Tuesday, Governor Tina Kotek publicly declared she supports using $1 billion of your kicker to help pay for wildfire suppression.
The Oregon Constitution says the kicker money belongs to you. The only way the governor can steal your kicker is if two-thirds of lawmakers go along with her plan. For my Republican colleagues and I, it’s a hard no.
Lawmakers for months have discussed existing revenue streams and proposals to consider that help fund wildfire suppression and don’t involve raising the cost of living or taking from the kicker.
The kicker belongs to Oregonians who are feeling the crushing weight of the high taxes and regulations that make our state unaffordable. There are plenty of other ways to fund wildfire costs that don’t involve taking from the pocketbooks of tax-burdened Oregonians.
Democrats Block Vote To Repeal Legalized Tent Cities And Return Local Control To Manage Homeless Crisis
On Wednesday, House Republicans forced a vote on a bill that would repeal HB 3115 (2021), which allows homeless people to live on public property, and sue cities and counties for camping enforcement policies they feel are not “objectively reasonable,” without clearly defining what that means.
The vote on HB 2432 failed with a 28 to 24 vote. Six Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the bill that would return control to local leaders to manage the homeless crisis in their jurisdictions.
Governor Kotek is responsible for this policy, which for years, has been making the homeless crisis worse, while taking the power away from local leaders to restore safety to their streets. We should be focusing on increasing access to treatment, not enabling tent cities and open drug use that harms communities and families, as well as those living on our streets.
Homelessness increased by nearly 14% in Oregon from 2023 to 2024, with nearly 23,000 homeless people reported during a single night in January. In 2024, Oregon also had the second highest rate of unsheltered youth in the nation (60%) and the fourth highest rate of homeless veterans (55%).
McMinnville UFO Festival
Last weekend, my husband and I had the privilege of judging the UFO Parade in McMinnville! This is such a fun annual tradition. I hope everyone who attended enjoyed it.
Nominate Your Favorite Local Businesses for the 2025 Best of Mac & the Yamhill Valley Contest
The annual "Best Of" section is one way the News-Register promotes our "Community Partners" and other businesses that support the promotion. The "Community Partners" program reminds us all about the importance of supporting our local community businesses.
The Nomination Round will be open until Wednesday, at 10 p.m. Final Round voting will run from Friday, May 23, to Thursday, May 29.
Click here to submit your nominations!
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.
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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-390, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.LucettaElmer@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/elmer
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