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To contact me, please click here: Rep.AnnaScharf@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends,
I hope you have all had a great holiday season and are ready to ring in the New Year!
2026 will bring with it the 35-day short session to the Oregon Legislature. In 2010, voters passed a constitutional amendment, requiring legislators to meet annually. The short session was intended to better balance the budget and for small legislative fixes. Unfortunately, the short session has turned into an opportunity for legislators to pass large policy issues that are better suited for deeper conversations and greater public input during the long session. So, get ready to again potentially see some very controversial policy issues being brought forward during this 35-day session.
January 13th-15th, we will be holding Legislative Days, where we will see an introduction of some of the legislation is to come. Mostly committee bills, but possibly in some committees, legislators will discuss individual bills they are working on.
Starting February 2nd, we will hit the ground running and know what legislation is being proposed. Each legislator has two bills to introduce which will limit the measurers to be discussed. However, each committee will only have approximately four meetings to hear and work bills before they must be passed out of committee to the first chamber floor to be voted on. Things will move fast and public input on measures will move just as fast. So, if there are bills that you are interested in, do not wait to submit testimony, reach out to committee members, make phone calls, etc.
As always, my office will keep you updated throughout session as best as possible. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
Happy New Year! I wish everyone a wonderful 2026. May it be the year that Oregon and Oregonians see success and prosperity across the state. Thank you for your continued support and trust.
Sincerely,
 Anna Scharf
State Representative - HD 23
State Audit Shows M110 Failures
Earlier this month, the Secretary of State’s office released an audit confirming what too many Oregon families have already lived through: Measure 110 failed to deliver on its promise to help people struggling with addiction, and the state failed to provide the leadership and oversight needed to prevent that failure.
Measure 110, which aimed to replace the criminalization of substance use disorder with a public health approach, was sold as a compassionate, public health approach. Instead, it became a system with no clear direction, no meaningful accountability, and no urgency — even as overdose deaths continued to rise. In 2023 alone, more than 1,700 Oregonians died from drug overdoses. While overdose deaths declined in nearly every other state, Oregon fell further behind.
The audit makes clear that the Oregon Health Authority lacked stability, coordination, and measurable goals. Funds were distributed without consistent oversight, data were insufficient to show whether programs were working, and services were not integrated into Oregon’s broader behavioral health system. The result was wasted time, wasted resources, and lives lost that did not need to be.
Oregonians expect their government to act when policies aren’t working, especially when lives are on the line. Instead, warning signs were ignored, repeated requests for improvement went unanswered, and accountability was absent.
We owe it to families, first responders, and people battling addiction to do better. A public-health approach must be focused on saving lives, getting people into treatment, and delivering results — not protecting a broken system. Oregonians deserve urgency, transparency, and leadership that is willing to admit when something isn’t working and course-correct immediately.
Update to Oregon’s Secure, Online Voter Registration Form
Oregon Secretary of State implements House Bill 4133
As of December 30th, 2025, eligible Oregonians will be able to register to vote through a secure, online form by submitting ONLY the last four digits of their Social Security number and their valid signature – just like they would on a paper voter registration form in person at the DMV office or the County Clerks office.
Previously, only eligible Oregonians with a driver’s license number could register to vote online. This update to Oregon’s online voter registration form was required by House Bill 4133 (2022) with an implementation deadline of January 1, 2026. In 2022 when the bill passed, I voted NO on the bill because I believed it was flawed, would lead to further fraud in voter registration, and there are plenty of access points for people to register to vote already. The bill was heavily supported by unions, minority groups, and special interest groups unrelated to elections such as Planned Parenthood.
The new online form for voter registration will be validated by elections clerks before the formal registration is processed. However, the questions remain...will this be enough to maintain integrity in the voting system? Is it even necessary? Exactly how much extra work will it place on local election officials to determine that only an electronic signature, on an online form, and the last four of a social security number are actually the person behind the keyboard?
In Oregon, you must be a U.S. citizen, a resident of the state, and at least 16 years old to register to vote. Oregonians must then be 18 years old by Election Day to cast a ballot. However, several cases of voters registered through the DMV’s motor voter system were discover to be non-citizens and ineligible to vote beginning in 2024 and as recently as April of 2025, and that system required registration in person. Only time will tell if the new system is as flawed as the DMV system is.
For more information, visit: OregonVotes.gov.
Dolly Parton Birthday Party - Imagination Library
If you are unfamiliar with the Imagination Library, this is a program started by Dolly Parton to inspire literacy reading within our youth. The program expanded in Oregon to better engage young readers.
Here is the 2025 statewide impact report:
Chehalem Valley Chamber of Commerce - Community Awards Gala
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1423
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-387, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.AnnaScharf@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/scharf
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