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To contact me, click here:
Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov
Short session may not last as long as Sisyphus’s punishment, but the heavy lifting of making laws can feel just as relentless. Some days passing legislation is like pushing a boulder up a hill. Just when you think you’ve made it to the top with your bill you hit a bump and you’re back at the bottom of the hill. You solve one issue, and another challenge is waiting to roll your bill back down the hill. Unlike Sisyphus’s boulder, some bills make it to the top and stay there. Others are back at the bottom, ready to start the climb all over again next session.
Thankfully, this session we managed to push a few boulders to the top!
2026 Legislation
Safeguarding Students and Families - House Bill 4079 - PASSED HOUSE & SENATE
Last fall as I started working on legislation for the 2026 short session, I learned that social media rumors about immigration enforcement at schools were causing fear in our K-12 school community and at OSU. Families were dropping off children fearful for their safety or were deciding not to come to school. And they didn’t have clear information about what was happening at schools.
The Safeguarding Students & Families Act, HB 4079, will prepare our school districts and institutions of higher education with clear instructions on what to do if an immigration enforcement action occurs on campus. It does not change anything about the activities of federal agents. It does not change the requirement that school officials and local law enforcement follow our sanctuary state law. HB 4079 does ensure that students, families, and staff have verified information from a trusted source about immigration enforcement at school when they decide if it is safe to attend. They will know that their schools are paying attention and looking out for them. No more relying on social media rumors.
Bills In the Immigrant Justice Package that passed in both houses:
HB 4111 Anti-Discrimination Protections
HB 4114 Protect Your Door Act
HB 4123 Landlord-Tenant Confidentiality
HB 4138 LEAVA: Law Enforcement Accountability and Visibility Act
SB 1538 Protect Immigrant Students’ Right to Attend Public School
SB 1570 Healthcare Without Fear Act
SB 1587 Stop Data Brokers from Sharing Our Info
Federal Disconnect - Senate Bill 1507 - PASSED HOUSE & SENATE
Oregon is among a handful of states that automatically replicate federal tax provisions in state taxes. Senate Bill 1507 closes 3 of Trump’s 100+ tax loopholes in the Big (Not So) Beautiful Bill. The deductions will still be available for federal taxes but not for Oregon taxes. This will bring about $300 million back to Oregon. Also, SB 1507 creates a new tax credit for businesses that produce good-paying jobs in Oregon and expands the Earned Income Tax Credit for more than 200,000 families struggling to make ends meet. Disconnecting from just 3 of the provisions in HR 1 allowed us to preserve programs Oregonians care about, like education, health care, public safety, and economic development.
The federal government isn’t finished trying to intimidate and undermine our state. When we make sure our tax code reflects our priorities instead of Trump priorities, we strengthen Oregon communities’ ability to manage the challenges ahead.
Other bills that will protect us from federal overreach:
HB 4088 Limit Out-of-State Enforcement Tied to Reproductive or Gender-Affirming Care
SB 1590 Protect Against Sale of Federal Lands
Funding Wildlife Conservation - HB 4134 - PASSED HOUSE & SENATE
Many tourists come to Oregon to enjoy our state’s natural beauty. HB 4134 is a bi-partisan bill that invests in Oregon's wildlife through a 1.25% increase in our state's transient lodging tax. Natural resources agency funding makes up less than 3% of our budget. This new, much needed, funding will protect Oregon's wildlife and habitats and reduce wildfire risk.
More Affordable Cervical Cancer Screenings - SB 1527- SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR!
Under SB 1527, insurers, the Public Employees’ Benefit Board, and the Oregon Educators Benefit Board must cover cervical cancer screenings and necessary follow-up examinations without cost-sharing, so patients are not forced to stop care because of cost.
While many plans cover an initial Pap test, follow-up exams after an abnormal result can lead to unexpected bills. For many Oregonians, especially those with high deductibles or limited coverage, unexpected costs can delay or prevent lifesaving care.
This felt like an especially important bill this session to honor Rep. Hòa Nguyễn who died of cervical cancer in October and Rep. Annessa Hartman who is bravely fighting the disease.
Measure 114 Fix - House Bill 4145 - PASSED HOUSE THEN SENATE GUTTED!
Measure 114 is a gun safety ballot measure Oregon voters approved in November 2022, formally known as the Reduction of Gun Violence Act. Central to Measure 114 is the requirement that people complete firearm training and pass an enhanced background check to obtain a permit before purchasing a firearm.
Like any ballot measure, legislative tweaks are necessary to ensure effective implementation. As a result, the legislature brought forward HB 4145 to give the law enforcement guidance and the Oregon State Police time to prepare for the change.
The House passed this much needed fix. Sadly, the Senate gutted the bill out of fear that the Republicans would walk out.
We will be back in 2027 to tackle M114 implementation again.
Plug-in (Balcony) Solar - HB 4080 - DIED IN COMMITTEE
Watch this space! We will work with advocates and opponents to address safety concerns and bring this bill back in 2027. We know from the number of emails my colleagues and I received about plug-in solar that Oregonians are interested in this technology. Lots of people want to harvest a little sunlight to create clean energy and reduce energy costs.
The STINKY Act
Once again, congress seems to want to rile up the electorate by gaslighting them into believing that voter fraud and abuse are rampant. This is a lie, just like the Big Lie that resulted in the January 6th attack on the nation's capitol. The truth is that voter fraud is vanishingly rare. The Brookings Institute evaluated the Heritage Foundation’s extensive database of voter fraud in swing states. They found that Nevada had the highest rate of fraud at a whopping 0.0000940% of votes cast over 13 years.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), or as we call it, the Suppressing Turnout In National Key Year elections Act (STINKY) would require every American to provide documentary proof of citizenship—in person—to register to vote in federal elections, or to change or update their voter registration to vote in federal elections. This bill would also require new photo ID requirements for federal elections, and requires states to turn their voter rolls over to the Department of Homeland Security.
I know how I would vote on this obvious scheme to disenfranchise voters and suppress voter turnout if I were in Congress. NO!
The Oregon Way
In 1981 the Oregon Legislature approved the first test of Vote By Mail (VBM) for local elections. After successful use of VBM for local, special, and statewide elections, in 1995 Oregon became the first state in the nation to conduct a primary election totally by mail. In 1998, Oregon voters passed Ballot Measure 60 to expand VBM to primary and general elections.
Since then, seven other states have followed our lead and have adopted VBM - Washington Colorado, Utah, Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Vermont. These states represent nearly 80 million Americans successfully using Vote By Mail!
A review of the vote by mail system by the state’s Legislative Fiscal Office found that from 2000-2019 there were approximately 61 million ballots cast using VBM in Oregon. From these, 38 criminal convictions of voter fraud were obtained. This is a 0.00006% fraud rate.
In this era of attacks on access to the ballot, we need another superhero to protect our right to vote. Enter, ta-da, our Secretary of State Tobais Reed. The SOS is responsible for administering Oregon's vote-by-mail system, maintaining the statewide voter registration database, certifying election results, and investigating election complaints. The SOS also conducts audits of government agencies and is first in line to be Governor if the Governor cannot serve.
 Pic Not Provided By Secretary Read's Office
Our historic, and much loved, VBM system is under attack by Trump and his cronies. Voters face the possibility of disenfranchisement. We have a seasoned political professional (aka superhero) in our Secretary of State, and we’re bringing him to Corvallis to talk about keeping our elections safe.
I hope that you'll join me, Secretary of State Tobias Read, and Senator Gelser Blouin for a community discussion about voting on:
May 6th @ 6:00 PM at the Benton Center - 757 NW Polk Ave, Corvallis, OR 97330
As hard as the end of session is, walking out of the House chamber into the rotunda of our reopened capital building to meet my colleagues in the Senate after sine die really felt like a celebration of our hard work. We shared handshakes, hugs, and laughter across the building and across political parties. It is important for all of us, politicians and voters, to remember that 85% of what we do is bipartisan. We spend most of our time working together to make Oregon stronger. We have big disagreements (I work on gun tragedy prevention so these can be BIG disagreements.) but we’re able to put those aside to collaborate where we must, to do the job we’re elected to do. Every day it is an honor to represent District 16 and, even on the hard days, I remain grateful for the trust you’ve put in me. Thank you.
 Representative Sarah McDonald
House District 16
email: Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1416
address: 900 Court St NE, H-477, Salem, OR 97301
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website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mcdonald
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