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To contact me, please click here: Rep.VirgleOsborne@oregonlegislature.gov
Hello Friends & Neighbors,
We have made it through another intense and unpredictable week of this short legislative session. The end of the session, known as sine die – Meaning the constitutionally mandated conclusion of legislative proceedings – was declared imminent this week. This announcement means that the legislature must conclude all outstanding business by March 8. Once sine die is declared, it eliminates the usual committee posting requirements, which allows the legislature to process bills at a much faster pace. While this can be beneficial in moving important legislation forward, it also comes with a risk of less scrutiny for complex or controversial bills.
A phrase often repeated in legislative circles is, “Hurry up and wait.” Having passed both chamber deadlines, the focus for contentious bills has shifted from committees to the floor. The week exemplified the “hurry up and wait” atmosphere, as legislators waited for their bills to advance while preparing for intense debate. With many controversial bills now heading to the House Floor, the final rush to legislative business before the deadline is now under way.
~ Virgle
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House Republicans pause floor session to protest thrown out “hostile working environment” allegations against prominent Democrat
On Monday, House Republicans staged a walkout from the legislative floor. Their action was in direct protest as to what they described as a majority leadership’s attempts to dismiss or ignore allegations regarding a “hostile workplace environment.”
The controversy centers on events from the prior week during deliberations on House Bill 4145 in the House Judiciary Committee. Representative Thủy Trần, a Democrat from Portland, voted against an amendment and indicated she would oppose the bill because of constitutional concerns. Her vote, if left unchanged, would have resulted in a tie, effectively killing the bill.
Instead of letting the vote stand, Representative Kropf, a Democrat from Bend and the bill's chief sponsor, took Rep. Trần out into the hallway for several minutes. When Rep. Trần returned, she appeared visibly shaken. The vote was recalled, and with witnesses expressing their shock at these events, Rep. Trần reluctantly changed her vote to support the amendment and subsequently the bill – allowing it to move forward to the House Floor.
Following these events, a gun-rights activist named Derek LeBlanc filed a conduct complaint against Rep. Kropf. The complaint alleged that “verbal abuse”, and “intimidation” were used to force a change in a representative’s vote. Such accusations are grave, as the integrity of the democratic process depends on public trust. When this trust is undermined, the foundation of democracy is called into question.
Despite these serious allegations, the Legislative Equity Office quickly dismissed the complaint and declined to investigate.
House Republican leadership responded by informing the Speaker of their intention to file a motion to remove Rep. Kropf from the House Conduct Committee – a step previously taken in situations involving potential conflicts of interest. However, over the weekend, communication from the Speaker ceased. When Monday’s session was delayed by more than two hours, the Republicans motion was skipped, and instead, the House Majority Leader moved to accept Rep. Kropf’s resignation.
The clerk then announced to leadership that Kropf had submitted a resignation letter, which by procedure, could not be debated. This sequence was highly irregular and created the impression that the allegations of misconduct were being deliberately overlooked. In response, Republicans blocked further proceedings by denying quorum as a form to protest.
Regardless of political affiliation it is unacceptable for anyone to use their position to intimidate a colleague. A similar instance occurred in the previous session when the chair of a powerful committee publicly chastised a Republican member. Such behavior provoked outrage then, just as it does now. The Legislative Equity Office must address allegations of misconduct promptly and transparently to maintain trust in the legislative process.
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Bill to move referendum vote date misses Secretary Read’s deadline
Towards the end of January, the Oregon Secretary of State, Tobias Read, sent a memorandum to legislative leadership emphasizing the urgency of passing Senate Bill 1599 by February 25. Secretary Read highlighted that meeting this deadline was crucial to guarantee all Oregonian’s a fair and equal opportunity to participate in the voters’ pamphlet process, especially if the referendum were to be rescheduled to May. The intention was to uphold transparency and accessibility in the electoral process.
During the legislative session, Republican lawmakers made concerted efforts to schedule SB 1599 for consideration on a Monday. This scheduling effectively ensured the bill would not meet the February 25 deadline outlined by Secretary Read. Given these circumstances, the logical and responsible course of action at this stage is to declare SB 1599 no longer viable.
You can read Secretary Read’s letter below:
On January 28th, my office shared with you a memo about the process to reschedule a qualified ballot measure to the May 2026 primary election. I have attached it again to this email for your reference. I am writing to remind you about today’s deadline for SB 1599 to be passed and signed into law. This is the deadline our team recommended to ensure that Oregonians have a fair and equal chance to participate in the voters’ pamphlet process related to the referendum, should it be on the ballot in May.
Yes, you can still reschedule the referendum to May after today; however, every day that passes makes it more challenging for my office to provide Oregonians with a free alternative to paying a $1,200 fee to file statements about the referendum in the voters’ pamphlet. This could impact Oregonians’ ability to make their voices heard. This signature gathering alternative makes sure money is not a barrier between Oregonians and their democracy. That’s an Oregon value I know you all agree with. A shortened timeline for signature gathering and verification also creates a burden for the Elections Division — it will take a significant amount of staff time to verify these signatures before the March 12th deadline.
I strongly advise you to work with urgency to resolve this issue.
TJR
Oregonians overwhelmingly opposed moving the referendum vote to the primary election. Over 4,600 Oregonians submitted written testimony on Senate Bill 1599, of which 98% were in opposition.
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Bill that eliminates federal tax breaks heads to the governor’s desk
On Wednesday, the legislature passed Senate Bill 1507, which will eliminate $311 million in federal tax breaks that Democrats mischaracterized as a tax relief package. The bill takes the federal tax cuts promised in the “Big Beautiful Bill” and cancels them at the state level.
I hear from my constituents daily, and the issue they raise most often is affordability. Oregonians pay some of the highest income taxes in the country. At 9.9%, the top rate of Oregon’s income tax kicks in at a marginal income of $125,000, whereas the top rates in California, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., are on marginal income above $25 million. In fact, Portlanders pay a 13.9% marginal tax rate on incomes over $125,000, the highest rate at that income threshold in the country.
But it’s not just individuals that I hear from. Since 2019, state business taxes have increased by a staggering 77% to $3.4 billion. In 2016, Oregon slid to 35th in general tax competitiveness and 49th in corporate tax competitiveness.
The federal tax cuts that Oregon is disconnecting from threaten provisions meant to spur economic investment. Bonus depreciation, qualified small business stocks, auto loan interest, and jobs tax credits would have made Oregon a more competitive place for businesses and would have kept money in Oregonians’ pockets.
Oregon gas prices surge 17.8 cents; brace for higher costs
KDRV
Gas prices in Oregon have surged by 17.8 cents per gallon over the past week, bringing the average to $3.78 per gallon. This marks a significant increase of 46.9 cents per gallon from a month ago. The price hike is attributed to several factors, including geopolitical tensions and supply constraints. "Average gasoline prices continue to drift higher as crude oil trades near its highest level since last summer," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. He noted that the tensions between the United States and Iran contribute to the increased prices. In addition to geopolitical issues, localized supply constraints are also pushing prices up. De Haan highlighted refinery outages and disruptions along the Olympic Pipeline as key issues amplifying price pressures in the Pacific Northwest. GasBuddy reports that the cheapest gas in Oregon was $2.69 per gallon, while the most expensive was $4.59 per gallon. The national average for gasoline has also risen, though by a smaller margin of 1.2 cents per gallon, now standing at $2.88 per gallon. Neighboring areas like Eugene, Salem, and Portland have also seen price increases, with Portland reaching $3.87 per gallon. This trend is expected to continue as planned refinery maintenance intensifies in the coming weeks.
Bill that would criminalize threats against public officials advances in Legislature
The Oregonian/OregonLive
People who threaten public officials could face prison time under a bill the Oregon Senate passed 18-11 Tuesday. Senate Bill 1530 would make threatening a public official — including lawmakers, school board members, city councilors and county commissioners — a crime of aggravated harassment. That’s a Class C felony, which are considered the least severe category of felonies and punishable by up to five years in prison, a $125,000 fine, or both…
…Several senators shared their experiences receiving threats. That includes Republicans, all of whom voted against the bill, and who pushed back saying that as public officials they should expect some form of public backlash. Some Republicans said it would be outrageous to classify threats in the same category as strangulation, forgery, burglary and theft. “I don’t think by raising it to a felony, it actually solves the problem,” said Sen. Fred Girod, R-Silverton. “It doesn’t matter who you are or who you represent, you’re here and you’re going to get these.” Sen. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, said his greatest concern with the bill is that it would criminalize free speech. Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, said he somewhat agreed with McLane, adding that the policy could be subject to lawsuits on free speech. However, he said lawmakers have security privileges that volunteer public officials don’t have, and the bill would be a step to protect them. The Oregon State Capitol doesn’t allow weapons inside the building, even for people with an open or concealed carry permit, unlike in some other states. This year, lawmakers are taking up another bill that would allow them to use campaign funds for security expenses.
Live from Salem, State Representative Virgle Osborne covers this week hot topics in the short session of the Oregon State Legislature.
https://kqennewsradio.com/2026/02/25/inside-douglas-county-02-25-26/
Tune in next week, Wednesday, March 4th for more updates.
GET INVOLVED
Register to testify!
- If there is a bill you are particularly passionate about, you can register to testify either in support or opposition to the bill.
- Advance registration is required! Registration closes 30 minutes before the hearing is scheduled to begin.
- To register, go to https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1, select the “Bills” icon on the top right corner of your page, enter the bill number, and select “Register to Testify.” Or, call 1-833-588-4500.
- You will want to fill out the “Public Testimony Registration Form.”
- You will receive an email confirmation with an option to join Microsoft Teams if you can not testify in person.
Submit a Written Testimony!
- If you prefer not to testify in person, you can also submit written testimony in support or opposition to a bill.
- To submit written testimony, follow the same steps as you would to register to testify in front of the committee, but you will select “Submit Testimony” and fill out the “Written Testimony Submission Form.”
- Written testimony must be submitted up to 48 hours after the committee meeting start time.
Testifying on a bill gives you a voice in Oregon’s legislature. The voice of the people is the cornerstone of democracy! Let yours be heard today.
Yours Truly,
 Representative Virgle Osborne
House District 2
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1402
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-375, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.VirgleOsborne@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/osborne
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