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To contact me, please click here: Rep.AprilDobson@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Neighbors,
Today the Oregon House adjourned sine die, concluding our 33-day legislative session for 2026. Short sessions are fast paced, but they’re an important opportunity to make targeted improvements to laws and budgets that will help Oregonians right away. As always, I focused on bringing priorities from our community – affordability, strong schools, and economic opportunity – into the conversations happening in Salem. It was a sprint, but we managed to accomplish a lot in such a short time – balancing our budget, protecting Oregon’s values against federal overreach, and laying the groundwork to grow Oregon’s economy and create jobs.
There’s a lot more to say, so I want to personally invite you to my post-session town hall on Saturday, March 14th. I will provide an overview of the 2026 legislative session, and I can’t wait to hear from you, so I hope you’ll join me to share your ideas and concerns.
Here are the details:
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Date: Saturday, March 14th, 2026
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Time: 10am - 11am
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Location: Happy Valley Library
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Address: 13793 SE Sieben Park Way, Happy Valley, OR 97015
I hope to see you there!
Please RSVP and submit questions here!
Sincerely,
April Dobson
Restoring Funding for Planned Parenthood
The Trump administration’s budget singled out Planned Parenthood and denied the organization reimbursements for the non-abortion health services, like cancer screenings, that it provides to patients on Medicaid. The Hyde Amendment already prohibits federal funding for abortion, but by denying Planned Parenthood funding for these other services, the effect will be to close clinics and limit access to abortion for women in Oregon. I partnered with Rep. Ben Bowman, Rep. Sue Rieke Smith, and Rep. Valderrama to introduce legislation to make sure that Trump’s backdoor abortion ban doesn’t happen here in Oregon. The bill we passed, HB 4127, creates a system for Oregon to reimburse Planned Parenthood for the non-abortion care they provide to Oregon Medicaid patients, ensuring the clinics thousands of Oregonians rely on can keep their doors open.
Tax Cuts for Working Families
To make life more affordable for Oregon families, we passed the largest ever expansion of our state Earned Income Tax Credit, which helps more than 200,000 working families across our state. We closed Trump’s tax loopholes and used the money to fund tax relief for everyday people and create a new tax credit for businesses that create good-paying jobs here in Oregon. That approach will help strengthen Oregon’s economy while preserving $291 million for core state services. Families deserve more breathing room in their budgets, and the tax changes we made this session put middle-class Oregonians’ financial wellbeing first.
Upholding Oregon’s Values
In recent months, federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration have acted recklessly, violently, and with disregard for the law. In the process, they have instilled fear in our communities and doubt in our government to protect civil rights and human dignity. As your Representative and a proud Oregonian, I care deeply about protecting our state’s fundamental values and the safety of my neighbors and community. I joined my colleagues to advance legislation that protects vulnerable areas like schools and hospitals and safeguards Oregonians’ constitutional rights.
Growing Oregon’s Private Sector and Creating Jobs
There’s too much red-tape holding back businesses who want to create jobs in Oregon. That’s why I introduced and passed legislation this session to shorten the wait time for the permits businesses need to build and operate. I don’t see this as a Democratic or Republican issue – it’s just good governance.
I also supported legislation championed by Governor Kotek to encourage economic development and fast-track major projects across our state, and a bill brought forward by Rep. Ben Bowman to give businesses more certainty and time to adapt to new administrative rules.
Tackling Chronic Absenteeism
As a member of the North Clackamas School board and a mother of three, I am deeply concerned about the quality of education that Oregon students receive. Oregon ranks among the worst in the country for attendance, an issue that needs to be addressed for our kids to be successful. That is why I co-chief sponsored HB 4154, a bill that requires frequent and accurate reporting of school attendance data. This is a critical first step to help educators and policymakers create the statewide systems we need to catch kids before they become chronically absent.
 I had the privilege of welcoming Congresswoman Janelle Bynum back to the Oregon House Floor!
 I was honored to testify alongside Representative Ben Bowman, Dr. Sara Kennedy of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette, and Amy Handler of Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon in support of HB 4127, which preserves access to critical preventative healthcare for thousands of women across Oregon.
Click here to watch the full testimony (testimony begins around 48 minutes in).
 Cesar “the no drama llama” made a visit to the Oregon Legislature! We have a lot of hard conversations in the Legislature, and it’s important to have moments of levity too.
 Representative Emerson Levy and I met former NBA player Terry Porter from the Trailblazers! Keeping the Blazers in Oregon creates economic activity that benefits our whole state.
 I met with community advocates from Moms Demand Action. We can’t stop fighting for sensible gun safety legislation to protect Oregonians.
Check out these articles to catch up on the Legislature’s work this session.
The Oregonian: Opinion - Students' educational futures are caught in a crisis of time.
Grants Pass Tribune: Oregon House passes bill to speed up environmental permitting.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Facing a 'chilling effect,' Oregon lawmakers seek to beef up abortion, trans health care laws.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon Republicans walk out of Senate ahead of vote on transportation referendum.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon lawmakers want to build on immigration protections. Here's where those bills stand.
The Oregonian: Oregon House committee passes bill designed to curb high-interest lending.
To receive regular updates about my work in the state legislature follow me on Instagram @rep.dobdson or on Facebook at April Dobson!
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1439
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-488, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.AprilDobson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/dobson
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