Sine Die on 2026's Legislative Session
That’s a wrap! The 35 day “short” legislative session concluded late yesterday afternoon--two days ahead of schedule--and it was a modest success! Some of the highlights include:
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Our office successfully passed both of our priority bills this year (HJM 201 & HB 4137)
- We were able to secure $2 million for major upgrades to the City of Lebanon’s wastewater treatment facility and $7.1 million for HVAC upgrades at the Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home in Lebanon
- The major gun bill of session (HB 4145) was utterly gutted, successfully delaying any implementation of Measure 114 until 2028. This successfully avoids a costly startup of a purchasing permit system while the constitutionality of such a requirement continues to be challenged in courts
- Preserved funding for programs like FFA and OSU Extension Services for the remainder of the biennium
- Avoided layoffs, snow plow reductions, and maintenance shop closures at ODOT without any new taxes
There is no doubt that some of these wins couldn't have happened without the countless Oregonians who showed up and spoke up, and urged the Legislature to weigh in the priorities of rural Oregon. Our job in the Legislature is to do the people's work, and it's always great to see Oregonians showing up to help ensure that happens!
One of the failures to do that, however, was the passage of SB 1599–mostly along party lines (a handful of Democrats voted no). In case you missed it, this bill moves the gas tax and fee hike referendum from the November general election ballot to the May primary ballot, despite the referendum (signed by over 250,000 Oregonians) specifically stating that they were requesting a vote on November's general election ballot. Republicans in both chambers fought against SB 1599, and successfully delayed it beyond the date stated by Secretary of State Tobias Reed as the workable date to get it on May's primary election ballot without compromising the ability for voters to adequately qualify their arguments in favor/opposition of the referendum, leaving the actual delay in jeopardy. And as promised by citizens and chief petitioners, several lawsuits have been filed that seek an injunction to block SB 1599, and time will soon tell if the attempt to move the vote to May will actually happen.
Heading into session, it truly seemed like the onslaught of bad bills, upside down budget priorities, and efforts to increase taxes on Oregonians was going to be insurmountable. One of the main focuses of the Majority was attacking the Federal government under the current administration, while House Republicans continued to press the issue of the real economic and crime-related problems facing Oregonians in their daily lives. This contrast was perhaps most apparent with Democrats passing a bevy of bills targeting ICE in just about every avenue possible, but killing bills like SB 1573, which would have banned needles and other drug paraphernalia from being distributed within 2,000 feet of a school. While the bills targeting ICE passed, I think it's important that voters understand that much of the legislation won't actually change things--since we as a state cannot tell the Federal government what to do; meaning that a huge amount of our time this session was spent prioritizing legislation that is little more than virtue signaling, while ignoring Oregon's dying businesses, failing schools, and growing housing and homelessness crisis.
While Republicans were successful in once again blocking attempts to take the kicker, two tax increases did make it through this session. The first was SB 1507, which started out as a sales tax proposal, and was gut-and-stuffed with a partial federal tax code disconnect. The disconnect is complex, and with messaging from the majority about how it will "save Oregonians money", it is understandable that people are confused by what it truly means, but the numbers don't lie: the passage of SB 1507 will result in $311.6 million more tax dollars coming into Oregon just in the 2025-2027 biennium - that is a tax increase, not decrease.
The other tax Oregonians have to look forward to is HB 4134, which will raise transient lodging taxes by 1.25%, generating over $180 million in added taxes in 5 years--30% of which will be paid directly by Oregonians traveling within the state. While I fully appreciate the wildlife programs and wolf depredation fund that those added revenues will support, I maintain that our ever-growing state budget had ample funds available to address those needs if we would realign our budget priorities with actual needs and get our spending problem in check.
As we go in the interim, be sure to keep in touch! With election season starting, we will be entering our "blackout" period in less than two weeks (where our office is prohibited from sending mass communications), but we know addressing the needs of our constituents does not stop just because lawmakers are not in Salem for session. My team and I will continue to do our best to answer your questions, concerns, or help you navigate through dealing with a state agency if the need arises! We also look forward to deep diving a bit more on the wrap up for session, and sending you all the highlights and lowlights before we sign off for the blackout. We’ll touch more on that topic next week!
Photo taken after successfully carrying my last bill in the House
 
HB 4148 - Allows for more local control over transient lodging tax dollars - Passed.
SB 1517 - Enshrines "recreational immunity" into law. Passed.
HB 4147 - Creates a reporting system to collect employer data number of employees receiving public medical assistance. Passed.
HB 4014 - Establishes a task force to explore even more new taxes. Passed.
HB 4046 - Directs Energy Department to study clean nuclear energy. Died.
SB 1507A - Strips $311 million in federal tax relief. Passed.
SB 1599 - Moves date of gas tax & fee referendum to May election. Passed.
HB 4079 - Stops school districts from working with ICE. Passed.
HB 4138 - Attempt to unmask ICE. Passed.
HB 4145 - Delays Ballot Measure 114 until 2028. Passed.
HB 4098 - Allows 3rd party lawsuits for insurance. Died.
HB 4114 - Makes federal law enforcement agents personally subject to lawsuits. Passed.
HB 4088 – State sponsored "gender affirming care". Passed.
HB 4153 - Allows counties to approve farm stores, instead of farm stands, as nonfarm use on lands zoned for farm use. Passed.
SB 1509 - Preventing rogue electors in presidential elections. Passed.
SB 1501 - Major Moda Center renovation, in an effort to keep Trailblazers in Oregon. Passed.
HJM 201 - Urges Congress to pass tax relief for wildfire victims. Passed.
HB 4137 - Protects vehicle sellers from parking tickets they didn't accumulate. Passed.
HB 4127 - State funding for planned parenthood following federal cuts. Passed.
HB 4018 - Delays and modifies campaign finance reform. Passed.
SJR 201 – Constitutional amendment to take the kicker. Died.
HB 4134 - Increase in state transient lodging tax. Passed.
HB 4111 - Makes immigration status not admissible in court. Passed.
SB 1573 - Bans needles from being distributed near schools. Died.
This week we're thrilled to spotlight six high school wrestlers in House District 11 who travelled to Portland and brought back state titles in their respective divisions last week--and now The Oregonian is asking you to vote for your favorite! Voting concludes March 22nd. Below is a list of champions from our district, with an embedded link that takes you to their division's voting group:
Eden Ridgley - 100 (Harrisburg)
Paxton Steele - 110 (Harrisburg)
Bailey Chafin - 125 (Sweet Home)
Andrei Donayri - 126 (Harrisburg)
Jesse Landtroop - 126 (Sweet Home)
Seth Wynn - 157 (Lebanon)
Sweet Home's Bailey Chafin winning state title. Photo courtesy of The Oregonian.
Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Sweet Home FFA Community Night Tonight
Sweet Home FFA cordially invites you to it's community night at the high school gymnasium! Festivities start at 4:00p.m., with dinner, awards, and a 50/50 raffle beginning at 6:00p.m.. This student-led event is a wonderful opportunity to learn all about what FFA does for the future of agriculture, and what Sweet Home's chapter has to offer! The event is free, but donations are appreciated. RSVP with the QR code below!
 Father Daughter Dance in Sweet Home Tonight
Join Sweet Home Club Cheerleading for their annual Father-Daughter Dance at the high school's commons area! Register with the QR code below, or go to Sweet Home Cheerleading's Facebook page. They can’t wait to see everyone dressed up and ready for a magical evening from 7:00 to 9:00p.m., so don't miss out!
 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Monday at Central Linn High
Come celebrate with Central Linn School District by joining them for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the grand opening of the west wing of the CTE building at the Central Linn Jr/Sr High School, featuring the new welding shop and small engines shop! Refreshments will be provided, and the Cobra band will be making an appearance.
See you Monday at 5:00p.m.!
 New Book Addition to Lebanon Library's Storywalk
Lebanon Public Library's "Storywalk" which blends the joy of reading with the great outdoors, has a new book to share with you! Bring your little ones and head to the library grounds to walk and read Singing in the Rain!
 Have Easter Egg Hunt at Home with "Egg My Yard"
Live in Lebanon, Albany, Brownsville, Halsey, or Sweet Home? Let Connect Linn County do some of the easter work for you! Your child can wake up on Easter morning to a yard filled with treat-stuffed eggs and a special note from the Easter Bunny. Each egg will be stuffed with candy, sticker or a small toy. They accept cash, check, Venmo/Paypal, or Debit through this link.
 
Wild Rivers 4H Camp Registration Open
Happening this summer, the new Wild Rivers 4-H Camp is combining two beloved programs—Four Rivers and Wild West—into one unforgettable camp experience for youth ages 9–13. Held at the beautiful Oregon Outdoor Education Center, campers will spend a week exploring the outdoors while enjoying favorites like canoeing, archery, camp games, and plenty of new activities alongside trained 4-H counselors and volunteers. Two sessions are available: June 17–21 and August 11–15. Registration is $625 per camper with payment plans available, and scholarships may be requested through the Linn County 4-H Program. Sign up here!
 Youth Tractor Safety Classes in Linn County
These classes are run by the 4H, and are available to all youth ages 14-17! For information or to get enrolled, click here. If your youth is thinking about working on a farm this summer, plan ahead as classes fill up fast!
 
Like Rep. Cate said in the intro, that's a wrap! We had a truly great session this year, all things considered, and now it's time to get going on post-session projects. We may be a "part-time" legislature in Oregon, but that doesn't mean the work stops in these long interims. Some of it has to do with already gearing up for the 2027 "long" session--including having several workgroup meetings with stakeholders on the road legal ATV topic--but a lot of the immediate work is getting as much mass communication out to the district as we can before our mandated "blackout period" on communications begins March 20th. This ethics rule ensures that our office budgets aren't being used for campaign purposes with the primary election just around the corner. As such, there will be another blackout period this fall leading up to the November general election.
I would be remiss to not touch on the afterhours office shenanigans one last time now that we've adjourned from session. As you might recall, Rep. Ruiz's office and our office have been in a prank war, after Rep. Ruiz's Chief of Staff, Omar, removed a guitar that was a crucial element to our Pioneer Quest scavenger hunt. After several hard-hitting but good-natured pranks, I'm thrilled to report that Rep. Ruiz announced on the House Floor that his office is losing the war, and that Omar should surrender. To hear his brief comments, click here!
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Oregon lawmakers close out 2026 session having addressed immigration enforcement, transportation cuts, arena funding
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon lawmakers ended this year’s legislative session Friday after spending five weeks addressing bills in a hodgepodge of policy areas, ranging from federal immigration enforcement and tax breaks to NBA arena funding and transportation program cuts.
Republican lawmakers will sue to keep Oregon transportation tax vote on November ballot
The Oregonian/OregonLive
The same Republicans who led the referendum campaign said Tuesday they will file a lawsuit against Secretary of State Tobias Read, arguing that lawmakers cannot alter the election date of a referendum measure after it has been successfully placed on the ballot.
Oregon’s largest teachers union, Working Families Party decline to endorse in governor’s race
The Oregonian/OregonLive
Members of Oregon’s largest teachers union and the liberal Working Families Party will not endorse any of the current candidates for governor, including incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek. That’s despite both groups supporting Kotek in her 2022 run for governor and in past legislative races.
Lawmakers unveil plan to fund Oregon Department of Transportation
Statesman Journal
Members of the Joint Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development heard from ODOT on potential areas to cut in a Feb. 10 informational hearing. ODOT presented members of the Joint Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development with a total of $585.8 million in potential cuts.
Oregon lawmakers advance bill to enforce waivers at gyms, ski resorts and more
OPB
An embattled bill to buoy health, recreation and fitness businesses that are facing rising lawsuits and insurance rates is advancing in the Oregon Legislature. State leaders reached a deal on Senate Bill 1517 — which would restore the legal authority of liability waivers in Oregon — Tuesday evening after hours of negotiations.
One Week To Go: Sine Die is Imminent!
Big Deadlines Mean Bills Are Living and Dying
Week Two of Session Recap
Session is Underway: 5 days down, 30 to go!
Short Session Starts Monday!
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