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To contact me, please click here: Rep.AnnaScharf@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends,
The final week of session felt like it was all 35 days rolled into 5 very long days!
With policy committees wrapped up it was all about floor sessions, moving bills from one chamber to the other and then onto the Governor’s desk. There were negotiations between presiding officers and completing the one thing we are constitutionally required to do, the rebalance of the budget.
However, the reward at the end of the long week… the 2026 Legislative Session announced Sine Die (session had been completed). Below you will find a list of bill updates and if you missed any of my previous newsletters, there is a lot of other bill information in those updates.
The next time I will officially be back in Salem will be for Legislative Days which are scheduled June 15-17. Committees will meet for informational hearings and prepare for the upcoming 2027 Legislative Session. I will make sure to share any information provided during this week with all of you.
With the Primary Election coming up in May, this may be my last newsletter until Legislative Days in June. The Legislature has rules on official communications during the election cycle due to unfair advantages it would give incumbent members.
However, my office remains available with any questions or concerns you might have with issues related to state business.
Thank you for your continued support and advocacy during the short session. Your voice matters in the process.
Sincerely,
 Anna Scharf
State Representative - HD 23
SB 1501B - The Moda Center bill Passed the House 42 to 14 and the Senate 24 to 6. I did not vote No on the bill because I dislike like sports… or the Trail Blazers, but because I believe that this is not the right solution for the taxpayers of Oregon.
In June of 2025, I was the only NO vote on HCR 40, a resolution that recognized the Trail Blazers for their economic contributions to the State of Oregon. I did not vote No on that the bill because I didn’t like the Portland Trail Blazers either. I voted no because I saw what was coming next. Earlier that week the House had passed SB 110 which provided a State backed loan of up to $2 billion to a TBD Major League Baseball franchise to build a new stadium in Portland if they decide to locate here. The baseball franchise would then pay back the 30-year loan with payroll taxes from their players and visiting players…a jock tax.
I concluded that the Portland Trail Blazers, who play in an arena built in 1995, would absolutely be coming to the Legislature to say, “HEY You passed a resolution begging us to stay, we want a State loan too for 30 years, just like the one you gave a TBD Major League Baseball team, so we can build a new arena or we are relocating out of state”.
SB 1501B is proposing to do exactly that through another 30-year jock tax but with only a 20 year commitment for the Trail Blazers to remain in Portland.
This bill is not a fiscally responsible especially when we are in a "budget crisis." You can watch my full floor speech here. The bill is headed to the Governor's desk.
SB 1599 - The bill that moves the tax referendum from the November ballot to the May ballot. Even though the Secretary of State made reference that the bill needed to be signed by the Governor by February 25th, it missed this deadline and passed the House Floor earlier this week. I've written previously about this in newsletters and why the bill is so bad - as MANY Oregonians also agree and testified against the bill. Yet, it still passed and the Governor immediately signed the bill on March 2nd. Please take a moment to watch my floor speech and why I chose not to participate in facilitating the Democrat agenda during the vote; I was marked unexcused from this vote and for the remainder of the day. A lawsuit has been filed already challenging this bill. Hopefully that will hold up in court and the measure will remain on the November ballot.
HB 4147A - This bill creates a complex, multi-agency reporting system to collect employer data annually on the number of employees receiving public medical assistance which includes Medicaid and the Oregon Health Plan.
The drafter of this bill believes this bill is an avenue to gather knowledge to better assist Oregonians in accessing healthcare, with the intent of "protecting" healthcare coverage and "preserving choices".
However, in other states where they have passed similar bills, it has lead to a Medicaid tax on corporations
Did you know that it’s illegal for employers to ask whether their employee is on Medicaid, or to require that they accept the employer’s health plan. In fact, Oregon allows you to BOTH be on your employer’s plan and on Medicaid.
I was opposed to this legislation as it's unnecessary, and I believe it will lead to further legislation that will do nothing to help retain or grow businesses or employment opportunities in Oregon. You can watch my full floor speech here.
Once again, this bill passed on a partisan vote and is headed to the Governor's desk.
SB 1598 - This bill is intended to ensure vaccines are covered by health insurance which on the surface is a good thing no matter what your opinion is about vaccines. However, it goes much further than coverage. The bill actually permits the Director of the Oregon Heath Authority to appoint a Public Health Officer who will issue healthcare and vaccine recommendations. These recommendations will be submitted on the Oregon Health Authority website for all Oregonians to follow. Essentially, Oregon will have their own recommendations which may or may not follow Federal guidelines creating confusion.
Another partisan bill headed to the Governor's desk for signature.
HB 4018 – This bill amended the landmark campaign finance reform bill passed in 2024, HB 4024. The goal of that bill was to create a campaign finance system that was even more open and transparent than the extremely open and transparent system than we have already.
The 2024 bill passed on a bipartisan vote. However, during the Secretary of State’s rulemaking process, it became clear there were ambiguities that required the intent of the bill to be clarified, and the rulemaking took on things that the Legislature never intended. Therefore HB 4018. Essentially, this bill is a technical fix bill as HB 4024 was not properly written. The bill is headed to the Governor's desk.
HB 4145B - Gun legislation that will modify Ballot Measure 114. For more details about this bill, read my previous newsletter. This bill almost died in committee until Rep. Tran (D-Portland) was forced to change her vote, which ultimately led to a workplace complaint being filed. Read more here.
However, the Senate completely amended this bill by removing the bill’s harmful gun control regulations that would have further eroded Oregonians’ Second Amendment rights while criminals continue to break the rules.
Before it was amended, House Bill 4145 would have nearly tripled the cost of a gun permit from $65 to $150, doubled the processing time from 30 days to 60 days, and created new layers of bureaucracy that would have made it more difficult and more expensive for law-abiding Oregonians to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms.
Measure 114, narrowly approved by voters in 2022, remains tied up in litigation and has not taken effect. If the Oregon Supreme Court finds the measure constitutional, House Bill 4145 simply delays its implementation to 2028.
Firearms instructor and gun rights advocate, Derek LeBlanc said, “The original HB 4145 attempted to dramatically expand restrictions beyond what voters approved in the original Measure 114. By successfully replacing it with the A9 amendment, our dedicated group of Oregon gun owners helped stop governmental overreach. They forced a strategic pause on the implementation of Measure 114, moving it to January 2028.”
HB 4145B passed with bipartisan support as the only provision left in the bill was to delay the implementation date of Measure 114 to January of 2028. Now headed to the Governor's office for signature.
HB 4134 - The first of two measures this session aimed at raising the transient lodging tax (TLT) narrowly passed the house on a 36/22 vote. It needed a 3/5th vote. This version of the TLT increase would raise it from 1.5 to 2.75%. The new revenue would then be distributed as follows:
0.9 percent to Recovering Oregon’s Wildlife Fund Subaccount 0.1 percent to Oregon Conservation Corps Fund 0.05 percent to the Department of State Police to combat the poaching of wildlife 0.05 percent to the Wolf Management Compensation and Proactive Trust Fund 0.05 percent the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund 0.05 percent to the State Department of Fish and Wildlife for wildlife connectivity 0.02 percent for wildlife stewardship 0.015 percent to the Invasive Species Control Account 0.01 percent to the Department of Justice for anti-poaching & wildlife enforcement 0.005 percent to the Invasive species Council Account
I am never supportive of increased taxes regardless of the cause. The bill has passed both chambers and is at the Governor's Desk awaiting her signature.
If you wonder why all your overnight stays are more expensive next summer, this is why.
SB 1517B - This bill is a critical reform that allows for the enforcement of recreational liability waivers for operators of sports, fitness, and recreational activities —including ski resorts, gyms, rafting companies, and more. There was much work done on this bill so that the language was properly written and all stakeholders could support the bill.
In Oregon's challenging business climate marked by rising costs and regulatory burdens, this bill delivers much-needed relief to small businesses and recreation providers struggling with skyrocketing insurance premiums driven by excessive litigation. By enabling enforceable waivers for ordinary negligence — while preserving rights to sue for gross negligence, intentional acts, or serious safety failures — SB 1517B protects entrepreneurs from frivolous lawsuits, keeping jobs in local communities. The bill is headed to the Governor's desk.
HB 4153A - This bill came through the House Natural resources committee that I sit on, and when it did, I took a difficult vote and voted Yes on the bill.
Current farm stand permits come with limitations, including limits on indoor gathering spaces, restrictions on simple family‑friendly structures like play areas, strict income caps, and significant prohibitions on educational events. HB 4153‑A creates a new Farm Store permit. It allows an active farm to sell farm products, offer local goods from other producers, and host limited agritourism events such as pumpkin patches, corn mazes, flower festivals, and farm tours.
The bill also gives counties planner the authority to create clear, and enforceable rules to regulate access, egress, parking, hours of operation, noise, sanitation, and public health and safety rules. Finally, the bill prohibits using a farm store as a residence, hotel, café, or drive thru.
The day it was in the House Floor I was not there to vote due to a medical situation. However, if I had been, I would have again voted yes and supported the bill. Since I was not there, I thought I would share my floor speech on why I was voting yes on the bill.
Today I am taking a vote that is probably the hardest one I have taken since I came into office. Some of you are probably saying, wait Scharf, you are a farmer, this should be an easy yes for you.
Well, like farming, this is not easy. You see, over the last several weeks I have been all but torn apart by my district over this bill. Commodity famers vs. hobby farms, state farm bureau vs. county farm bureau, and me caught in the middle.
Now you all know me I do my homework, I read the bill, and I ask the tough questions. This bill was no different, despite never being talked about before session started by the supporters of the bill. Now, the opponents, they were in my office non-stop. I guess supporting the bill everyone assumed I was a farmer so of course I would just vote yes.
However, I don’t just vote yes or no on anything. I read the bill and do the work.
I did ask questions once I found the bill on OLIS, but the answers only led to more questions because the answers were strange and even contradictory at one point. I was not a no; I was not a yes. There were just a lot of moving parts, a lot of complexity.
So, I dug in and did more homework. I called my county planner. I called my county tax assessor; I learned a lot of new stuff from her it was great! (There are silver linings in everything.)
In the meantime, my email started to blow up. Feelings on the issue were heated. Interpretations of the bill, at times, were less than accurate, from what I was learning, but to many that did not matter. Of all the emails I received, from inside HD23 and outside, not a single one of them said vote yes except the one I got from Oregon Farm Bureau.
Today, there are 60 people in this room today who think they know what is best for farmers. They probably need to at least hear from someone who lives on a working farm and relies on a farm income to survive.
There are going to be speeches given about how we need to save family farms, how farmland is expensive, and people can’t make a living on it and this provides another opportunity for them.
There are going to be speeches about how we need to protect EFU land from commercialization and this bill will bring in unwanted activities like concerts and non-farm activities.
Yet, in past sessions, this session, and mark my words, in future sessions, we have and will continue to pass bills making it more expensive and more difficult to ACTUALLY JUST FARM!
So, some small and medium size farms are looking for anything just to keep their land. For some its solar farms, for others its farm stands and now farm stores. We give them something to help with their farm income loss due to decisions made here that made it more difficult on them to make a living off their small farm. We can then say we did something, and we feel better.
Well ya know what, it feels like CRAP to those of us who just want to FARM! Those who are commodity farmers who never get ANYTHING from this building except more regulations and more cost.
This bill helps a few small or maybe medium size farms, but it does NOTHING for the top 5 Oregon Ag commodities. The ones that actually drive the Oregon ag economy. This bill does NOTHING for 30%+ of our farms because they are not and will NEVER have farm stores or offer agritourism.
I am ONLY voting yes today because I believe in 3 things.
- This bill was thoroughly vetted and supported at the State level by Farm Bureau.
- The County planners were involved in the process and will have local control of many of the important parameters that people brought up in emails to my office.
- This is an opportunity for a niche farming community and farmers need to help each other because God knows they don’t get much help from the government.
Finally, I am asking that after you take your vote today, I want you to ask yourself what are you going to do in 2027 to help the other 30+% of the farmers in this state…the larger farms, the commodity farms, the economic ag engine of the state…because it is time we STOP ignoring them.
I joined Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) this week to meet with business leaders throughout our State. I've said many times this session when speaking out against anti-business bills on the floor, Oregon should have a sign that says, "CLOSED FOR BUSINESS". There was very little legislation passed this session to help our business community. Oregon’s rules and regulations keep deteriorating our ability to retain and attract businesses. We need to fix this so we can change our sign to ‘OPEN FOR BUSINESS” again.
One of my favorite things to do is invite our amazing high school athletes in HD 23 to the State Capitol and showcase their accomplishments on the House floor. Unfortunately, with session over I will not be able to invite these amazing athletes to the building to be recognized for their outstanding accomplishments. Please congratulate the following outstanding winter sports State Champion athletes from HD 23!
- Amity High School Girls Basketball – 3A State Champs for the 2nd year in a row
- Dallas High School Boys Wrestling – Carlson Langford 5A State Champ 215# Class
- Dallas High School Girls Wrestling – Khadijah Tabib 5A/6A State Champ 155# Class
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Newberg High School Boys Wrestling – Gavin Rangel 6A State Champ 144# Class
- Newberg High School Boys Wrestling – Hezeklah Worthington 6A State Champ 113# Class
- Newberg High School Cheerleaders – State Champions 6A Small Traditional
A message from the Oregon Department of Revenue
Make sure you’re deducting only “qualified” overtime compensation
There are new federal rules related to taxes on overtime compensation that have caused some confusion. “Qualified overtime compensation” is overtime compensation paid to someone that exceeds the regular rate at which they are normally paid, and it does not apply to all overtime.
For example, if a person is paid at “one and one-half times” or “time-and-a-half” their regular rate for an hour of overtime work, it is the “half” portion of the overtime rate that is “qualified overtime compensation.” To determine the new deduction on the federal return and corresponding subtraction on the Oregon return, most people can take the total amount of overtime pay they received and divide it by three to calculate their deduction (one third of their total overtime). You can avoid delays in getting your refund by making sure to only deduct the correct amount of qualifying overtime pay.
This IRS Factsheet provides additional information about the deduction for qualified overtime compensation. DOR may contact taxpayers to ask for additional information about how they calculated their deduction.
Free tax help is available
Oregonians have several free options available to file their tax return electronically. Free tax preparation services are available for low- to moderate-income taxpayers through AARP and CASH Oregon. United Way also offers free tax help through their MyFreeTaxes program. GetYourRefund.org is a new option this year for those with income up to $89,000 and Direct File Oregon is available regardless of income level. Visit the Department of Revenue website to take advantage of the software and free offers and get more information about free tax preparation services.
You must file a return to get your kicker – Use the Kicker Calculator
The kicker is a refundable credit that will either increase a taxpayer's Oregon state income tax refund or decrease the amount of state taxes they owe. It is not sent to taxpayers separately as a check. Taxpayers may use the “What’s My Kicker?” Calculator to determine their credit.
Only taxpayers who filed a tax year 2024 return and file a tax year 2025 return can receive a kicker. The credit is a percentage of Oregon personal income tax liability for the 2024 tax year.
Track your tax refund – Where’s My Refund?
Taxpayers can check the status of their refund on an e-filed return by using the department’s Where’s My Refund? tool. The Department of Revenue recommends that taxpayers wait at least one week after filing an electronic return before using the Where’s My Refund tool. Paper-filed returns won’t show up in the tool until paper-processing begins in late March.
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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