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To contact me, please click here: Rep.AnnaScharf@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Friends,
I hope everyone's Spring is off to a great start. Summer is quickly approaching and with that the 25-26 school year is inching closer to the end as well.
Now that the Primary Elections are complete, the Legislative Black Out period has officially ended as well. This means my office can send formal legislative newsletters once again until we enter the next blackout period closer to the General Election.
The Legislature might not be in session at the moment, but my calendar remains full of workgroup meetings, legislative tours, constituent meetings, and lots of community events. Add in my job on the farm and it doesn't leave for much free time. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Stay tuned for an update of the June Legislative Days which are scheduled for June 15th-17th. While these committee meetings will mostly be agency updates, it is often a time where 2027 bill ideas begin coming to the surface.
Recently, my office has received lots of emails and phone calls from constituents needing help or simply looking for answers. In the last month alone, my office has worked hard on dozens of different issues. While not all issues can be resolved or have the outcome desired, my office tries to at least get to the facts and help as much as possible to bridge that gap between the government and the people it is supposed to serve.
As always, if you need assistance working with a state agency, have a bill idea, or just need help navigating through a governmental process - please reach out! My office is here to help.
Lastly, thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
 Anna Scharf
State Representative - HD 23
With the primaries over, the races in November are set. There were several races where incumbents vacated their seats in the House. So, there will be many new faces coming to Salem in 2027.
While it most likely will not be the changeover we saw in 2023, when 19 new freshmen legislators were sworn in, it will bring at least seven new faces to the House chamber due to open seats.
HD 7 – Rep. John Lively (D- Springfield) retired at the end of the 2026 session. He had been in office since 2013. The two individuals running in November are Kori Rodley (D) and Adam Wilson (R).
Kori works in Planning, Administration, & Operations, Developmental Disabilities Services, Lane County. He is a current City Councilor in Springfield and also served on the City’s Budget Committee.
Adam is a wealth advisor for LPL Financial with no prior government experience.
HD 9 – Rep. Boomer Wright (R – Coos Bay) also announced his retirement at the end of the 2026 session. He had been in office since 2021. The two individuals running in November are Claire Lynn (R) and John Ezra Scheirman (D).
Claire has worked in the House Republican Office as a Legislative Director and has prior government experience as a Lane County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) as well as serving on the City of Florence Community and Economic Development Committee.
John is a school bus driver and has served as a Precinct Committee Person as well as the CD 4 Delegate in Coos County for the Democratic Party.
HD 11 – Rep. Jami Cate (R – Lebanon) has served in the House since 2021 but chose to leave the House to make a run at the Senate seat for her district. The two individuals running in November are Ken Jackola (R) and Ivan Maluski (D).
Ken is the Mayor of Lebanon and the Vice President of the Albany & Eastern Railroad Company. His government experience includes being the Mayor of Lebanon.
Ivan is a farmer and Rancher and the former Policy Director of Friends of Family Farmers. His government experience includes being on the board of directors for Colton Rural Fire District.
HD 17 – Rep. Ed Diehl (R – Santiam) vacated his seat to make a run for Governor. He had been in office since 2023. The two individuals running in November are Dan Farrington (R) and David Nelson (D).
Dan is a Business Development Manager for Barrett Business Services Inc. (BBSI) and has no previous prior government experience.
David is a retired Radio Shack District manager and also has no prior government experience.
HD 18 – Rep. Rick Lewis (R – Silverton) also announced his retirement at the end of the 2026 session. He had been in office since 2017. There is no Democrat filed to run in November. Amanda Staehley won the Republican primary.
Amanda owns a nursery operation with her husband and has no prior government experience.
HD 27 – Rep. Ken Helm (D – Beaverton and Cedar Hills) also announced his retirement at the end of the 2026 session. He had been in office since 2015. The two individuals running in November are Tammy Carpenter (D) and George Norman (R).
Tammy did not list a current occupation on her candidate filling but is a former Anesthesiologist. She has been on the Beaverton School Board since 2023.
George is a veterinarian and lists his prior government experience as serving as a Precinct Committee Person as well as a commissioned officer in the US Navy.
HD 40 – Rep. Annessa Hartman (D – Gladstone / Oregon City) announced originally that she would not seek re-election but would run for Clackamas County Commissioner. After a battle with cervical cancer during the short session she chose not to seek another elected position at this time. She had been in office since 2023. The two individuals running in November are Adam Baker (R) and Michael Sugar (D) .
Adam is a retired police officer and current real estate broker. His listed prior government experience is candidate for HD 40 in 2022.
Michael is currently a high school history teacher in the West Linn Wilsonville School District and has no prior government experience.
HD 52 – Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R – Hood River) has served in the House since 2023 but chose to leave the House to make a run at the Senate seat for his district. The two individuals running in November are Scott Hege (R) and Hank Sanders (D).
Scott has been a Wasco County Commissioner for the last 16 years as well as a construction project manager. His prior government experience in addition to County Commissioner includes Chair of the regional jail authority, Chair of the local mental health authority and Chair of the local health district.
Hank is a Legislative Assistant in the Oregon Senate and previously worked as a political director for Congresswoman Maxine Dexter as well as being a reporter for the NY Times, Chicago Tribune and ABC News. His prior government experience listed is Legislative Aid to Senator Lisa Reynolds (D).
The quarterly revenue forecast was released on, May 20th, from the Office of Economic Analysis which showed state revenues continuing to climb, largely driven by gains in the stock market among higher-income earners, making the state’s revenue base more sensitive to shifts in the market.
Revenue might be increasing, but income growth is slowing in Oregon, partially due to high unemployment rates and because of the partisan bill passed in 2026 which raised taxes on Oregonians by disconnecting from some key federal tax policy changes. Without the $368 million in new taxes raised this past session, Oregon would be down $23 million.
The message being given by the majority party in Salem is that Oregon’s inflation costs are solely to be blamed on the Federal Administration. However, that blame does not explain why Oregon drivers are paying far more at the pump than most of the country. According to AAA, the national average gas price is $4.56 per gallon, compared to $5.35 in Oregon. Oregon has one of the highest gas taxes in the nation which adds cost to everything from clothing to food. Everything we consume gets to us on a truck at some point and those trucks run on fuel not pixie dust.
Over the last decade, single party votes have implemented multiple tax hikes, increased mandates that have artificially and unnecessarily inflated costs, and passed burdensome regulations that have steadily increased the cost of everything for Oregon households and businesses. Some of those policies include the Low Carbon Fuel Standard, gas tax increases, renewable energy mandates, and the state’s Climate Protection Program. Some of those policies are not even fully implemented yet!
State projections and outside analyses have warned the Climate Protection Program, once fully implemented, could increase the per gallon fuel prices between $1.51 and $5.64.
In addition, last year the Department of Energy released an “energy strategy” which recommended a series of new taxes and mandates that would increase energy costs for Oregon households and businesses by billions of dollars. The report itself acknowledges that:
“[T]he increased costs necessary to pay for significant resilience or reliability investments will fall hardest on those households and businesses already suffering from a high energy burden.”
I believe Oregonians are growing tired of increased taxes being the answer to every problem in Oregon and last week they told the government no more! 83+% of voters cast a NO vote on Measure 120. Those 780,000+ people came from all party affiliations, not just the minority party. Oregonians want better for our state.
The answer to making our state great again is to make Oregon businesses competitive once again. We need to re-evaluate our policies, regulations, and taxes. Making Oregon competitive again will also create revenue.
The revenue forecast, also reflects Oregon’s labor market. Job losses are accelerating and unemployment remains above the national average.
According to the Common Sense Institute, here's what the data shows:
➤ After a gain of +1,600 jobs in January, Oregon lost 6,900 jobs in February and 4,800 in March
➤ Oregon’s unemployment rate held at 5.2%, compared to 4.3% nationally
➤ Most major sectors contracted in March, with only Trade, Transportation, and Utilities (+300 jobs) posting gains
➤ Private sector payrolls fell by 4,000 jobs in March after losing 5,800 in February
Since the Pandemic
➤ Jobs still haven’t fully recovered, with total employment 7,200 jobs below January 2020 levels
➤ Most sectors are still lagging, with 7 of 11 super sectors remaining below pre-pandemic employment
➤ Largest decline is in manufacturing: -9.8%
➤ One standout - Education & Health Services is up 12.1% since 2020. However much of the growth in those sectors was added with one time COVID funds. Now budgets, especially public education, are struggling with how to fund those positions.
Bottom Line: Oregon’s labor market is showing clear signs of slowing. Job losses are spreading across private sectors, unemployment remains elevated, and educational services are going up, even though enrollment levels are at an all-time low.
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Earlier this month Oregon Public Utility Commission (OPUC) ruled on Portland General Electric's proposal for implementing the POWER Act (HB 3546, 2025 session). The decision means that data centers will pay more for new infrastructure that supports their growth, and reflects an important step toward balancing growth, reliability and affordability for Oregon customers.
The order establishes an important new regulatory framework for serving large load customers and adopts several core components proposed by PGE with rate changes expected to go into effect by June 10. As energy demand grows, it is critical that the costs of new infrastructure are allocated fairly and transparently.
Essentially, the goal is to ensure heavy power users are shouldering the cost of expanding the grid, and the costs aren't being shunted onto smaller companies or household ratepayers.
Meanwhile, Pacific Power is looking at a 3% increase in June. Having to payout over $2 billion in wildfire claims has set the company back. Pacific Power is asking for an upfront increase but plans to decrease rates again in 2027. Learn more here
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Speaking of rate increases, part of that is due to the amount of money power companies have been found liable for in damages. In order to prevent this from happening and to stop wildfires from growing, you may see more planned outages this year. When hazardous conditions such as high winds, low humidity or extreme heat increase the chances of fire, they may need to turn off power
Make sure you are signed-up to receive emergency notifications, not just in your neighborhood, but for your work or recreation locations too. Here is a resource to find any local emergency notification system in Oregon: OR-Alert : Emergency Notifications : State of Oregon
The McMinnville Chamber of Commerce hosted a very well attended Legislative Forum with myself, Rep. Lucetta Elmer and Sen. Bruce Starr. Thank you to everyone who participated and for being involved in our community.
 Falls City ribbon cutting for the New Wastewater Treatment facility. This project is finally coming to fruition after a $2.5m investment from the 2022 Legislative Session via HB 5202 which I was happy to advocate for.
I was thrilled to support our local fire district boards and present each of them with a signed parchment copy of HCR 201 from the 2026 Legislative Session. HCR 201, which I was a Chief Sponsor on, recognized all fire district boards of directors across the state in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Oregon Fire District Directors Association.
These districts in HD 23 include Amity, Dayton (not pictured), Sheridan, Spring Valley (not pictured), SW Polk and Polk 1. Thank you to all the board members who are elected by their local district voters to help oversee each of the fire districts.
Speaking at the Housing Innovation Village Experience (HIVE) Presentation and Breakfast event hosted by the Missing Middle Housing Fund. The room was packed with project partners and possible investors.
With Oregon facing a deficit of 140,000 housing units, HIVE is pioneering scalable solutions that reduce building time and costs while delivering homes attainable for middle income workers in Newberg. This 10-unit cottage cluster represents a new model for how we can build differently – the first of its kind in the country to combine this many housing innovations with workforce housing prices. Investments in innovative building technology such as mass timber construction are challenging to come by so this project checks two boxes. The HIVE will be houses owned and occupied by people working in Newberg and will be restricted through an HOA from becoming vacation rentals or rental housing in general. It truly is a project that is building a community.
Born from collaboration between major employers like Providence Health, A-dec, George Fox University, Friendsview, and Habitat for Humanity, HIVE demonstrates what's possible when innovation works with public and private partners.
Congresswoman Andrea Salinas presented a check for the Barbara Roberts Career Technical Education Center for students in rural Polk and Yamhill Counties in the amount of $850,000 to support students by preparing them for high-skill, high-wage technical careers. When complete, the center will serve students from Willamina, Sheridan, Amity and Perrydale giving them career-based opportunities to explore.
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Recently, Congresswoman Salinas was in Newberg and made time to stop by the HIVE site for a tour. HIVE and the Missing Middle Housing Funding, supported by SEDCOR and a $3 million investment from the 2022 Legislative Session, which I was thrilled to advocate for, will be actually breaking ground within the next month with a completion date in October. The development will bring 10 innovative single-family homes to Newberg with prices in the $300-400 range. Multiple developers, innovative materials, and offsite construction methods are part of what makes this project truly one of a kind. I'm thrilled to be a part of this process along with so many great community partners.
The Mayor's Legislative Prayer Breakfast in Newberg was a wonderful way to kick off Easter weekend. I was honored to join so many people in worship and to meet some new faces in the community. Thank you to Newberg Mayor Rosacker for the invitation.
I was invited to participate in the second cohort of Legislators put on by Foundations for a Better Oregon to examine K-12 education in Oregon and look at funding and policy options that could help improve our education system. I am the only Republican in the cohort.
In our first meeting we looked at how the Education system in Oregon has evolved over time and we were joined by former Governor Kitzhaber who discussed his time in office and the changes made then. I appreciated hearing Governor Kitzhaber's perspective, and it was nice to swap stories from way back in 1991 when I was a lobbyist fresh out of college and he was Senate President, as well as hearing him share with the group how well Salem functioned in 2011 when the House was split evenly with 30 Republicans and 30 Democrats. Despite the state facing a budget hole similar to today, that session was successful because Democrats and Republicans had to equally work together to solve the issues. A much different approach than we have today with the Supermajority he pointed out.
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Pictured with Sen. Mark Meek (D-Gladstone) and Rep. David Gomberg (D-Central Coast) and myself at the Oregon Winegrower's Association (OWA) Annual meeting. I was honored to once again be invited back to speak to the members of OWA about the past session as well as what I see coming in 2027. The wine industry has faced several challenges recently with the implementation of programs passed by the Legislature such as ag overtime and the extended producer responsibility program (EPR) as well as an overall decrease in tourism and alcohol consumption. As a vineyard owner myself, I understand these impacts and look forward to working with the association in 2027 to seek ways to preserve and promote this important part of our ag economy.
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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