|
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox. To contact me, please click here: Sen.FloydProzanski@oregonlegislature.gov If you're having trouble viewing this message, please visit my legislative web page at http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/prozanski/, click "News and Information" on the left.
Dear friends,
With Labor Day on Monday, September 7, I want to take a moment to thank workers for the many contributions they have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. Oregon was the first state to make Labor Day a holiday on February 21, 1887; 139 years later, we continue to lead the nation in supporting workers and their families. Please refer to my July e-bulletin bulletin for summaries of bills passed during the 2026 session related to jobs, our economy and workforce.
As a reminder, next week, from September 8-10, the Legislature will meet in Salem for another set of "legislative days." This is an opportunity for committees to hold informational hearings in the lead-up to the 2027 session (which is right around the corner, kicking off in January). You can review committee agendas and watch live proceedings (and recordings) using the Legislature's Online Information System.
The Trump administration and its loaded Supreme Court continue to attack Americans' voting rights. Oregon is staying the course on mail-in voting. Our state's secure, accurate and fair elections will proceed as planned this November.
Your right to vote by mail remains in place and state leaders continue to fight to preserve it. Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield sued the Trump administration after the president issued an executive order interfering with mail-in voting, and a federal court in Massachusetts blocked the order for Oregon and other states in the lawsuit. The U.S. Supreme Court remanded the case back to the trial court because the lawsuit was brought prematurely and the court ruled that the plaintiffs did not have standing. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read has made clear that Oregon's current mail-in ballot process will be used for the November general election. He encourages voters to cast their ballot upon receiving it and either mail it in or to use an official drop box. In other words: Don't wait to vote! Here are some voting resources to keep in mind and share:
- October 13, 2026, is the last day to register to vote in the November general election.
-
Visit sos.oregon.gov/elections to check the status of your registration or learn how to register.
- Mail-in voting remains safe and legal, but you should plan to mail in your ballot as early as you can. Postal processing can delay postmarking.
-
Use a ballot drop box instead of mail once you’re close to election day. In October, you can look up drop box locations, here: sos.oregon.gov/elections/pages/drop-box-locator.
Because I am a candidate in the upcoming general election, I'm subject to Senate Rule 14.20, prescribing a so-called 60-day "blackout period" that Senate members who are also candidates in an upcoming election cannot send mailings, press releases, notices and newsletters until after the election. My office will still be able to receive and respond to constituent e-mails during this period, so please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any assistance with state related matters. Please watch for my next e-bulletin in November!
Below you will find information on:
- September Revenue Forecast
- Session Accomplishments: Housing & Homelessness
- Regional Infrastructure Fund for Oregon's Small Communities
I hope this information is helpful and informative for you or someone you know. As always, feel free to share your comments, questions or concerns with me by phone, mail or e-mail.
September Revenue Forecast
The latest revenue forecast was released at a joint meeting of the Senate and House interim Revenue committees by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Below is a summary of the forecast. Families are hanging on under incredible pressure with gas and utility prices too high, and 35,000 families already losing food assistance because of federal cuts. A growing economy is a good sign, but if these gains flow only to corporations and people at the top, simple growth isn't enough. Our strongest future is one where every Oregonian shares in our state's prosperity. I believe we can get there together.
Revenue Outlook
The net General Revenue for 2025-27 is $35.7 billion, up $55 million from the June 2026 forecast. The 2025-27 General Fund net resources are now $37.9 billion, a $55 million decrease from the June 2026 forecast. Lottery resources for the 2025-27 biennium is $1.9 billion, an increase of $4 million from the June 2026 forecast.
Reserve accounts as of June are $1.16 billion (Education Stability Fund) and $1.98 billion (Rainy Day Fund). The projected ending balances for the 2025-27 biennium are as follows: Education Stability Fund, $1.27 billion, and Rainy Day Fund, $2.19 billion. The Rainy Day Fund is not projected to receive a transfer from the General Fund beginning balance, as the legislature declined to send dollars to the fund in the 2025 legislative session.
Kicker Outlook
There is no personal kicker projected for the 2027-29 biennium. No corporate tax revenue is projected to be dedicated to K-12 education spending in 2027-29.
OEA Economic Outlook
The overall economic forecast reflects a resilient economy nationally and in Oregon. Economic growth in the state has typically lagged national trends, but looks to have largely caught up to the rest of the United States. Oregon's unemployment rate is relatively stable, at 5.2 percent. This is a slight increase from the 4.7 percent unemployment rate shown in the March 2026 forecast. A "low hire-low fire" economy appears to remain the status quo. Population growth is expected to have a slow positive increase in the future, averaging 0.4 percent through 2035.
OEA Corporate Activity Tax (CAT) Projections
Anticipated revenues for the current biennium (2025-27) are $2.98 billion, down $94.6 million from the June 2026 forecast. For 2027-29, projected revenue is now $3.42 billion, down $25.7 million from the June 2026 forecast.
Session Accomplishments: Housing & Homelessness
Following the 2026 short Legislative Session, I'm sharing in-depth summaries of bills passed by subject area. Below is a comprehensive listing of accomplishments related to housing & homelessness — by Senate/House bill and in numeric order:
Senate Bills
SB 1523 - Ensuring Non-electronic Access for Tenants: Current Oregon law allows landlords to pass on certain electronic payment processing fees to tenants, but rules are limited to credit card payments and lack clear record-keeping requirements. Tenants may face unexpected costs or limited transparency, highlighting the need to update regulations to cover all electronic payment methods and ensure landlords maintain accessible fee records. This legislation requires landlords to provide tenants with alternatives to electronic systems for applications, rent payments, and accessing common areas or facilities, applying these requirements to all rental agreements to ensure equitable access for tenants.
SB 1561 - Streamlined Disaster-damaged Dwelling Approvals: Oregon law allows alteration, restoration, or replacement of existing dwellings on lands zoned for exclusive farm use, but approval rests with local jurisdictions and may be subject to appeals. This creates potential uncertainty for property owners regarding what changes are permitted and the process for obtaining approval. SB 1561 requires local governments to approve the restoration or replacement of dwellings damaged by natural disasters. The measure specifies eligibility criteria and sets limits on the size and placement of replacement homes.
SB 1576 - Strengthened Accessibility and Fair Housing Standards: Federal law requires housing and public accommodations to provide accessibility for people with disabilities, but limited enforcement in Oregon has resulted in fewer accessible units than intended, creating barriers to housing and equitable access. This legislation expands authority for the Department of Consumer & Business Services to adopt stricter standards for multifamily and other dwellings. SB 1576 also requires subsidized rental developments funded by Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
House Bills
HB 4035 - Expanded and Streamlined Urban Growth Boundary Additions: Oregon cities face housing shortages and high rates of cost-burdened households, but expanding urban growth boundaries (UGBs) is often a slow, complex process. Existing law provided a temporary tool to accelerate UGB expansion while ensuring a portion of new residential units are affordable. However, challenges remained in meeting demand and maintaining long-term affordability. This legislation modified eligibility, acreage limits, and procedures for cities adding land to urban growth boundaries under SB 1537 (2024), broadening housing-need criteria and increasing maximum acreage for larger cities.
HB 4036 - Establishing HOLD Fund to Preserve Affordable Housing: Oregon's affordable housing stock faces the dual risks of physical deterioration and the expiration of affordability restrictions, which can lead to units being lost to the market or falling into disrepair. This legislation created the Housing Opportunity, Longevity, and Durability (HOLD) Fund to support at-risk affordable housing projects.
HB 4037 - Comprehensive Housing Policy Updates Omnibus: Oregon cities and counties face challenges in developing affordable and middle-income housing due to regulatory, financial, and land-use constraints. While state law authorizes funding programs, flexible approval processes, and urban reserves to support housing development, local governments must balance these tools with compliance to statewide planning goals and site suitability, which can slow or limit housing production. This legislation addresses multiple housing issues by clarifying city and county project funding eligibility, strengthening the Oregon Housing and Community Services Department's enforcement for noncompliance, and allowing grant funds for moderate-income housing, protecting tenants after natural disasters.
HB 4082 - Expand UGB Additions for Specialized Housing: Oregon's UGB system constrained city expansion to balance housing needs with protection of rural and resource lands, but traditional UGB amendment processes can be slow and complex. Despite tools like the one-time 100-acre expansion option with affordability requirements, cities still faced challenges in quickly adding housing to address severe cost burdens for residents. This legislation allows cities and the Portland metropolitan area to add land to urban growth boundaries for older-adult housing, manufactured or prefabricated structures, and manufactured dwelling parks, including existing units, with defined review criteria, timelines, and acreage limits.
HB 4108 - Allow Targeted Noncontiguous Annexation in Eugene: Annexing land into Oregon cities requires a multi-step public process which can delay development and complicate efforts to quickly expand urban areas to meet housing demand. This legislation permitted the City of Eugene to annex certain noncontiguous land when all impacted owners petition and the land meets criteria for location, zoning, utilities, and access, with the city authorized to finalize annexation boundaries by resolution or ordinance.
HB 4120 - Allow Limited Smoking Policy Changes in Rentals: Previous law restricted landlords from unilaterally imposing new rules that materially altered a tenant's rights or obligations during an ongoing tenancy, which can limit a landlord's ability to respond to changing circumstances or enforce updated use and occupancy standards. This legislation permits landlords to amend smoking policies in certain ongoing rental agreements to prohibit smoking inside units or interior common areas, excluding Type A accessible units and during fixed-term tenancies, provided a designated smoking area is maintained and tenants receive at least 180 days' notice.
HB 4123 - Strengthening Tenant and Applicant Confidentiality: Oregon law protects tenants' sensitive information, including immigration status, from unauthorized disclosure, but previous statutes did not comprehensively address all aspects of landlord tenant data collection, storage, and sharing practices, leaving potential gaps in tenant privacy protections. This legislation establishes limits on the disclosure of tenant and applicant information by landlords, adding protections to safeguard personal and sensitive data.
HB 4128 - Limiting Large Investor Purchases of Single-Family Homes: Corporate ownership of residential real estate has grown substantially in the United States, now encompassing nearly 9 percent of parcels nationally and more than 20 percent in some local markets, raising concerns about housing affordability, market concentration, and the potential impact on tenants and communities. This legislation restricts certain large institutional real estate investors from buying single-family homes unless the property has been publicly listed for at least 90 days. HB 4128 also allows any person to bring civil action within five years for violations, with injunctive relief available.
Regional Infrastructure Fund for Oregon's Small Communities
Governor Tina Kotek announced that the application portal has opened for the state's Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF), following a $10 million investment from the 2026 Legislature that will help Oregon's small communities and tribes plan for and build needed infrastructure projects.
The program is open to Oregon local governments and federally recognized tribes with populations under 25,000. The Request for Grant Applications (RFGA) closes on Wednesday, September 16, at 5:00 p.m.
The RIF funding was allocated as part of House Bill 5204, the state's 2026 economic development package signed into law by Governor Kotek in April 2026. The RIF is administered by Business Oregon, the state's economic development agency. There are two funding types:
- Construction Grants ($100,000 – $1 million): Site acquisition, infrastructure construction, and related improvements
- Planning Grants ($25,000 – $250,000): Land-use planning, engineering, feasibility studies, and research related to constructing an infrastructure project
Applications will be evaluated on criteria such as project readiness and alignment with regional community and economic development priorities established by Regional Solutions Advisory Committees. A full scoring matrix and eligibility details are available in the RFGA. Applicants should review the complete RFGA for eligibility requirements, application materials, and submission instructions, and submit applications through the RIF portal.
|
