By Taxpayers Association of Oregon
#1. Quarter million Oregonians sign referendum on gas tax. As of last Monday on the final deadline, the campaign submitted the new total count of 250,900 signatures stopping Governor Kotek’s $4.3 billion gas by forcing it to the ballot for a public vote. The chief petitioners of the campaign is a unity team of Senator Bruce Starr, State Representative Ed Diehl and Jason Williams of the Taxpayers Association.
#2. 12 of 15 tax threats of the 2025 Legislature were defeated. All 12 of these tax bills had public hearings and some level of momentum in the 2025 Session, and yet opposition helped doom most of these.
#3. Media calls out problems with Governor Kotek and Democrat Senate/House Majority leadership. The Oregonian ran this quote and then pulled it after expected controversy.
The Oregonian Editorial mentioned, “But passage came only after months of embarrassing blunders by the Democrats in charge … Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the Legislature, bungled the process from the start. They did not release the funding proposal until three weeks before the session’s mandatory adjournment, and the proposal itself – a staggering $15 billion of higher taxes and fees over the next 10 years – instantly generated intense opposition from Oregonians exasperated with the state’s declining affordability and ODOT’s long track record of financial irresponsibility. Subsequent efforts to hurriedly trim the package also failed to advance before the session’s adjournment. Even the special session convened by Gov. Tina Kotek last September to pass a transportation package showed some of the same fecklessness, with the taxpayer-funded session dragging out for weeks to secure passage. Then, Kotek delayed signing the bill for more than a month, cutting the amount of time for opponents to gather signatures to refer the taxes to voters.”
#4. Wildfire risk map repealed. The State of Oregon put out a fire-risk map that made much of the entire state look like a fire hazard zone which was soon followed by charges of insurance rate increases. Public backlash got this map pulled.
#5. Finally, homeless camps got swept. Thanks to the 2024 Supreme Court ruling (23-175 City of Grants Pass v. Johnson) that allowed cities a path to remove illegal homeless campsites, many cities began to do just that. In fact, Federal officials have conducted one of the largest removals in the state by clearing a large encampment on thousands of acres of national forest land outside Bend.
#6. After 6 years, Portland rioters finally were arrested in large numbers. Since 2019, when far-left rioters began protesting ICE, the Portland Police, City Council, District Attorney, and judges have been very hands-off and tolerant of rioting. When riots broke out in 2025 at Portland’s ICE facility, Trump fought back by increasing agents at the facility and actually arresting rioters. The violent part of the crowds began to shrink because of these arrests. Because of national attention, independent journalists (HunneyBadger mom, Katie Daviscourt) and pending lawsuits the Portland Police began to enforce basic laws again. It took six years, but now the whole riot scene in Portland has been crippled. This is an incredible achievement.
#7. Legislative plan to disconnect from Trump tax cuts falls apart. Because Oregon tax law definitions are tied to Federal tax definitions, when Congress passed Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill tax cuts (14 major tax cuts) it also, in some cases, cut Oregon income taxes by default. The chart below shows how much Oregonians are saving from their Oregon taxes from the no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and business appreciation deduction. That is $900 million. Lawmakers tried to claw it back but their efforts fell apart.
— Bonus win: Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson (one of the most obnoxious elected officials in the state) will not run for re-election.
If you appreciate these wins …
then please support the Taxpayers Association of Oregon with an end-of-year gift.
#1. Free Oregon political tax credit: Donations to the Taxpayers Association of Oregon PAC are eligible for the Oregon Political Tax Credit and can receive 100% back on your Oregon taxes. A tax credit is better than a deduction because you can get 100% of your donation back up to $50 per person/$100 couple.
#2. Charitable donation: You can make a Charitable Tax Deduction to the Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation. You can donate stock, IRA disbursements and cash.
#3. Where most needed. Please donate to our 501c(4) non-profit Taxpayers Association of Oregon here. There is no deduction, but it is where it is most needed.
