Table of Contents
June Legislative Days
Legislative Days were held on June 15-17 and consisted of interim committee hearings held between regular legislative sessions. Lawmakers met to hear informational presentations, discuss policy issues, and consider potential legislation. These meetings provided legislators, state agencies, and interested parties with an opportunity to share updates, raise key issues, and offer testimony about proposals that may be introduced in the following session. Legislative Days also serve to support ongoing oversight of state programs and policy implementation.
Senate Judiciary Committee
The Senate Judiciary Committee held informational hearings on several justice and policy issues. The Sunshine Committee Co-Chairs reported on the ongoing review of more than 600 public records disclosure exemptions, focusing on background-related exemptions and identifying inefficiencies and inconsistencies in public records laws.
The committee heard briefings on long-term corrections planning, including shifting away from additional state prisons and considering alternative options that better suit the aging prison population. Community Resolution Center leaders from different areas of the state highlighted mediation services they provide, including landlord-tenant, victim-offender, consumer-merchant, and other civil disputes, which help to expand access to justice and reduce court caseloads. Additionally, the Oregon Judicial Department shared information on court-connected mediation programs.
Lastly, members of the committee heard testimony on Oregon’s Anti-SLAPP law. Concerns were raised about impacts on government lawsuits against corporations involving deceptive speech. Those concerns included automatic discovery stays, disclosure requirements, litigation strategy exposure, and significant delays and costs.
House Judiciary Committee
The Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Judicial Department provided an update on implementation of HB 2005, which modified the forensic behavioral health, aid-and-assist, and civil commitment systems. The Oregon Health Authority provided an update on the forensic behavioral health system, specifically aid & assist and civil involuntary commitment/hospitalization. OJD shared data on updated court processes and forms, training for judges and court staff, and data related to certain court filings. The data presented included the first five months in which the new civil commitment statutes were in effect and showed that the number of mental illness commitment cases filed had minimal change, while diversion certificates/offers filed increased slightly and mental illness commitments resulting in hearings increased. With aid & assist, some changes included a slight increase in fitness issues and a slight decrease in the number of defendants sent to the Oregon State Hospital.
Lastly, the Oregon Department of Corrections presented an agency overview with significant health care challenges driven by an aging prison population. Currently, DOC has over 12,000 adults in custody. There has been a 32% growth in adults in custody over the age of 60 during the past decade, and health care costs have increased by 41%. The agency is exploring alternative programs and expanding early medical release to cut back on health care costs.
Senate Finance and Revenue Committee
The Senate Finance and Revenue Committee held informational hearings on several tax and revenue programs and policies. The Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) presented on the implementation of the oral nicotine tax, which is based on the number of units per package, generating $6.1 million in revenue during the first quarter. Funds were distributed to the Landscape Resiliency Fund and Community Risk Reduction Fund. DOR also presented on the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, which provides free tax preparation services for low-income Oregonians through more than 600 trained volunteers. DOR also presented an update on SB 1507 implementation, highlighting several tax policy changes, including modifications to qualified vehicle loan interest deductions, expansion of Oregon’s Earned Income Tax Credit, and disconnection from certain federal tax provisions such as the Qualified Small Business Stock Gain Exclusion and Bonus Depreciation. DOR highlighted the creation of a new job creation tax credit that provides up to $10,000 for qualifying businesses that add new jobs.
Emergency Board
In June, the Legislature’s Emergency Board approved funding to cover budget holes and other state agency funding requests including $1.1M for security measures at state courthouses — where there’s been an increase in threats. Twelve courts in Oregon were set to have no security screening or very limited screening. The board allocated $300,000 to strengthen digital privacy measures for court officials.
E-Board members also approved a request from AG Dan Rayfield and the DOJ to expand the agency’s antitrust team by adding 16 new positions — using $2.7M of its own funds for expanding the antitrust team. The funding will not come from taxpayers, but from the money the state collects when it wins antitrust awards and settlements.
Governor Kotek’s Prosperity Council
Governor Kotek created a 15-member prosperity council to advise her on how to improve the state’s economic competitiveness. The council worked on recommendations over the past six months and submitted its report to Governor Kotek on June 25, 2026.
The council’s major recommendations included replacing Business Oregon with a commerce authority, cutting outdated or overlapping regulations by 20%, and increasing support for industrial site readiness and infrastructure development. The council also recommended several tax reforms, specifically modernizing Oregon’s Research & Development tax credit, updating the estate tax, reforming Oregon’s Corporate Activity Tax, and reconnecting the Qualified Small Business Stock deduction to the Oregon tax code. Governor Kotek stated in a recent press briefing that she broadly supports several of the recommendations but gave no indication of how she will proceed.
Oregon Judicial Department’s Ombudsman
The Oregon Judicial Department is establishing a new ombudsman office through House Bill 2712 (2025) to provide the public with a way to raise concerns about their experiences with Oregon’s state court system. The office is intended to support transparency, accountability, and public trust by identifying issues and improving communication between the courts and court users. Judge Debra K. Vogt has been selected to serve in the role beginning in August. She will review public feedback, provide mentorship and education to judges, and offer a neutral review of concerns related to judicial conduct. Last week, Governor Kotek named Nathan Lichvarcik, a criminal law attorney, as her appointee to succeed Judge Vogt on the Lane County Circuit Court.
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2026 Oregon State Bar Officers and Public Affairs Chair
Tomás Hernandez, President, Oregon State Bar
Kyle Sciuchetti, President Elect, Oregon State Bar
Myah Kehoe, Immediate Past President, Oregon State Bar
Curtis Peterson, Chair, Public Affairs Committee, Oregon State Bar Board of Governor
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