April 9, 2026

2026 Budget Rebalance

The 2026 Legislative Session was a difficult one for most state agencies, with the Legislature forced to cut a wide range of programs to balance the budget.

The Oregon Judicial Department was largely able to maintain current funding levels in a challenging budgetary environment by making the case that the court system could not absorb additional cuts without deep impacts to access to justice statewide.  While some austerity measures were necessary, they did not result in court closures or other direct interruptions to critical services.

One program that fared well was immigration legal services, which received substantial additional funding. This additional funding will allow the bar’s legal service program to contract with a larger number of providers and serve an expanded client base.

The Oregon State Bar (OSB) continuously works with legislators and advocates for legal aid to promote additional funding for both civil and immigration legal services. In recent years, support from the Oregon Legislature has been the largest single source of funding for legal aid, accounting for about 1/3 of all funding for civil legal services, and nearly all the funding for immigration legal services.

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Transportation Referendum

In the statewide primary election on May 19, 2026, voters will have the chance to weigh in on a referendum on transportation taxes and fees that will impact the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) funding outlook.

Leading up to this point, in a special session last fall, state legislators passed a transportation package that would raise $4.3 billion for ODOT over the next decade by raising the state gas tax by six cents, increasing title and registration fees, and temporarily hiking the state payroll tax for transit.

After the bill passed in the fall, opponents gathered enough signatures to put the package on hold and refer it to voters. In the legislative session this year, lawmakers passed a bill to move the date of the referendum from November to May. ODOT faces a $242 million funding gap for the 2025–2027 budget cycle.

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2026 ABA Days

Every year, the American Bar Association (ABA) invites representatives from state and local bars to come to Washington, DC, to advocate for a variety of issues important to attorneys. Most years, the biggest topic on the agenda is federal funding for the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), and 2026 was no different.

LSC funding has been uncertain over the last year. In early 2025, advocates were alarmed by proposals to drastically reduce funding or even eliminate it entirely. However, the budget for FY2026 ultimately reduced funding by only about 3.6%. Currently, funding from the LSC represents about a quarter of civil legal aid funding in Oregon.

During the last week of March, several OSB members attended the event, led by Board of Governors members Curtis Peterson and Kyle Sciuchetti, who will serve as OSB President in 2027. The OSB delegation had the opportunity to meet with both of Oregon’s United States Senators and all six members of Oregon’s House delegation.

From left to right: Curtis Peterson, Dominique Rossi, Ayla Ercin, Erika Hente, Christopher Hente, Senator Ron Wyden, Ed Harnden, and Kyle Sciuchetti.

From left to right: Ed Harnden, Kyle Sciuchetti, Ayla Ercin, Senator Jeff Merkley, Erika Hente, Christopher Hente, Curtis Peterson, and Dominique Rossi.

From left to right: Dominique Rossi, Ed Harnden, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Curtis Peterson, Kyle Sciuchetti, and Ayla Ercin.

From left to right: Ed Harnden, Curtis Peterson, Kyle Sciuchetti, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, Ayla Ercin, and Dominique Rossi.

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2026 Legislative Reception

In February, the OSB Board of Governors held its traditional meeting at the Salem Convention Center. The Board primarily meets in Salem each February to give Board members the opportunity to meet with Oregon Legislators while the Legislature is in Session.

This year, the Board hosted a reception for both Legislators and Members of the Judiciary to discuss a variety of issues important to the Bar’s licensees. In attendance were several Legislators, members of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, and a wide range of members of the local Bar.

Pictured: Oregon Senator James I. Manning Jr. and OSB President Tomás Hernandez.	Pictured: OSB President Tomás Hernandez and Oregon Representative Jason Kropf.

From left to right: OSB President Tomás Hernandez, John Marandas, Oregon Representative Mari Watanabe, and Oregon Representative Kim Wallan.

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