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• Campaign Finance

• General Governance, Privacy, and Consumer Protection

• Elections

• Artificial Intelligence

• Other Governance Bills

Campaign Finance

By Norman Turrill

In the last few days of the legislative session, we saw extraordinary machinations on campaign finance reform. We have been saying for months that HB 4024 (2024) needed some technical fixes to complete the historic deal that was made during the last session among Honest Elections, legislative leaders, business leaders and union leaders. It was said that HB 3392 was the bill that would be stuffed with these technical fixes. However, a last-minute deal was apparently made behind the scenes to allow Minority Leader Drazan to propose a -5 amendment to HB 3392 to delay implementation of HB 4024 by four years! House Rules held a public hearing on the amendment 6/25. The Secretary of State sent a six-page letter and testified for half an hour that the delay was necessary and that Oregon has a history of failed large computer projects. (HB 4024 required extensive changes to ORESTAR.)

All other in-person testifiers (including the League) and all 96 written testimonies were against the delay. For the House Rules meeting, the League and several other organizations had issued action alerts. Several news outlets also wrote about the situation including OPB, Oregon Capital Chronicle, and Oregon Live. 

House Rules had scheduled a work session on the bill for the same meeting, but they adjourned without opening the work session. We then saw House Rules reschedule the work session five times(!) that day and then cancel the work session all together. The bill and its amendment were dead for the session.

It is clear that we dodged a bullet on CFR and that powerful political interest groups do not want CFR in Oregon. However, HB 4024 is still part of Oregon statutes because Oregonians demanded it. It will still take effect in part on January 1, 2027. Some technical fixes will still be needed and could perhaps be adopted by rule by the Secretary of State or during next year’s short legislative session. 

Cybersecurity, National Guard, ethics, privacy and safety, partner agency budget

By Becky Gladstone 

HB 3954, for the Adjutant General to prevent the Oregon National Guard from being called to active service except in certain circumstances, was the only bill pending in this portfolio in the final week of the 2025 session. HB 3954 had passed from the House on a 31 to 16 vote. Senate Rules stopped shy of holding a public hearing despite League testimony in support. It was revived for a first (late date) hearing and work session, after a League letter was sent. This bill became more relevant with the California National Guard being called to action by the President in Los Angeles, overriding the Mayor and California Governor. One letter in opposition to HB 3954 believed that passing the bill would put Oregon in a position to lose critical federal funding for the Oregon National Guard. The issue turned from National Guard activation to hinge on support of the President. The bill remained in committee at the end of the session.  Republicans block attempt to prevent federal overreach with Oregon’s National Guard, Oregon Live, June 30, 2025.

HB 3569, a bill that would require a chief sponsor (legislator) of a bill to be a part of a rules advisory committee (RAC) for legislation they had a hand in passing was signed by the Governor; however she also issued a signing letter that addressed some of the issues of concern to the League. League testimony with our concerns and opposition to the bill.

HB 2581 (emergency services): The League spoke and filed testimony in support of a statute change, substituting the word “seismic” with “hazards”, to coordinate coverage efforts through the State Resiliency Officer.  The bill has been signed by the Governor.

HB 2930 Enrolled has the Governor’s signature, for conflict of interest of public officials’ household members. League testimony supported this bill brought by the Oregon Ethics Commission.

SB 224 Enrolled, has the Governor’s signature, to keep from posting campaign committee addresses on the SoS website, with League testimony in support. This is sadly more relevant with the recent killing of a senior Minnesota legislator and her husband. Minn. legislator killed in ‘politically motivated‘ shooting, Washington Post, June 14, 2025. 

HB 5017 Enrolled, has the Governor’s signature, for the State Library budget. League testimony remained the only one filed, supporting our partnership for League Voter Service information. They share our Voters’ Guides in the Talking Books and Braille Library.

Elections

By Barbara Klein

SB 580 Enrolled, signed into law (with an effective date of 9/26/2025), provides more timely transparency to voters showing online declarations of candidacy – or withdrawals – of candidates. (Concessions were made for the differences between various counties, big and small, rural and urban; and it exempted precinct committeepersons.) League’s testimony in support. 

HB 5017 Enrolled, signed into law (with an effective date of 7/1/2025). appropriates monies from the General Fund to the State Library for biennial management expenses (budget increases primarily inflationary only); analysis provided by Legislative Fiscal Office. League’s testimony in support. 

HB 3687 Enrolled, signed into law, establishes that cities cannot demand a supermajority vote to change their charter (most do not). To best allow local government to function for the people, only simple majorities to a CHARTER change would be possible, not including any ballot measure on taxes, fees, or fines. Communities will more easily be able to adopt new election systems with the majority vote. 

HB 3908 enrolled, signed into law, increases the percentage of state voters from 5 to 10 percent required for a party to obtain major political party status. Filed at the request of the Independent Party of Oregon (IPO); other minor parties wrote in support. The League did not testify on this measure.

Failed Bills

The following bills have failed via one process or another. Generally listed as “in committee upon adjournment,” indicating the matter is dead for the session. 

SB 210 may have been an effort to repeal vote-by-mail (VBM), although sponsors explained it as a ballot measure to have voters “reaffirm” their wishes. It included other requirements for voters as well, such as a valid government ID. Testimony (heated at times) received an extraordinary amount of testimony. League’s testimony in opposition. 

HB 3390 A. Bill would have allowed a joint legislative committee to create ballot title and explanatory statements for constitutional amendments during the 2025 session. League’s testimony opposing bill. 

SB 44 was election related. The amended bill, SB 44-4 would have changed statutes to establish rules for vote recounts, tallying or write-in votes when using Ranked Choice Voting, currently used in four Oregon jurisdictions. Another amendment changed language of voter registration “cards” to “applications.” League’s Testimony in support of SB 44-4. 

SB 1054, would have required “each county clerk in this state to provide a live video feed to be made available to the public through the Internet of rooms in which ballots are tallied and official ballot drop sites.” League’s testimony was a comment, neutral to the bill, describing our interest in transparency but concern for costs, especially in smaller or rural counties. 

HB 3166-2 promoted an open-primaries system. While the LWVOR strongly supported its original form and had been active in working on that language (somewhat based on the Alaska model), the amended bill contained points we have historically opposed (specifically a top-two election system). Despite our strong support for a “unified” primary, due to the changes in the bill, the League’s testimony submitted a neutral comment. 

Artificial Intelligence

By Lindsey Washburn

HB 3936 Enrolled: Prohibits any hardware, software or service that uses artificial intelligence from being installed or downloaded onto or used or accessed by state information technology assets if the artificial intelligence is developed or owned by a covered vendor. Will go into effect as law on January 1, 2026.The League filed testimony opposing the bill.

HB 3592 A: Establishes the Oregon Commission on Artificial Intelligence to serve as a central resource to monitor the use of artificial intelligence technologies and systems in this state and report on long-term policy implications. Was not passed and ended in Ways and Means upon adjournment. The League filed testimony in support of the bill. 

HB 2299 Enrolled: Modifies the crime of unlawful dissemination of an intimate image to include the disclosure of digitally created, manipulated or altered images. Will go into effect as law on January 1, 2026.

HB 3228 A: Directs the Oregon Cybersecurity Advisory Council to conduct assessments to address the reasons why public bodies in this state are unable to meet cybersecurity insurance coverage requirements. Was not passed and ended in Ways and Means upon adjournment. The League filed testimony in support of the bill.

Other Governance Bills

By Chris Cobey and Peggy Lynch

HB 2341 Enrolled (cybersecurity): Adds a uniformed service member's or veteran's e-mail address to the information that the Director of Human Services, Early Learning System Director, Director of Transportation and Director of the Oregon Health Authority are required to provide to the Director of Veterans' Affairs. League testimony supporting.

Failed bills

• HB 2250 (prison gerrymandering): Would have directed the Department of Corrections to determine the last-known address of adults in custody, if the address is readily known or available to an adult in custody, and submit information to the Portland State University Population Research Center. League testimony supporting.

• HB 2710 (cybersecurity): Related to participant eligibility in the Address Confidentiality Program. League testimony supporting.

• HB 2727 (ethics): Would have expanded restrictions on post-legislative service activities to prohibit receiving money or other consideration for advocacy on behalf of a public or private entity for changes in policy or funding for public or private sector programs or entities. League testimony supporting.

• HB 2692 was a bill that would create complicated and cumbersome processes for agencies to implement legislation with their rulemaking procedures. League testimony in opposition. The bill did not pass.

The Governor has provided Rulemaking Guidance to state agencies.

Interested in reading additional reports?  Please see our Climate Emergency, Revenue, Natural Resources, and Social Policy report sections.