SALEM, Ore. — Today, House Democrats, including Rep David Gomberg (D, Otis) passed Senate Bill 1599, effectively ignoring the
overwhelming majority of Oregonians who opposed it in public testimony; and disregarding
the warning by the Secretary of the State, who cautioned that failing to pass the bill by the
February 25 deadline would risk denying voters a “fair and equal chance” to participate in
the democratic process.
“By passing Senate Bill 1599, Democrats are sending a clear message to the more than
250,000 Oregonians who signed petitions, and the 4,600 Oregonians who opposed this bill,
that their voices don’t matter,” said House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer (R, McMinnville). “In passing this bill, the majority party has shown that when upholding
democratic processes don’t work in their favor, they are willing to circumvent the law to
disenfranchise voters. This sets a dangerous precedent,” she added.
Since June 2025, Democrats have made multiple attempts to ask Oregonians to pay
more taxes to cover for their inability to hold ODOT accountable to its budget. In total,
approx. 7,500 Oregonians opposed these attempts in submitted testimony –
representing broad opposition towards new taxes and fees. Similarly, of the 4,670 pieces of
testimony submitted for Senate Bill 1599, 98.5% opposed it.