NEWS UPDATE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GOMBERG: Celebrating What We Did Get Done and the Fourth Too! 7/7/2025

By Representative David Gomberg, District 10
Last week, I wrote in detail about the abrupt adjournment of the 2025 Legislature. Last-minute procedural maneuvers, structural and systemic errors, and a fundamental lack of trust all contributed to an end that was far less productive than many of us had hoped for.

Lost in end-of-session headlines was news that we had already accomplished much of the work prior to the endgame breakdown. We made significant investment in K-12 schools, improved our public defense programming, established new training requirements for judges, expanded support for aging Oregonians and working families, and made a first-step in enhancing our existing aid and assist procedures so that we can more effectively help people who often cannot receive the kind of help they need.

Here are a few examples that you might have missed.

SB 179 – Recreational Immunity: Oregon is home to some of the most beautiful trails in the world, many of which are accessible only through private or city-owned lands. Generally, Oregon law has protected the owners of these properties from lawsuits related to injuries suffered by trail use. However, a recent Oregon Supreme Court case called those protections into question, resulting in many public trails and beach access paths being closed. Last session, I worked on a temporary fix. This session, we made those protections permanent, ensuring landowners, cities, and counties are not exposed to undue liability when they allow public access to their land. I was proud to play a role in advancing these critical updates and am pleased to see this legislation signed into law this session.

Fearing lawsuits, many local governments chose to close paths, hiking trails, parks, and beach access

HB 5002 – Funding for CASA: Like most budget bills, HB 5002 allocates money from the general fund to support a wide range of government operations. What made this bill significant to me is that it includes funding for the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program, which plays a vital role in supporting vulnerable children in the foster care system. This funding ensures that children continue to have a dedicated advocate by their side—someone who speaks up for their best interests in court and provides consistent support throughout their case. Since CASA programs depend heavily on trained volunteers, these funds will help sustain the staff and infrastructure necessary to recruit, train, and supervise those who step up to serve.

SB 83 – Repeals Oregon State Fire Map: In 2021, the Oregon legislature passed SB 762, a comprehensive wildfire management bill aimed at addressing the increasing threat of wildfires across the state. The bill introduced various measures, including new regulations and programs intended to enhance wildfire preparedness and response. However, one outcome of the bill—the development of wildfire hazard maps—sparked significant public backlash. Many rural Oregonians raised concerns about the accuracy of the maps and their potential impact on property rights and insurance access.

SB 83 would eliminate the one-size-fits-all building code mandates associated with the map and direct state agencies to develop new model defensible space standards. In addition to addressing the statewide hazard map, several other statutes will be repealed with this legislation:

Building code standards for wildfire hazard mitigation
Mapping tool for wildfire hazard mitigation
The definition of “defensible space”
Limitations on use of minimum defensible space requirements
Establishment of classes of wildland-urban interface
Fire protection for lands outside of forest protection districts

As a wildfire survivor, I take our efforts to prepare and prevent future disasters seriously. With this repeal, we are restoring trust in our institutions and ensuring that future wildfire prevention efforts are grounded in fairness, accuracy, and meaningful collaboration with local communities. I hope we can continue these critical conversations and put forward more collaborative solutions to mitigate wildfires throughout Oregon.

Controversial wildfire hazard maps were eventually rescinded. I voted several times with Republicans to bring this measure to the floor.

SB 485 – Natural Resource Exemptions from Taxable Estates: Building on Oregon’s commitment to supporting natural resource-based industries, SB 485 adds additional clarification to the landmark estate tax reform passed in 2023. Specifically, SB 485 outlines what types of natural resource farms and operations qualify for the $15 million estate tax exemption established for family-owned farms, ranches, fisheries, and woodlands. This legislation ensures that more families working in Oregon’s natural resource sectors have the clarity and confidence needed to plan for generational ownership.

HB 3064 – Ensuring Healthcare Coverage for Menopause Treatments: The Legislature passed a bill this session to ensure individuals experiencing perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause have access to essential treatments through their healthcare insurance. Menopause is a significant life transition that affects half of our population, yet it remains poorly understood and inadequately addressed in our healthcare system. Passed unanimously in the House and Senate, this legislation requires insurers to cover critical treatments such as hormone therapy, antidepressants, and osteoporosis-related medications. It would also ensure that new-to-market treatments are available to women. This bipartisan effort closes this gap in insurance and takes a critical step towards health equity in Oregon. HB 3064 awaits the Governor’s signature.

HB 3199 – Improve Student Attendance: Public education only works when kids show up in school. HB 3199 is a bipartisan bill to address the challenge of chronic absenteeism. Developed through a 10-month workgroup with input from educators, administrators, school board members, and community stakeholders, it represents a unified, research-based strategy to address one of Oregon’s most pressing educational challenges. The bill aims to standardize attendance data, improve family outreach, support early intervention efforts, and provide school districts with the tools needed to help students stay connected.

SB 110 – Stadium Money: Lawmakers passed a bill to help Portland in its push for a Major League Baseball team. Senate Bill 110 authorizes $800 million in bonds to help fund the construction of a professional baseball stadium on Portland’s South Waterfront. The MLB has not granted Portland a team, and the potential bonds would be paid off by income tax revenue generated by the baseball club’s roster and staff. Governor Kotek signed the bill. I was one of six House members (Three Democrats and three Republicans) to vote “no”.

A rendering provided by the Portland Diamond Project shows what a proposed baseball stadium would look like if Major League Baseball agrees to bring a new team to the city.

HB 3589 & HB 3506 – Senior Housing Development: People aged 50+ are the fastest-growing group experiencing homelessness in America, and their numbers are estimated to triple by 2030. Oregon faces a deficit of approximately 100,000 affordable rental units, a gap that disproportionately affects older adults living on fixed incomes. Fewer than 10% of housing is aging-ready. HB 3589 and its companion bill HB 3506 ensure that older Oregonians have housing they can afford by establishing the Senior Housing Development Initiative, directing Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) to develop and implement a program that incentivizes housing development for Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities with an allocation of $23.5M for vital senior programs, and $500,000 to establish the “Older Adult Housing Technical Assistance” fund to support housing location, design, development, and the delivery of non-licensed home and community-based services for older adults. HB 3506 provides $3M for home upgrades like ramps or installation of grab bars that will help vulnerable seniors or individuals with disabilities remain in their homes.

HB 3076 & SB 243 – Guns: As a gun owner myself, I’m concerned about new laws that restrict gun ownership among law-abiding people. At the same time, I’m interested in reasonable steps that will protect public safety. I’ve supported some firearms limitations in the past, like limiting sales to domestic abusers. I’ve also opposed some bills like the one requiring the storage of guns even if there are no children in the house.

HB 3076 would have created a state gun dealer licensing program on top of the existing Federal program. I found that duplicative, an added expense for gun owners, and a burden to small businesses. I was planning to vote “no,” but the bill was withdrawn. In its final form, SB 243 bans rapid-fire activators, gives local governments authority over prohibiting concealed carry in government buildings that hold public meetings, and includes language that delays the implementation of Ballot Measure 114 should the courts ultimately uphold that measure.

I saw no need to create automatic weapons with add-on devices. And while I had some concerns, voters passed 114, so clarifying implementation seemed reasonable. If Ballot Measure 114 is upheld by the courts, then making people criminals overnight for owning a high-capacity magazine would not be a good idea. The bill passed on a partisan vote.

HB 3560 – Child Care Facilities Siting: Childcare is a must-have for most American parents, but Oregon’s childcare crisis means that care is frequently unavailable or too expensive for families. Many factors contribute to the lack of capacity, including siting barriers that too often prevent childcare facilities from locating close to where people live and work. HB 3560 expands locations where childcare centers are permitted, making it easier to open and operate facilities in neighborhoods, near schools, parks, and places of worship. By eliminating zoning barriers that keep children at bay, this bill helps Oregon communities to support families and the youngest among us.

HB 251 1 – Cell Phones in School: A measure to create phone-free schools statewide failed, dying in the Senate Committee on Education after it passed in the Oregon House. However, Governor Kotek, acting in her capacity as the Superintendent of Public Instruction, responded by issuing an Executive Order that will improve the academic outcomes and the mental health of Oregon’s K-12 students. Specifically, this fall, school districts will be required to create their plans to implement cell phone-free schools by January 1, 2025!

HB 3978 – Primate Research: Questions about the quality or necessity of research done on monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) continue. These questions came to the forefront in March when the Federal government announced reductions in animal research funding, and OSHU stated they expected a 75% loss of research grants in the coming year. I have been critical of ONPRC in the past, but was particularly concerned that loss of funding would immediately affect the potential to shift to non-primate research models, cost hundreds of jobs, and leave the cost of maintaining 5,000 monkeys to Oregon taxpayers. Said another way, I was concerned about responsible management and government accountability. OSHU needed a plan and didn’t have one.

As a first step, I authored amendments to SB 181. Hearings on that bill attracted hundreds of people and thousands of letters. The bill faced opposition from the University and failed to move forward. I then introduced a new bill that called for OSHU to plan for how to retain or retrain employees and humanely deal with the primate population. Nearly half of the House members of both parties co-sponsored the measure. But the timing was late in session and there was no pathway to passage.

I then prepared a budget note, which was attached to HB 5006. That amendment passed both chambers. A budget note is not statutory, but instead places requirements on agencies that come with the commitment of state money.

The note requires OHSU to study and review the current and future financial viability of the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) and submit a report to the House in January 2026. That report will include the projected impact of funding reductions from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and any other federal sources, confirmation that no state general funds are used for any costs associated with the operation, maintenance, administration, or research activities of the ONPRC and a comprehensive plan for timely closure in the event that ONPRC experiences a reduction exceeding 25%. You can read the entire note here.

Last week, I wrote that the six-month session was overshadowed by partisan posturing on both sides, the uncertainty of policies and funding from the federal government, and a tepid revenue forecast that required most state budgets to be reduced. We took care of schools. We sorta took care of wildfires. We failed to take care of roads. We worked to address Oregonians’ concerns about the cost of living. And most legislation with unique opportunity or consequence for the Coast ultimately went nowhere.

My good friend, Representative Paul Evans from Monmouth, said it differently: “Modern politics focuses on the failures. It seeks out who to blame and why. Frankly, in today’s increasingly divided partisan environment, the fact that we passed a comprehensive budget, advanced most of our legislation on a widely bipartisan basis, and managed to end a session in a dignified, respectful fashion says a lot about the ninety members who served. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve during this past session and look hopefully forward to the next one. We have ample time to revisit our transportation infrastructure challenges, and next time we will approach it with the knowledge we did not have previously.”

The 2025 Legislative Assembly may have fallen short of expectations. I certainly had my disappointments. But no single issue should define the success or failure of a session. A number of good bills moved forward. Some bad bills did not. And we learned some things we will need to know the next time we focus on transportation infrastructure

Susan and I spent the Fourth at parades, music events, and enjoying the company of friends.

We began in Yachats with the venerable La Dee Dah parade, came north to Newport for the annual free Symphony, joined friends and community leaders overlooking Yaquina Bay for dinner, and then beat the sunset back to Lincoln City to check out the drone show over Siletz Bay. I must have had fun because I am really, really tired and ache all over.

Independence Day is a time for family fun, boisterous celebrations and serious contemplation of the remarkable events and remarkable people that birthed our remarkable nation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.– That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Again, as my colleague Rep. Evans wrote, “today, we celebrate the legacy of the courage of the men who stood up to the British Crown. They sought a world different than the one they inherited. They wanted a government given legitimacy by the consent of the governed. They sought a country that respected both faith and science.

I believe this holiday, the 4th of July, is for more than barbecues, fireworks displays, and parades. It is a moment for reflection. It is a day for gatherings of family, friends, and neighbors to celebrate the freedom to gather without fear, judgment, or penalties.

Independence Day is a civic ritual that should serve to remind us that our freedoms are not free, that our liberties are not secure, and that our government is – and should always remain – subject to the consent of ‘we the people.'”