NEWS UPDATE FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE DAVID GOMBERG: Uncertain Times

2/3/2025

By Representative David Gomberg, House District 10

Before we wade into legislative news for this past week, please take three minutes to watch this video about legislation I passed recently to promote rural economic development and the kinds of jobs that bill is now producing.

Learn about the impact that House Bill 3410 has had on working families along the Oregon Coast and how this bill prioritizes living wage jobs, fostering new opportunities and community engagement.

The video was produced by Northwest Oregon Works and filmed at the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center in Newport.

House Bill 3410 and it’s impact on Coastal Oregon.

Friday afternoon I spoke at the inaugural Pre-Apprenticeship Program graduation at Oregon Coast Community College.

I watched a dozen new plumbers and electricians receive their certificates.

The event marks a significant milestone, celebrating not only the success of our graduates but also the vital contributions of partners and community supporters who made this program a reality. Together we are building pathways to high-demand careers in the trades.

I go to our Capital each day focused on Oregon and the challenges we face here. Last Monday started out as a fairly routine week in Salem with budget committees beginning to hear from state agencies and policy committees holding hearings on bills.

And then Monday night, the White House moved to pause federal grants and loans as President Donald Trump’s administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending. That move caused a lot of confusion as leaders took action to understand what a freeze might mean for the state and its residents. The pause was scheduled to take effect at 2 p.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, just one day after agencies were informed of the decision.

Administration officials said the decision was necessary to ensure that all funding complies with Trump’s executive orders, which are intended to undo progressive steps on transgender rights, environmental justice, and diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, efforts.

These are real programs that affect real people.

Thrown into uncertainty was the Oregon Health Plan. State figures show 33.5% of Oregonians are on the state’s Medicaid program. About 14% of Oregon’s annual education budget comes from the federal government, amounting to more than $1 billion each year. And 17,500 preschool children are enrolled in Head Start.

Other affected programs include SNAP and child care, roads and highways, health care research, child support enforcement, wildfire prevention and home resilience, and grants providing financial assistance to firefighters.

NOAA and university research are at risk, including many programs at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. Oregon State University is among the biggest recipients of federal research funding in the state. The university was awarded $370 million in federal grants last school year.

Looking at the bigger picture, altogether, federal funds account for around $38 billion of Oregon’s current two-year budget — nearly a third of spending. Suddenly we were looking at how we might need to backfill those losses, how to cut state funding by a third, or where needed replacement revenue might come from.

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined with 22 other Democratic attorneys general to file a legal challenge Tuesday seeking to permanently halt President Trump’s freeze. You can watch the press conference here.

“This unprecedented action threatens vital programs that support public health, higher education, housing, environmental protection, and law enforcement,” Rayfield said in a statement. “We rely on this funding to ensure that our state’s most vulnerable populations receive the services and support they need. These specific programs range from health care for low-income families, to help for survivors of domestic violence to education grants for children in underserved areas.”

Matthew Vaeth, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget wrote, “The use of Federal resources to advance Marxist equity, transgenderism, and green new deal social engineering policies is a waste of taxpayer dollars that does not improve the day-to-day lives of those we serve.”

President Trump’s budget office on Wednesday rescinded the freeze on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.

Administration officials insisted that despite the confusion, their actions still had the intended effect by underscoring to federal agencies their obligations to abide by Trump’s executive orders. The vaguely worded order, legal pause, and eventual cancellation left organizations confused and worried again about what might be next.

On Saturday, I attended two town halls in our district hosted by Senator Jeff Merkley and Congresswoman Val Hoyle. The freeze, tariffs, and anticipated deportation of undocumented residents were major topics of conversation. I’ve been attending these town halls for years and have never seen so many people!

Saturday town halls in Newport and Philomath were standing room only.

I returned to Salem today, hopeful that this week would indeed be routine. I would say that this past week was an example of overreach and an embarrassing setback for the Trump administration. According to the Associated Press, “The reversal was the latest sign that even with unified control of Washington, Trump’s plans to dramatically and rapidly reshape the government have limits.”

I will stay focused on Oregon. But I now expect further initiatives from Washington affecting us in the near future. Some of you will support them and some adamantly oppose. All of us will be affected.

I would describe the circumstances as uncertain. The lesson this week is don’t panic. Don’t overreact. And as the Senator said this weekend, don’t curl up on the couch in a fetal position to wait things out. Stay informed, involved and engaged. The best course of action on federal issues is to reach out to our Oregon delegation in Washington DC.

Senator Jeff Merkley

Senator Ron Wyden

Congresswoman Val Hoyle

And of course, you can also contact President Trump directly. I tried the email link on that page Sunday but it was not working.

Friday evening I gave some welcoming remarks at the Cape Perpetua Land and Sea Symposium. This was the twelfth of these fine programs and I’ve been pleased to attend each of them.

This year I previewed issues we hope to address in the ongoing legislative session. That included enhanced protections for nearshore rocky habitat and eelgrass, working to get more Oregon seafood into Oregon school lunches, funding for ocean research through the Oregon Ocean Science Trust, protecting access to beaches, parks and trails by restoring recreational immunity laws, and resources to remove abandoned derelict vessels in our waterways. I also provided an update on funding we secured to support our five Oregon Marine Reserves.

Earlier in the week, it was fun to see several of our local fishing families at the West Coast Seafood Legislative Reception in Salem. Best food of any legislative gathering so far this year!

Heather Mann and Rep. Gomberg pose with a typical Dungeness crab.

It’s Tax Season! Since Monday, January 24, the IRS and Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) have been accepting returns for the 2024 tax year.

Here are some suggestions to avoid any delays on the processing of your return:

File electronically, and request a direct deposit. On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund two weeks sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks. The department will begin to issue refunds on February 15.
Gather all tax records before filing. Taxpayers should wait to file until they have all their tax records, including Form W-2s from their employers and Form 1099s reporting other income.
Use Revenue Online. Revenue Online (ROL) is Oregon’s free internet tax portal and is the best way to communicate with the department. Taxpayers who don’t have an account can sign up on the DOR website. New users will be asked to verify their identity and may do so through ROL.
Free filing options. Taxpayers may use a combination of free electronic filing options available through the IRS and DOR. See IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon. Taxpayers are encouraged to use the IRS Eligibility Checker to see if they qualify to file directly with the IRS and the state.
Earned Income Tax Credit. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal tax credit for people for making up to $66,819 in 2023. Families may be eligible for a maximum refundable credit of $7,830 on their federal tax return, and a maximum Oregon Earned Income Credit (EIC) of $940 on their state tax return. Certain taxpayers without children may also be eligible for these credits.
Free and low-cost tax help. Free tax preparation services are available for low- to moderate-income taxpayers through AARP and CASH Oregon. United Way also offers free tax help through their MyFreeTaxes program. Visit the DOR website for more information about free tax preparation services. The department offers an interactive map to help taxpayers find an assistance center near them.
Free tax help clinics at local libraries. Volunteers from the Oregon Department of Revenue will be traveling to local libraries in 18 different communities across the state in February, March, and April to assist taxpayers who are eligible to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon to complete their returns. Dates, times, and addresses for each clinic can be found on the Free Direct File assistance at local libraries webpage.

Since the advent of electronic filing, most of us have needed to pay a middle-man just to carry out our civic duty to pay taxes. No longer.

This year, Oregonians will have access to Direct File. This online tool will allow some 640,000 Oregonians to easily prepare and file their returns directly with the IRS — for free. The launch of Direct File marks the start of a better way of doing taxes. So use Direct File if you can.

As I said earlier, citizen engagement is the foundation of our democracy. But it can feel overwhelming to know where to start if you want to be engaged.

Here are some ways to stay informed and engaged throughout the legislative session:

Track Legislation: Visit the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) at olis.oregonlegislature.gov to track bills, watch hearings, and access legislative schedules.
Testify at Hearings: Share your perspective by submitting written or in-person testimony for committee hearings. Instructions are available on the OLIS website.
Contact My Office: Reach out to me directly with your questions, ideas, or concerns.

Your unique perspectives and experiences help shape our understanding of how proposed bills may affect the lives of rural and coastal Oregonians.

Check out this Legislative Participation Guide to learn more about how to find and read bills, watch committee meetings and floor sessions, and testify on a bill remotely or in person. We will have many, many opportunities this year for you to be involved in the legislative process.

Stay tuned for updates!