2025 Oregon Legislative Session: An Inside Look at OPRI’s Priorities

The 2025 Oregon Legislative Session was both complex and unpredictable, with over 3,400 bills introduced — the most in two decades. Governor Tina Kotek focused on expanding affordable housing, improving mental health and addiction services, and increasing K-12 funding, but the sheer volume of bills slowed early committee work.

Budget pressures loomed after the May forecast projected a $750 million revenue drop from March, driven by declining personal income taxes. While still higher than the 2023–25 budget, available funds fell well short of the Governor’s Recommended Budget proposal.

The most contentious issue was Oregon’s $2 billion transportation funding gap. A late-session package of new taxes and fees faced bipartisan pushback — Republicans favored spending cuts, while some Democrats raised concerns about raising taxes. Despite several revisions, it failed to pass. Governor Kotek has called a special session for August 29, 2025, to revisit funding.

Although PERS-specific legislation was limited this session, OPRI kept a close watch on several agency measures, which are detailed in our report. Click here to view the full legislative report..