Rep. Reschke: 2025 to be year of taxes

By Oregon State Representative E. Werner Reschke,

The new year 2025 is upon us, one quarter of the way through the 21st century. Here in Oregon, for better or for worse, 20 years have been dominated by Democrat public policy. In my opinion, this has created a worse environment for most Oregonians. Comparing the median price of housing in 2000 to 2025; and the cost of groceries, purchasing a car, heating a home, medical care, or basic utility costs, everything today is significantly more expensive than it was just a few years back. This did not randomly happen to us. It is the direct result of public policy-making decisions which have driven our basic cost of living up through the roof.

Unfortunately, the challenges don’t stop there. Democrat public policies enabled a permissive drug culture in Oregon. As a result, nearly every Oregon community suffers from an explosion in homelessness. Strict rent control, and other rental regulations, have made affordable housing a thing of the past.

Another sad element in Oregon is eliminating graduation requirements for high school students. This removed an important accountability standard. As a result, chronic absenteeism and low graduation rates plague Oregon’s Public Education System.

Yet, despite all this, a majority of Oregonians chose to elect Democrats to the super majority in both the House and Senate in 2024 elections. This means that even if all Republican legislators vote NO on raising current taxes and stand united against creating new taxes, Democrat legislators have the power to overrule and pass such measures. This super majority status is how Democrats passed the Corporate Activities Tax (CAT) in 2019 and raised taxes on small businesses in 2021. If you are unaware, the CAT is estimated to cost Oregon businesses nearly $1.6 billion in 2025. Of course, it’s critical to note that businesses pass that cost onto consumers at an average of roughly $375/year for every Oregonian. To a family of four that means paying an additional $1,500 each year in taxes. It is why we Republicans call the CAT a Hidden Sales Tax — you pay it without even knowing it on almost everything you buy in Oregon.

That brings us to the upcoming 2025 legislative session. Democrats are not going to allow their super majority status to sit idle. They are already anticipating the passage of new taxes and raising existing taxes. In my opinion, such actions will not improve the lives of Oregonians but only make them suffer. Simple fact: State Government already has enough of your money to do the things the majority of Oregonians need from government. The problem is not how much money state government collects; the problem is how government spends it.

Unnecessary Taxes

Here is a list of some new taxes being prepared for passage in 2025:

• Gas tax increase, and not just a little. I have heard discussions range from 35 cents/gallon and up higher.
• New Delivery tax on all goods delivered to your home from companies like Amazon, FedEx, UPS, DoorDash, etc.
• New Wildfire tax on utility companies, which will then be passed on to you.
• Increase Healthcare Provider tax, which will be passed on to you.
• Increase Beer & Wine taxes.
• Increase Timber & Harvest taxes.
• New Statewide Property Tax.
• Tolling on Highways.

This list does not take into account all of the fees that will likely be increased as well.

Not One Dime

It is my opinion, in order to have a world-class education system, safe streets and neighborhoods, a first-class transportation system, and return affordability to housing, utilities, and basic needs, not one dime of new taxes is needed to find its way to Oregon’s Department of Revenue.

As vice chair on the House Revenue Committee, and a member of this committee for the past seven years, I am fully confident the legislature could accomplish the goals listed above without creating or raising one tax. Matter of fact, your legislature could actually lower your taxes and accomplish those goals as, according to state economists, existing income taxes are expected to generate an additional 20-25% in state revenue during the upcoming biennium alone.

Your Voice Matters

Your involvement in these policy areas will be critical to send the message to the Democrat supermajority. Your voice matters. It is critical to express your opinion on these tax policies. Please consider signing up to testify remotely, or show up in person. Your testimony is essential. If we, the people, remain silent, we are merely consenting to the will of the supermajority. If Oregonians fail to successfully push back against the myriad of new taxes planned for the upcoming legislative session, 2025 will likely be remembered as The Year of the Taxes.