Liberal Dem lawmakers hold Wildfire Map repeal hostage

By Oregon House Republican Caucus
May 22nd, 2025

Today, House Democrats, under the heavy hand of Governor Tina Kotek and House Speaker Julie Fahey, made a motion to hold Senate Bill 83 hostage, sending it to the House Committee on Rules rather than moving it to the House Floor. Senate Bill 83 represents a bipartisan and bicameral effort to lift costly and burdensome regulations imposed on communities by the Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map. The bill has received careful consideration in both chambers and included extensive stakeholder engagement that resulted in the bill receiving unanimous support on the Senate Floor.

“Speaker Fahey and Governor Kotek are weaponizing the democratic process and playing politics with Oregonians’ livelihoods so they can leverage stealing their kicker,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby). “SB 83 has overwhelming support to pass on the House Floor today without any amendments. This bill has been heavily vetted through an open public process that included multiple hearings, stakeholder input, and thousands of emails from Oregonians harmed by these flawed maps.”

During the work session, House Democrats declined to advance the bill to the House Floor following a motion made by Representative Bobby Levy (R-Echo), which failed on party lines. “Lawmakers on both sides overwhelmingly recognized that the heavy-handed mandates imposed by the wildfire hazard map unfairly punished responsible landowners without meaningful local input or transparency,” said Rep. Levy. Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Energy, and Environment. “Yet Democrat leadership blocked this opportunity to deliver relief, clarity, and justice for rural homeowners.”

“It saddens me to see a group of representatives, who are so beholden to their liberal bosses committed to stealing our kicker, not care at all about the will of the people they represent. We have had almost 40 years to reform wildfire funding and House Democrats are now using these flawed wildfire maps as leverage to take away money from the same people that voted for them,” said Rep. Virgle Osborne (R-Roseburg), the House Republican Whip. “These wildfire maps have cost people property values, insurance increases, and many heartaches. House Republicans stand ready to vote and pass SB 83 today.”