Rep. Elmer: Comments on latest Prosperity Council recommendations

Prosperity Council Recommendations Could Put Oregon Back on Track, Will Leadership Act
By Oregon House Republican leader,

SALEM, Ore. — Today, Governor Kotek’s Prosperity Council issued its official recommendations, which include relaxing Oregon’s regulatory burden, reconnecting to federal tax codes, and lowering taxes.

Experts are recommending a much-needed course correction for Oregon’s failing economy — starting with our business climate. CNBC recently updated its “America’s Top States for Business 2025” rankings. Oregon now sits at 39th overall, 41st in economy, 43rd in cost of doing business, 47th in business friendliness, and 45th in cost of living.

House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville) issued the following statement:

“While I appreciate the work done by the Governor’s Prosperity Council, another report, no matter how thorough or thought out, can’t deliver results on its own. We, as elected officials, cannot continue to sit by and watch Oregon fall further behind.

I am skeptical as to how the Governor will implement the Council’s recommendations. How long will we ask Oregonians to wait to feel reprieve?

I am grateful that the Council is drawing attention to these issues, but businesses and Oregonians have been raising these same concerns for years. The Legislature has access to ample data to conclude that change is necessary, but the majority party has consistently pushed policies that take Oregon in the wrong direction. We must enact common-sense policies to address these challenges rather than defaulting to panels and lengthy expert recommendations that reach the same conclusions.

The Council’s recommendations — like amending the Corporate Activities Tax and Estate Tax — are not novelties; they are Republican priorities. If Governor Kotek is serious about partnering with legislative leaders who are passionate about securing prosperity for Oregonians, my door is always open.”