Republicans Pursue Estate Tax Relief

By Oregon House Republican Caucus
February 7th, 2025

SALEM, Ore. – On Thursday, the House Committee on Revenue held a public hearing on HB 2301, a bill to raise the Estate Tax threshold to $7 million and replace the tax brackets with a 7% flat tax above the new exempt amount. The bill had overwhelming support from Oregonians who testified in person and submitted written testimony to the committee.

“Oregonians should be able to afford to live in their home state without being forced to move away from their families during the remaining years of their lives,” said Rep.Kevin Mannix (R-Salem). “This reform offers Oregon families the hope that what they have worked so hard to build up throughout their lives can be completely passed on to their children,” Mannix concluded.

House Republicans have committed affirmatively to lowering the cost of living in Oregon, which has become the 39th worst state for retirement according to a recent Wallethub report. Additionally, Oregon’s Estate Tax is the 2nd highest and most punitive in the nation, while 38 other states don’t have an estate tax or have repealed it.

Rep. Bobby Levy (R-Echo), a co-chief sponsor of the bill, said that “HB 2301 is a smart, fair reform.” Levy added, “the bill modernizes Oregon’s estate tax, protects family-owned businesses and farms, and ensures that Oregonians who have worked their whole lives to build something can actually pass it down without the state taking an unfair cut.”

House Republican Leader, Christine Drazan (R-Canby) said that “taxes in Oregon are too high and the threshold for the Estate Tax is too low. Without change, many families will continue to experience challenges holding on to hard-earned family homes, assets, and savings.” Drazan concluded, “HB 2301 gives more Oregonians the opportunity to leave something behind for their loved ones.”

HB 2301 is chief sponsored by Reps. Kevin Mannix, Bobby Levy, Ed Diehl, Jeff Helfrich, and E. Werner Reschke. Additional sponsors include Reps. Court Boice, Christine Drazan, Rep. Mark Owens, Boomer Wright, Dwayne Yunker.