Oregon Politicians Accused of Dodging Donation Caps as Campaign Finance Law Gets Delayed

Oregon lawmakers have failed to expedite the introduction of new legislation passed last year that limits campaign contributions to politicians and other public officials.

The Delay is Criticized by the Secretary of State and Good Government Advocates

Their failure to give the matter due diligence has been met with dismay by good government advocates who have accused lawmakers of trying to avoid limiting the large flow of contribution funds by failing to streamline technical imperfections contained in the bill.

This criticism is echoed by the Secretary of State, Tobias Read, who has expressed disappointment their failure to advance the bill will delay its implementation by four years.

House Bill 4024 was earmarked for introduction at the start of 2027. The legislation limits individual contributions to campaign funds to $3,300 for candidates standing for state office in the House or Senate.

It also applies to candidates for the position of district attorney. Political parties are limited to contributions of $30,000 for state candidates and $15,000 for other candidates.

Political Campaign Financing Dashboard Must Be Updated

The legislation also calls on the Secretary of State’s Office to update the campaign financing tracking system. The digital dashboard will track contributions to political candidates by corporations, industrial organizations, unions, and individuals.

The updated dashboard will also track significant contributions made by ‘dark money groups’ that will have to disclose the amounts they spend on financing individual campaigns.