Oregon Votes to Hide Home Addresses of Officials as Political Threats Escalate

Before the shooting of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses on Saturday, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill that will conceal the residential addresses of elected public officials and candidates.

Yesterday, Oregon lawmakers in the House and Senate marked Saturday’s tragic event with a moment of silence, paying their respects to Rep. Melissa Hortman, who died with her husband Mark, and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, both seriously injured.

OSP Warns Lawmakers Not to Become ‘Desensitized’ to Complaints by Disgruntled Constituents

Now, the Oregon State Police (OSP) has warned lawmakers not to become ‘desensitized’ to communications from disgruntled constituents following the Minnesota incident in which two couples were shot at their homes by a lone gunman.

Senate Bill 224 addresses the safety concerns of public officials. It requires the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office to remove home addresses from all online documents. The bill will protect lawmakers, city councilors, county commissioners, judges, and school board members.

Apart from one lone objector in the Senate, House Bill 224 was passed unanimously in the House last Friday, 41-0. If Governor Tina Kotek signs it into law, the bill will come into effect at the beginning of 2026.

OSP yesterday emailed lawmakers and staff, warning them not to become ‘desensitized’ to communications from disgruntled constituents. The agency also requested that lawmakers report suspicious packages and potential threats, warning them to be alert to ‘unfamiliar personnel or vehicles.’

State Capitol Will Be Heavily Guarded

Law enforcement will also appoint more officers to guard the Capitol building in Salem. They may not be visible to passersby, but will be ‘strategically positioned.’

According to authorities, the Minnesota shootings by the gunman was part of a plot to inflict harm on Democrats.

Oregon public officials are not unfamiliar with acts of violence by disgruntled individuals appearing on their doorsteps, particularly in Portland where the Mayor, Ted Wheeler, experienced protests by a large gathering of people who set fires and broke windows at his condominium complex in 2020.

Other incidents that year involving protesters included rock-throwing at the home of Multnomah County District Attorney, several acts of vandalism at the home of Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan, and the torching of a vehicle owned by former Portland City Councilor, Rene Gonzalez.