House District 9: From the desk of Boomer Wright

by Rep. Boomer Wright

Oregonians won last night!

Just before midnight Friday night, we finally put the nail in the coffin of the last-ditch attempt by the Democrats and governor to impose on Oregon families and economy, the largest tax increase in Oregon history. They fought hard to get HB 2025 through the process but, procedurally, we denied advancement of rules and ran the clock out on their bill.

We were able to block their back-up attempt with HB 3402 creating a win for all Oregonians, officially ending the 2025 session, and denying a win for the Democrats and governor.

We did not get every bad bill blocked but, we as a minority party did some amazing teamwork to repeal wildfire maps, kill two out of three terrible gun bills, and save us from an enormous tax increase for all Oregonians.

This session has been at times frustrating, irritating, challenging and much hard work occurring both in and off committees and the floor. I want to thank those of you who encouraged me to never give up, never give in, never quit, and never surrender. We stayed, we fought, we won! 

Rep. Wright fights on behalf of coastal Oregonians

Rep. Boomer Wright (R-Reedsport) released the following statement as the session closed June 27 and Democrats failed to lower costs or improve education, while stripping Oregonians of their Second Amendment rights:

“As your elected Representative of House District 9, I feel compelled to not only represent the interests and concerns of my constituents, all my constituents, but to also uphold the constitutional rights of all Oregonians. 

“The gun bills (HB 3076, which we killed, and SB 243, which I emphatically voted against) are indeed horrendous and my first inclination was to walk off the floor during the voting process. I could not in good faith walk due to my commitment to District 9 and all Oregonians. If I had determined that walking would have permanently killed Senate Bill 243, I would have walked. I could not turn away from my responsibility to hold Democrats responsible and accountable for bad policy. Ultimately, after consultation with trusted authorities, I believe parts of Senate Bill 243 will be found unconstitutional.

“Remaining here in Salem, I will continue to fight against the financial burden that will be placed upon Oregonians by the biggest tax hike bill in history with House Bill 2025. Walking would give the Democrats a reason and excuse for not taking responsibility for this joke of a session and the transportation bill robbing Oregonians of their hard-earned money. 

“I will not allow the Democrats to use Republicans as an excuse for their failures to provide solutions for unaffordable housing, lack of educational improvement, increasing homelessness, unsafe roads, high taxes, unfriendliness toward business, and more. 

“I refuse to cower at home to cover for the Democrats’ failures with their only answer being higher taxes. I will remain here in Salem fighting for District 9 and all Oregonians.”

2025 District Grants (since May 2025)

1. Port of Coos Bay – $30,000 – for resealing and restriping parking lot of Charleston Marina (provided by Oregon State Marine Board)
2. Port of Coos Bay – $50,000 – to hire an independent contractor to assist in completing a new Strategic Business Plan for the port (provided by Business Oregon)
3. Reedsport Main Street Program – $400,000 – for paint, roof repair, doors, canopy, electrical repair, signs, flooring, plumbing, and heat pump expenses for 8 different locations (provided by Oregon Heritage, a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation)
4. Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District – $80,000 – for 2 different outdoor play areas and internal upgrades to a building (provided by Business Oregon)
5. Head Start of Lane County – $2,000,000 – for building construction in Florence (provided by Business Oregon)
6. Marcie’s Day Care of North Bend – $33,736 – for outside repairs, painting, cover for walkway to play area, kitchen floor repair and replacement, and re-carpet main playroom (provided by Business Oregon)
7. North Bend Main Street – $196,024 – for critical safety and accessibility upgrades to 17 commercial properties within North Bend’s Main Street district
8. City of Coos Bay — $100,000 – to procure a registered engineer licensed in Oregon to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate infrastructure improvements necessary to support residential development on an undeveloped site (provided by Business Oregon)

Other district funding from HB 5006 “Christmas Tree” bill (June 2025)

1. $14.5 million – Lane County Stabilization Center (support for mental health care)
2. $1.7 million – City of Veneta, Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion Wetland Mitigation Credits
3. $325,000 – Coos Art Museum, REFRESH Capital Campaign
4. $100 million – Coos Bay Channel Deepening
5. $247,500 – Southwestern Oregon Community College for Tioga Hall elevators (HB 3618)

Coastal House and Senate Republicans applaud ODFW Commission decision to keep Umpqua River open

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) adopted a limited fall Chinook season this year on the Umpqua River in the wake of concerning salmon returns this year. This is the first time the Umpqua River has dropped below the Critical Abundance Threshold (CAP) since the Coastal Multi-Species Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) was adopted in 2014.

Sen. Dick Anderson (R–Lincoln City), Sen. David Brock Smith (R–Port Orford), Rep. Boomer Wright (R–Reedsport), and Rep. Virgle Osborne (R–Roseburg) issued a joint statement in response to ODFW Commission decision last week:

“We appreciate the commission’s decision to keep the Umpqua River open this season. The Umpqua River is a vital economic resource to the many communities it serves. We also want to thank Commissioner Boice, on behalf of the whole Douglas County Commission, for taking the time to travel to Pendleton to make the case to keep the Umpqua River open. This does not reflect the fact that federal forest management has lost its way when it comes to managing their forests in our state. Riparian areas devastated by wildfires must be managed and replanted to assist in cooling water temperatures keeping invasive species from coming up stream.”

The season will be open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays starting July 1st until a quota of 500 wild Chinook is reached. The bag limit will be one Chinook (either hatchery or wild) per day and per season.

House passes bill repealing flawed wildfire maps

On June 27, the House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 83, which will lift the costly and burdensome regulations imposed on communities by the Statewide Wildfire Hazard Map.

“Oregonians desperately need relief from the wildfire hazard maps that have created chaos and fear across rural Oregon,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby). “Despite an incredibly frustrating political process, we appreciate the members who have chosen to do the right thing in repealing these maps.”

House Republicans made multiple previous attempts to force a vote on the bill on the House floor, but each time, they were blocked by Democrat leaders, who were determined to hold it hostage to leverage stealing the kicker.

“Today’s vote represents a victory for rural Oregonians by allowing them to protect their homes without the threat of government interference,” said Rep. Court Boice (R-Gold Beach).

“This bill provides financial relief to threatened homeowners and ensures that taxpayer dollars are spent where they have the most impact—supporting local efforts like defensible space, forest thinning, and wildfire readiness programs,” said Rep. Virgle Osborne (R-Roseburg).

Senate Bill 83 passed overwhelmingly with a bipartisan vote of 50 to 1. It now heads to the governor’s desk.

Rep. Boomer Wright serves District 9, the beautiful Oregon Coast from Coos Bay up to Florence and inland almost to Eugene.

• Capitol Phone: 503-986-1409
• Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-372, Salem, OR 97301​​
• Email: Rep.BoomerWright@oregonlegislature.gov
• Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wright