Sen. Jeff Golden implores legislators to provide long-term wildfire funding

Presenter: As we near the end of the 2025 session of the Oregon Legislature, Sen. Jeff Golden takes to the Senate floor with one more push for a bill he presented earlier this year. On Tuesday, June 17, Senate President Rob Wagner:

[00:00:15] Sen. Rob Wagner: Remonstrances: Recognize Sen. Golden.

[00:00:20] Sen. Jeff Golden: Thank you, Mr. President. When I brought to this session a bill to create a permanent wildfire fund from part of the kicker, I was told I was tilting at windmills. And yesterday the governor apparently said that the votes aren’t there. Many of you probably agree with that, but let me tell you why I cannot stop fighting for this bill.

[00:00:41] We almost definitely have a long string of fierce wildfire seasons straight ahead of us. Without investing adequate resources, we will watch more of our communities burn to the ground. Bare-bones adequacy will cost $300 (million) to $500 million per biennium. We are flailing right now for ways to scrape together $300 million, the low end of this scale for this biennium.

[00:01:07] We actually might not be able to do it. And the crushing challenge will be back every two years, never getting easier. SB 1177 would send kicker refunds in whole or part to single Oregonians making up to $95,000 or $190,000 for joint returns (see the table on your desk for the formula). The remaining $1 billion would become a permanent trust fund.

[00:01:33] We never touch the principal and use the earned interest for wildfire. Annual earnings of 5% would give us $100 million every biennium for generations to come—$100 million sitting there on the table for legislators when they begin every long session, to protect communities way after all of us are gone.

[00:01:55] Is there another single vote that could give Oregonians a gift as important and long lasting as this? I can’t think of one. We have one chance and probably only one right now to make this gift if we rise above politics as usual, please. Please think about this singular moment. Some windmills are worth tilting at.

[00:02:22] If you agree this is one, please let me know as soon as possible because the clock is ticking.

[00:02:28] Presenter: Sen. Golden continues to call for a realistic level of wildfire funding. With the Trump administration dismantling FEMA and shifting disaster response to the states, Sen. Golden may find more allies in the next legislative session.