By CHRISTINE DRAZAN
State Senator, District 26 —
Editor’s Note: In February and early March, the Oregon Legislature has been in its bi-annual “short” session. —
On issue after issue this week I saw pure political power exercised at the expense of constitutional freedoms and the will of the people. Just a few of the issues that are in direct opposition to the rights and priorities of Oregonians: raising costs for energy and expanding the power of unelected bureaucrats, moving the date of the referendum election to May instead of November for political reasons alone, advancing tax hikes and regulatory hurdles that Oregon businesses can’t afford and shouldn’t have to navigate, enabling addiction while endangering children, advancing unconstitutional barriers to the exercise of 2nd amendment rights and generally attempting to secede from the union on a variety of issues when it suits their political purposes. All while rejecting legislation that helps solve the affordability, safety, and livability crisis that plagues our state – and instead doubling down on the status quo.
It is politics at its worst and Oregonians are sick and tired of it.
Maneuvered around the rules
Oregonians know they can’t trust Salem to set aside extreme ideologies and do the right thing. Entitled elites have pulled shenanigans when it suits them and maneuvered their way around the rules and past logic and rational thought to defend the status quo, even when it isn’t working and isn’t what we need or want as a state.
When employers leave or choose not to grow here, jobs disappear and the tax base shrinks. Instead of changing course and lowering regulations and taxes, Salem’s instinct is to protect government at the expense of local businesses and families.
Not only does Oregon have a hidden sales tax on top of income taxes and property taxes, we remain one of the few states with a standalone death tax. Legislation to eliminate or reform the death tax is introduced year after year and each time it stalls. The message is clear: government comes first.
Cannot tax and regulate to prosperity
We cannot tax our way to prosperity, we cannot regulate our way to utopia. Leadership requires clarity and accountability: what is our role, what is our constitutional responsibility, what are we trying to achieve, how are we going to accomplish that goal and are we succeeding.
It isn’t complicated. Tell Oregonians what you plan to do and why and tell them if we are succeeding or failing. Don’t fake it, don’t hide it and don’t gaslight anyone if they question your methods or your motives. In Salem this week we saw the opposite — politicians ignoring Oregonians when they shared their concerns, as if they simply don’t understand and certainly don’t matter.
Oregonians are the ones we are here to serve and they are rightfully angry and outraged. They deserve transparency, frugality, and accountability. They deserve results. They deserve better. ◼︎
Christine Drazan is the State Senator for District 26, the 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee and is a 2026 GOP candidate for Oregon governor.