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Oregon judges ask Legislature to raise salaries and create judicial ombudsman in HB 2712
Summary
Chief Justice Megan Flynn and circuit judges urged the House Judiciary Committee to approve the dash-2 amendments to House Bill 2712, which would raise judicial salaries effective July 1, 2026 and create an ombudsman and other accountability tools in the Oregon Judicial Department.
Chief Justice Megan Flynn and several circuit court judges told the House Judiciary Committee on March 31 that House Bill 2712’s dash-2 amendments are needed both to make judicial salaries more competitive and to add tools for early accountability and mentorship.
The amendments would raise statutory judicial salaries effective July 1, 2026, allow the chief justice to establish judicial-education requirements and individualized action plans, and create an ombudsman office within the Oregon Judicial Department to receive and respond to complaints and concerns, the bill’s proponents said. “This has been a deeply collaborative and thoughtful process,” Chief Justice Megan Flynn said in testimony.
Why it matters: Witnesses said salary stagnation is reducing the pipeline of experienced lawyers who will accept appointment or election to the bench, and that a nonpunitive ombudsman could identify patterns of problematic courtroom conduct earlier than the existing judicial fitness process. Flynn testified that judicial salaries have not been changed since 2019 except for modest cost-of-living adjustments, and that those COLAs alone are not solving recruitment and retention challenges.
Proponents described the bill as a two-part proposal: money to keep the bench competitive and internal capacity-building to address lesser performance issues with coaching and mentorship rather than immediate resort to formal fitness proceedings. “HB 27 12 aims to fill that gap by providing the chief justice with the tools she needs to help judges who need a little extra coaching,” Jennifer Ranch testified on behalf of Representative Paul Evans.
Circuit court judges who testified described heavy caseloads and community responsibilities to illustrate the strain on the current bench. Multnomah County Judge Jenna Plank said judges handle thousands of hearings and that “the current disconnect between our salary levels and industry rates … threatens that.” Grant and Harney County Judge Robert Rascheo described 24/7 warrant duties in a geographically large district and supported both the salary and accountability elements.
Committee members asked how an ombudsman would work given that judges are independently elected. Testimony and committee discussion emphasized that the dash-2 amendments would give the chief justice rulemaking authority for educational standards, individualized plans, and confidentiality rules for ombudsman records. Proponents said the ombudsman is intended as an early, corrective mechanism rather than a substitute for the judicial fitness process.
Conflict of interest disclosure: Representative Anderson announced a family connection, noting that a daughter‑in‑law is a circuit court judge in Multnomah County.
No formal vote on HB 2712 occurred during the hearing; the committee closed the public hearing after testimony and moved on to other bills.
