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Committee hears elections study amendment while debate over campaign finance changes continues
Summary
At a March 2 public hearing, the committee considered SB 1508 (an elections study ordered for the Secretary of State) and a dash-5 amendment aligning operative dates with related legislation; witnesses urged caution about rushing campaign finance changes and asked the committee to focus on alignment and implementation timing.
The Senate Committee on Rules on March 2 held a public hearing on Senate Bill 15 08, a bill requiring the Secretary of State to study elections and report back no later than Sept. 15, 2027. The committee considered a dash-5 amendment that would align operative dates with related legislation (House Bill 40 18) to ensure implementation work could be coordinated.
Carol Moreno, senior policy analyst for the Secretary of State, described technical constraints in Oregon’s current OARSTAR system and asked that operability dates be aligned with replacement timelines to avoid costly retrofits. "The current OARSTAR system has technical limitations that make retrofitting its nondisclosure functions complex and resource intensive," Moreno said, and asked the committee for support to align dates if House Bill 40 18 moves forward.
Public witnesses raised concerns about related campaign finance legislation. Sal Peralta of the Independent Party of Oregon said his group’s testimony on the bill was neutral but opposed the underlying House Bill 40 18 unless it is amended; he asked that testimony focus on SB 1508 as the bill before the committee. Dan Meek of Honest Elections Oregon urged the committee to use SB 1508 as the vehicle for a better alternative to HB 4018 and criticized the short process for shutting out stakeholders.
Committee members, including Senator Golden, expressed broader concern about the pace and complexity of campaign finance reforms this session and cautioned against rushing substantive changes without more inclusive stakeholder work. Golden said he planned to propose narrow amendments to extend implementation deadlines and create space for careful deliberation.
The hearing concluded with no committee vote recorded on the dash-5 amendment; members signaled interest in further deliberation and possible targeted deadline adjustments rather than wholesale changes to campaign finance law during the short session.
