Rep. Emerson Levy's record on taxes and open meetings

The 2025 transportation tax bill (HB 3991)

On Sept. 1, 2025, Levy voted yes on HB 3991. It passed the House 36-12, so hers was one of exactly 36 yes votes. In her written vote explanation, dated Sept. 2, 2025, she pointed to the bill's 0.1 percent increase in the employee payroll tax and wrote: "I do not believe this is the time to be adding the burden of a raised tax on hard working Oregonians." She still voted yes. Her side: in the same letter she called it "not an easy vote." She said that without the bill, ODOT's Sisters and Detroit maintenance stations would close, and that "we can't afford to postpone road maintenance." She noted that the payroll tax increase "sunsets in 2028" and called the bill "a bare minimum package to keep our roads safe and open."

Voters said no

Voters forced a statewide vote on the bill's tax and fee increases, and it went on the ballot as Measure 120. On May 19, 2026, Measure 120 failed. The official count from the Secretary of State was 1,012,663 no votes (83.02%) to 207,066 yes votes (16.98%).

Moving that vote to May (SB 1599)

On March 2, 2026, Levy voted no on SB 1599, which set the vote on the gas-tax referendum for the May 19, 2026 primary election date. KTVZ described the bill as moving the vote from November to May. It passed the House 31-20. Her reason, as she told KTVZ: "my job is to represent my district, not my party," and "the overwhelming feedback I got from my district via emails was to vote no. And that is what I did."

The lodging tax (HB 4134)

On Feb. 24, 2026, Levy voted yes on HB 4134. It raises Oregon's state tax on hotel stays and other short-term lodging from 1.5% to 2.75%, starting with lodging charges made on or after Jan. 1, 2027. The added money goes to natural resource programs, mostly fish and wildlife. The bill passed the House 36-22 and was signed by the governor on April 9, 2026.

The Moda Center (SB 1501)

On March 6, 2026, Levy voted yes on SB 1501, the bill to fund renovations at Portland's Moda Center. It passed the House 42-14. OPB reported that lawmakers "approved up to $365 million in funding for the arena" and that the cost "is likely to rise higher than $530 million once interest payments for that money are figured in." The bill itself says the Legislature intends to borrow enough to raise $365 million for the arena. It also says the state has no legal obligation to provide the money. The bill sets conditions before any state money can flow, including a lease commitment of at least 20 years and terms that keep the new public arena authority from paying cost overruns, except for design changes it asks for.

HB 4177

Rep. Emerson Levy, a Democrat, represents Oregon House District 53, which includes north Bend, Sisters and Tumalo. On March 4, 2026, she voted yes on House Bill 4177, a bill that would have changed how public officials may talk with each other outside of public meetings. It passed the Oregon House 47-4. Two days earlier, on March 2, she also voted yes when the Joint Committee on Ways and Means advanced the bill 19-3. The Senate passed it 25-3 on March 6. Journalist groups and news publishers asked Gov. Tina Kotek to veto it, and leaders of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission raised similar concerns. Kotek vetoed the bill on April 16, 2026. It was her only veto from that session.

The other side: Lawmakers from both parties voted for the bill, including House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer. Only four House members voted no. City and county governments and school boards backed it. They said officials needed it to make clear they do not break the law when they text each other an article about an issue. When she vetoed it, Kotek said "the goal of this bill is important" but "we must get the details right." She asked the Ethics Commission to work with lawmakers on a better proposal for 2027. An April 5, 2026 Bulletin column by editorial page editor Richard Coe reported that Rep. Levy pointed out the bill made clear that city councilors simply speaking with constituents should not be seen as trying to secretly get around the public meetings law. [Bulletin column]