Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has signed a bill creating campaign finance limits in Oregon for the first time in decades.
House Bill 4024 was the biggest surprise to emerge from this year’s legislative session. At a time lawmakers were taking up weighty bills on housing and drug policy, few expected them to tack on campaign finance limits. That includes Kotek.
“There were many people — myself included at times — who thought getting campaign contribution limits would never happen,” Kotek said Wednesday.
With the stroke of the governor’s pen, that’s set to change beginning in 2027. HB 4024 creates limits on how much individuals, businesses, labor unions and other political players can give to candidates.
It also requires more transparency around so-called “independent expenditures,” when special interests buy ads in support of a candidate.
Kotek and others heralded the bill as a compromise that will ensure the state doesn’t see an ugly ballot fight in November. But they acknowledged the law is far from perfect, and will need tweaks.