Oregon
Oregon Democrats unveil plan to close Trump tax ‘loopholes’, reduce budget deficit
Two key Oregon Democrats on Monday unveiled a plan to increase state revenue by dropping several state tax breaks copied from President Donald Trump’s sprawling tax-and-spending law passed last year.
The plan, put forward by Sen. Anthony Broadman of Bend and Rep. Nancy Nathanson of Eugene, would bring in $342 million in the current biennium by disconnecting Oregon from three tax breaks in Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The proposal comes as lawmakers prepare to face significant declines in state tax revenue in the coming years, along with higher administrative costs, due to policies in the federal law.
The three tax breaks Nathanson and Broadman want to cancel, out of more than 100 in the federal law, apply to interest on some car loans, profits from certain stock sales and upfront write-offs for business machinery and equipment, known as bonus depreciation.
Because Oregon generally duplicates federal tax law, including by creating state versions of federal tax breaks, the tax cuts contained in Trump’s tax law are expected to cost Oregon nearly $900 million in tax revenue during the current biennium, according to state estimates. Nathanson and Broadman’s proposal would preserve a fraction of that amount in state tax revenue this biennium, because it would leave in place most state tax breaks copied from the federal law.
To offset some of the potential harm to businesses and Oregonians who are struggling financially, Broadman and Nathanson have also proposed funding $25 million in tax breaks for businesses that grow jobs in Oregon and $26 million to substantially increase the size of the state’s earned income tax credit for low-income workers.
In total, the bill would net the state an estimated $291 million in the current biennium, Nathanson and Broadman said.
The additional tax revenue the state would collect by cancelling the three new state tax breaks would be used “to protect programs and services for Oregonians and to directly help Oregonians, whether it’s individuals or businesses creating jobs,” Nathanson said Monday morning during a press briefing.
Nathanson chairs the House Revenue Committee while Broadman chairs its Senate counterpart.
For months, lawmakers have been preparing to address an expected budget deficit by developing plans to decouple from some federal tax provisions, trim agency budgets and potentially dip into the state’s reserves. The state’s projected two-year budget deficit shrank from $370 million to $63 million in the November revenue forecast. Lawmakers will receive an updated forecast on Wednesday.
Broadman and Nathanson’s bill could generate more revenue for the state in the next five years, in which the state is expected to lose billions of dollars in federal funding, mostly for food assistance programs and Medicaid. The two lawmakers said their proposal would bring in $308 million in the two-year budget period that begins in summer 2027 and $123 million in the following biennium, not including costs of the two expanded tax credits. The state’s current two-year general fund budget is $37.3 billion.
Broadman and Nathanson said they crafted the plan with the intention of closing tax loopholes for businesses that don’t directly benefit Oregonians. Disconnecting from the bonus depreciation provision alone would bring the state $267 million in the current biennium, the Democrats said — far more than disconnecting from the other two tax breaks might.
They pointed out that businesses will still be eligible for the federal bonus depreciation tax benefit and a similar federal provision that allows businesses to deduct a certain amount of the upfront value of purchased assets.
Broadman and Nathanson said they plan to keep Oregon’s version of the research and experimental expenses tax break in Trump’s bill, one of the largest hits to the state’s revenue according to economists, to ensure that Oregon can remain attractive to businesses interested in operating in the state.
Ending the capital gains tax cut for investors in qualified small business stocks would yield an estimated $39 million in income tax revenue for the state this biennium, Nathanson and Broadman said. Killing the state auto loan interest deduction would yield $36 million, they said.
Both Broadman and Nathanson said they are optimistic that the plan could even receive support from Republicans and business groups, who have generally been opposed to Oregon disconnecting from the federal tax law because of the extra administrative burden and because it could impose higher taxes on businesses.
“The business community sees what we are facing with the federal government essentially taking a billion dollars out of the budget,” Broadman said. “I’m optimistic that they’re going to understand that this is necessary to continue to invest in health care, education and public safety.”
However, the group Oregon Business & Industry vowed on Monday afternoon to “vigorously oppose” Democrats’ plan, introduced to the Legislature as Senate Bill 1507.
“We’ve been asking leaders to ‘do no more harm,’ and this would certainly dig our economic hole deeper,” the group’s president and CEO Angela Wilhelms said in a statement. She said lawmakers in particular should not cancel the state’s new business tax break “that would help businesses — especially small to midsized manufacturers — invest more now in their companies and employees.”
Nathanson and Broadman noted that they plan to keep Oregon’s version of the new federal tax break on tips and overtime. Both those are considered politically popular, even though they affect relatively few households and will deliver mostly quite small financial windfalls.
About 213,000 Oregon households received a state earned income tax credit in 2023, the most recent year for which figures are available. That represents about 10% of households that filed state tax returns. The credits, which are refundable, averaged $222 that year. Broadman and Nathanson are proposing to increase the size of the credits, which deliver the biggest benefit to families earning $20,000 to $35,000 a year, by about 45%.
The Oregon Ducks saw seven prospects picked in the 2026 NFL Draft, headlined by tight end Kenyon Sadiq and safety Dillon Thieneman in the first round.
It’s never too early to start talking about the 2027 NFL Draft, and Oregon has a few underclassmen who could declare early for the draft, joining an already deep draft class out of Eugene led by quarterback Dante Moore.
Jamari Johnson
After former Oregon star Kenyon Sadiq was drafted as the first tight end in the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 16 overall pick, many believe the Ducks have college football’s next best tight end already on the roster.
With Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson already receiving recognition as the top tight end prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft, he’s likely only spending one more year in Eugene. Johnson flashed as a receiver during his first season at Oregon, and the expectations have only risen for 2026.
Alongside Sadiq, Johnson totaled 32 catches for 510 yards and three touchdowns last season. After a season as the top tight end in Oregon’s offense, Johnson is expected to become the third Ducks tight end drafted in three consecutive years following Sadiq and Terrance Ferguson.
Koi Perich
Former Minnesota safety transferred to Oregon in the offseason and immediately received comparisons to former Ducks safety Dillon Thieneman, who started his career with Purdue before transferring and becoming a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
While Oregon fans certainly hope that Perich follows in Thieneman’s footsteps, the Chicago Bears’ first-round pick set the bar high.
Perich enters the Ducks defense expected to be an immediate contributor after earning freshman All-American honors (like Thieneman did at Purdue). The newest Oregon safety totaled 128 combined tackles, six interceptions, five pass breakups, and two forced fumbles in two seasons with Minnesota.
If he can produce at a similar level in Oregon’s defense, the NFL could come calling early for Perich.
Jeremiah McClellan
Maybe a bit of a surprise pick here, but McClellan will be eligible to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft after his redshirt sophomore season. The headlining receiver in 2027 will no doubt be Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith, but McClellan could play his way into the NFL Draft.
McClellan is not projected as an early-round draft pick, especially entering a year in Oregon’s offense that features fellow receivers Evan Stewart and Dakorien Moore.
Still, McClellan stepped up when the Ducks were thin at receiver in 2025, and another strong season from the Oregon pass catcher could boost his NFL Draft stock high enough. He finished the year with 38 catches for 557 yards and three touchdowns, not to mention his uncanny ability for acrobatic, highlight receptions.
McClellan did miss Oregon’s spring game on Saturday with an undisclosed injury, though, so he’s far from a lock to declare early for the NFL Draft.
Especially considering the Ducks’ ability to retain players under Lanning, McClellan could very well play multiple years at Oregon after 2026. However, another break out season, and it could be his last in Eugene.
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Former USC Trojans freshman shooting guard Jerry Easter II will be staying within the Big Ten Conference and join the Oregon Ducks through the transfer portal.
The 6-5, 190-pound sophomore averaged 4.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game during his first college basketball season. Easter II finished with a shooting split of 43.6 from the field, 23.5 from beyond the arc, and 74.4 from the free throw line in 17.4 minutes across 29 games played.
Out of the 2025 recruiting class, the former top-60 and four-star recruit out of Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, visited coach Dana Altman in Eugene, Oregon, on March 8, 2024. He’s a high-volume scoring option that has a multifaceted style of offensive play, especially in the open floor. With time to work on his shooting mechanics this offseason, Easter II hopes to have his percentages across the board rise.
He’s much more of a two-guard, as he has an issue with caring for the ball consistently. With Kentucky Wildcats freshman combo guard Jasper Johnson having more of a shot at the starting position, Easter II looks to be a boost off the bench for Altman in 2026-27.
That still means the Ducks require a primary ball-handler to fill the point guard spot. If it can’t be found through the transfer portal, Johnson would look to take over the duties at the one. That’s not where the 6-5, 180-pound talent is best on the floor.
Alabama Crimson Tide’s Taylor Bol Bowen
Alabama Crimson Tide junior power forward/center Taylor Bol Bowen committed to the Pacific Northwest program after his official visit on April 22, bringing desperately needed size at the five spot in Oregon’s frontcourt.
The 6-10, 200-pounder averaged 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this past season. He has a high defensive upside that will replace center Nate Bittle’s role right away.
What separates Bol Bowen’s game from other bigs that the Ducks’ coaching staff was recruiting through the transfer portal is his ability to stretch out the floor. He shot 37.2 percent from deep on nearly 200 attempts, dating back to his first two seasons with the Florida State Seminoles.
Altman’s going to have quite the lengthy unit that will be able to cover the court and switch everything on the defensive side of the ball.
Oregon’s 2026 Transfer Portal Class
Along with Easter II, Johnson, and Bol Bowen, there are three other new faces in Altman’s 2026 transfer portal haul.
- San Diego Aztecs sophomore power forward Pharaoh Compton
- Boise State Broncos junior wing/power forward Andrew Meadow
- San Francisco Dons sophomore wing Tyrone Riley IV
On3 has that group ranked No. 56 in the country, No. 13 in the Big Ten. 247Sports has Oregon’s transfer portal class ranked No. 39 overall and No. 8 in the Big Ten.
The Ducks have filled out 12 of the 15 available roster spots for both scholarship players and walk-ons.
St. John’s Red Storm’s Joson Sanon
Oregon reached out to Saint John’s sophomore transfer Joson Sanon, per League Ready. Whether or not those conversations will continue after the commitment of Easter II is unclear.
The 6-6, 200-pound shooting guard scored 7.9 points per game and shot 33.6 percent on three-pointers in 20.9 minutes across 37 games played in 2025-26. He started his collegiate career with the Arizona State Sun Devils.
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DEPOE BAY, Ore. — U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued a man from a cliff near Depoe Bay on the Oregon coast Saturday morning after he hurt his ankle and couldn’t climb up to safety.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew was called out to help the man at about 10 a.m. Saturday to help the injured 25-year-old, who was stuck on a cliffside at Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint about 10 feet above the water level.
“Due to rising tide conditions and the subject’s location, first responders determined additional assistance was required to safely recover the individual,” U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District said.
The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew made it to the viewpoint at about 10:25 a.m., hoisted the man up from the cliffside and took him to the hospital.
“Rescues like this highlight the importance of programs like the Advanced Helicopter Rescue School, which focuses on training for contingencies such as inland search and rescue and cliffside rescue,” Lt. Travis Weaver, who was the pilot in the rescue, said in a press release. “Being able to train for events like this before they happen make for safe and effective rescues when our partners call on us for help.”
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