Oregon Lawmakers Briefed on Kotek's Prosperity Council Recommendations

Oregon lawmakers received a briefing on recommendations from Gov. Tina Kotek's economic prosperity council during a committee hearing held Tuesday in Salem. The briefing followed Kotek's review of the council's report in July 2026. Council co-chair Renée James, founder of semiconductor company Ampere Computing, told lawmakers that Oregon is "not competitive with our neighbors." The council's recommendations included reducing Oregon's estate tax, boosting infrastructure spending, and eliminating excessive regulations. Specific proposals discussed included raising the $1 million threshold on Oregon's estate tax. The council also suggested forming a work group to deliver a long-term proposal by 2029 addressing expiring federal tax provisions, the corporate activity tax, and local government funding. Decisions on whether to adopt the estate tax threshold change and other recommendations will be left to lawmakers during the 2027 legislative session. The work group's long-term proposal, if formed, would not be due until 2029, leaving a multi-year timeline before comprehensive action on federal tax provisions and corporate activity tax issues. Specific next steps for implementing the infrastructure spending and regulatory changes were not detailed in available reporting.