Lane County Lawmakers Target Immigration, Housing and Energy in 2026 Session

Oregon's short legislative session wrapped March 6 with Lane County lawmakers securing wins on federal immigration enforcement, solar energy consumer protections, and a new annexation pathway for Eugene neighborhoods, while leaving tenant advocates empty-handed on eviction prevention funding.

The session unfolded against a backdrop of unrest in Eugene. Protesters clashed with federal officers at the city's federal building in late January, scenes that Lookout Eugene-Springfield described as "a reminder, rather than a catalyst, of the legislation that consumed much of the short session in Salem." A second rally filled the Park Blocks on Feb. 28, where members of the Springfield Education Association joined hundreds protesting ICE and the Trump administration.

Democrats, who hold a supermajority in the legislature, said they succeeded in responding to President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement surge, advancing a gas tax referendum, addressing a projected budget shortfall, and encouraging more housing construction.

The most direct legislative response to federal immigration activity was House Bill 4079, which requires public schools and colleges to adopt policies providing notice when federal immigration authorities enter school property for enforcement purposes. The bill now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek's desk, where she can sign it, veto it, or take no action. Bills she does not sign still take effect, but on a later timeline than those she signs.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, testified on a companion public safety measure, Senate Bill 1516, before the House Committee on Rules on March 2 in Salem. That omnibus bill combined new rules for police license plate cameras with increased judge discretion for pre-trial release. It passed without an amendment that would have defined end-to-end encryption, a provision that drew debate but ultimately fell out of the final version.

On energy, Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, chair of the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment, pushed through several renewable energy measures. House Bill 4029 establishes consumer protections when homeowners hire solar equipment and panel installers, requiring contractors to hold a valid license and make disclosures designed to prevent deceptive sales practices. Not everything on the energy front advanced: the legislature adjourned without passing House Bill 4032, which would have directed the Department of Energy to evaluate geographically dispersed sites for fuel storage facilities. A nuclear energy bill also failed, though the specific bill number was not identified in available records.

Housing produced a split outcome. The legislature passed House Bill 4108, removing a barrier for property owners in the River Road and Santa Clara areas who want to annex into Eugene. Under the new law, properties inside Eugene's Urban Growth Boundary no longer need to be adjacent to city limits to pursue annexation. At the same time, the session's budget changes included no additional funding for eviction prevention, despite requests from local tenant advocates. Eviction filings in Eugene reached new heights in 2024 after a sharp decline during Oregon and Washington's COVID-era moratoria, which ran from spring 2020 through late 2021.

On the economic development side, lawmakers approved a $40 million addition to the state's industrial site loan fund, fulfilling a joint request from Kotek and Eugene Mayor Kaarin Knudson. Businesses pursuing industrial development projects in Oregon can apply for financing from the fund.

With the session closed, the full package of passed legislation now sits with Kotek, and Lane County officials and advocates will be watching closely to see which bills she acts on first.