Jeff Helfrich is the Republican candidate for Oregon Senate District 26 in the November 3, 2026 general election and currently serves as a state representative for Oregon House District 52.[1]He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and former police officer who lives in Hood River.[1]
Jeffrey Helfrich lives in Hood River, Oregon, and served in the U.S. Air Force.[1]His career experience includes working as a police officer, and he served on the Cascade Locks City Council.[1]
Helfrich represented Oregon House District 52 from 2017 to 2019, succeeding Mark Johnson, and returned to the seat in January 2023.[1]He served as House minority leader from September 2023 to November 2024, and in the 2023-2024 session he was vice chair of the House Housing Committee.[1]He is not running for re-election to the House, and he advanced from the Republican primary for Senate District 26 on May 19, 2026.[1]
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Republicans voted. How topics are assigned
›Jobs & cost of living177 with · 14 against191 votes
Digest: The Act would repeal the CAT. (Flesch Readability Score: 100.0). Repeals the corporate activity tax. Applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
Apr 15, 2025 · Failed 28–28 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: The Act makes changes to the PECBA. The Act creates penalties for violating certain provisions of the PECBA. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.4). Directs the Employment Relations Board to impose civil penalties against a public employer that has a history of failing to comply with certain requirements under the Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act. <b>Provides that a violation resulting from certain events is not subject to a civil penalty.</b> Permits the board to consider extenuating circumstances when determining the amount of the civil penalty to impose.
Apr 17, 2025 · Failed 24–33 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: The Act creates a task force to study how Oregon taxes income earned by companies doing business in more than one country. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.6).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act directs the LRO to study the state financial system. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.6).</i>] [<i>Requires the Legislative Revenue Officer to study the state financial system.
Digest: The Act tells a person to show certain forms to register to vote. The Act ends the electronic voter registration system. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.2). Requires evidence of citizenship for persons registering to vote for the first time in this state. Specifies when registration of qualified person occurs. Repeals the electronic voter registration system.
Digest: The Act requires that a doctor provide the same standard of care to any child born alive that requires life-saving treatment. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.6). Requires a health care practitioner to exercise the proper degree of care to preserve the health and life of a child born alive, regardless of whether the birth was the result of an induced abortion. Allows specified persons to bring an action against a health care practitioner for violations. Allows the court to order that the identity or personally identifiable information of specified persons is protected from disclosure.
Feb 16, 2026 · Failed 22–34 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: The Act says that it is the policy of this state to make sure people are allowed to get certain kinds of health care, including care for their bodies and gender identity. The Act also makes changes to laws about helping the federal government and other states in cases arising involving this kind of care, makes some records and information private and says that midwives who give this kind of care will not get in trouble if they follow the rules. The new law starts right away. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.7).
Feb 16, 2026 · Passed 34–22 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: The Act would make new laws with respect to updates to academic content standards in certain core subjects. The updates must include standards about the causes and effects of climate change. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.8).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act would make new laws that would require climate change instruction to be included in certain subjects taught in public schools.
Apr 17, 2025 · Passed 32–23 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: This Act tells the EQC to make landfills in Benton County test and fix methane gas leaks. (Flesch Readability Score: 85.0).</b> [<i>Digest: This Act tells the EQC to make landfills test and fix methane gas leaks. (Flesch Readability Score: 95.9).</i>] Requires the owner or operator of a municipal solid waste landfill <b>located in Benton County</b> to conduct surface emissions monitoring and report data as specified in the Act. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
<b>Digest: The Act makes changes related to reducing wildfire risk. The Act makes changes related to fire protection. The Act takes effect when signed. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.3).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act makes changes related to reducing wildfire risk. The Act makes changes related to fire protection. The Act gives money as a match for certain funds.
<b>Digest: Includes certain places that employ CADCs as providers for mental health treatment. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.7).</b> [<i>Digest: Includes places that employ CADCs as providers for mental health treatment. (Flesch Readability Score: 64.9).</i>] Includes outpatient facilities <b>with a</b> <b>certified substance use disorder program</b> that employ certified alcohol and drug counselors as providers for the purposes of mental health treatment insurance coverage.
Apr 21, 2025 · Failed 25–34 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: The Act requires that a doctor provide the same standard of care to any child born alive that requires life-saving treatment. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.6). Requires a health care practitioner to exercise the proper degree of care to preserve the health and life of a child born alive, regardless of whether the birth was the result of an induced abortion. Allows specified persons to bring an action against a health care practitioner for violations. Allows the court to order that the identity or personally identifiable information of specified persons is protected from disclosure.
Feb 16, 2026 · Failed 22–34 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: The Act says that it is the policy of this state to make sure people are allowed to get certain kinds of health care, including care for their bodies and gender identity. The Act also makes changes to laws about helping the federal government and other states in cases arising involving this kind of care, makes some records and information private and says that midwives who give this kind of care will not get in trouble if they follow the rules. The new law starts right away. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.7).
Feb 16, 2026 · Passed 34–22 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: The Act would make new laws with respect to updates to academic content standards in certain core subjects. The updates must include standards about the causes and effects of climate change. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.8).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act would make new laws that would require climate change instruction to be included in certain subjects taught in public schools.
Apr 17, 2025 · Passed 32–23 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: The Act makes changes to the education laws of this state. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 79.3).</b> [<i>Digest: Tells the HECC to study higher learning. (Flesch Readability Score: 78.8).</i>] [<i>Requires the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to study higher education.
Apr 21, 2025 · Passed 35–24 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: The Act tells certain entities to designate sports by sex. The Act forbids males from playing in female sports. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.35). Requires each athletic association, conference or organization with authority over intercollegiate sports, post-secondary institution of education and school district to designate athletic competitions and extracurricular sports according to biological sex. Prohibits biological males from participating in athletic competitions or extracurricular sports designated for biological females.
Digest: This Act limits rent increases and sales constraints by a landlord in a home park or marina. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.1). [<i>Reduces</i>]<b> Fixes at six percent </b>maximum rent increases for rental spaces in a <b>larger</b> facility [<i>to match changes to the consumer price index. Limits to 10 percent the maximum increase in rent paid by the purchaser of a dwelling or home in a facility.</i>]<b> beginning in 2026.
Apr 16, 2025 · Passed 33–26 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: The Act would repeal the law that set a state standard for city and county laws that govern the use of public property by the homeless. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.3). Repeals the statute enacted by House Bill 3115 (2021) that established objective reasonableness as a statewide standard for city and county laws regulating the use of public property with respect to persons experiencing homelessness, as the basis for a cause of action for injunctive and declaratory relief to challenge such laws and as an affirmative defense in the prosecution of violations of such laws.
<b>Digest: The Act makes changes related to reducing wildfire risk. The Act makes changes related to fire protection. The Act takes effect when signed. (Flesch Readability Score: 70.3).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act makes changes related to reducing wildfire risk. The Act makes changes related to fire protection. The Act gives money as a match for certain funds.
Digest: The Act makes changes to laws about the I-5 bridge project and tolling. (Flesch Readability Score: 83.0). Modifies, adds and repeals laws related to the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project.
Digest: The Act says the vote on the transportation ballot measure will be in May. (Flesch Readability Score: 77.8). Moves the election date for the parts of chapter 1, Oregon Laws 2025 (special session), referred to the people by Referendum Petition 2026-302, to the primary election held on May 19, 2026. Sets the procedure for the statewide special election on Referendum Petition 2026-302. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
Digest: The Act creates an agency budget. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.8). Appropriates moneys from the General Fund to the Department of Transportation for certain biennial expenses. Limits certain biennial expenditures from fees, moneys or other revenues, including Miscellaneous Receipts and certain federal funds, but excluding lottery funds and other federal funds, collected or received by the department. Limits certain biennial expenditures by the department from other federal funds. Limits certain biennial expenditures by the department from lottery moneys.
Jun 27, 2025 · Passed 34–15 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: The Act says that a public body may not give certain data to a data broker unless the data broker says that it will not be used to enforce immigration law. The Act provides certain exceptions. (Flesch Readability Score: 64.0).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act says that a public body may not give certain data to a data broker unless the data broker says that it will not be used to enforce immigration law. A public body can also give out data under public records law or a court order.
Digest: Says that a person may not make a sales call by voice or text unless the person follows certain rules. (Flesch Readability Score: 80.7). Prohibits as an unlawful practice under the Unlawful Trade Practices Act a person's initiating a telephone solicitation outside specified hours or more than three separate times within a 24-hour period[<i>,</i>]<b> or</b> misrepresenting or falsifying the person's identity[<i>,</i>]<b> or</b> the purpose of the call [<i>or the location from which the person is calling or failing to make required disclosures or inquiries during the call</i>].
Apr 10, 2025 · Passed 35–16 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
<b>Digest: Says a person may not sell or use software to get around a ticket seller's or reseller's efforts to sell tickets fairly. Says a person may not use a domain name that is too much like the name of an operator or venue without an okay from the operator or venue. (Flesch Readability Score: 60.0).</b> [<i>Digest: Says that a ticket seller must tell a buyer the total price for a ticket and certain information before selling a ticket for an event. Says that a reseller must have a ticket before it can sell the ticket. Sets certain other requirements for ticket sales.
Apr 21, 2025 · Passed 40–16 · against most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: Allows the AG to help with a call into active service of the Oregon guard only for certain reasons. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.8). Allows the Adjutant General to facilitate, assist or coordinate in the mobilization of the Oregon National Guard under Title 10 of the United States Code or Title 32 of the United States Code under an authority other than the Governor, only if the active service is for certain listed reasons.
Feb 19, 2026 · Passed 34–21 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: Tells the AG to not allow a person or unit of the guard to be called into active service except for certain reasons. (Flesch Readability Score: 65.7). Prohibits the Adjutant General from assisting or allowing the United States Department of Defense or any branch thereof to communicate with any individual or unit of the Oregon National Guard for purposes of calling the individual or unit into active service unless the active service is for a certain listed reason.
Jun 20, 2025 · Passed 31–16 · with most RepublicansOfficial record ↗
Digest: Makes changes to veteran laws. (Flesch Readability Score: 66.4). [<i>Declares that it is the goal of the Legislative Assembly to fund the Department of Veterans' Affairs in an amount that is not less than $10,000,000, from the General Fund, in 2015 dollars, adjusted for inflation.</i>] [<i>Requires the Director of Veterans' Affairs to add additional full-time positions within the department.
Voted against most of their party on 20 of 263 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Jobs & cost of living (6), Housing & rent (4), Rights & public safety (4)
Requires the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services to adopt rules to conform the state building code to accessibility requirements under the Fair Housing Act.
What it does: Digest: Tells two state agencies to set rules for making housing easier to access and use for people with disabilities. Takes effect 91 days after the session ends. (Flesch Readability Score: 61.5). Requires the Direc…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 29–1, Republicans 5–9
Prohibits balance billing for ambulance ground transportation services in certain circumstances and creates rules for health benefit plan reimbursement of ambulance services.
What it does: Digest: Tells ambulance service providers not to balance bill some patients and makes them report local rates to DCBS. Makes some rules about health insurance for ambulance services. Tells DCBS to make a new database…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 34–0, Republicans 4–5
Increases the maximum amount of certain license fees charged by the Oregon Racing Commission.
What it does: Digest: The Act increases the amount that the ORC may charge for licenses. (Flesch Readability Score: 74.8). Increases the maximum amount of certain license fees charged by the Oregon Racing Commission. Declares an em…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 30–3, Republicans 6–14
Increases certain wildlife license, tag and permit fee amounts.
What it does: Digest: The Act increases fees under the wildlife laws. The Act allows an agency to create a new fee. The Act creates a new subaccount. The Act increases fees under commercial fishing laws. The Act takes effect 91 day…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 31–5, Republicans 9–12
Prohibits a supermajority vote requirement for any question related to a county or city charter.
What it does: Digest: The Act would make it so that elections that affect a county or city charter would have to be by simple majority vote. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.1). Prohibits a supermajority vote requirement for any quest…
Voted yes · most Republicans voted no · Democrats 34–0, Republicans 5–15
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
HB 4082 · OR HOUSE
Adds to a temporary UGB addition program an option for each city or Metro to also add to its urban growth boundary a site for manufactured dwellings, prefabricated structures or manufactured dwelling parks, or for housing that is predominantly for older persons and affordable for households with incomes not more than 120 percent of area median income.
YesVOTED
Motion: House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
Digest: This Act allows cities to add sites to their UGB for manufactured dwelling parks or housing for older persons. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.8). Adds to a temporary UGB addition program an option for each city or Metro to also add to its urban growth boundary a site for manufactured dwellings, prefabricated structures or manufactured dwelling parks, or for housing that is predominantly for older persons and affordable for households with incomes not more than 120 percent of area median income. Sunsets January 2, 2033. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
Allows the City of Eugene to annex noncontiguous land upon receipt of a petition from all owners of the land that satisfies four eligibility criteria.
YesVOTED
Motion: House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
Digest: This Act lets Eugene add some noncontiguous land to the city. (Flesch Readability Score: 72.6). Allows the City of Eugene to annex noncontiguous land upon receipt of a petition from all owners of the land that satisfies four eligibility criteria.
Requires law enforcement agencies to require officers to wear uniforms with specified identifying information.
NoVOTED
Motion: House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
Digest: The Act sets police ID rules and limits the actions of public employees when working with U.S. or out-of-state law enforcement. The Act also allows a person to seek an injunction when the rules are violated. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 62.5). Requires law enforcement agencies to require officers to wear uniforms with specified identifying information. Specifies exceptions. Requires law enforcement agencies to enact policies prohibiting the wearing of facial coverings by officers except in specified circumstances.
Provides that the provisions of Ballot Measure 114 (2022) apply to firearm transfers conducted, and large-capacity magazine manufacture, importation, possession, use, purchase, sale or transfer occurring, on or after January 1, 2028.
YesVOTED
Motion: House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
<b>Digest: The Act changes when Ballot Measure 114 applies. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 66.1).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act makes changes to the gun permit and transfer process and to the LCM prohibition. The Act goes into effect when the Governor signs it. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.2).</i>] [<i>Modifies the firearm permit provisions of Ballot Measure 114 (2022). Specifies where a person may apply for a permit to purchase a firearm and adds an eligibility requirement.
Provides that at least one member who is appointed to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission must have local government experience.
NoVOTED
Motion: House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
<b>Digest: The Act says that one person put on the OGEC must have a certain background. The Act protects certain protected words during investigations by the OGEC. (Flesch Readability Score: 63.4).</b> [<i>Digest: The Act says that the Governor has to put a person with a certain background on the OGEC. The Act protects certain protected words during investigations by the OGEC.
Permits the Oregon Health and Science University to create and maintain a nonprofit corporation under the laws of this state so long as the university is a corporate member of the corporation.
NoVOTED
Motion: House concurred in Senate amendments and repassed bill.
Digest: The Act says that OHSU must be a member of a nonprofit entity it creates. (Flesch Readability Score: 73.1). Permits the Oregon Health and Science University to create and maintain a nonprofit corporation under the laws of this state so long as the university is a corporate member of the corporation.
Approves certain new or increased fees adopted by state agencies.
NoVOTED
Motion: Third reading. Carried by Sanchez. Passed.
Digest: The Act approves certain fees charged by state agencies. (Flesch Readability Score: 75.5). Approves certain new or increased fees adopted by state agencies. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
Establishes and modifies certain biennial appropriations made from the General Fund to specified state agencies and the Emergency Board.
NoVOTED
Motion: Third reading. Carried by Sanchez. Passed.
Digest: The Act makes budget changes for the current biennium. (Flesch Readability Score: 66.1). <b>Establishes and</b> modifies certain biennial appropriations made from the General Fund to specified state agencies and the Emergency Board. Establishes and modifies limitations on expenditures for certain biennial expenses for specified state agencies. Declares an emergency, effective on passage.
Authorizes the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to enter into agreements to own and oversee the operations of the Moda Center in the City of Portland.
NoVOTED
Motion: Third reading. Carried by Bowman. Passed.
Digest: The Act allows DAS to enter into agreements to own and operate the Moda Center. The Act sends certain tax revenue to a fund to pay for costs of the Moda Center. (Flesch Readability Score: 68.9). Authorizes the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to enter into agreements to own and oversee the operations of the Moda Center in the City of Portland. Provides that agreements may not pledge or obligate state moneys except for moneys in the Oregon Arena Fund. Creates the Oregon Arena Fund in the State Treasury.
Directs the Secretary of State to presession file a proposed legislative measure for consideration during the 2027 regular session of the Legislative Assembly that sets forth the recommendations of the secretary for changes to campaign finance limitations presently being implemented in this state.
YesVOTED
Motion: Rules suspended. Third reading. Carried by Elmer. Passed.
Digest: The Act tells the SOS to file a bill for the 2027 session that sets forth ideas to implement campaign finance limits. The Act takes effect 91 days after sine die. (Flesch Readability Score: 71.0). Directs the Secretary of State to presession file a proposed legislative measure for consideration during the 2027 regular session of the Legislative Assembly that sets forth the recommendations of the secretary for changes to campaign finance limitations presently being implemented in this state. Takes effect on the 91st day following adjournment sine die.
