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Janelle Bynum — Democratic State Representative for Oregon District 39 (official headshot)

Janelle Bynum Voting Record & Scorecard | Christian Employers Alliance

OR Representative

District: 39 • Democrat

2025 Alignment:

27.59%

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Lifetime Ratings by Policy Category

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Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR-39) earned a 28% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2025, showing limited alignment with biblical business policy positions. Janelle Bynum voted on 16 of the 16 substantive bills scored by CEA in 2025. Highest category scores: Workforce Freedom (50%), Operational Freedom (43%), and Economic Freedom (19%). Janelle Bynum represents the 39th District in the Oregon House of Representatives.

Title

Lawmaker Position

HB 2010House 20252x

Growing Government Health Care Costs by Extending Provider Taxes and Assessments

Against CEA
This bill extends several provider taxes and assessments related to health plan premiums, payments to managed care organizations, hospitals, and the Oregon Reinsurance Program through 2032. It also allows the Oregon Health Authority Director to set different assessment rates on hospital inpatient and outpatient revenues and continues increased Medicaid reimbursements to Oregon Health and Science University. While intended to support health care access, these extended assessments increase costs on employers, insurers, and ultimately consumers, expanding government intervention in health care financing.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship calls for prudent management of resources and limited government intrusion. Expanding taxes and assessments on health care providers and insurers risks burdening families and employers, undermining economic freedom and personal responsibility in managing health care choices.
Isaiah 55:2 – "Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare."
Leadership Insight
God questions spending on what fails to nourish or satisfy. Healthcare freedom means rejecting one-size-fits-all mandates that force individuals and employers into systems that violate conscience or fail to meet real needs. Leaders who protect healthcare choice allow families and businesses to pursue treatments, coverage, and providers aligned with their values - "eating what is good" rather than consuming what government prescribes.
HB 2248House 20252x

Establishing Employer Assistance and Limiting Penalties by Providing Confidential Guidance

With CEA
This bill establishes the Employer Assistance Division within the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) to provide education, training, and interpretive guidance to employers to help them comply with labor laws. It ensures that communications between employers and the division are confidential and protects employers from penalties if they rely in good faith on the division's guidance. The bill also permits BOLI to issue advisory opinions, enter into interagency agreements, and settle violations through alternative dispute resolution. By fostering cooperative compliance rather than punitive enforcement, the bill reduces regulatory burdens and supports employer rights while maintaining legal accountability.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, this legislation promotes stewardship and justice by encouraging employers to act responsibly and in good faith while protecting them from undue government penalties. It respects the dignity of work and supports economic freedom by providing clear guidance and reducing adversarial government overreach, aligning with biblical principles of fairness, accountability, and wise management of resources.
Proverbs 29:2 – "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Leadership Insight
Righteous economic leadership creates prosperity that lifts all people; wicked rulers impose taxation, regulation, and cronyism that make the people groan. Economic freedom flourishes under leaders who fear God and protect property rights. When government becomes extractive rather than protective, citizens suffer under the weight of policies designed to benefit the powerful rather than serve the productive.
HB 2256House 20252x

Weakening Property Rights by Exempting Liability for Unlawful Land Units Sold for Conservation

Against CEA
This bill exempts sellers and nonprofit, public bodies, or tribes that purchase property for conservation purposes from civil or criminal liability when selling certain units of land that were not lawfully established. It cancels an exception that previously allowed liability if the land was resold to the private market within five years. While intended to promote conservation efforts, this measure reduces accountability and legal protections for private property rights by shielding certain actors from consequences when selling unlawfully divided land. The bill passed largely along party lines, with Republicans opposing due to concerns over property rights and government overreach.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship of the earth and its resources is a biblical principle, but it must be balanced with justice and accountability. Protecting property rights and ensuring lawful transactions uphold the dignity of work and honest stewardship. Shielding parties from liability risks enabling irresponsible actions that undermine trust and the proper order God calls us to maintain in society.
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 2343House 20251x

Protecting Economic Freedom by Extending Sunset on Columbia River Fisheries Enhancement Fund

With CEA
This bill extends the sunset date for the Columbia River Fisheries Enhancement Fund and related agency authorities from 2026 to 2032. It continues the State Fish and Wildlife Commission's ability to charge endorsements on certain Columbia Basin fishing licenses and maintain exemptions for youth and pioneer licenses. The bipartisan support in both chambers reflects broad agreement on preserving this fund and agency authority without expanding government scope.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship of natural resources and responsible management of public funds align with biblical principles of caring for God's creation and exercising wise oversight. Extending this fund’s sunset allows for continued support of conservation efforts while respecting limited government and economic freedom.
Proverbs 27:23-24 – "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds; for riches do not endure forever, and a crown is not secure for all generations."
Leadership Insight
Wise leaders pay attention to what others ignore. Stewardship requires awareness - both of people and resources. Neglect always leaks influence.
HB 2345House 20252x

Weakening Property Rights and Expanding Government Control by Repealing the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and Renaming Its Fund

Against CEA
This bill renames the Oregon Hatchery Research Center Fund to the Oregon Hatchery Monitoring and Maintenance Fund, repeals the statutes establishing the Oregon Hatchery Research Center and its Board, and reallocates the fund's purposes to monitoring hatchery impacts on native fish and maintenance of hatchery facilities. It extends the surcharge and ad valorem fees funding the renamed fund through 2036 and shifts oversight and reporting responsibilities. By eliminating the research center and board, the bill centralizes control within the State Department of Fish and Wildlife and reduces independent oversight. The partisan vote was sharply divided, with Democrats supporting and Republicans opposing, reflecting concerns about expanding government scope and reducing accountability.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship of natural resources requires responsible management and accountability. However, dismantling independent oversight bodies risks concentrating power and diminishing transparency, which can undermine justice and wise stewardship. Limited government that respects the dignity of creation and promotes accountability best serves both the environment and the common good.
Proverbs 29:2 – "When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Leadership Insight
Righteous economic leadership creates prosperity that lifts all people; wicked rulers impose taxation, regulation, and cronyism that make the people groan. Economic freedom flourishes under leaders who fear God and protect property rights. When government becomes extractive rather than protective, citizens suffer under the weight of policies designed to benefit the powerful rather than serve the productive.
HB 2347House 20251x

Supporting Housing Production by Providing Planning Assistance to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes

With CEA
This bill authorizes the Department of Land Conservation and Development to provide technical planning assistance and grants to federally recognized Indian tribes to support housing production on tribal lands. It also makes various technical changes to land use laws to facilitate housing development, including provisions related to manufactured homes and urban growth boundaries. While the bill passed with bipartisan support in the House and a party-line vote in the Senate, its focus on enabling tribes to address housing needs respects local control and targeted assistance without expanding broad government mandates.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, this legislation promotes stewardship by empowering tribes to responsibly manage their resources and provide for their communities. Supporting housing production aligns with biblical principles of caring for the vulnerable and fostering stable families, while respecting the God-given authority of local and tribal governance to make decisions that best serve their people.
Leviticus 25:10 – "Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan."
Leadership Insight
The Year of Jubilee proclaimed economic liberty - restoration of property, cancellation of debts, and freedom from bondage. Economic freedom follows this biblical pattern: protecting property rights, enabling debt relief through bankruptcy rather than permanent servitude, and ensuring families can rebuild wealth across generations. Government policies that permanently trap families in poverty, extract generational wealth through death taxes, or prevent property ownership contradict Jubilee's vision of economic restoration.
HB 2348House 20251x

Strengthening Economic Development Program Administration with Targeted Statutory Adjustments

With CEA
This bill makes targeted adjustments to the statutes governing the administration of certain economic development programs in Oregon, including clarifications to the composition and appointment process of the Oregon Growth Board and refinements to forgivable loan provisions for brownfield remediation projects. These changes aim to improve oversight, accountability, and efficient management of state economic development funds without expanding government scope or creating new mandates. The bipartisan support in both chambers reflects broad legislative agreement on enhancing program administration while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, responsible stewardship of public resources is a biblical principle that calls for prudent management and accountability. By refining economic development program administration, this bill promotes justice and wise governance, enabling the state to foster economic opportunity while respecting the proper limits of government authority and supporting the dignity of work and enterprise.
Luke 16:10-11 – "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?"
Leadership Insight
Jesus connects economic stewardship to spiritual trustworthiness. Economic freedom is built on this principle: individuals who manage small resources faithfully should be trusted with more - not have government confiscate their increase through taxation or redistribute their success. When government punishes productive stewardship through progressive taxation, it contradicts Christ's teaching that faithful management of "very little" qualifies you for "much." Economic freedom rewards faithful stewardship.
HB 2356House 20252x

Growing Government Control by Automatically Adding Annexed Lands to Metropolitan Service District

Against CEA
This bill mandates that lands within a metropolitan service district's urban growth boundary (UGB) are automatically added to the district when annexed by a city within Metro, bypassing further boundary change proceedings. While it streamlines annexation processes, it expands the scope and authority of metropolitan government by reducing local control and public input on district boundary changes. The partisan vote shows strong Democratic support and Republican opposition, reflecting concerns about government expansion.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship calls for limited government that respects local autonomy and personal responsibility. Expanding metropolitan district boundaries without thorough review undermines the principle of accountable governance and risks burdening families and businesses with increased regulation and taxation beyond what is necessary for community welfare.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 2511House 20252x

Expanding Government Data Collection on Education Employees by Mandating Workforce Reporting

Against CEA
This bill directs the Department of Education to collect detailed workforce data on all individuals employed by school districts or education service districts. It mandates that these districts provide the requested data promptly upon request. While data collection can support administrative functions, this measure expands government oversight and reporting requirements on education employers, increasing bureaucratic burden and potentially infringing on employer operational freedom.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship calls for responsible management of resources and respect for individual dignity. Excessive government data collection risks expanding state control and undermining the principle of limited government, which is essential to preserving freedom and accountability in education and employment.
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on those who issue oppressive decrees - regulations, mandates, and compliance requirements that crush businesses and deprive workers of opportunity. Operational freedom fights the bureaucratic oppression that kills small businesses, prevents entrepreneurship, and protects established interests at the expense of new entrants. When licensing laws, zoning restrictions, and regulatory burdens make it impossible for the poor to start businesses, government becomes the oppressor Isaiah condemns.
HB 2514House 20252x

Expanding Educational Infrastructure Funding by Raising Bonding Limits for Education Service Districts

With CEA
This bill raises the cap on the amount of bonded indebtedness that education service districts may contract for capital costs, allowing them to exceed the limits applicable to their component school districts. By permitting education service districts to issue bonds up to 7.95 percent of the real market value of taxable property within the district, the bill expands their capacity to finance necessary infrastructure projects. While the bill passed with strong bipartisan support in the House, it faced opposition from Republicans in the Senate, reflecting concerns about increased government debt.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, responsible stewardship of resources includes investing wisely in facilities that support education and community development. Enabling education service districts to finance capital improvements aligns with the biblical principle of preparing the next generation for productive work and citizenship, while maintaining accountability and transparency in public spending.
Luke 14:28-30 – "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?"
Leadership Insight
Vision must meet calculation. God honors leaders who count costs before claiming promises. Stewardship without foresight breeds collapse.
HB 2563House 20252x

Weakening Economic Freedom by Mandating Insurer Explanations for Premium Increases

Against CEA
This bill requires insurers to provide policyholders, upon written request, a clear and reasonable explanation for any premium increase upon renewal of certain qualified insurance policies, including homeowner and personal insurance. The explanation must include up to four significant factors contributing to the increase, using non-technical language. Insurers must also notify policyholders of their right to request such explanations. While transparency is important, this mandate imposes additional regulatory burdens on insurers, potentially increasing administrative costs and interfering with free market pricing mechanisms.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship of resources and economic freedom are vital principles. Government mandates that increase regulatory burdens risk raising costs for families and businesses, undermining personal responsibility and the dignity of work. Policies should promote fairness and accountability without expanding government control over private contracts and market dynamics.
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.
HB 2586House 20253x

Growing Government Spending by Subsidizing Tuition for Asylum Seekers

Against CEA
This bill exempts asylum seekers enrolled at public universities in Oregon from paying nonresident tuition and fees, effectively granting them in-state tuition benefits. The law also extends similar exemptions to refugees, special immigrant visa holders, and COFA islanders. While framed as supporting educational access, this measure expands government subsidies and shifts costs to taxpayers, undermining economic freedom and incentivizing dependency on state-funded benefits. The partisan vote was sharply divided, with Republicans overwhelmingly opposing and Democrats supporting, reflecting the bill’s alignment with expansive government and immigration policies.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship calls for responsible use of resources and personal accountability. While compassion for the vulnerable is vital, public policy should promote self-reliance and respect for lawful immigration processes. Expanding taxpayer-funded benefits to noncitizens without clear limits risks encouraging dependency and burdens the community, conflicting with biblical principles of justice and prudent stewardship.
Haggai 1:6 – "You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
Leadership Insight
When priorities drift from purpose, prosperity leaks away. God doesn’t bless motion - He blesses alignment. Economic freedom begins when stewardship follows divine order.
HB 2695House 20252x

Growing Government Control Over University Leadership by Mandating Union and Faculty Influence in Presidential Hiring

Against CEA
This bill requires the Oregon Health and Science University Board of Directors to include specified individuals, including faculty, nonfaculty staff, students, and campus labor union representatives, in the search and hiring committees for the university president. It also mandates that the board allow campus labor organization representatives to communicate with the board upon request. While framed as increasing stakeholder input, this measure expands government and union influence over university governance, potentially undermining employer authority and operational freedom.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship calls for responsible management and accountability in institutions. Expanding union and bureaucratic control over leadership decisions risks diminishing personal responsibility and the dignity of work, while increasing government overreach into educational institutions. Protecting limited government and employer rights aligns with biblical principles of justice and wise stewardship.
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on those who issue oppressive decrees - regulations, mandates, and compliance requirements that crush businesses and deprive workers of opportunity. Operational freedom fights the bureaucratic oppression that kills small businesses, prevents entrepreneurship, and protects established interests at the expense of new entrants. When licensing laws, zoning restrictions, and regulatory burdens make it impossible for the poor to start businesses, government becomes the oppressor Isaiah condemns.
HB 2698House 20252x

Growing Government Control by Establishing State-Mandated Homeownership Goals

Against CEA
This bill establishes statewide homeownership rate goals to be achieved by 2030 and incrementally increased through 2045, including disaggregated targets by race and ethnicity. It requires the Housing and Community Services Department to track and publicly report progress toward these goals. While homeownership can be a valuable asset-building tool, setting government-mandated targets risks expanding state involvement in housing markets and may lead to increased regulation or intervention that burdens employers and economic freedom. The partisan vote shows strong Democratic support and Republican opposition, reflecting ideological divides over government role in housing.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, stewardship of resources and personal responsibility are paramount. While homeownership can promote family stability and generational wealth, government mandates risk undermining individual liberty and free market solutions. True compassion empowers families to prosper through opportunity, not through expanded government control or redistribution policies that may distort markets and burden taxpayers.
1 Samuel 8:10-18 – "Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, 'This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots... He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants... and you yourselves will become his slaves'"
Leadership Insight
Centralized power always demands sacrifice from the people. God warned Israel that human kings would grow government at the expense of liberty. Limited government protects freedom; expansive government enslaves. Leaders must resist the temptation to control what they should serve.
HB 2922House 20251x

Protecting Employee Privacy by Allowing Use of Employer Address in Public Records

With CEA
This bill allows State Parks and Recreation Department employees classified as park managers or park rangers to request that their employer's address be used in Department of Transportation records instead of their personal home address. This measure enhances privacy protections for these public employees by limiting the exposure of their personal information in public databases. The bill passed unanimously with strong bipartisan support, reflecting broad agreement on the importance of safeguarding employee privacy without expanding government scope.
SUPPORT is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, protecting the privacy and dignity of workers aligns with biblical principles of respecting individual worth and stewardship of personal safety. Ensuring that employees can serve the public without undue risk or intrusion honors the call to justice and care for one another within the community.
Psalm 82:3-4 – "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."
Leadership Insight
God commands leaders to defend those who cannot defend themselves. Justice is not passive - it requires intervention. Leaders who ignore the vulnerable betray their calling. Advocacy for the powerless is not optional; it's obedience.
HB 2957House 20252x

Weakening Employer Rights by Prohibiting Agreements that Shorten Statute of Limitations

Against CEA
This bill prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees that shorten the statute of limitations for claims under the enforcement authority of the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). It establishes detailed timelines for when BOLI must issue notices of rights to complainants and when complainants must file civil actions following those notices. The bill also designates violations of this prohibition as unlawful employment practices. The legislation passed largely along party lines, with Republicans overwhelmingly opposing and Democrats supporting, reflecting a partisan divide on employer regulatory burdens.
OPPOSE is the CEA Position, based on:
From a faith-based perspective, this bill undermines the biblical principle of stewardship by increasing government interference in employer-employee relationships and restricting employers' ability to manage their legal risks. It expands government regulation and diminishes economic freedom, which can hinder honest work and responsible management of resources. Upholding limited government and employer rights better aligns with God-given liberty and the dignity of work.
Isaiah 10:1-2 – "Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless."
Leadership Insight
God pronounces woe on lawmakers who craft economic policies that oppress the poor through excessive taxation, regulatory barriers to entry, and cronyism that favors the connected over the capable. Economic freedom is justice for the poor - when the working class keeps more of their earnings, when small businesses can compete without crushing compliance costs, and when families can build wealth without government extraction. Unjust economic laws always hit the poor hardest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Rep. Janelle Bynum's voting record?

Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR-39) earned a 28% Christian Employers Alliance score for 2025, showing limited alignment with biblical business policy positions. Janelle Bynum voted on 16 of the 16 substantive bills scored by CEA in 2025. Highest category scores: Workforce Freedom (50%), Operational Freedom (43%), and Economic Freedom (19%). Janelle Bynum represents the 39th District in the Oregon House of Representatives.

How aligned is Janelle Bynum with biblical business policy positions?

Janelle Bynum earned a 28% Christian Employers Alliance score in 2025, showing limited alignment with biblical business policy positions.

What is Janelle Bynum's CEA score?

Janelle Bynum has a 28% CEA score for 2025.

Where does Janelle Bynum serve?

Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR-39) represents the 39th District in the Oregon House of Representatives as a Democrat.

What issue categories does Janelle Bynum score highest and lowest on?

Janelle Bynum's strongest categories on the Christian Employers Alliance scorecard are Workforce Freedom (50%) and Operational Freedom (43%). The lowest-scoring categories are Healthcare Freedom (0%) and Economic Freedom (19%).

Christian Employers Alliance — Faith. Family. Freedom.
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