In this episode of "The People's Republic of Oregon"...

Before we jump into the nonsense at hand, let me first say I've been to Oregon several times. It is a magnificently beautiful state. From the Columbia River Gorge to Diamond Lake to Mount Hood, and of course to the awe and power of the Pacific Northwest coast, it's all spectacular.

That is, of course, except for the Democrat state government, the homeless mess that is now Portland, and to a lesser extent, Eugene, the state capital. However, as is the case in Oregon's neighbors — California and Washington — when you travel far enough away from the left-wing run cities, it's as if you've been teleported to Texas or another solidly red state. I mean, we're talking "Trump signs" hanging on porches and stuff. 

Anyway, enough of that.

Beginning on January 1, 2026, all kayaks, rafts, and stand-up paddleboards — including those under 10 feet in length — will require a paid permit. 

The new law, "meant to fight invasive species" (wink-wink), sailed through the Oregon legislature in the 2025 session and has subsequently led to a growing backlash that could ultimately dismantle a boating permit system that’s been in place on Oregon waterways since 2020, according to the Statesman Journal:

A political action committee called “Let Us Paddle” was formed in late July to fight the law requires anyone paddling a non-motorized boat, even a small kayak or paddleboard, to have a Waterway Access Permit that costs $20 per year.

The group’s aim is simple: gather enough signatures to get a measure on the 2026 ballot that lets Oregon voters decide if they want to ditch a system that requires permits for human-powered boats.

Not to nitpick, but as a lifelong avid waterskier, it's laugh-out-loud hilarious to me that, say, a six-foot-long paddleboard can't even escape the attention of Oregon Democrats who do their damnedest to tax the daylights out of everything they can get away with. 

Gary Cummings, of Lebanon, Oregon, who organized a "float protest” that will take place at noon on Aug. 9 at Foster Lake and allow people to sign the petition, explained:

We should have the freedom to float our rivers and lakes without another fee or permit tacked on top of everything else. It’s a line in the sand. It’s a way of saying that we’re sick and tired of all the fees, permits, and everything else. Enough is enough. We just want to recreate.

Exactly. As I wrote in another article, today, President Ronald Reagan once said of government:

If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

That is today's Oregon — along with every other Democrat-controlled state in the country.

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Benjamin Roche of Albany, Oregon, a leading member of Let Us Paddle and one of the main petitioners, described the law, which will even require the permit for inexpensive "boats" purchased from stores like Walmart and Costco, described the new law as “a bridge too far” and “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” He added:

Let Us Paddle is about rejecting the notion that you need government permission to dip an oar in your own waters. This is about tearing down the pay-to-play barriers that treat recreation as a privilege instead of a right.

Roche raises a good point. 

Assuming an Oregonian has a large property with a private pond or lake, will he or she be required to pay the $20 fee to paddle around on his or her own body of water? I bet the answer is "yes."

Finally, even the former director of the Oregon State Marine Board, Paul Donheffner, who helped design the original invasive species permit program, told the Statesman Journal that the new law went too far by covering paddleboards and other small watercraft:

People already have no confidence in state government, and when you do things like this ... it just undermines people’s willingness to comply. The unintended consequences are going to make honest people trying to play on the water into lawbreakers.

Thankfully, I don't live in Oregon, but if I did — and if I were a paddleboarder — I'd likely become one of those soon-to-be "villains."

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