Freres Lumber president donates $1 million to group seeking to end tax on big businesses

Freres Lumber president Rob Freres has donated $1 million to a group trying to send a recently signed tax on big businesses to Oregon voters, according to records from the Oregon Secretary of State's office.

Freres gave the money to the Defeat the Tax on Oregon Sales Now committee, which now has a balance of $1,000,730.

Freres publicly exited his role on the board of Oregon Business & Industry, a lobbying group, in May over the group not opposing House Bill 3427.

The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown May 24, increases taxes on businesses with annual sales over $1 million by charging a 0.57% sales tax on transactions. 

It is estimated to bring in more than $1 billion over the next two years, money targeted for schools.

Freres helped start Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, a separate business group, a year ago.

Defeat the Tax on Oregon Sales Now must gather about 75,000 signatures within 90 days of the conclusion of the current legislative session to put the measure to voters.

Freres Lumber is based in Lyons and has operated in the Linn County city on the south side of the North Santiam River since 1922. It is one of the largest employers in the Santiam Canyon with between 460 and 480 employees, according to vice president Kyle Freres.

A similar group, Defeat the Tax on Oregon Sales committee, raised nearly $26 million in a successful campaign to vote down Measure 97 in 2016, which would have put a 2.5% tax on gross receipts on corporations with annual Oregon sales over $25 million.

Freres Timber donated $50,000 to that campaign.

Freres, his family and Freres Lumber have long been financial supporters of Oregon Republicans, such as gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler, state representative Sherrie Sprenger and Marion County commissioners Colm Willis and Kevin Cameron, and committees with similar missions as Defeat the Tax on Oregon Sales Now.

Freres Lumber has donated $619,396 to candidates since 1990, including $588,546 to Republicans according to opensecrets.org.

bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com or Twitter.com/bpoehler