1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to support HB4125, the Equal Voices Act, which would restore proportional representation in the House of Representatives by establishing a dynamic formula that sets the average number of constituents per Representative at 500,000. The House has not grown since 1911, despite massive population increases and the expansion of voting rights through the 19th Amendment, Civil Rights Act, and Voting Rights Act. Today, each Representative serves approximately 760,000 constituents, making meaningful constituent access increasingly difficult. This bill would reduce that ratio to 500,000, improving representation quality and ensuring that Congress keeps pace with population growth. HB4125 replaces the outdated fixed cap of 435 members with a formula-based approach: the total U.S. population divided by 500,000, rounded to the nearest odd number. This calculation would occur after each decennial census, ensuring representation remains proportional as populations shift. Based on current population levels, this would expand the House to over 600 members, directly benefiting underrepresented constituencies. The legislation also modernizes our electoral system by permitting states to adopt multi-member districts and ranked choice voting. These optional reforms could enhance representation of political minorities and reduce gerrymandering incentives while preserving state sovereignty over election administration. The bill establishes a 15-member commission to evaluate and recommend adjustments to House size following each census, ensuring ongoing assessment of representation adequacy. Our democracy functions best when elected officials can meaningfully engage with their constituents. The current system, frozen for over a century, no longer serves that purpose. HB4125 provides a practical solution that adapts to population growth while maintaining constitutional requirements for apportionment. I ask that you cosponsor and vote in favor of HB4125 to ensure that every American has effective representation in Congress.