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Oregon News
POLITICS
Medical debt would be barred from credit reports under Oregon bill
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo
The Oregon Senate passed a bill on April 23 that would bar reporting most medical debt to a consumer reporting agency and require removing any debt related to health care already reflected on credit reports.
Two Republicans, Sens. Mike McLane of Powell Butte and Todd Nash of Enterprise, joined 16 Democrats in passing the bill, which heads to the House of Representatives.
Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, chair of the Senate Committee on Health Care, said the bill would give Oregonians with medical debt a “fighting chance” to find jobs and housing.
Oregon medical debt could be banned from credit reports under this bill
KOIN | By Michaela Bourgeois
The Oregon legislation comes as $88 billion in outstanding medical bills are in collections nationwide, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Under Senate Bill 605, consumer reporting agencies would be banned from including any medical debt in credit reports and medical service providers — such as hospitals and clinics — would be banned from notifying consumer reporting agencies of owed money for care.
That regulation bans medical bills from credit reports used by lenders and banned lenders from using medical information from influencing lending decisions. However, the regulation faces challenges in court, including two lawsuits from Texas.
Two Senate Republicans joined Democrats in passing the Oregon bill in an 18-10 vote.
Canaries in the chair: Frequent party leadership changes could be sign of deeper issues
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Randy Stapilus
In recent weeks, both of Oregon’s major political parties have changed leadership, under very different circumstances. Party leadership is only a small part of what makes the candidates under their banner successful, but it can be a coal mine canary of sorts, an indicator of underlying issues or strengths.
Over the last generation, Democrats have been faring gradually better in Oregon, and Republicans less well. What might we learn from a look at party leadership?
But on April 8, the Oregon Journalism Project reported on court records from a long-running divorce and custody case and more recent lawsuits filed by creditors. The legal records included accusations from Cummings’ ex-wife that he engaged in sexual violence, allegations Cummings denied.
He soon resigned, and the job once again went to the party’s vice chair, Connie Whelchel of Deschutes County.
Considering that the party chair takes the lead in party organization, hiring, planning for campaigns and more, these rapid-fire turnovers, frequent controversies and overall lack of stability could have contributed to the party’s gradual weakening in the state during the last couple of decades.
That’s not all, of course. A great deal of political strength in the party is held by people and groups outside the Oregon voting mainstream.
But problems with stable leadership aren’t helping the party either. They may do well to consider why the job seems hard to fill with the kind of leaders they need.
Oregon awards $10 million to train workers for artificial intelligence in collaboration with Nvidia
Oregon Live | By Mike Rogoway
Gov. Tina Kotek said Thursday that she is designating $10 million in state funds to train Oregon workers to develop artificial intelligence technology.
The state will work with semiconductor designer Nvidia to establish an “AI Ambassador Program” that puts artificial intelligence faculty and technical experts on Oregon college campuses.
Bill to close ‘loophole’ allowing some domestic abusers to be convicted of just one charge — not 2 or 3 — passes Oregon House
Oregon Live | By Aimee Green
A bill that would once again allow Oregon judges to convict some domestic violence defendants of multiple counts of strangling, beating or threatening their victims — instead of consolidating all of those violent acts into a single conviction — unanimously passed the Oregon House this week and is now up for consideration by the Senate.
House Bill 2875 plots a legislative path around a 2024 Oregon Court of Appeals ruling, State v. Miles, which determined that a 29-year-old Douglas County man who was found guilty of the strangulation and fourth-degree assault of his mother could only be convicted of one of those counts because both counts had resulted from domestic violence.
Bill would shorten liability for condo defect lawsuits in Oregon, a bid to boost construction
Oregon Live | By Jonathan Bach
The Oregon House on Tuesday advanced a bill to shorten homeowners’ window to sue condominium developers for construction defects.
Lawmakers backing House Bill 3746 say limiting developers’ exposure to lawsuits would encourage them to build more condos that provide an affordable step into homeownership. Opposing legislators said it would shift the cost burden for construction problems from builders onto owners and their dues-funded homeowner associations.
Oregon’s housing crunch is intensifying pressure on lawmakers to find ways to boost homebuilding of all types. Where a similar bill to reform Oregon’s condo defect liability laws died in committee in 2019, this bill passed 46-10, with four excused votes, and now heads to the Senate.
PPS Superintendent’s Proposed 2025–26 Budget Reduces 242 Positions
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong proposes cutting 156.7 school-based positions from the district in 2025–26 to address a $40 million budget deficit.
The latest draft of Portland Public Schools’ proposed budget will also see a reduction of 85.5 central office and administrative full-time equivalent positions, Armstrong told the School Board on Tuesday night. Those positions include layoffs, vacant positions that will remain unfilled, and positions people are vacating at the end of the school year, whether that be through retirement or resignation. (There are about 8,000 staff across the district, according to a June 2024 handbook.)
Portland School Board Approves New Pay Range for Senior Administrators
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
The Portland Public Schools Board voted 6-1 to add a pay grade to the senior leadership salary schedule on Tuesday night, approving the establishment of new senior chief positions with salaries ranging between $224,000 and $239,000.
The promotions for two of the district’s top officials—Jon Franco to senior chief of operations and Kristina Howard to senior chief of academics—come as the district faces a $40 million budget deficit. Just minutes ahead of her proposal, Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong had wrapped up a presentation about the upcoming 2025–26 fiscal year budget, which includes 242 staffing reductions, the majority of them in school personnel.
SB 761 clears the first hurdle
Elkhorn Media Group
Oregon Senate Bill 761, which would provide funds to implement water projects in the Walla Walla Basin, has passed the Oregon Senate unanimously. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. Todd Nash (R-Enterprise) and Rep. Bobby Levy (R-Echo). Nash said the bill is the work of cooperation among diverse groups coming together.
“(It provides) enhancement of streams there, fish recovery, while keeping irrigators irrigating,” he said.
The legislation appropriates General Fund dollars to the Water Resources Department to implement projects that benefit water demands in the Walla Walla Basin. The effort to pass this measure began in 2023 and again in 2024, sponsored by now retired Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena).
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Advocates ask courts to slow Forest Service project that would remove houseless campers near Bend
OPB | By Kathryn Styer Martinez
A lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service seeks to stall the camp removal, citing the needs of disabled people and the need for a more thorough environmental assessment.
They’re asking the federal courts in Oregon for an emergency hearing and a temporary restraining order that would delay the start of the Cabin Butte Vegetation Management Project. The plaintiffs claim the U.S. Forest Service did not adequately address the impact to the people living in the forest or in surrounding cities.
The filing is the latest in a series of efforts by homeless advocates to help the roughly 150 to 200 people living in encampments along China Hat Road, Horse Butte and other dispersed locations within the project area.
Judge orders public defenders to prove caseloads amid Oregon courts emergency
Oregon Live | By Noelle Crombie
Washington County’s presiding judge on Wednesday ordered the largest public defense law firm in the county to turn over data that will, in effect, show how busy their staff attorneys are.
Public defender caseloads lie at the heart of broader discussions among policymakers about how to reform Oregon’s complicated and crisis-riddled system, which as of this week has stranded nearly 4,000 people accused of crimes without court-appointed counsel.
Portland lost its top police accountability advocate. Who will fill Dan Handelman’s shoes?
OPB | By Alex Zielinski, Troy Brynelson
Some had known Handelman for decades. Others had never met him. But all shared concerns about how the sudden death of an indefatigable civic historian and activist creates a gaping hole in police accountability work in the region. Handelman was singular in his institutional knowledge of policing in Portland. No one’s sure how to fill the vacuum he leaves behind.
Fraudster tries to steal $6.7 million from city of Portland, in phishing scheme targeting huge construction project
Oregon Live | By Beth Slovic
A person posing as a city of Portland vendor persuaded a city employee to send them a link allowing them to redirect $6.7 million meant for a legitimate vendor to them, a lawsuit filed in New York this month says.
On March 21, the city initiated payment of $6,748,680.68 to what they thought was a vendor on the $2 billion Bull Run water filtration project.
At this point though, the person’s suspicious activity came to the attention of the FBI, according to the suit, and the banks handling the transaction alerted the city and stopped payment.
Feds Investigate $6.7 Million in Stolen Vendor Payments From Bull Run Filtration Project
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
The city of Portland sued a Manhattan law firm in New York state court last week, alleging $6.7 million in city funds ended up in a bank account the law firm controlled after someone posing as a city vendor routed the money to the firm’s account.
Portlanders press leaders on crime, safety amid budget cuts
KOIN | By Anthony Kustura
As Portland grapples with tough budget cuts, some residents are making it clear that crime has been a growing issue for years. On Wednesday night, a packed crowd gathered downtown to push public safety leaders for answers.
Though data shows some crime has decreased, Payne stressed that homelessness continues to be a major problem.
Portland has been adding unarmed crisis teams and expanding mobile mental health units to reduce police involvement in non-violent situations. While these moves could be seen as a step forward, Vasquez acknowledged that real change will take time.
The city is also facing a $93 million budget shortfall, which could affect funding for public safety programs, including housing and police. A new city poll shows mixed opinions, with 42% of people surveyed saying they support cuts to police funding, especially in Southeast, North, and Northeast Portland.
ECONOMY
Average mortgage rate eases, hovering near highest level in over 2 months
Associated Press
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased this week, though it remains close to its highest level in more than two months.
The rate fell to 6.81% from 6.83% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.17%.
Intel’s new CEO plans to cut another 20% of its jobs, Bloomberg reports
Oregon Live | By Mike Rogoway
Intel plans to eliminate 20,000 jobs or more across the company, Bloomberg reported Tuesday night, citing an anonymous source familiar with the chipmaker’s plans.
The cutbacks would follow massive layoffs last year at the ailing chipmaker and the installation of a new CEO, former Cadence Design Systems CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Further cuts could shore up Intel’s finances but risk eviscerating the company’s technological capabilities.
HEALTH CARE
Oregon ER visits average 5+ hours, according to new OHA dashboard
KATU
The average visit to an Oregon emergency department is far longer than the national average, according to a new dashboard from the Oregon Health Authority.
The average visit in Oregon is 5 hours and 12 minutes. The national average is just three and a half hours.
Multnomah county will have sobering beds for the first time since 2019
KATU
Multnomah County is opening up sobering beds at its deflection center. County leaders say this will give police a place to take people who may not be committing a crime but who are too intoxicated to stay on the street.
Currently, police are only taking people to the deflection center as an alternative to drug possession charges.
But come Monday, April 28, that will change with the center now offering 13 new sobering stations and switching from daytime only to a 24/7 operation.
NATURAL RESOURCES & WILDFIRE
Oregon, Washington brace for wildfire season with above-average temperatures forecast
KATU | By Bobby Corser
"It is not until July when we anticipate that the cumulative effect of those above average temperatures is going to kick in and push all of eastern Oregon and almost all of Washington into above average risk for large, costly fires,” Saltenberger stated.
Cuts to FEMA and other agencies have raised questions about disaster relief being available if needed.
Oregon wildfire forecast is looking ‘eerily similar’ to 2024’s record breaking year
Oregon Live | By Sami Edge
By July, Eastern Oregon and almost all of Washington will likely be at “above average risk for large, costly fires,” one of the Northwest’s leading fire forecasters said Wednesday.
The summer is shaping to be hot, said John Saltenberger, lead meteorologist at the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, which streamlines wildfire response in the region. The temperature and precipitation outlook for fire season is “eerily similar” to 2024, a year when a record 1.9 million acres across Oregon burned, racking up more than $350 million in firefighting bills and damaged nearly 200 homes.
Oregon’s wildfire funding outlook is better than in neighboring Washington, where lawmakers proposed cutting wildfire funding to correct a deficit. But Oregon lawmakers still have no cohesive plan to fund a proposed bump for wildfire mitigation and response.
Six funding options proposed by a wildfire funding workgroup are still circulating in several different bills. Some lawmakers are adamant that Oregon needs to find new funding streams to pay for wildfire instead of just tapping into general funds. Others are opposed to the idea of asking Oregonians for more money and think the state could redirect existing funds or draw on reserves to foot the bill.
While state fire leaders wait to see whether Oregon lawmakers will come up with a more stable wildfire funding strategy for the future, their preparation for the 2025 fire season is already underway using money allocated for the current biennium and government grants.
Is Portland ready for a large wildfire in Forest Park? Beat Check podcast
Oregon Live | By Gosia Wozniacka
With wildfire season approaching and southern California still reeling from the January wildfires, Portland leaders are making sure the city can withstand a major urban wildfire.
National News
Oregon leads lawsuit against Trump's tariffs, citing economic chaos
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield spearheaded a multi-state lawsuit aimed at blocking President Donald Trump's tariffs, which he claims are illegal and detrimental to the American economy.
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, challenges four executive orders issued by Trump that authorize increased tariffs on global imports without congressional approval.
Oregon Attorney General leads suit against Trump, administration to block tariffs
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
Oregon is leading 11 other states in suing President Donald Trump and officials in his administration over tariffs that have touched nearly all goods imported into the U.S.
The suit, State of Oregon, et al., v. Trump, et al., was filed Wednesday by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and 11 other Democratic state attorneys general in the Court of International Trade in New York. It names Trump, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its leader, Kristi Noem, and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and its leader, Peter Flores.
Americans sour on Trump’s economic moves; just 31% approve how he’s handled cost of living
Oregon Live | By Lauren Sforza
President Donald Trump’s approval rating on the economy continues to plummet, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released Wednesday.
Trump’s tariff agenda has roiled the stock market and global economies as he doubles down on a 10% tariff on most imports into the United States. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that his policies have not resonated with Americans, with just 37% of respondents saying they approve of how Trump is handling the economy.
This is down from the 42% who said they approved of his handling of the economy after his inauguration in January, according to Reuters. The outlet also noted that his current approval rating on the economy is lower than at any point during his first term, when it was typically in the mid-40s to mid-50s.
Trump signs education orders, including overhaul of college accreditations
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Shauneen Miranda
President Donald Trump signed a series of education-focused orders Wednesday related to accreditation in higher education, school discipline policies, historically Black colleges and universities, artificial intelligence in education and workforce development.
The executive orders are the latest in a slew of efforts from Trump to dramatically reshape the federal role in education. Last month, Trump called on U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of her own agency.
Chavez-DeRemer's labor department threatens 'serious legal consequences' for talking to journalists
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mark Olalde
A top official in the Department of Labor this week informed all staff members that they could face criminal charges if they speak to journalists, former employees or others about agency business.
A memo sent Monday by Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s chief of staff, Jihun Han, and obtained by ProPublica, states that “individuals who disclose confidential information or engage in unauthorized communications with the media may face serious legal consequences.”
Among the ramifications, the memo states, are “potential criminal penalties, depending on the nature of the information and the applicable laws,” and “immediate disciplinary actions, up to and including termination.”
The guidance document went on to say that “any unauthorized communication with the media,” regardless of what information is shared or how it is shared, “will be treated as a serious offense.”
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