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Oregon News
Leader of Sinaloa-linked drug trafficking ring arrested in Salem, Oregon
KATU
The U.S. government says it made the largest fentanyl drug bust in the nation's history, arresting 16 people, including a man living in Salem.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reported roughly 11.5 kilos of fentanyl, including three million fentanyl pills, were seized in New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
The leader of the drug trafficking organization, 36-year-old Heriberto Salazar Amaya, who is linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, was arrested.
She alleges he was living in Salem before his arrest.
Decorated Oregon newspaper will close after 115 years
The Oregonian | By Mike Rogoway
One of Oregon’s most enduring and decorated weekly newspapers will print its last edition Wednesday and shut down completely at the end of the month.
The pending closure of the Malheur Enterprise in eastern Oregon marks the latest in a long succession of small papers that have shut down across the state over the past several years.
REAL ID transition: Portlanders should prepare for delayed lines at PDX
KOIN 6 | By Aimee Plante
Wednesday is the first day that airports across the U.S. will require a REAL ID to fly, but it appears to be smooth sailing so far at Portland International Airport.
POLITICS
Oregon House Republicans confirm they made $50 million goof when dismissing need for transportation tax hike
The Oregonian | By Carlos Fuentes, Jonathan Bach
Oregon’s House Republican caucus acknowledged Tuesday that its staff grossly miscalculated the amount of money Oregon could generate by leasing out part of the state transportation agency’s Salem headquarters.
The caucus claimed last week the state could net $56 million every two years by leasing out 70,000 square feet of unused office space at the Oregon Department of Transportation. In reality, the lease would likely bring in less than $4 million per biennium, the caucus announced after The Oregonian/OregonLive pointed out a likely error.
A veteran Salem real estate broker on Tuesday asserted even that figure is generous, saying a more reasonable two-year estimate would be roughly $1.7 million.
The flawed estimate was the third-largest cost-saving measure in the Republicans’ counterproposal to a Democratic transportation funding plan that relies heavily on tax increases to fund road improvements and other transportation programs. The Republicans’ plan did not include any tax hikes but proposed slashing funding for public transit, bike, rail and climate-friendly projects.
A Republican caucus spokesperson said Tuesday that its staff requested feedback from the Oregon Department of Transportation before releasing the plan but did not immediately hear back from the agency.
“The important thing to take away is that this building is currently sitting (partially) empty at the expense of Oregonians,” Sam Herscovitz, spokesperson for the caucus, said in an email. “Leasing the vacant space out, no matter what the revenue totals may be, is more than what we are doing now.”
Tolling on Interstate Bridge appears to have been pushed out to 2027
KGW | By Anthony Macuk
Drivers who have been dreading the start of tolling on the Interstate Bridge next year appear set for a bit of a reprieve; toll collection has now appears to have been pushed out to 2027, according to the agenda packet for an upcoming Thursday meeting of the Oregon Transportation Commission.
Oregon lawmakers seek to remove names of ‘offensive locations’ with Dignity in Place Act
KOIN 6 | By Aimee Plante
Oregon representatives have voted to rename several of the state’s waterways, valleys, and roads to remove what they say are offensive names for beloved locations.
HB 3532, also known as the Dignity in Place Act, was introduced by Rep. Tawna Sanchez (D-Portland) to rename landmarks including Squaw Creek in Douglas County, Chinaman Hat in Josephine County, and Cannibal Mountain in Lincoln County.
Oregon governor picks another judge for the Multnomah County bench
The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling
Oregon’s governor has named Portland civil attorney Adele J. Ridenour the next judge of the Multnomah County Circuit Court, according to a Monday announcement.
Ridenour, 46, will take office July 1, replacing the seat to be vacated by Judge Beth Allen, who is retiring after a 12-year stint on the bench.
10 more men sue Oregon Youth Authority over alleged sexual abuse of children in custody
KGW | By Alex Jensen
Ten former detained youth have accused an Oregon correctional facility doctor of sexual abuse in a $51 million lawsuit against the state juvenile justice agency.
Oregon to pay $5M to children tortured by relative despite repeated complaints
The Oregonian | By Maxine Bernstein
The state has agreed to pay nearly $5 million to three children who were severely neglected and tortured by their great-aunt over five years despite more than 20 complaints made by their teachers and counselors to state child welfare workers and police.
Oregon lawmakers celebrate 50 years of Native American legislative commission
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
The Oregon Senate on Tuesday passed Senate Concurrent Resolution 31, which celebrates the establishment and the contributions of the Legislative Commission on Indian Services. The commission was created in 1975 so Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes could advise state officials and agencies on the needs of Oregon’s Native American communities.
Oregon tribes are some of the largest employers in their regions, providing jobs in hospitality, entertainment, forestry and health care. In a 2019 report, the state of Oregon estimated tribal gaming provided more than 10,800 jobs and contributed to the sale of more than $780 million in goods and services.
Some Portland Bureaus Escape Cuts by the Mayor—and Would Actually Gain Employees
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
Keith Wilson hopes to achieve a balanced budget by increasing fees for parking, utilities, parks facilities, rideshare services, and short-term rentals.
Oregon leads 12 states in challenging legality of Trump's tariffs
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield spearheaded a coalition of attorneys general in filing a motion for a preliminary injunction to stop the implementation of President Trump's tariffs, which they argue are illegal and detrimental to the American economy.
ECONOMY
Central Oregon, McMinnville hotels named 'best of the best' in US by Tripadvisor
USA Today
Three hotels in Bend, Sisters and McMinnville were named to Tripadvisor's "best of the best" list of hotels across the U.S.
Rite Aid may close four Oregon stores due to bankruptcy, court documents show
KOIN 6 | By Mac Bell
After filing for bankruptcy for a second time earlier this week, court documents indicate pharmacy giant Rite Aid could soon begin closing stores before auctioning off its leases and buildings.
HEALTH CARE
Higher Reimbursements for Primary Care Providers Would Help a Bill’s Sponsor and Exempt a Powerful Special Interest
Willamette Week | By Nigel Jaquiss
One of the bonuses—and drawbacks—of a citizen Legislature made up of part-timers is that the lawmakers bring real-world expertise, but also their own financial interests, to Salem.
Senate Bill 28 would require private insurers to pay independent primary care providers, such as pediatricians and internists, the highest rate their counterparts who work for hospitals receive—a substantial, although as yet unquantified, bump.
WHO BENEFITS?
The bill’s chief sponsor, state Sen. Lisa Reynolds (D-Oak Hills), is a pediatrician and part owner of The Children’s Clinic in Southwest Portland. She estimates she and somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 other independent primary care providers in Oregon would get 20% to 30% more for routine office visits from patients with private insurance.
WHO ELSE BENEFITS?
After introducing her bill at an April 3 hearing, Reynolds amended it for an April 8 work session. That amendment removed a large segment of potential payers from the bill: members of the Oregon Educators Benefit Board and the Public Employees’ Benefit Board. Those two groups include about 300,000 people but because of the April 8 amendment, they would not be subject to higher premiums.
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Oregon’s government ethics law prohibits every public official “from using or attempting to use the position held as a public official to obtain a financial benefit.” As a pediatrician and part owner of her practice, Reynolds would benefit directly from SB 28.
At an April 8 hearing, she said: “I’m trying to save my practice and other independent practices, which we know are cost-effective ways to provide primary care.” In a subsequent interview, she said she might have been “hyperbolic,” but added that “if [SB 28] passes, it will be enormously helpful to my partners.”
Reynolds said she neither sought guidance from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission (which offers advice to public officials) before introducing the bill nor disclosed a potential conflict of interest after introducing it. (When faced with a real or potential conflict, Senate rules call for members to disclose, then vote anyway.) Reynolds said she’s willing to do both—seek OGEC advice and declare a potential conflict.
As for exempting OEBB and PEBB, Reynolds says she chose expedience. Including them would have meant a multimillion-dollar expenditure from the state budget, adding time and difficulty to passage as well as possible opposition from the public employee unions. “I don’t have the appetite to ask the state to do this,” Reynolds says.
WHO CARES?
As Oregon Public Broadcasting has reported, SB 28 has received little public scrutiny or debate as it emerged relatively late in the session. Three health insurers—Moda, Regence Blue Cross, and PacificSource—testified against the amended bill, noting that people with commercial insurance (except for public employees) would pay more. They also questioned whether hospital prices are the right benchmark.
“We have significant concerns with paying [independent providers] based on hospital prices, which are often inflated and well above market rates for other providers.”
Sen. Cedric Hayden (R-Roseburg), a dentist well versed in insurance reimbursement who serves with Reynolds on the Senate Health Care Committee, told the Oregon Journalism Project he was surprised Reynolds introduced a bill that would benefit her personally. “I thought the optics were pretty bold,” he says.
Hayden adds that he’s sympathetic to the plight of independent providers, but notes hospitals must serve all comers, including those on Medicaid or who have no insurance. Independent providers can reject such patients, leading to what Hayden calls “cherry picking.” He voted against the bill, which nonetheless advanced to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
Reynolds says Hayden’s point about cherry picking is valid. “I’d love to add a requirement that to qualify, practitioners have to take at least 10% Medicaid patients,” she says.
Oregon public health system faces funding and staffing crisis, report finds
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
Oregon's public health system is grappling with severe workforce challenges, according to a new report by the Oregon Coalition of Local Health Officials (CLHO).
The report highlights issues such as inadequate pay, chronic understaffing, burnout, leadership turnover, and a lack of training and recruitment resources, which are hampering the ability of the state's 33 local public health authorities to protect the health and safety of Oregon's 4.2 million residents.
HOUSING
Oregon Developers Build Few Condos. A Pending Bill Aims to Increase Production.
Willamette Week | By Nigel Jaquiss
CHIEF SPONSOR: State Rep. Pam Marsh (D-Ashland)
WHAT IT WOULD DO: House Bill 3746 A would shorten the time frame for condo owners to sue for construction defects in condominiums from 10 years to seven years. (Colorado, Nevada and Washington allow six years, as this bill originally did before being amended.) The bill would also require developers to test new buildings for moisture intrusion at two and six years after completion and share the results of the testing with condo owners.
PROBLEM IT SEEKS TO SOLVE: Condominiums are one of the cheapest forms of homeownership, but the rate of new condo development in Oregon has declined more than 90% over the past two decades. Census data show that between 2019 and 2023, condos comprised just 2% of new home development in Oregon, one-third of the national average. Proponents of the bill say shortening the window for lawsuits will both encourage new development—by reducing liability for developers and builders—and make it easier for condo owners to sell their units because the threat of litigation would be reduced.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Anti-Transgender Activist Warms Up a Spring Night at Portland State University
Willamette Week | By John Rudoff
Put together an elite athlete who’s well paid to speak against transgender participation in women’s sports, a wealthy conservative think tank, and the college arm of the MAGA movement. Dip them into progressive Portland’s city university. Turn the lights down low. And what do you get?
No surprises, that’s what.
Oregon mom convicted after 2-year-old daughter nearly dies from fentanyl stored next to snacks
The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling
A Washington County woman whose toddler unwittingly swallowed fentanyl pills and nearly died was found guilty of second-degree assault by a jury Thursday.
The 2-year-old girl was belted into her car seat when her mom, Megan Meek, tossed a peach-colored fanny pack full of cookies, snacks — and the poisonous counterfeit pain pills known as “blues” — into the back of her Kia Optima on March 13, 2023.
By the time Meek and her fiancé, Brett Hollmann, arrived at their day care the girl was unconscious, her lips turning purple.
Hollmann, now 32, called 911 and asked an operator if it was OK to “give a baby Narcan,” according to court records. Beaverton police rushed to the scene and administered multiple doses of the anti-overdose drug, saving the child.
Coos County Man Receives 162-Year Prison Sentence for Child Sex Abuse After Oregon DOJ Investigation
Hoodline | By Lucas Wright
Dewayne Forrest, 53, from Coos County, has been sentenced to 162 years in prison for child sex abuse.
He was found guilty on nine counts after an investigation by the Oregon Department of Justice's Internet Crimes Against Children task force, which started with two cyber tips about child sexual abuse material linked to Forrest, according to the Oregon Department of Justice.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
New Oregon wildfire certificates could help homeowners tame rising insurance premiums
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
Oregon’s fire marshal is collaborating with a nonprofit backed by the insurance industry to help Oregonians protect their homes from burning and keep their premiums from rising.
Bills to regulate private utilities, curb gas and electric costs for Oregonians at a standstill
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
Legislators are considering at least six bills this session aimed at curbing spending from private, investor-owned monopoly utilities and limiting how and when those utilities can recover costs from customers.
The slate of bills, largely supported by environmental and social justice groups and the watchdog Citizens’ Utility Board, and largely opposed by the state’s three monopoly electric and three monopoly gas utilities, are currently at a standstill in legislative revenue and rules committees that are exempt from traditional deadlines for decision-making.
EDUCATION
Oregon school districts grapple with budget woes as federal funding hangs in the balance
OPB | By Natalie Pate
School districts, large and small, are facing another year of multi-million-dollar budget deficits. And this time around, it’s compounded by uncertain federal funding.
Portland Public Schools — Oregon’s largest district — is bracing for roughly $43 million in reductions for the 2025-26 school year.
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