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Oregon News
POLITICS
Oregon lawmakers to hold public hearing on major firearm bill, amendments: How to testify
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo
Lawmakers are scheduled to discuss proposed amendments to Senate Bill 243, one of three major gun bills that have advanced during the Oregon Legislature, on May 12.
The amendment would eliminate a proposed 72-hour hold after a dealer receives an approved background check before transferring a gun to a customer and narrow language authorizing local governments to prohibit concealed guns in public buildings.
SB 243 passed out of the Senate Committee on Judiciary on April 9 along party lines. The committee had already amended the bill to remove language that raised the age of possession of most guns in Oregon to 21 years old.
The Senate Committee on Rules is scheduled to hear new testimony on the bill at 1 p.m. May 12. A work session for the bill, where lawmakers vote on adopting amendments and advancing the bill, is scheduled for 1 p.m. May 14.
Oregon’s House speaker chosen to help Democrats nationwide win state office in the wake of Trump victory
The Oregonian | By Carlos Fuentes
Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey has been chosen to serve on the board of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a national powerhouse that helps Democrats across the country run for state legislatures.
The Eugene Democrat will work with other legislative leaders across the country to develop their party’s pitch to voters for the 2026 election season and help direct the flow of millions of dollars to state parties and individual candidates.
Fahey first won election to the state House in 2016 and served as Democratic caucus leader for two years before her colleagues chose her as speaker last March. She told The Oregonian/OregonLive she is excited to join the national campaign board and mobilize voters wanting to push back against the Trump administration.
“Part of how we fight back effectively against what’s happening federally is working together with our colleagues from other states,” Fahey said. “As we’re seeing that chaos reigns in D.C. and Congress is unable to do much, Democrats need a strong foundation in the states.”
Democrats in Oregon have controlled one or both chambers of the state Legislature for two decades, and have often enjoyed strong majorities in that time. Last November, they reclaimed three-fifths supermajorities in both chambers, allowing them to theoretically push through new taxes, or increase existing ones, with no Republican votes.
Fahey said that Democratic control has allowed Oregon lawmakers to strengthen the state’s environmental protections and implement other progressive policies. Helping elect more Democrats nationwide to state legislatures is key to helping other states pass similar policies, Fahey said.
ODOT criticized for ‘credibility problem’ as Rose Quarter project’s price tag expected to top $2B
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
The cost of widening and capping Interstate 5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter could now eclipse $2 billion, an acknowledgement that drew scathing comments from Oregon transportation commissioners this week.
The revised cost estimate for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project — the first since 2023 — shows a price tag of between $1.96 billion and $2.08 billion. That’s a sizable increase from the last estimate, which anticipated costs from $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion.
The news comes as the Oregon Department of Transportation is under increasing fire from lawmakers and the public for projects that have soared well beyond initial cost assumptions. The department is trying to convince the Legislature to approve billions in additional taxpayer money for highway megaprojects, including the Rose Quarter, that were supposed to be paid for with a 2017 spending package.
“We have a credibility problem right now,” Julie Brown, chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission, said at a hearing on the new estimate Thursday. “I think that there’s a commitment from all of us to get us out of that situation to where we are credible.”
East Multnomah Co. leaders call for more Oregon state funds for road & bridge maintenance
KATU
Local elected leaders are set to rally Monday for more state funding to cover road and bridge maintenance across Oregon.
They include the mayors of Fairview, Gresham, Troutdale and Wood Village, and Multnomah County Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon.
Ethics Commission Doubles Fagan’s Fine and Settles Cases Against Her
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission more than doubled the fine against former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan on Friday before agreeing to settle three ethics cases stemming from her time in office. Her term as Oregon’s highest elections official ended abruptly in May 2023 after WW revealed she’d signed a $10,000 monthly consulting contract with two of her top political donors.
The ethics commission unanimously rejected an initial proposed settlement of $1,600, then voted 7–1 to accept a $3,600 fine, which concludes all three cases against Fagan.
The commission meeting lasted just 30 minutes and largely marks the end of a two-year scandal that saw the rapid fall of one of the rising stars of the Democratic Party in Oregon.
Oregon ethics commission rejects $500 fine in Pappy Van Winkle bourbon scandal
OPB | By Lauren Dake
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission says the former executive director of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission should pay more than a $500 civil penalty for using his position to secure a highly sought bottle of bourbon that’s normally nearly impossible for the public to buy.
Steve Marks, who was appointed by Democratic Gov. John Kitzhaber and resigned under pressure from Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, had negotiated a deal to pay $500 for his role in the scandal around bottles of Pappy Van Winkle. But in a 7-1 vote on Friday, the ethics commission rejected that deal.
‘The Evergreen’: Behind the scenes at the Oregon State Capitol
OPB | By Julie Sabatier, Dirk VanderHart
Right now, there’s a lot happening in the State Capitol that will affect all Oregonians in some way. And because it’s an odd-numbered year, which means the Oregon Legislature has a session that stretches from January to June, we’re nearing the busiest time of the legislative session. This is when lawmakers have to pass a two-year budget and, of course, some other bills that are critical to keep the state running. Podcast producer, and self-described “civics nerd,” Julie Sabatier tagged along with OPB’s Capitol reporter Dirk VanderHart for a day to see what’s going on behind the scenes of our state government.
At least 30 new bills became Oregon law this week. Here's what they are
KGW | By Amy-Xiaoshi DePaola
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed a little over 30 bills into law this week.
Most involve amending language and the bureaucratic processes of agencies, though some update the privacy of certain people and jumpstart the movement on issues such as interstate passenger rail and permitting.
This list does not include laws filed with the Oregon Secretary of State or last year's laws that just went into effect this month. Here are the 33 bills Kotek signed into law:
Bill in Oregon Legislature would provide legal aid to immigrants
OPB | By Allison Frost
When Rep. Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham) was growing up with immigrant parents, the pervasive fear of deportation was integrally woven into his experience of childhood. He told KGW that even today, as an adult and a U.S. citizen, he’s always looking over his shoulder. That’s why he’s co-sponsoring SB 703, which would provide funding to nonprofits to help immigrant families that are eligible to apply for legal status to do so. On his Instagram account, he posted about the proposal’s bipartisan support, saying it indicates that “despite the federal landscape, Democrats & Republicans can still come together & work on immigration policies.”
Ruiz joins us to tell us more about the bill and the impact it would have on immigrants and their families. House Republicans were either unavailable or did not respond to invitations to participate in this discussion.
Sen. Merkley encourages ‘call to resist’ at Central Oregon town halls
KOIN 6 | By Jenna Deml
He ultimately ended his town hall with a call to action.
“This is a call to resist, a call to defend our core constitution, a call to be off the couch, a call to hold your electors accountable,” Merkley said. “Give us a hard time, with your phone calls, with your letters, with your attendance at town halls, with your questions, with your demonstrations. And join an affinity group, because to be angry and frustrated alone is to be oppressed. To be angry with others is to be energized and effective.”
Mother's Day vigil at Portland ICE facility calls for end to family separation
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
A Mother's Day vigil was held Sunday outside the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, organized by Portland for Palestine to "honor detained mothers and demand an end to family separation, deportation and state sponsored violence," according to organizers.
The event also aimed to stand in solidarity with mothers in Palestine facing violence.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Justice Department cuts to Oregon program for crime victims won't save taxpayers money
KGW | By Evan Watson
Significant federal cuts to hundreds of criminal justice grant programs nationwide, many focused on preventing youth gun violence and supporting crime victims, will make little to no difference in reducing government spending or benefitting taxpayers.
On April 22, the U.S. Department of Justice slashed several Oregon grant programs
for disabled crime victims, hate crime reporting, and youth violence prevention.
Without funding, many of the grant projects have been stopped in their tracks, half-finished. A KGW analysis of the list of 365 terminated grants showed that most were designed to serve minority groups and disadvantaged communities.
The Trump administration, through DOJ termination letters, said the cut grants no longer effectuate agency priorities.
The DOJ is the latest federal agency to make sweeping cuts, frequently in the name of government efficiency and cost savings.
ECONOMY
A long-term decline in Oregon cigarette sales has only accelerated. Here’s why
The Oregonian | By Mike Rogoway
Cigarette sales have been in decline for many years amid growing awareness of the grave health effects associated with tobacco and new laws meant to combat smoking. People used to light up in bars, restaurants, offices — even airplanes — but that’s generally illegal now. Oregonians bought 90 million fewer packs last year than they did in 2011.
The falloff in Oregon cigarette sales intensified four years ago, after voters in 2020 approved a massive increase in cigarette taxes.
EDUCATION
Editorial: With greater clarity from PPS, a strong ‘yes’ for the school bond
The Oregonian Editorial Board
Earlier this month, we offered a half-hearted endorsement of Portland Public Schools’ $1.83 billion bond measure on the May ballot.
We don’t dispute the urgent need to finish rebuilding PPS’ high schools and make repairs across the district’s aging elementary and middle schools. But the price tags for the high schools and the lack of a clear plan for tackling the backlog of seismic, HVAC and other fixes for schools gave us pause.
The board, we wrote, needed to earn Portlanders’ “yes” vote by providing more information on cost reductions to the high school designs, increased allocations to elementary and middle school repairs and its prioritization for fixes. Community members across the city similarly questioned the vagueness for such a large ask.
Credit the board for answering the call. Last week, the PPS directors unanimously adopted a comprehensive resolution that states their commitment to identifying and resolving seismic issues; directs the district to develop a researched plan for actions; commits to prioritizing seismic fixes and sets parameters for allocating funds among seismic and other critical infrastructural projects. The resolution, drafted by board members Herman Greene, Gary Hollands and Julia Brim-Edwards, also reserves $100 million for emergency needs and articulates the values that should guide the district and future boards.
Their actions in recognition of and response to the community’s concerns lead us to endorse a “yes” vote for Measure 26-259.
Coalition urges Portland Public Schools to create timeline for building Black student center
KGW | By Thomas Shults
In 2020, taxpayers provided $60 million to PPS to create a Center for Black Student Excellence. Now, dozens of organizations want a timeline to creating the center.
National & World News
Stocks surge following 90-day truce in US-China trade war
Associated Press
U.S. stocks are leaping Monday after China and the United States announced a 90-day truce in their trade war. They agreed to take down most of their tariffs that economists warned could start a recession and create shortages on U.S. store shelves.
Trump says he’ll use ‘most favored nation’s policy’ to bring down drug prices
Associated Press
President Donald Trump says he’ll sign an executive order on Monday that, if implemented, could bring down the costs of some medications — reviving a failed effort from his first term on an issue he’s talked up since even before becoming president.
The order Trump is promising will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to tie what Medicare pays for medications administered in a doctor’s office to the lowest price paid by other countries.
The last American hostage living in Gaza will be released, Hamas says
Associated Press
Hamas said Sunday that the last living American hostage in Gaza, Edan Alexander, will be released as part of efforts to establish a ceasefire, reopen crossings into the Israeli-blockaded territory and resume the delivery of aid. Two Hamas officials told The Associated Press they expect the release in the next 48 hours.
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