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Oregon News
POLITICS
Gov. Tina Kotek now supports withholding $1B of Oregon’s ‘kicker’ for wildfire costs
OPB | By Dirk Vanderhart
Gov. Tina Kotek on Monday became the latest official to signal support for withholding part of next year’s expected personal income “kicker” tax refund in order to cover wildfire costs.
“We need to find some resources to do that,” Kotek told reporters in a press briefing. “I do think this conversation – on a one-time basis – of supporting rural Oregon by potentially using a portion of the kicker tax break would be a beneficial approach.”
Specifically, Kotek mentioned withholding $1 billion of next year’s expected $1.64 billion tax refund in order to fund wildfire suppression and prevention.
“That would be very helpful for the state,” Kotek said, arguing that the money would represent a transfer of wealth from urban to rural Oregon – a potential selling point for Republicans. “Most of the folks who are going to be paying that are folks who do not live in fire-prone areas.”
A spokesperson for Kotek later clarified that she supported holding back a piece of the kicker slated for “high income earners.”
But lawmakers have an option if they can agree on a better use for the kicker money. With a two-thirds supermajority vote in each chamber, they can opt to suspend the refund. That’s happened once since the policy was enacted in the late 70s.
Finding such strong majorities is difficult in today’s Legislature, where the kicker can be a political third rail. Even if Democrats agree on such a move, a vote to suspend the kicker would require two Republican votes in the 30-member Senate and four in the 60-member House.
The GOP has stridently opposed past calls to suspend the rebate, and has repeatedly accused Democrats this year of seeking to gouge Oregonians with a transportation proposal that could raise taxes by $1 billion a year.
Finding such strong majorities is difficult in today’s Legislature, where the kicker can be a political third rail. Even if Democrats agree on such a move, a vote to suspend the kicker would require two Republican votes in the 30-member Senate and four in the 60-member House.
The GOP has stridently opposed past calls to suspend the rebate, and has repeatedly accused Democrats this year of seeking to gouge Oregonians with a transportation proposal that could raise taxes by $1 billion a year.
Keeping Oregon Accountable audit: $1.8 billion in accounting errors
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
State agencies in Oregon made $1.8 billion in accounting errors during the 2024 budget year, according to an audit report from the Secretary of State's Office released May 13.
Auditors also identified $5.5 million in potentially improper spending of federal funds.
The report, "Keeping Oregon Accountable," includes the major findings of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and the Statewide Single Audit.
Auditors found eight significant deficiencies and no material weaknesses during the fiscal year 2024, the same as for fiscal year 2021. For fiscal years 2022 and 2023, auditors found 11 significant deficiencies and six material weaknesses, and 10 significant deficiencies and four material weaknesses, respectively.
Of 23 previous findings, 39%, or nine, had been corrected. Steps had been taken to address the remaining 14, auditors found.
Kotek Says She’s Reluctant to Mirror California Proposal to Reduce Health Care for Undocumented Immigrants
Willamette Week | By Nigel Jaquiss
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told reporters Monday afternoon she would be very reluctant to follow the lead of her fellow Democrat, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last week proposed reducing his state’s spending on health care for undocumented immigrants.
In Washington, House Republicans working on the federal budget have proposed cutting Medicaid payments to states that, like California and Oregon, provide health care coverage to undocumented immigrants.
Kotek said California, which faces a $12 billion deficit (on a budget of $322 billion), is dealing with conditions different from those in Oregon, where state economists just produced a revenue forecast that, while less rosy than the March forecast, still shows a positive balance for the two-year budgeting period.
Oregon working on ‘guidance’ for local courthouses if ICE shows up
Oregon Live | By Yesenia Amaro, Zane Sparling
On the heels of a Wisconsin judge’s recent arrest for allegedly helping an immigrant evade federal agents, officials in Oregon say they’re “exploring a number of options to give courts appropriate guidance” on what to do if immigration authorities show up.
State officials can’t point to any confirmed immigration arrests at Oregon courthouses since President Donald Trump returned to office. But they want to help local courts navigate how to deal with that possibility while still complying with Oregon law that generally prohibits cooperation on immigration enforcement.
Under the first Trump administration, courthouse arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents dressed in plainclothes sparked widespread fear and concerns in sanctuary states, such as Oregon and California. In 2019, Oregon’s chief justice at the time issued an order that said no person should be subjected to civil arrest without a judicial warrant when an individual is in a courthouse or in the vicinity around a courthouse. The guidance was repealed in 2021 after it became redundant when lawmakers strengthened the state’s sanctuary laws and added similar language.
Read gives tour of Oregon vote-by-mail process to boost confidence, trust
KATU
Tuesday is Special Election Day in Oregon and Secretary of State Tobias Read wants to make sure all voters are confident about dropping off their ballots and how safe and secure the process is.
That’s why he took us on a tour of the pick-up process on Monday and then walked us through what happens after your ballot reaches an elections office.
Groups rally against bill that would exempt Umatilla County from statewide nuclear ban
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
A bill that would exempt Umatilla County from the statewide ban on new nuclear energy facilities has drawn the opposition of environmentalists, tribes, doctors and northeast Oregon community groups who showed up Monday at the Capitol in Salem to rally against it.
If passed, House Bill 2410 would allow the state’s Energy Facility Siting Council to approve development of a modular nuclear reactor in northeast Oregon’s Umatilla County. Oregon voters in 1980 approved a statewide ban on new nuclear development, barring the federal government creating a national repository for nuclear waste or voters deciding to appeal. Neither has happened.
Oregon House passes bill to prohibit housing discrimination based on immigration status
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
In a 36-15 vote, the Oregon House on Monday passed a bill to prohibit landlords from asking tenants about their immigration status.
Senate Bill 599 — similar to laws in Washington, California and New York — would prevent landlords from discriminating against an individual based on the type of identification documents provided to them. It also prevents landlords from disclosing or threatening to disclose an applicant’s or tenant’s immigration status.
Oregon bill would allow youth to vote in school board elections
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
Some Oregon students are pushing lawmakers to pass a bill to allow them to vote in school board elections.
House Bill 3012, introduced earlier this year, would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in nonpartisan school board elections starting in 2029. A group of youth voting advocates met outside the Oregon Capitol on Monday morning to encourage legislators to take up the bill — one day before school board elections take place across Oregon.
NEWS UPDATE FROM STATE SENATOR SUZANNE WEBER: Economic Revenue Forecast
Tillamook County Pioneer | By Sen. Weber
Last Wednesday, state economists presented the June Economic and Revenue Forecast which showed that, despite reckless spending and management of our state economy over the last decade, the state government is projected to bring in record revenue – a 12% increase from the previous biennium. Overall, we have more money to spend than two years ago, to the tune of $2 billion, but we don’t have as much as was predicted in February.
There’s a special election in Oregon. Here’s what you need to know
OPB | By Tiffany Camhi
It’s not too late to vote in Tuesday’s special election. Ballots are due by 8 p.m.
Election Day is upon us again and this time Oregonians will be voting on hyperlocal matters, mostly related to education. Voters in all 36 counties will be choosing representatives for school boards, local government entities and funding for some K-12 and community college building projects.
Portland’s heated budget battle turns into economic development power play
Oregon Live | By Jonathan Bach, Shane Dixon Kavanaugh
A spat over city funding for Portland’s economic development agency is turning into a fight over the agency’s independent governance.
Here’s how Portland councilors want to tweak Mayor Wilson’s budget
OPB | By Alex Zielinksi
Mayor Keith Wilson released his proposed budget May 5, and it’s been constant politicking in City Hall since. This week offers an opportunity for the eager new councilors to formally weigh in and reflect their campaign promises and policy goals.
And they’re not holding back. This year, councilors are expected to propose between 80 and 120 budget amendments total. While the details won’t be fully fleshed out until an hours-long council meeting Wednesday, councilors have already made dozens of their proposals public.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Homelessness numbers hit record highs in Central Oregon — but the data might be deceiving
The Bulletin | By Clayton Franke
A survey found the number of people living without homes in Central Oregon is higher than ever. But it’s not clear to what extent homelessness is actually growing.
The results indicate there are 2,108 homeless people across Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook Counties. That’s about 300 more people than in 2024, an increase of 17%.
This year’s data adds to a trend of steady increases in each of the past 12 years, and particularly in the past five, in which the homeless count has grown by about 89%. That’s despite millions of dollars of investment in recent years for boosting availability of shelter and building new low-income housing to help people transition out of homelessness.
More than half of the people who responded to the survey this year said they had been experiencing homelessness for at least three years. More than half of respondents said they had lived in Central Oregon for at least 10 years. The top cause of homelessness, according to the survey, was economic factors. Other top drivers were evictions and personal reasons.
In Bend, nearly two-thirds of renters are “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend at least 30% of their income on rent. About one quarter of renters spend at least half of their income on rent.
Oregon sheriff arrested in county car, accused of DUII with blood-alcohol content twice the legal limit
Oregon Live | By Maxine Bernstein Umatilla County Sheriff Terry L. Rowan, who sits on the state’s public safety certification board, was arrested Friday in his county sheriff’s vehicle, accused of driving intoxicated on Interstate 84.
The Deschutes County Sheriff may lose his badge for lying. He also protected a deputy accused of the same thing
OPB | By Jen Baires
But as Election Day neared, van der Kamp’s future seemed increasingly imperiled by accusations of dishonesty. His bosses at the sheriff’s office were investigating him. They claimed he covered up being fired from another law enforcement agency for misconduct, including dishonesty. Van der Kamp dismissed the probe as dirty politics and exactly the type of power abuse he was pledging to root out, if elected.
At the same time, a longtime deputy at his office came under internal scrutiny. Deschutes K9 Deputy Ryan McNee was put on leave Sept. 25 amid an internal investigation into accusations he used excessive force and was dishonest on the job.
Since 2022, McNee has been internally investigated for five separate incidents, including the barn incident. Internal investigators have sustained 10 violations against McNee, including unbecoming conduct, excessive force, and issues related to multiple high-speed chases. The dishonesty finding from the most recent investigation could have been a career-ending charge.
But after van der Kamp became sheriff, he reversed the investigator’s finding of dishonesty.
FBI, Oregon police investigate rise in ‘gore group’ crimes targeting teens online
Fox12 News
A disturbing and relatively new form of online crime is surfacing more frequently across Oregon and the United States, according to local and federal investigators.
Known as “gore groups,” these loosely connected online communities are luring and exploiting vulnerable youth — often with shocking levels of violence and psychological manipulation.
Lake Oswego Police Sergeant Brandon Clausen said he encountered a particularly unsettling case last June when he was called to assist the FBI with an investigation involving a 14-year-old girl in the Portland metro area.
ECONOMY
A Fire Sale of Portland’s Largest Office Tower Shows How Far the City Has Fallen
Wall Street Journal | By Peter Grant
The once-premier building is now over half empty, reflecting how the Oregon city’s downtown is struggling with crime and other quality-of-life issues.
The property, once a premier address in the city, was afflicted with “vagrants sleeping in hallways of vacant office floors.” They were “starting fires in stairwells, smoking fentanyl and defecating in common areas,” according to papers the company filed in a lease-termination lawsuit.
Two years later, the buildings stands more than half-empty.
EDUCATION
CT honors student is suing her school district, saying she is illiterate
New York Post | By Angela Barbuti
A Connecticut honors student is suing her school district, saying she is illiterate.
Despite graduating from Hartford Public High School in June with honors and getting a scholarship to the University of Connecticut, Aleysha Ortiz is claiming she cannot read or write.
The 19-year-old, who spent 12 years in the Hartford public school district, testified at a May city council meeting, explaining her unique situation and how the educational system failed her.
Portland area high school students, parents cry foul over attendance policies. Some say the crackdown is working
Oregon Live | By Erin Reaney
Statewide, 43% of Oregon high school students missed more than 10% of the 2024-25 school year. That’s roughly 72,000 students.
Oregon has one of the worst chronic absenteeism rates in the country.
So, high schools from West Linn to Troutdale have put policies in place to crack down on absenteeism by preventing students from attending social events if they don’t show up at school. It’s drawn big pushback from students and parents — but some administrators say it seems to be working.
Last year, 34.3% of Oregon students missed 10% or more of school days, according to data from the Oregon Department of Education. To maintain 90% attendance, a student can miss an average of no more than two days of school a month. While attendance rates have improved since their low during the pandemic, truancy remains a problem. At the high school level, whether a student attends school regularly is strongly tied to their likelihood of earning a diploma, the Oregon Department of Education says.
Tuesday's special election features nearly $2B bond for Portland Public Schools
KATU | By Tanvi Varma
On Tuesday, Portland Public Schools expects to learn whether voters approve a $1.827 billion bond.
The bond sets out to charge homeowners $2.50 per $1,000 of assessed value. For the average home, that would be about $59 a month. Technically, homeowners are already paying this rate. If they choose to reject the bond, then their rate of payment would decrease overtime.
If the bond passes, about $974 million would go to the rebuilding and modernization of Jefferson High School, which has yet to be completed, Cleveland High School, and Ida B. Wells High School. About $321 million would go to improving “education materials, technology, physical education, extracurricular activities.” Then about $366 million would go to “updates and repairs to aging elementary and middle schools.”
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Willamette Falls Locks Authority vying for funds amid shrinking state budget
Milwaukie Review | By Holly Bartholomew
As the Oregon Legislature discusses how to tighten the state’s belt before adopting a new two-year budget, the Willamette Falls Locks Authority — which has requested $11 million from state lawmakers — is working hard to convince legislators that the locks are worth the investment.
With that funding from the state Legislature, the authority hopes to finish repairs of the century-and-a-half-old locks, which closed in 2011 after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that corrosion of the lock gates made them unsafe.
Funding for the locks would come from state lottery bonds.
If reopened, the locks, a series of hydraulic gates that act as a staircase allowing ships to travel up and down Willamette Falls, would restore travel between the upper and lower portions of the Willamette. Before the locks closed, boats could travel along the Willamette from Portland to the cities further south in the valley like Newberg, Salem and Albany.
OSU researchers develop tech to cut AI's energy use by 50%
KATU | By Allison Gutleber
From Gemini to ChatGPT, AI uses a lot of energy. The International Energy Agency projected that electricity consumption by data centers will double by 2026, reaching 1,000 terawatts, comparable to Japan's current total consumption.
But not all hope is lost; Oregon State University announced the development of a groundbreaking chip designed to cut the energy consumption of artificial intelligence's large language models by half.
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