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Oregon News
POLITICS
‘We are in the dark’ ‘Everything is a crisis’: Oregon Department of Transportation managers reported lack of communication, trust from agency leaders
Oregon Live | By Carlos Fuentes
Several top managers at the Oregon Department of Transportation reported poor management by the agency’s senior leaders in an anonymous survey last fall, according to an internal report the agency provided The Oregonian/OregonLive.
The September survey, which was conducted to help a new top manager see what she needed to accomplish and has not been previously reported, marks the latest blow to the Oregon Department of Transportation in the past year. The agency has urged lawmakers to allocate it more funding this legislative session, while multiple reviews of the agency have discovered faulty communication processes, mismanagement of mega projects and other flaws plaguing the agency.
But no other report has so explicitly called out the transportation agency’s top leaders, including director Kris Strickler, for what top managers perceived as faulty management and communication.
Last week, Gov. Tina Kotek ordered Strickler to slash convoluted bureaucratic processes that outside consultants found had delayed work at nearly every level of the state agency. The directive came in response to that outside review that determined the agency suffers from inefficiencies and flawed communication that have reduced transparency and caused some megaprojects under its purview to skyrocket in cost.
Lawmakers are working to incorporate the recent review’s findings into a massive transportation package that will likely secure more money for the agency. They have until the end of June to pass a package this session, including any new accountability measures.
Newly-appointed public defense head mounts effort to stem Oregon's public defense pileup
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Shaanth Nanguneri
When Gov. Tina Kotek fired the head of Oregon’s embattled public defense commission in April, she gave its new director until June 1 to come up with a strategy to end the state’s ongoing public defender shortage.
On Monday, Interim Executive Director Ken Sanchagrin announced just that: A 12-month-long, seven-point plan by the agency that seeks to expand contracts with lawyers and nonprofits across the state, increase voluntary caseloads for available attorneys and onboard law students who can be supervised while providing a defense for those accused of crimes.
The response marks the commission’s first attempt at addressing the shortage since Kotek overhauled its leadership two months ago. It doesn’t provide a timeline for exactly when the crisis should end, as Kotek requested in April, but Sanchagrin told report.
A Kotek press secretary said she is reviewing the plan and advocating for the Legislature to put funding towards additional trial lawyers to resolve the issue.
Oregon employs an array of centralized and deployable trial lawyers, public defenders, and nonprofit attorneys to help ensure that those who cannot afford an attorney are given proper defense, an obligation mandated by the U.S. and Oregon constitutions. The issue has long concerned officials, with a scathing 2019 study slamming Oregon’s “complex bureaucracy that collects a significant amount of indigent defense data, yet does not provide sufficient oversight or financial accountability.”
As of June 2, 3,779 people lack public defenders, according to the state’s dashboard, though Sanchagrin’s letter said that the number was upwards of 4,400 as of May 2025. The majority of cases involve the six “crisis” counties: Coos, Douglas, Jackson, Marion, Multnomah and Washington.
Oregon public defense leader reveals new plan to stem legal crisis
OPB | By Lauren Dake
The head of the Oregon Public Defense Commission unveiled a plan Monday to reduce the number of Oregonians who have been charged with a crime but do not have access to an attorney.
Both the U.S. and Oregon Constitutions require the state to pay for attorneys for those who cannot afford one. But for years, Oregon has not met that constitutional obligation.
At the end of May, there were 119 people who were in jail who did not have an attorney representing them. There were nearly 4,400 people who needed an attorney but did not have one.
Oregon bill would force hospitals to provide clear, accessible prices of medical services
Oregon Live | By Kristine de Leon
Oregon lawmakers are weighing a bill to make hospital pricing more transparent and accessible to patients.
Senate Bill 1060 would require hospitals to clearly post the actual prices of medical services — both before and after insurance discounts — so patients can better understand what they might owe.
Supporters say SB1060 would cut through that confusion, giving patients clearer pricing information upfront and encouraging competition that could help lower healthcare costs. They argue it’s essential, as patients frequently pay part — or even all — of what insurers agree to cover.
John Freudenthal, aide to Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Aloha, characterized SB1060 in testimony Monday as “a fairly simple consumer protection bill” that aims to standardize pricing disclosures, “allowing patients to easily compare costs across hospitals with clear upfront information.”The Hospital Association of Oregon, which lobbies on behalf of the state’s hospitals, says its members are already following the federal rules. The group opposes SB1060, arguing that it would add administrative burdens to the state’s hospitals that would add to their increasing operational expenses.
Oregon bill would reduce administrative burden for patients seeking physician assisted suicide
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
Terminally ill people who want their doctors’ help in dying could do so twice as quickly under an Oregon bill that would cut the waiting period between asking for a lethal dose of medication from 15 days to seven.
Oregon is one of 11 states and Washington, D.C., that allow terminally ill individuals to choose to end their lives by asking a physician for a lethal dose of medication. Only adults who are given six months to live and who can effectively communicate for themselves can elect for physician-assisted suicide. In 2023, the state removed a residency requirement, enabling people from other states to travel to Oregon to die.
Patients must make two oral requests to their physician for the medication, each separated by at least 15 days. But Senate Bill 1003, as amended, would change the law and reduce that time frame from 15 days to seven days.
The bill would allow electronic transmission of prescriptions and filings, and it would require hospices and health care facilities disclose their physician-assisted suicide policy before a patient is admitted and publish the policy on their websites. The bill would also broaden who can prescribe lethal drugs by replacing “attending physician” and “consulting physician” in the law with “attending practitioner” and “consulting practitioner” while retaining the requirement that they are licensed physicians in Oregon. The bill is sponsored by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The bill received a public hearing Monday afternoon in the Senate Committee on Rules, with dozens of individuals testifying and submitting letters mostly in opposition. It has yet to receive a vote by either chamber.
David vs. Goliath: Oregon bill offers lifeline for journalism — and democracy
The Oregonian | Opinion By John Maher, President & Publisher on behalf of The Oregonian
In an era where information is abundant but trust is scarce, local journalism remains one of the last bastions of accountability, transparency, and civic connection. Yet, across Oregon, newsrooms are shrinking, reporters are vanishing, and communities are losing access to the reliable information they need to make informed decisions.
Senate Bill 686 offers a bold and necessary first step towards a solution.
This legislation would require dominant tech platforms—like Google and Meta—to compensate Oregon news organizations for using the content they scrape from our websites to drive traffic and profits. These platforms have used local reporting to generate significant profits for years, yet they return little to nothing to the journalists and publishers who produce it. SB686 would help correct that imbalance.
This is not a tax. It’s not a subsidy. It’s compensation for value taken in the form of direct payment to news organizations using formal arbitration or a research-backed fund to set benchmarks.
Critics claim this bill threatens free speech or innovation. But legal experts - including a former Oregon Supreme Court justice - have affirmed its constitutionality. And innovation doesn’t mean exploitation. It’s time for Big Tech to innovate responsibly and pay fairly.
Now, Big Tech is launching a fear campaign, threatening to throttle information in retaliation. This bill has broad support from journalists, publishers, labor unions, broadcasters, academics, and civic leaders - including Governor Tina Kotek.
Typically fiercely competitive, news organizations around the state have united in support of this bill to publish this editorial.
Slate of bills to modernize Oregon water laws await votes in final month of session
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
In an effort to modernize and streamline how state officials allocate what’s left of Oregon’s ground and surface waters, lawmakers are considering a slate of bills meant to get resource agencies collaborating on permitting reform, data collection and “management” rather than “regulation.”
The two have been working on updating Oregon’s water laws — specifically improving water accounting and the permitting and transfers laws — for years to preserve over-drawn basins and to deal with a backlog of more than 220 contested water rights cases currently sitting with the Oregon Department of Water Resources.
Oregon high school track podium protest ignites national debate on transgender athletes
KATU
Oregon is once again at the center of a national debate over transgender athletes being allowed to compete in women's sports.
Alexa Anderson from Tigard High School was one of the athletes who stepped off the podium in protest. Anderson said her actions were not inspired by hate, but about fairness in girls’ sports.
Hood River-White Salmon Bridge replacement secures WA funds, eyes $105M in OR
KOIN | By Michaela Bourgeois
The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge replacement project is seeing progress after Washington approved additional funding to replace the 100-year-old bridge, with eyes on Oregon to match funds.
As Washington’s legislative session has come to an end, the authority is now eyeing Oregon House Bill 2184, which would allocate $105 million to the project and would help the state match Washington’s financial commitments.
Led by Oregon Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) and Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River), the bill passed the Joint Committee on Transportation in April and is now being considered in the Ways and Means Committee.
In the meantime, the bridge authority is urging Oregon lawmakers to pass the funding. “We truly appreciate the great support from Senator Bonham and Representative Helfrich, and applaud the Transportation Committee for their support, especially committee co-chairs Representative Susan McLain and Senator Chris Gorsek,” said Mike Fox, HRWSBA co-chair.
Key Multnomah County health director resigns
Oregon Live | By Austin de Dios
Multnomah County’s behavioral health division director announced her resignation in an email to county staff Monday. Her departure marks another major shift in county leadership, following years of turnover in the Health Department and resignation announcements from two other top officials in recent months.
Portland councilors fret over fate of parks levy
OPB | By Alex Zielinski
Portland City Councilors are worried that voters might not be interested in increasing a five-year parks levy in November to maintain current programs and services at city parks.
The parks levy, approved in 2020, requires property owners to pay $0.80 per $1,000 assessed value of a property annually. For example, the owner of a home with a median assessed value of $228,000 — the average for a Multnomah County home — pays $182 per year. That money goes toward community centers and pools, recreational classes and camps, parks discounts to low-income households and routine maintenance, among other programs.
But simply renewing this levy, which expires in July 2026, wouldn’t be enough to keep parks operating at current levels. That’s due to inflation, a decline in people paying fees to use park facilities, and a drop in property tax values, according to Sonia Schmanski, the deputy city administrator overseeing Portland Parks & Recreation.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
12 injured in stabbing at Salem Union Gospel Mission; suspect charged
OPB | By Conrad Wilson
A series of stabbings outside of a shelter in Salem injured 12 people, some severely, according to police. The suspect, who is now in custody, faces attempted murder and assault charges.
The Marion County District Attorney’s Office said Monday it has charged Tony Latrell Williams from Bend with attempted murder. He was arraigned in court Monday afternoon.
'Hacks me in the back': Woman attacked by man with hatchet near Portland State University campus
KGW | By Sabinna Pierre, Katherine Cook
A woman said a man attacked her with a hatchet shortly after she stepped off a TriMet bus. It happened just after 11 a.m. near a transit station near Portland State University. A security guard helped stop the suspect, who was already banned from campus, according to police.
"I went to throw away a cup of tea and he just hacks me in the back," Haille Salaam said.
Portland street takeovers went unchecked Sunday because cops were busy on another call
Oregon Live | By Fedor Zarkhin
Street takeovers swept across North Portland late Sunday and early Monday, but police said they couldn’t intervene because most North Precinct officers were tied up responding to a report of a man armed with a gun and threatening to kill people.
A similar situation played out in April when police didn’t intervene in a street takeover event under Morrison Bridge. The bureau didn’t have adequate resources, Benner said at the time, so several officers monitored from a block away.
'Sanctuary jurisdictions' list with Oregon, Washington removed from DHS website
KOIN | By Aimee Plante
Days after publishing a list of what the Trump administration called “sanctuary jurisdictions,” the Department of Homeland Security has removed that list from its website.
Locations included the entire states of Oregon and Washington, along with numerous cities and counties in the Pacific Northwest. Before the list was removed, the DHS said each jurisdiction identified would receive formal notification of not complying with federal status, demanding they review and revise their policies.
The list came on the heels of an executive order in late April from President Donald Trump, which threatened to cancel federal funds to sanctuary cities.
Lawyers Say ICE Arrested Woman Seeking Asylum After Her Portland Court Hearing
Willamette Week | By Aaron Mesh
In a federal legal filing, lawyers say U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a woman from Mexico outside her asylum hearing Monday morning in downtown Portland.
The alleged arrest would represent the first documented incident of ICE agents appearing at an Immigration Court hearing in Portland, but it matches a widely reported tactic of federal agents making arrests at courthouses across the country as President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to crack down on immigration.
EDUCATION
Dozens of schools, districts pass up summer learning money, citing tight timeline; others, like Portland, weren’t ever eligible
Oregon Live | By Julia Silverman
Gov. Tina Kotek recently hailed the signing of a bill that set aside $35 million for summer learning programs this year and next as the “biggest bill” of the legislative session thus far, calling it “a huge win for all of Oregon.” But for the 74 school districts, charter schools and education service districts that so far have informed that state that they were turning down their cut of that money, that win came too late and with too many strings attached.
Among those who also turned down the grant: All eight of the school districts and charter schools that were ranked at the very top of the state’s list of who most needed the money, based on the share of their students who scored proficient in reading.
Education researchers have found that well-designed summer learning programs, along with regular, intensive tutoring sessions, are one of the most effective ways to help students who are behind catch up.
The money that some districts passed up won’t go to waste; it will just go to other schools and districts further down the original priority list.
NATURAL RESOURCES & WILDFIRE
Oregon secures $83 million in federal grants for highway damage from wildfires, floods, natural disasters
Oregon Live | By Carlos Fuentes
Oregon will soon receive $83 million in federal reimbursements for repairs to roadways that were damaged by massive wildfires, floods, ice storms and other weather-related emergencies.
All seven of Oregon’s Democratic members of Congress announced Monday they have secured eight grants from the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which funds repairs of major roads and bridges damaged by natural disasters.
Burn bans begin as Oregon forecast turns warmer and drier
OPB | By Kristian Foden-Vencil
Many Central Oregon cities started fire restrictions this week as the forecast for much of the state predicts dry, warm weather and little precipitation ahead. As the weather heats up, burn bans are in place around Oregon.
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