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Oregon News
Thousands under evacuation orders as wildfire burns near The Dalles in the gorge
KATU | By Steve Benham, Tristan Fortsch
More than 3,300 homes were under evacuation orders late Wednesday night as firefighters battled a wildfire burning in the Columbia River Gorge that, according to the state fire marshal, had burned to the edge of The Dalles.
Earlier in the day, the Rowena Fire was estimated to be about 500 acres in size and was burning along the freeway in areas near Tom McCall Preserve in Wasco County. The state fire marshal did not have an updated number of acres burned late Wednesday night.
POLITICS
Wildfire funding is a ‘must do’ for the session, legislative leaders say. So what’s the plan?
Oregon Live | By Sami Edge
Lawmakers in both parties gave speeches about the importance of finding better ways to prevent and pay for wildfires as they approved a $218 million bailout to cover unpaid debts to contractors who fought Oregon fires. They urged one another to find a fix to the broken wildfire funding puzzle during the 2025 session.
Less than three weeks remain in that five-month session. And while lawmakers are working behind the scenes to generate a plan, they have not delivered a clear or public vision to fund wildfire mitigation and suppression in a more sustainable way.
Three bills are circulating that propose six potential funding options dreamed up by the wildfire funding workgroup that met before the 2025 session. One bill proposes withholding Oregon’s personal income tax “kicker” rebate to create an investment fund, then using interest from that fund to generate money for wildfires each biennium. Another would redirect money from Oregon’s lottery funds to pay for wildfire. And a third bill, House Bill 3940, contains the bulk of the funding options, which include diverting money from state reserves, using an insurance tax that normally goes into the general fund and adding a nonrefundable tax on Oregon’s bottles and cans.
It has been five weeks since the most recent hearing on any of those bills.
What’s more, several of the funding ideas have generated significant pushback. Republicans argue taking the kicker is untenable, and at least some of them would have to get behind the idea in order for it to achieve the requisite two-thirds majority needed to hold back any portion of the kicker. Environmentalists and many Democrats have mounted fierce opposition to the idea of taxing bottles and cans to pay for wildfire, and it appears they’ll be successful in chasing that option out of contention. And Democrats have been vocal that they don’t want to use already allocated revenue – like general fund or lottery dollars – to foot the bill for wildfires.
Reschke, in the House, said he assumed there was some calculus behind stalling wildfire bills to see if Republicans might concede to hold back the kicker. He pointed to Senate Bill 83 – a bill that would repeal a wildfire risk map and associated home hardening requirements – which has been stalled in the House Rules Committee instead of sent to a floor vote.
Fahey said on Monday that she’s not holding the wildfire map “hostage,” as Republican lawmakers suggest.
She argued that if lawmakers are going to repeal requirements for how Oregonians in high-risk areas must harden their home against wildfire, then she wants to see dedicated funding to support alternative fire prevention efforts.
Lawmakers compromise on 10 weeks of unemployment for striking workers, not 26
Oregon Live | By Sami Edge
Striking workers in Oregon will be limited to 10 weeks of unemployment benefits if lawmakers again OK a contentious proposal that underwent last minute changes this week.
Senate Bill 916 would change Oregon’s unemployment rules, allowing workers on strike to collect unemployment after a two week waiting period.
The bill has already passed both chambers. But on Tuesday, Senators slowed its progress with a technical vote. Four Democrats joined Republicans in saying the bill should be adjusted, including one who had previously supported it.
That committee gaveled in to consider how to change the bill three times but didn’t actually hold any discussions on changing the policy before they finally met to vote on it in the evening. The committee convened Wednesday at 6 p.m. for the fourth time to adopt an amendment posted just an hour and a half earlier.
The amendment restricts striking workers to 10 weeks of unemployment, rather than the 26 week maximum allowed for other unemployed workers. The former version of the bill allowed striking workers to also collect up to 26 weeks.
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles cast the sole no vote against the amendment. His Republican counterpart on the committee, Rep. Lucetta Elmer of McMinnville, was absent because she couldn’t make it to the late evening meeting after the rounds of rescheduling.
Despite the new cap on unemployment, Bonham said he still couldn’t support the bill. Bonham said he didn’t know that the striking worker bill would be a huge draw on the state’s healthy unemployment fund, but that he still thinks that it will incentivize workers to strike.
“It’s too much to ask of the system and structure that we have in place,” Bonham said.
The bill heads back to both chambers for final approval.
Oregon lawmakers scale back proposal for unemployment strike payments amid blowback
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Shaanth Nanguneri
A particularly controversial measure that would give unemployment benefits to public and private Oregon workers during labor strikes survived a key Wednesday hearing after lawmakers agreed to cut the length of time in which workers on strike could cash checks by more than half.
Senate Bill 916 would have limited striking workers to receiving benefits for 26 weeks, in line with the current caps on unemployment checks for Oregonians. But after the Senate rejected an amended version of the bill on Tuesday, a bicameral conference committee voted Wednesday to set a new cutoff at 10 weeks after a two-week waiting period. Committee members voted along party lines, with the sole Republican present voting against the amendments.
The bill has been among this session’s most controversial measures, laying bare deep divisions over how best to use the state’s $6.4 billion unemployment insurance fund. The changes come after support for a Democrat-led bill collapsed in a concurring Senate vote on Tuesday amid concerns from Republicans and a key dissenting Democrat. It had already drawn opposition from school board leaders who help negotiate teacher strikes, business groups, and local government leaders who contribute to the state’s unemployment fund.
“We have a healthy fund today due in no small part because all the agreements in the years have been honored,” committee member Sen. Daniel Bonham, R- The Dalles, told his colleagues before voting against the amended bill. “It is a healthy enough fund that I don’t know that this will be a massive draw on it, but again the kids will lose if teachers are incentivized to strike.”
Oregon lawmakers to vote on new amendment to Senate Bill 916
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
Oregon lawmakers will again consider a bill that would grant unemployment benefits to striking workers, including public employees, after a group of lawmakers approved an amendment to Senate Bill 916 following the measure's failure to pass on June 10.
The bill passed in the Senate in late March, allowing striking workers to receive up to the state's maximum of 26 weeks of unemployment benefits. The House voted on an amendment that limited benefits to eight weeks if the state's unemployment insurance fund reached a specific threshold.
The committee voted in favor of the amendment, with the exception of Bonham, who voted against, and Elmer, who was excused.
“It’s too much to ask of the system and structure that we have in place,” Bonham said.
‘It’s our pride to be out there’: Oregon Department of Transportation worker braces for layoffs
Oregon Live | By Carlos Fuentes
The Oregon Department of Transportation is facing a massive funding problem. Over the past year, its leaders have urged lawmakers to find more money for the agency, which is responsible for maintaining more than 7,000 miles of highways and nearly 3,000 bridges statewide.
Without more money, agency leaders have warned they will be forced to close some maintenance stations and lay off roughly 1,000 workers, resulting in higher incident response times and reduced road maintenance across the state.
Those cuts could disproportionately impact rural Oregon communities that rely heavily on those maintenance workers, particularly in the winter. For instance, reducing services could mean some roads no longer get plowed overnight, delaying emergency response vehicles, school buses, truckers and commuters.
Oregon's governor would hire the State Forester under Senate Bill 1051
Statesman Journal | By Tracy Loew
A bill that would allow Oregon’s governor, rather than the state Board of Forestry, to choose the State Forester passed out of committee June 11.
Senate Bill 1051 was introduced at the request of Gov. Tina Kotek.
Oregon’s largest business, farm and forestry groups had testified in opposition to the legislation at a March 24 public hearing, saying they did not want the position to become politicized.
Since then, backers have been working on an amendment, adopted June 11, that clarifies the background and experience candidates must possess.
Bill to require big tech to pay Oregon newsrooms advances with fewer legal concerns
Oregon Live | By Carlos Fuentes
An Oregon bill that would require big tech companies including Meta and Google to pay money to local newsrooms is trudging forward with less than three weeks left in this year’s legislative session.
The proposed policy, Senate Bill 686, has undergone significant changes to address legal concerns from some lawmakers and tech companies, which have fought the proposal for months. But it’s unclear if those changes will convince enough lawmakers in both chambers to approve the bill.
Republicans, meanwhile, said they remain concerned about any potential court challenges. Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham of The Dalles said he is also concerned that tech companies will retaliate in response to the bill, hurting local, independent publishers.
“I still do have concerns,” Bonham said Wednesday. “With legal questions still on our minds, are we passing this bill hoping that it goes to the courts, and we’re using this bill to test the courts? That’s what it feels like to me, and I don’t support that.”
GOP URGE ODFW TO KEEP CHINOOK SALMON FISHING SEASON OPEN
KQEN
A release from State Senator Dick Anderson of Lincoln City said while ODFW is anticipating a good fall fishing season for Chinook and Coho in most coastal basins, some lawmakers are growing concerned about the potential for the Chinook salmon fishing to be heavily restricted on the Umpqua River for the 2025 season. ODFW’s abundance estimates for 2024 show an alarming return of just 1,318 – well under the projected return of 3,360 and the lowest on record.
Portland City Council ends police budget clash with unexpected twist
Oregon Live | By Zaeem Shaikh
A last-ditch effort to restore $1.9 million in Portland police funding took an unexpected turn Wednesday as councilors debated amendments to the city’s upcoming budget.
But the effort quickly fizzled, ending a weeks-long fight across political lines over how much money to give cops as Portland continues to recover from pandemic-era crime spikes.
Rather than giving a budget boost solely to police, councilors approved setting aside money for all public safety bureaus – fire, 911, Portland Street Response and emergency management — to help them recruit workers. The move was largely viewed as a compromise as police leaders fought to increase their budget and other bureaus absorbed cuts.
Green and Novick Find a Way to Keep Metro Chamber From Opposing Future Parks Levy, for Now
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
Two weeks ago, the Portland City Council voted to redirect $2 million in new funding earmarked for the Portland Police Bureau to parks maintenance.
The amendment Novick and his council colleagues passed by a 11–1 vote sets aside $2.2 million to fill vacant public safety positions.
It’s a small amount of money, and ultimately amounts to a shuffling around of unspent police dollars. But it’s significant because the deal satisfies the Metro Chamber—which means the council can move forward in pursuing a property tax increase with less resistance from the city’s business lobby.
Portland City Council, with lots of talk but few major tweaks, nears final passage of mayor’s budget
Oregon Live | By Shane Dixon Kavanaugh
The Portland City Council moved closer to adopting Mayor Keith Wilson’s budget after another drawn-out session tested members’ tempers and patience but once again left the $8.5 billion proposal largely unscathed.
And while they tussled over a pair of politically charged proposals to bring police overtime spending under council oversight and redirect some money for homeless camp sweeps to protect renters, neither mustered the votes to pass.
Ultimately, councilors struggled to set a pace that would allow them to tackle all of the more than 120 amendments they had wanted to bring forward. Despite a combined 30-plus hours of deliberations over the course of two days this week and a separate marathon session last month, dozens of councilor proposals withered and died without debate.
Council Passes Amendment That Unknowingly Puts Proposed Budget $734,000 in the Red
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
The Portland City Council on Tuesday passed an amendment to the budget that directed bureaus to reduce their external spending on contractors and materials by 2%. The directive, Councilor Mitch Green said, would create about $1.5 million in savings, which would then be reallocated to other priorities.
On Wednesday morning, the city’s budget director, Ruth Levine, alerted Pirtle-Guiney that the amendment from the night prior had actually put the city’s overall proposed budget in a $734,000 deficit.
The City Council on Wednesday night managed to close the $734,000 deficit by the end of the night, as was legally required. They did so by voting to trim some of the new allocations created in Green’s original amendment, and to cut each councilor’s office budget by $41,000. That closed the deficit. How the council ultimately chose to close that deficit was not without controversy; they debated for nearly 45 minutes before taking a final vote.
Washington County approves six-figure payout for CEO who resigned from embattled sewer agency
Oregon Live | By Jamie Goldberg
The board of Washington County’s sewer agency approved a six-figure payout for its former chief executive officer, who tendered her resignation last month in the aftermath of an investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive that uncovered lavish spending at the public agency.
Diane Taniguchi-Dennis, whose last day at the agency was June 6, will receive a one-time payment of $121,861, according to a separation agreement she signed June 3. That payout represents two months of salary and enough money to cover two years of medical insurance.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Criminal proceedings halted against man accused of stabbing 12 at UGM in Salem
Statesman Journal | By Isabel Funk
Criminal proceedings have been halted against a man charged with stabbing 12 people at the Union Gospel Mission of Salem after his attorney raised concerns about the man's mental ability to proceed.
Portland police arrest 3 protesters outside ICE facility
Oregon Live | By Kimberly Cortez
Portland police arrested three protesters late Wednesday outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility after two allegedly started a fire against the building and another allegedly punched and tried to choke a police officer.
Are you ‘jonesing to fire less lethal rounds’ and ‘launch gas canisters’? Oregon State Police SWAT email misses mark
Oregon Live | By Maxine Bernstein
An Oregon State Police recruitment email for the SWAT unit trumpeted fatal shootings by its members and the elite unit’s use of an arsenal of weapons.
It boasted that the agency’s SWAT snipers have killed suspects during “dramatic and highly intense” hostage situations.
State police fought for months to keep from disclosing the most incendiary parts of the email, claiming it revealed confidential tactics.
But a state lawyer eventually ordered the agency to release the full text after The Oregonian/OregonLive successfully appealed the police denial of its public records request.
ECONOMY
Dutch Bros relocates headquarters to Phoenix
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
Dutch Bros, the renowned coffee company originally founded in Grants Pass, Oregon, is moving its corporate headquarters to Phoenix, Arizona.
This relocation marks a pivotal change for the company, which has expanded from a single coffee cart in 1992 to a national brand valued at nearly $12 billion.
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham said, "Dutch Bros didn’t leave Oregon by accident. They were pushed out by a state that punishes success, burdens employers, and chases opportunity away. This is the cost of failed leadership."
HOUSING
As Evictions Soar, State to Slash Financial Support for Tenants
Willamette Week | By Nigel Jaquiss
As the state faces soaring levels of evictions, the Legislature’s budget-writing committee yesterday moved ahead with a budget for Oregon Housing and Community Services that includes large cuts for two key services: eviction prevention and homelessness prevention.
Documents show that the 2023–25 budget included a combined $130.2 million for those two services. But the OHCS budget approved June 10 by the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development cut that number to $33.6 million—a 74.2% decrease. Advocates knew the budget might be difficult, but they say the depth of cuts came as an unpleasant jolt.
Oregon housing budget would fund shelters, slash eviction prevention
OPB | By Bryce Dole
Oregon lawmakers have unveiled a budget bill that would continue to funnel vast sums of money toward homeless shelters statewide while slashing funds for preventing evictions.
Democrats advanced the bill through a legislative subcommittee on a 5-2 party-line vote Tuesday, sending it to leaders on the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, who write the state’s budget.
Under Gov. Tina Kotek, Oregon has invested billions of dollars toward housing and homelessness in recent years, but the state continues to struggle with rising homelessness, evictions and a shortage of affordable housing.
Metro Regional Government Aims to Index Housing Tax to Inflation With New Ordinance
Willamette Week | By Anthony Effinger
Metro’s seven-member council will consider changes to the regional government’s supportive housing services levy that would exempt more of a taxpayer’s income by indexing the threshold that triggers the tax to inflation.
The ordinance is a response to concern among taxpayers that inflation—high in recent years—is pushing middle-income people into income brackets that require paying a tax that was meant to be levied only on high earners. Single payers don’t owe the 1% tax on any income below $125,000. Married couples are exempt up to $200,000.
HEALTH CARE
OHSU Primate Center Workers to Lose Access to Nearby Treatment for Exposure to Monkey Diseases
Willamette Week | By Anthony Effinger
For the past 10 years, employees exposed to diseases at the Oregon National Primate Research Center have been treated at a specialized clinic run by Providence Health & Services, even though the primate center is run by Oregon Health & Science University.
That arrangement is coming to an end because Providence’s Infectious Disease Consultants unit at St. Vincent Medical Center is swamped with work and can no longer offer same-day appointments to workers who come in contact with sometimes exotic monkey diseases, according to a memo sent to primate center staff and obtained by WW.
Citing privacy, Oregon State Hospital redacts reported failures that led to patient death
OPB | By Amelia Templeton
The Oregon State Hospital has released new details about shortcomings federal inspectors found when they visited the hospital after a patient’s death on March 18.
A survey at the state’s main psychiatric facility found that failures of leadership, staff and policies there may have contributed to the death of a Lane County man who was being held in a seclusion room.
But the state blacked out more than 50 pages of the 242 page report, limiting information on how broader policy and leadership failures contributed to the patient’s death. OPB has filed a record request for an unredacted copy.
EDUCATION
PPS to Begin Conversation on School Closures
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
Portland Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kimberlee Armstrong is commencing one of the toughest tests for superintendents nationwide: a discussion of closing elementary and middle schools.
At a Tax Supervising and Conservation Commission hearing on the Portland Public Schools budget Tuesday afternoon, TSCC members raised some questions about whether, given declining enrollment, the district would begin considering school closures. The district faces a $40 million budget deficit for the 2025–26 fiscal year, and a forecasted deficit of about $32 million in the 2026–27 year.
Chief of schools Dr. Jon Franco said school closures could help the district save money and increase program efficiency.
NATURAL RESOURCES & WILDFIRE
Federal cuts threaten Oregon’s disaster response ahead of wildfire season
OPB | By April Ehrlich
As Oregon faces what’s supposed to be an intense wildfire season, counties are grappling with federal cuts and uncertainty that could hinder their ability to help Oregonians during fires, floods and other disasters.
The Trump administration hasn’t renewed a critical grant that helps fund local disaster response, leaving Oregon counties and tribal governments vulnerable ahead of a potentially active wildfire season.
Oregon’s counties have asked state lawmakers to help by putting $9 million toward local emergency systems in the next two-year budget. But the chance of that happening is somewhat slim during a leaner-than-expected budget cycle.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Portland is offering another 10,000 free air conditioners to boost climate resilience
OPB | By Monica Samayoa
Portland is hoping to distribute another 10,000 free air conditioners to qualifying residents by the end of next year. The Portland Clean Energy Fund’s Cooling Portland offers a free energy-efficient portable air conditioning unit to qualified city residents with lower incomes. It was created after the deadly 2021 heat dome when nearly 100 people died of heat-related stress throughout the state. As of Thursday, the program has installed more than 15,770 units, exceeding its original 2022 goal.
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