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Oregon News
POLITICS
Opponents of Oregon Democrats’ transportation bill are already raising money to send it to voters
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
Oregon Democrats have spent much of this week shopping around their massive plan to fund state road and bridge upkeep in the years to come.
And while opinions in the Capitol vary wildly over whether that package – a mix of tax increases and oversight measures – has a chance of passing, opponents are already preparing to send it to voters.
Last week, former state Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, filed a new political action committee called “No Gas Hikes.” If Democrats pass taxes he and others object to, Boquist says he’ll be ready to collect the roughly 78,000 signatures to refer the law to the 2026 ballot.
Boquist already has support. As of Thursday afternoon, No Gas Hikes had reported $186,000 in the bank — nearly all of it from auto dealers who oppose Democrats’ plan to raise taxes on car sales.
The former lawmaker isn’t working alone. John Swanson, a Republican campaign consultant who also works as a legislative staffer for Sen. Bruce Starr, is the co-director of the No Gas Hikes PAC.
Starr, R-Dundee, has been among the most-engaged GOP members negotiating this year’s transportation bill, but said earlier this week he cannot support the plan Democrats put forward.
In an interview Wednesday, Swanson stressed that his involvement with the No Gas Hikes committee is separate from his legislative work.
“This is the prelude,” he said. “It’s a miscellaneous committee to just get a little infrastructure going so you can hit it on a stride if need be.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Democrats had not released an analysis for how much revenue their plan is expected to raise — a fact that opponents have seized on. Sen. Chris Gorsek, a Gresham Democrat and key author of the plan, said earlier this week he expected the number would be more than $1 billion a year.
Bills passed by Oregon lawmakers can be referred to voters if organizers collect enough valid signatures within 90 days of the Legislature adjourning. This year, a referral would require at least 78,115 signatures, equal to 4% of the people who cast a ballot in the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Oregonians have not been kind in the past when proposed gas tax increases are put before them. In 2000, a proposal that would have raised fuel taxes and registration fees was opposed by 87% of voters after being referred to the ballot.
Proponents of HB 2025 worry the same fate lies in wait if HB 2025 is referred. Local gas taxes have passed recently in Portland and other cities. But they’ve been shot down elsewhere, and a statewide measure could be hard to sell.
“If it’s referred, it won’t pass,” state Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, told OPB. “There’s no question. You’ll never convince enough people.”
Capital Chatter: 5 things we learned about Oregon’s transportation funding
Oregon Capital Insider | By Dick Hughes
Oregonians got their say this week on the Legislature’s just-released transportation package. Among the things we learned from seven hours of public and government testimony spread across three days:
To the consternation of vice chair Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, committee members were not allowed to ask questions of the people testifying. The increased taxes and fees embedded in House Bill 2025 are either a low-cost investment in serving Oregonians or an unaffordable burden on everyday Oregonians. Major highway projects either are long overdue for completion or a waste of money that will accomplish little. Public transit either is or isn’t vital in both rural and urban areas.
What we still hadn’t learned by Thursday evening: How much the bill would cost Oregonians. Legislative leaders had yet to publicly release revenue projections. The only indication came from Starr, who said the bill was expected to raise at least $1 billion annually. Whether the supermajority Democrats have the votes to pass HB 2025. Doing so would require all Democrats to be present and heed the party line.
Republicans have their own proposals. At this point, HB 2025 appears less collaborative and bipartisan – and thus less likely to gain approval – than the transportation package successfully put together by the 2017 Legislature.
This year Boquist is part of No Gas Hikes, which is preparing to force a statewide election on HB 2025. Voters have not been kind to such tax increases.
House Minority Leader Christine Drazan on Republican priorities in last 2 weeks of 2025 session
OPB | By Allison Frost
Oregon lawmakers have until June 29 to finish legislative business and adjourn the 2025 regular session. Although a number of bills remain in play, even at this late date, the only thing lawmakers are constitutionally obligated to do before they leave the Capitol is pass a biennial budget for 2025-2027. During the last five months, Democrats and Republicans have taken up issues related to housing, taxes, transportation and much more.
Bill to allow 10 weeks of unemployment for striking workers heads to Kotek’s desk
Oregon Live | By Sami Edge
A bill to allow unemployment for striking workers cleared both chambers of the Legislature Thursday after last-minute amendments and drama.
But it is opposed by Republicans, cities and school boards, which argue it will be expensive to implement and will likely result in more frequent and longer strikes.
The bill looked like a sure bet last week, when it passed the House of Representatives because the Senate had already approved it in a nearly identical form. After an amendment in the House, the Senate had to again give the bill a thumbs up. But it didn’t – in a bit of a surprise, senators detoured the bill to a committee for adjustment. That committee agreed on Wednesday evening to change the bill to allow striking workers to collect only 10 weeks of unemployment, not 26 as allowed under the earlier versions.
Republicans again spoke against the bill, saying the 10 week cap wasn’t enough of a compromise. Several argued that children will suffer because the bill may increase the likelihood that teachers will strike, and students will be out of the classroom.
“This is bad policy. It’s going to be harmful to our students. It’s going to be harmful to the state,” Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham said Thursday.
Oregon lawmakers pass scaled back bill granting striking workers unemployment checks
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
A bill that would grant striking workers weekly unemployment checks is moving forward once again in the Oregon Legislature, two days after a surprising defeat in the state Senate.
All it took was striking the number of unemployment checks striking workers could claim.
Initially, Senate Bill 916 allowed up to 26 weeks worth of payments for people on extended strikes. But under an amendment introduced Wednesday — in a rare “conference committee” composed of lawmakers from both chambers — benefits are now capped at 10 weeks.
“This is bad policy,” Senate Minority Leader Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, said in a brief debate Thursday. “It’s going to be harmful to our students. It’s going to be harmful to the state. We should set this aside.”
Bill Granting Striking Workers Unemployment Moves to Kotek’s Desk With Benefits Limited to 10 Weeks
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
A compromise bill granting striking workers 10 weeks of unemployment benefits passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature on Thursday. It now moves to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk, where she’s expected to sign it.Senate Bill 916 faced a surprising setback Tuesday morning, after four Democrats in the Senate joined Republicans to reject the bill as amended by the House on June 3. (The Senate had previously passed the bill in late March.) Subsequently, members of both chambers formed a conference committee to try and reach concurrence between the two versions. Republicans in both chambers are, on the whole, still firmly opposed to SB 916.
Governor Signs Bill Cracking Down on Massage Parlors That Sexually Exploit Workers
Willamette Week | By Aaron Mesh
House Bill 3819-A was spurred by WW’s reporting last fall, which used data from a watchdog nonprofit to reveal that the number of such businesses, which sexually exploit undocumented women, had tripled in five years to 114 in Portland.
It would increase the fine for operating such a business from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation; allow the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists to post signs in illegal businesses warning customers away; and increase the maximum charge for repeat offenders from a misdemeanor to a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $125,000 fine.
Reporting last fall by WW contributor Eliza Aronson showed the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists was largely powerless to respond to the proliferation of businesses that sexually trafficked women in Portland neighborhoods, and Portland police had done little to confront the problem.
While illicit massage businesses have increased across the state, nearly half of them operate in Portland, Aronson found, using data provided by The Network, a Virginia-based watchdog.
Oregon State Hospital could owe more than $7M a year in fines, among other troubles
Oregon Live | By Lillian Mongeau Hughes
It has been a rough couple of months for the troubled Oregon State Hospital.
In March, a patient died while in seclusion after not being checked properly by staff after a fall. Citing medical privacy laws, the hospital has not released that patient’s name.
The patient is the 21st person who has died since 2020 while in the care of the hospital and their death set off a series of investigations that have placed the hospital in jeopardy of losing its accreditation and federal funding.
Oregon bill would make landlords give back rent deposit or pay fee if home found defective
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
Oregon rental applicants who haven’t yet signed a lease could soon get their security deposits back if they find the home they’ve applied to is defective.
House Bill 3521, now headed to Gov. Tina Kotek’s desk, would let Oregon renters get their security deposits back if the home they’ve applied to has mold, unsafe electrical wiring or other defects making it uninhabitable. The bill already passed the Oregon House in a 33-18 vote in April, and on Thursday it passed the Oregon Senate in a 20-8 vote.
Under the bill, landlords would have five days to return deposits or face a fee equivalent to the deposit they charged or more.
Renters in Oregon represent 51% of all low-income households, according to Oregon Housing and Community Services. And nearly 37% of Oregonians rent their homes, according to the U.S. Census.
Oregon Supreme Court to review gun control Measure 114 in November
Oregon Live | By Maxine Bernstein
The Oregon Supreme Court has agreed to review the state appellate court ruling that found gun control Measure 114 constitutional under state law. The state’s high court set oral arguments for Nov. 6.
The bottle bill: An Oregon gem
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Susan Collins, president of the nonprofit Container Recycling Institute.
Although the Legislature has approved changes allowing retailers to refuse nighttime beverage container redemption based on reports of increased homelessness and drug activity during those hours, the facts still tell a clear story of an incredibly successful deposit return program.
When people who purchase beverages choose not to redeem their containers, those containers become available for someone else to redeem. Programs like Oregon’s, with a robust bottle and can deposit return infrastructure, can serve as a lifeline for low-income individuals, providing supplementary income that can help keep them off the streets.
Research from Occidental College economics professor Bevin Ashenmiller in California indicates that container redemption contributes a significant percentage to the livelihood of the lowest-income households, and can make the difference between being able to pay rent or not.
Oregon DOJ files 25th lawsuit against the Trump administration
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is challenging the Trump administration again, with a lawsuit seeking to preserve clean vehicle programs and support of California’s lawsuit challenging the president’s authority to deploy the National Guard.
The lawsuit filed June 12 centers on three waivers from the Clean Air Act that were approved by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2023 and allowed California to adopt and enforce its own emission standards for Advanced Clean Cars II, Advanced Clean Trucks and the Heavy-Duty Omnibus Rule. Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission also approved those requirements in 2021 and 2022.
Portland Public Schools caught between state, federal transgender athlete rules
Oregon Live |By Nik Streung
Portland Public Schools finds itself stuck between opposing federal and state rules regarding policies related to transgender student-athletes, according to district communication.
In a letter written April 28 by an attorney representing the school district, PPS claims it cannot abide by new federal Title IX interpretation demanding that transgender student-athletes be barred from competing in girls sports and using girls bathrooms and locker room. Its hands are tied as state law requires student-athletes compete and use facilities that align with their general equity.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
Portland once again goes a month without a homicide – 2nd time this year
Oregon Live | By Zaeem Shaikh
Portland has not recorded a homicide in a month, the second time this year, as the city recovers from years of record violence.
The gaps in these two months come after a particularly deadly March, when the city saw seven homicides. Portland Police Chief Bob Day then stood in front of reporters and called the violence unacceptable.
Shootings in Portland have also declined, by about 34% compared with last year, according to police data. The city has recorded 263 shootings from the beginning of the year through Wednesday – including 50 that resulted in injuries – compared with 396 in the same period last year. The numbers still remain higher than pre-pandemic levels when Portland saw 199 shootings in the first six months of 2019.
Portland police square off with protesters overnight as ICE demonstrations intensify
OPB | By Michelle Wiley, Conrad Wilson
Protests escalated outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland early Friday morning, with police arresting 10 people.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Thursday evening to protest increased immigration enforcement policies under the Trump administration.
Demonstrations in Portland had begun ramping up in response to events in Los Angeles last week. Over the weekend, President Donald Trump deployed thousands of National Guard members to L.A. to quell protests, despite objections from California officials.
ECONOMY
Oregon political leaders lament Dutch Bros’ move out of state
Oregon Live | By Mike Rogoway
Though the corporate office in southern Oregon never had more than a couple hundred employees, Dutch Bros had a big impact in that small city and on the whole state’s cultural identity. The company’s exit carries additional weight because Oregon is struggling to regain the economic vibrancy it enjoyed in the years before COVID-19.
Still, losing a big name like Dutch Bros felt personal to many Oregonians — and to some political leaders.
“Dutch Bros has been a fixture in our community for a long time,” said Sen. Noah Robinson, a Republican whose district includes parts of Josephine County. Like other Republicans, he said the state’s economic policies may have contributed to Dutch Bros’ departure.
“In general, Oregon is not a friendly business environment,” Robinson said. He said homelessness and crime in Grants Pass may have been factors in Dutch Bros’ decision. Other Republicans blamed the state’s tax policies.
HEALTH CARE
Providence lays off 134 across Oregon health system, more cuts possible
Oregon Live | By Kristine de Leon
Providence Health & Services said Thursday that it has laid off 134 employees across Oregon, part of an effort to cut costs amid growing financial pressures in the health care industry.
The broader Providence system, headquartered in Renton, Washington, is taking similar restructuring steps across its operations in seven Western states. The Catholic not-for-profit health system said it has eliminated 600 full-time jobs across its 125,000-person workforce. Most of those are administrative or non-clinical positions, though some medical providers were also laid off.
The health system said it expects financial headwinds to continue through the year.
The financial challenges Providence is facing aren’t unique, but the health system’s leaders say they’re especially tough in Oregon because of state laws that dictate staffing levels, limit how fast costs can grow and restrict partnerships with large corporations and private-equity firms.
Burrows said Oregon had implemented a cost growth target prior to the pandemic that “didn’t have a tremendous amount of evidence behind it.” She said those targets limit how much hospitals can ask for reimbursement from Medicaid and commercial insurers, but are now out of step with economic realities.
“We’ve been operating at a loss,” Burrows said. “Our revenues are not keeping up with the cost of providing care.”
Money coming in from Medicaid and commercial insurers, she said, have stayed flat over the last five years.
Other hospital systems in Oregon are also weighing cost-cutting measures. Oregon Health & Science University is also planning to slow hiring and cap pay raises in the coming fiscal year.
‘OPB Politics Now’: What the ‘one big, beautiful bill’ would mean for Oregon’s health care system
OPB | By Andrew Theen, Dirk VanderHart, Amelia Templeton, Ryan Haas
Oregon is rarely a major player on the national political scene, but the Trump administration’s “one big, beautiful bill” could play an outsized role in the Beaver State.
On the latest episode of “OPB Politics Now,” politics editor Andrew Theen and reporters Amelia Templeton and Dirk VanderHart discussed what the bill might mean for people who depend on the Oregon Health Plan.
NATURAL RESOURCES & WILDFIRE
Oregon fire season already ‘feels like July’ as firefighters battle growing Rowena blaze
Oregon Live | By Fedor Zarkhin
The wildfire tearing through hillsides near Rowena erupted with startling speed Wednesday, driven by winds that pushed flames toward neighborhoods and forced hundreds of residents to evacuate.
Officials were still scrambling to assess the damage by Thursday afternoon and warning that Oregon’s fire season is arriving far earlier than normal.
Will Oregon have enough firefighters for 2025 wildfire season?
Oregon Live | By Ted Sickinger
Oregon forestry officials say they’re entering this summer’s wildfire fire season fully staffed and as prepared as they can be to meet the growing challenge of protecting millions of acres of public and private land.
They also are taking at face value assurances from federal officials that their own cadre of firefighters is fully staffed, adequately supplied, and will be ready to help when fire season kicks into high gear.
Latest federal budget bill would sell Oregon public lands, boost logging
OPB | By Courtney Sherwood
The federal government could start selling off thousands of acres of Oregon public lands if provisions added to the Big Beautiful Bill win Congressional approval.
Separately, the legislation calls for the Forest Service to boost logging by 75% over the next decade.
It’s not clear if those logging goals are realistic. The Forest Service has missed its timber targets every year for more than a decade, though it’s possible that tariffs on Canadian lumber could boost demand for logging in the United States, according to industry analysts.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Trump admin pulls US out of agreement to help restore salmon in the Columbia River
Associated Press | By Gene Johnson
President Donald Trump on Thursday pulled the U.S. out of an agreement with Washington, Oregon and four American Indian tribes to work together to restore salmon populations and boost tribal clean energy development in the Pacific Northwest, deriding the plan as “radical environmentalism” that could have resulted in the breaching of four controversial dams on the Snake River.
Trump signs law repealing tailpipe emission standards affecting 18 states
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Jacob Fischler
President Donald Trump signed a Congressional Review Act resolution Thursday that revokes California’s authority to set tailpipe emissions standards, upending policy in California and 17 other states that tie their standards to that of the Golden State.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Democratic attorneys general in 10 other states immediately sued to block enforcement of the law. Through a process that allows Congress to undo recent executive branch rules, the law repeals a U.S. Environmental Protection Act waiver allowing California to set a schedule for emissions standards for cars and trucks.
Trump signed two other resolutions that repeal the state’s authority to ban sales of new gas-powered vehicles in the state by 2035 and to regulate emissions on heavy trucks.
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