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Oregon News
Here's why flags will be at half-staff in Oregon
KGW | By Amy Xiaoshi DePaola
Flags will be lowered to half-staff to commemorate the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, then on Sept. 14 after Charlie Kirk's death.
Oregon politicians react to assassination of Trump ally Charlie Kirk
The Oregonian | By Sami Edge
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham wrote that Kirk “played an instrumental role in connecting the conservative movement with today’s youth.”
“How have we reached a point in our society where someone would resort to violence to silence a voice?” Bonham wrote.
Oregon, Washington govs and leaders condemn deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
State Senator and Minority Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) gave KATU a statement, "How have we reached a point in our society where someone would resort to violence to silence a voice?" Bonham said.
His statement continued, "Charlie Kirk was a powerful voice for common sense and played an instrumental role in connecting the conservative movement with today’s youth. His life was tragically cut short, and our hearts go out to his wife, young children, and family. We pray for God’s comfort and peace for them in this devastating time."
Pacific Northwest lawmakers condemn political violence after death of Charlie Kirk
KOIN 6 | By Michaela Bourgeois
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) released a statement, saying, “How have we reached a point in our society where someone would resort to violence to silence a voice? Charlie Kirk was a powerful voice for common sense and played an instrumental role in connecting the conservative movement with today’s youth. His life was tragically cut short, and our hearts go out to his wife, children, and family. We pray for God’s comfort and peace for them in this devastating time.”
Oregon political leaders react to shooting death of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk
KLCC
Oregon State Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford: “Charlie Kirk was a husband, a father, a leader, and a tireless advocate for conservative voices in America. The horrific assassination of this man while advocating for free speech and open public debate should shake every American to their core. Extremists who promote political violence against those with differing views must be condemned by all, including the media. There is no place for political violence in our society, and those who condone such hatred only perpetuate it. Our prayers are with Mr. Kirk’s family, friends, and neighbors. May God bless them, and may He bless the United States of America.”
Oregon teacher, city councilor faces backlash for celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death
KOIN 6 | By Amanda Rhoades
Cornelius City Councilor John Colgan is under criticism for a post he made about Charlie Kirk’s death on Facebook.
“Hearing that Charlie Kirk got shot and died really brightened up my day,” Colgan said in the post. “Nobody deserves it, but some are asking for it.”
Colgan is also a science teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove, according to the school’s website.
He was elected to the Cornelius City Council in January 2023. He served previously from January 2019 to December 2022.
Oregon campuses reflect on impact of Charlie Kirk amid fatal shooting
KVAL
Charlie Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit.
More than 3,500 campuses have chapters, including University of Oregon and Oregon State University.
POLITICS
Oregon Democrats mull options as time runs out to divorce state tax code from GOP cuts
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt, Shaanth Nanguneri
Oregon lawmakers have just a few months to decide if they’ll let state tax policy automatically couple with federal tax cuts passed in the July GOP megalaw that could reduce the state income tax burden on Oregonians and businesses but leave the state government without hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for public services.
Democrats say they are discussing their options for temporarily or partially suspending the state’s “rolling reconnect” policy that has, since 1997, automatically rolled federal changes to income tax code into state income tax policy.
According to the state’s chief economist and the Legislative Revenue Office, if the Legislature does not decouple from federal tax changes by the end of the year, the state will miss out on roughly $400 million next year. That number would more than double to $888 million for the next two years if the Legislature does nothing.
The biggest revenue losses would come from new federal changes ending income taxes on overtime pay and tips and allowing individuals and businesses to immediately deduct from their taxes 100% of the cost of “depreciating assets,” such as real estate and equipment.
State Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue, said lawmakers will discuss their options during Legislative Days from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. That’s when legislative committees meet at the Capitol in Salem every few weeks outside of scheduled legislative sessions for informational hearings on issues.
Their options include calling a special session before year’s end to convene the Legislature and deal with the issue immediately or waiting until the Legislature meets in February, which will come with costs. The governor generally calls special sessions, but the Legislature can call itself into a special session with written requests from the majority of members of both chambers – or at least 31 representatives and 16 senators.
“We’re going to be looking at and discussing the merits of a special session, if we have the votes to do a disconnect, and then also the repercussions or ramifications that could be caused by them, both positive and negative,” Meek said.
Waiting until February could ‘be too late,’ economist warns
If the Legislature waits to pass a bill disconnecting from the federal tax code in February rather than in the next couple months, it would be too late to spare revenue losses from 2025, according to Legislative Research Officer Chris Allanach. Most of the new GOP tax cuts went into effect immediately.
“Any disconnect enacted in February can’t become law until early June (91 days after sine die), which is past the filing deadline for 2025 returns,” Allanach wrote in an email. “Without making significant changes to the filing process, I’m not sure how that would work. That said, disconnecting for tax years 2026 and later are administratively feasible.”
A bill proposed earlier this year by Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, would have preemptively split Oregon from federal tax code changes before the federal law passed. But it ultimately died in Meek’s Senate committee after it passed the House on party lines because there were not enough votes in the Senate to pass it at the time, Meek said.
Future votes on a suspension from rolling reconnect would be unlikely to come from Republicans, according to House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, who said in a statement that decoupling the state from rolling reconnect would block tax cuts that benefit Oregonians and businesses.
“Oregon is becoming less affordable for families struggling with the rising cost of housing, gas, groceries, utilities and taxes. Meanwhile, small businesses continue to close their doors with our state losing 25,000 jobs just this last year,” Drazan said in a statement.
Those job losses in Oregon largely occurred within the last several months, in industries “you would expect to bear the brunt of an escalating trade tension situation,” State Economist Carl Riccaddonna told lawmakers at a presentation on the the most recent state revenue forecast in August. In the first quarter of 2025, Oregon had added 25,000 jobs over the previous year, according to Riccadonna and the Oregon Employment Department.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Why 2 Oregon lawmakers bucked their political parties
OPB | By Bryce Dole, Dirk VanderHart, Andrew Theen
Last week, two Oregon lawmakers bucked their respective parties in a major vote on transportation taxes. This week, both of them face very different political futures.
On the latest episode of “OPB Politics Now,” we look at what Reps. Annessa Hartman and Cyrus Javadi’s votes mean for the Democratic and Republican parties in Oregon.
Beaverton preschool joins federal lawsuit after ‘violent ICE detention’ at school
KOIN 6 | By Michaela Bourgeois
After a Beaverton father was detained by immigration authorities outside of his child’s preschool in April, the school is joining a federal lawsuit challenging immigration enforcement on school grounds.
Oregon Attorney General preps for Nov. Supreme Court case against Trump's tariffs
KATU
In November, the Supreme Court will hold an expedited hearing on President Donald Trump's tariffs, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield will be leading the case against the administration.
The case covers many of President Trump’s tariffs, and whether they are within his authority to impose.
ECONOMY
California-based company will operate Oregon’s only international container terminal
KOIN 6 | By Jashayla Pettigrew
Following uncertainty on whether Oregon’s sole international container terminal would persist, the Port of Portland has reached an agreement with a new operator.
Oregon Gained State Government Workers in the Past Year While Manufacturing Ranks Fell
Willamette Week | By Khushboo Rathore
Workers losing jobs in manufacturing or wholesale trade have difficulty getting jobs in specialized fields.
2026 ELECTION
Who’s running for office in Oregon in 2026?
Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Capital Chronicle has covered candidates as they’ve announced campaigns and will update this live blog throughout the day Thursday and during the six months before the filing deadline of March 10, 2026. Links in the text below will take you to further coverage of the candidates.
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