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Oregon News
TRANSPORTATION
Opinion: Oregon needs strategic transportation investments, not stopgaps
The Oregonian | Guest Column by Mark Gamba, Sarah Iannarone
Gamba is a Democrat representing House District 41-Milwaukie in the Oregon Legislature and serves on the Joint Committee on Transportation. Iannarone is executive director of The Street Trust and chairs Oregon’s Jurisdictional Transfer Advisory Committee.
This week, the Oregon Legislature passed a stopgap transportation budget fix intended to prevent layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation and buy time for a more permanent solution. It is temporary in every sense. While we are relieved that the bill’s passage will preserve critical agency jobs and some transit service for now, it does little to prepare Oregon for the mounting challenges ahead: deep federal cuts, revenue shortfalls, economic stagnation, rising costs, traffic deaths and global warming.
If we are serious about protecting our economy, our environment and the pocketbook of every Oregonian, we cannot keep plugging holes and calling it progress. Oregon must invest strategically in critical infrastructure and soon.
The stakes are high. We are living through a public health crisis of traffic deaths and serious injuries. Federal funding is rapidly eroding, with the U.S Department of Transportation threatening to eliminate funding for transportation services and infrastructure. Meanwhile, economists warn of a looming “doom loop” for Oregon—a spiral of stagnated growth, declining services and disinvestment in the public realm. It is not hard to connect the dots. Without strategic transportation investments, Oregon will not be self-sufficient or break the cycle.
Stopgap measures are no substitute for real investment. While the legislation brings in new tax revenue for state and local governments to spend on road maintenance and other operations, the funding bump in House Bill 3991 for transit sunsets after 2027. It also freezes school safety programs at current levels and zeroes out Oregon’s Great Streets initiative to improve main streets statewide.
Oregon transportation leaders provide an update on agency jobs, projects, and finances
KATU | By Vasili Varlamos
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Director Kris Strickler, Deputy Director Travis Brouwer, and several other transportation leaders will give an update on the agency workforce, project delivery, and financial outlook on Wednesday afternoon.
POLITICS
Oregon lawmakers discuss financial implications of H.R.1 on state revenue
KATU | By Vasili Varlamos
According to the revenue forecast, this number would increase to $888 million once these tax cuts are fully implemented, unless legislative action is taken.
The cessation of taxing overtime will result in a reduction of approximately $221 million in state revenues over the next two years.
The no-tax-on-tips policy is expected to result in a $77.7 million drop in state revenues during the 2025-27 biennium.
Lawmakers set aside $472 million from the state’s general fund to serve as a buffer in the next biennium in case federal tax cuts were implemented.
That means Oregon stands to lose approximately $373 million in revenue over the next two years, unless lawmakers take action.
"As we move forward through the coming months in quarters, the options are to reduce spending, increase revenue, or access reserve funds," said Chris Allanach with the Legislative Revenue Office.
Gov. Tina Kotek asked state agency leaders to "leave no stone unturned to save state dollars" earlier this month following the release of the latest state revenue forecast.
Lawmakers could decide to cut further spending or try and pass another tax increase to boost future revenue.
According to Allanach, lawmakers could also dip into reserve funds.
To access the State's Rainy Day fund dollars, lawmakers must have a three-fifths vote in each chamber.
The revenue forecast must also either show a 3% decline in revenue in the next biennium or the revenue forecast in the current biennium is down 2% from close of session estimates.
It could also be accessed if payroll employment is down for two consecutive quarters.
"We can wait until the 2026 short session if we want to address the impacts to our budget on the '26 tax year, in the '27, '28, and '29, into the future. If we wanna save all of that $900 million, though, a special session is the only answer," said Daniel Hauser, deputy director at the Oregon Center for Public Policy.
Kotek said Monday that lawmakers will gather information over the course of this week to chart the path forward.
"We are looking at timelines. At this point, we're trying to figure out what kind of adjustments have to be made in the 2026 session and what would have to be in 2027," said Kotek.
The governor did not discuss potentially calling a special session during the press conference, signaling this would be an issue for future sessions.
"We're all gonna have to come together between now and the 2026 short session to understand what we can do to protect Oregonians, manage for budget difficulties, and frankly be creative when the federal government is literally taking our tax dollars away from us to hurt Oregonians," said Kotek.
Oregon delegation talks shutdown over health care costs and ‘perilous moment for our constitution’
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
As the federal government screeches to a halt, Oregon’s congressional Democrats say they and their colleagues have two main demands to reopen and fund the federal government:
Defendants in Oregon data center case say state waited too long to object to insider deal
The Oregonian | By Mike Rogoway
The Oregon Department of Justice didn’t object soon enough after a nonprofit in Morrow County sold a local fiber-optic provider to five current and former members of the nonprofit’s board, defendants argued in a court filing Monday.
Councilors Question Administration About Transparency Following Major Budget Gaps
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
Two budget gaps shared with councilors in recent weeks are inflaming tensions between the city’s legislative and administrative branches.
TRUMP ADMIN VS. OREGON
Oregon gov. says Trump troop deployment could cost taxpayers up to $10M
The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek says the looming federal troop deployment in Portland could cost as much as $10 million in taxpayer dollars.
In a Wednesday news release, the governor said the Oregon Military Department had calculated the costs for salaries for 200 soldiers, as well as food, lodging, equipment and other sundries during the 60-day deployment.
That’s a significant increase over the $3.8-million estimate made by an Oregon Military Department director to state lawmakers during a hearing Tuesday. That initial figure was based on an estimate for salaries only.
Trump fires back at Kotek: Portland is ‘run like a third-world country’
KOIN 6 | By Aimee Plante
President Donald Trump called out Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on social media Wednesday morning with claims that she must be living in a “dream world” following the leaders’ ongoing disagreement over deploying the National Guard to Portland.
“The Governor of Oregon must be living in a ‘Dream World,’” Trump wrote in his post on Truth Social. “Portland is a NEVER-ENDING DISASTER. Many people have been badly hurt, and even killed. It is run like a Third World Country. We’re only going in because, as American Patriots, WE HAVE NO CHOICE. LAW AND ORDER MUST PREVAIL IN OUR CITIES, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE!”
Oregon governor's ‘ineptitude is on full display’, columnist says
Fox News
‘Fox News @ Night’ panelists discuss the political ramifications of a government shutdown and Oregon governor’s phone call with President Donald Trump at timestamp 3:37.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek says Portland doesn't need Trump's help. I beg to differ. | Opinion
USA | Opinion by Nichole Russell
They say the only things in life that are certain are death and taxes, but I think I could add a third axiom to that list: President Donald Trump will vow to fix a problem, Democrats will claim it isn't a problem, or that he's an authoritarian overreacting. Trump will fix it anyway; they'll admit he was half-right, and the cycle will start over.
HOUSING
Rent cap confusion: Oregon agency fumbles announcement of 2026 limits
The Oregonian | By Jonathan Bach
An Oregon agency acknowledged Tuesday that officials misinterpreted a new law when they published annual statewide rent increase limits for 2026.
The Department of Administrative Services earlier in the day reported landlords can raise rents by up to 9.5% in many residences next year, down from 10% this year.
Under Oregon’s rent control law, the ceiling is the lesser of 7% plus inflation or 10%. It doesn’t apply to properties built in the past 15 years.
But the agency, citing the newly passed House Bill 3054, also reported that rentals with more than 30 spaces would only see a maximum rent increase of 6%.
“House Bill 3054, passed in 2025, changed how rent increases are calculated,” the agency stated. “Now, the size of the rental property affects the allowed increase.”
That bill only restricts annual yearly rent increases in manufactured home parks and marinas with more than 30 spaces to 6%. (Smaller parks and marinas are still subject to the 7% plus inflation or 10% rule.)
The agency issued a correction Tuesday evening after The Oregonian/OregonLive asked why it was applying the new law so broadly.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Oregon DOJ creates economic justice, working families units to address consumer complaints
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
The Oregon Department of Justice has created a new economic justice arm and a working families unit to address more consumer complaints, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield announced Sept. 30.
Oregon prisons increase off-site medical care amid healthcare system overhaul
The Oregonian | By Noelle Crombie
The number of prisoners in Oregon who saw an off-site medical specialist swelled to about 1,600 in August as the state Department of Corrections works to reduce a backlog of prisoners who need specialty care, a top corrections administrator told lawmakers Tuesday.
Corrections Director Michael Reese and Kevin Bovenkamp, the state’s new assistant director of health services, updated the lawmakers about the state’s long troubled prison health care system.
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