|
Oregon News
TRANSPORTATION
Capital Chatter: No time for an ODOT victory lap
Oregon Capital Insider | By Dick Hughes
Gov. Tina Kotek and legislative Democrats did it!
They survived a circuitous month-long special legislative session and successfully staved off Oregon Department of Transportation layoffs by increasing state taxes and fees.
But there was little time for a victory lap, just a 28-minute press conference and photo-op with supporters.
Monday’s Senate approval of the transportation legislation wasn’t even the big Oregon news of the day. Instead, it was the action by President Donald Trump and his renamed Department of War to deploy the Oregon National Guard in Portland – a topic that also occupied a chunk of Kotek’s Q&A with journalists Monday afternoon.
By Wednesday, Republicans were organizing a signature drive to refer the gas tax, transit tax and fee increases to voters at the November 2026 general election. The chief petitioners will be Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr, of Dundee; Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Stayton; and Jason Williams, who heads the Taxpayer Association of Oregon.
Once Kotek signs the legislation, opponents will work to collect over 78,000 valid signatures of registered voters. If they are successful, the tax and fee hikes will be put on ice until the election.
As I noted in last week’s Capital Chatter, legislators could have added a provision setting an earlier election date in case of a successful referral to the ballot. They didn’t.
During the Senate deliberations on Monday, Republicans took a break – supposedly for a caucus meeting – after Democrats rejected the GOP alternative and refused to send the tax and fee increases to the ballot.
Instead of a regular caucus meeting, it was an exquisitely timed press conference.
“What are the governor and the Senate Democrats afraid of? I’ll tell you what they’re afraid of,” Starr told journalists clustered outside the Senate Republican Office. “They’re afraid of Oregonians saying ‘no’ to this massive tax increase. That’s what they’re afraid of.
“But what the majority and the governor don’t realize is that it’s highly likely that this measure gets in front of the voters anyway.”
Starr pointed out that the revenue increases would be on the same ballot as the Democrats (and Republicans) running for election.
TRUMP ADMIN VS. OREGON
Oregon begins rolling out federal SNAP work requirements in six counties
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
The changes will be phased in over the next year and won’t immediately affect the 18% of Oregonians who currently receive SNAP benefits. However, starting Oct. 1, able-bodied adults without dependents in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill, Benton and Hood River counties must meet new work requirements to keep receiving benefits. Those who don’t work or volunteer at least 80 hours a month will be limited to just three months of SNAP assistance over a three-year period.
Prominent conservative influencer arrested outside Portland ICE facility
KOIN 6 | By Andrew Foran
Conservative influencer Nick Sortor, who has 1.2 million followers on X, was among three people arrested outside the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement building Thursday night.
On Friday morning, Sortor took to X to lambaste Portland police, calling them “corrupt” and saying they are controlled by Antifa.
“You PROVED what we’ve all been saying for years: you’re CORRUPT and CONTROLLED by violent Antifa thugs who terrorize the streets,” Sortor posted. “You thought arresting me would make me shut up and go away. You couldn’t have been more wrong.”
Conservative media personality reports assault at Portland protest, slams police as ‘antifa’
The Oregonian
Portland police are looking for a suspect accused of assaulting a right-wing media personality outside the South Portland federal immigration facility Tuesday.
The online conservative journalist who reported the assault, Katie Daviscourt, appeared on Fox News with a black eye Wednesday to applaud the Trump administration’s troop deployment and to demand that Portland police Chief Bob Day resign.
Oregon woman charged with assaulting federal officer after protest at ICE facility
The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced that 39-year-old Katherine Meagan Vogel has been charged with criminal complaint for felony offense of assaulting a federal officer.
According to court documents, on September 30, 2025, Vogel was detained by federal agents after she applied red paint on the driveway at the ICE facility in south Portland.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office says they have charged 28 people for federal crimes at the ICE facility since June 13, 2025.
Direction of Portland’s troop deployment under review at Friday morning hearing
The Oregonian | By Zane Sparling
A court hearing that is underway this morning could change the direction of the president’s plans to deploy soldiers to Portland.
U.S. District Judge Karin J. Immergut will hear arguments from the City of Portland and Oregon Department of Justice lawyers, and counter-arguments from the U.S. Department of Justice, beginning at 10 a.m. Friday.
Former Oregon National Guard Chief Says Democracy Is “Under Assault”
Willamette Week | By Andrew Schwartz
Michael E. Stencel was adjutant general of the Oregon National Guard from 2015 to 2023. He told Tobias Read what he thinks about Trump’s troop deployment.
ECONOMY
Metro Portland Office Vacancy Rate Hit Record 26.6% in Third Quarter
Willamette Week | By Anthony Effinger
The office vacancy rate in greater Portland rose to a record-high 26.6% in the third quarter from 25.9% in the quarter just before, as buildings lost tenants and companies looking for space continued to shun most parts of the metro area, real estate company Colliers said.
Downtown Portland fared even worse, with the vacancy rate rising to 34.6% in what Colliers calls the central business district, from 33.3% in the second quarter. Downtown property owners have said that it’s likely much higher.
The latest report shows that companies are still leaving downtown Portland. Landlords cite a number of reasons. Among them are high taxes. A report by Fidelity Investments shows Oregon has the highest effective tax rate in the nation, both for single tax filers (28.1%) and married people filing jointly (20.6%). Add in taxes from Metro, Multnomah County and the city of Portland, and that rate goes even higher.
“With no new construction on the horizon and continued tenant downsizing, the Portland office market is expected to remain tenant-favorable through the end of 2025, Colliers said. ”Landlords, particularly in the central business district, are expected to continue offering aggressive concessions to attract and retain tenants."
Portland’s only lesbian bar will close this month
The Oregonian | By Veronica Nocera
Portland’s self-described “lesbian bar for everyone” will close its doors at the end of the month.
“This has been a devastating year for small businesses and for our community and we don’t have the finances to keep our doors open,” Doc Marie’s wrote in an Instagram post. “Doc’s last day of operations will be Friday, October 31st.
| 
