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Oregon News
TRANSPORTATION
Gas tax referendum gathers signatures at Sign Across Oregon event
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
Starr told the Statesman Journal Nov. 21 he believed "at least" 43,000 signatures had already been collected and he was "fairly certain we will get way more than" the required 78,116.
"The response has been overwhelming and we will continue to encourage the volunteers to continue to gather more," Starr said.
TriMet general manager addresses agency’s future amid $300M budget shortfall
KOIN 6 | By Ken Boddie
TriMet had more than 5.8 million passengers in Oct. 2025 alone and more than 65 million in the last fiscal year that ended in June. That averages more than 208,000 fares every weekday.
The transit system has more than 3,500 employees and a nearly $2 billion budget.
However, TriMet also has a $300 million budget gap and is making hard choices when it comes to service.
2026 ELECTION
Drazan says Kotek has made Oregon 'worse' in bid to be next governor
KGW | By Tim Gordon
Oregon Republican Christine Drazan, who narrowly lost the 2022 governor’s race to Democrat Tina Kotek, is seeking a rematch in 2026 with a campaign centered on affordability and what she calls failed leadership at the top of state government.
POLITICS
Opinion: Trump cuts leave Oregon with a billion-dollar problem and no easy solutions
The Oregonian | Guest Column by Kate Lieber, Tawna Sanchez
Six days after the Oregon Legislature passed the state’s biennial budget in June, Congressional Republicans passed President Donald Trump’s budget bill that cuts taxes for the wealthy and pays for it by gutting health care and food assistance to the poor.
This legislation – in effect a budgetary hand grenade dropped on Oregon – is going to have major implications over at least the next six years.
As co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, we and our colleagues are now grappling with how to rebalance the state’s budget while protecting core, mandatory services for Oregonians to limit the harm of these deep cuts to the social safety net.
Simply put, we have a math problem and a humanity problem.
Medicaid cuts, prison closure among potential Oregon budget impacts
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo, Anastasia Mason
Proposed reductions could lead to the closure of a prison, cuts to education funding and a 10% tuition increase at community colleges.
Public safety agencies warned that budget cuts may result in fewer police officers and the shuttering of forensic labs.
Health and human services could see hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts, potentially impacting Medicaid eligibility for children and reducing staff.
Oregon farmworker housing standards criticized by federal agency
Capital Press | By Mateusz Perkowski
A federal agency has highlighted Oregon’s farmworker housing standards and other policies as examples of state-level practices that “unduly burden” interstate commerce and the economy.
The U.S. Small Business Administration claims the new housing requirements, enacted earlier this year, exceed federal regulations and create “substantial compliance burdens” for farmers.
Fees are increasing for hunting, fishing, crabbing and clamming in Oregon. Here’s how much
The Oregonian | By Aimee Green
It’s about to cost you more to try your luck — and skill — at hunting, fishing and collecting shellfish in Oregon’s wildlands and waters.
More than 75 recreational and commercial fees will increase over the next four years. The new prices will start hitting Oregonians’ wallets on Monday, Dec. 1. That’s your first chance to buy hunting, fishing or shellfish licenses, permits and tags for the 2026 calendar year.
Murder conviction endangers man's future on Salem police review board
Statesman Journal | By Whitney Woodworth
A Salem man may not be reappointed to the city's Community Police Review Board after coming under scrutiny for his past murder conviction and commuted sentence by former Gov. Kate Brown in 2022.
Kyle Hedquist joined the Community Police Review Board in 2024 out of a desire to serve Salem and bring his experience as a former "lifer" in the Oregon prison system to the position.
Financial and Leadership Turmoil Engulfs Oregon Childcare Coalition
Salem Business Journal | By Jesse Peone
Police, payroll, and internal documents reviewed by Salem Business Journal show that the Oregon Childcare Coalition (OCC) — the nonprofit operator of Amiguitos & Family Child Care Center in Salem — is under an active criminal investigation and facing deep internal conflict over finances, leadership authority, and communication with families. This organization was just recently awarded a grant in the amount of $393,616 from the state of Oregon.
The Salem Police Department report #SMP25089544 (Police Report) confirms that the case remains open and active, involving complaints of bounced paychecks and disputed management of organizational funds.
Meanwhile, OCC President and Interim Executive Director Ramiro “RJ” Navarro sent an email on October 20, 2025, announcing that the nonprofit was laying off all employees and halting childcare operations. Parents — many of whom had already paid tuition for the month — demanded answers. Within hours, OCC’s Board of Directors issued a public letter contradicting Navarro, saying he did not have the authority to make such a decision and that the board was not closing the center.
ECONOMY
Oregon Christmas tree farms face supply challenges amid rising costs
KATU | By Sana Aljobory
Christmas tree farms in Oregon are grappling with supply challenges this year, as past droughts and heat waves have led to significant die-offs of seedlings and small noble firs.
DRUGS & HOMELESSNESS
County Commissioner Proposes Changes to Make Deflection Center More Effective
Willamette Week | By Anthony Effinger
Shannon Singleton says the center must connect clients to housing because 9 in 10 are homeless.
Portland’s new overnight-only shelters are rarely full, new data shows
The Oregonian | By Lillian Mongeau Hughes
Portland has opened 890 new shelter beds since Mayor Keith Wilson took office in January, with more expected to be announced soon. Most of the new beds are at the overnight-only shelters that have been a focal point of Wilson’s push to end unsheltered homelessness.
But data released Friday shows that those beds, while used nightly, are rarely full.
Portland mayor set an ‘unrealistic goal’ for shelter beds – and is poised to hit it. Will it end unsheltered homelessness?
The Oregonian | By Lillian Mongeau Hughes
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson is on the cusp of achieving one of his primary campaign promises: Setting up 1,500 new shelter beds by Dec. 1.
As of Sunday, Portland has 890 city-funded shelter beds – most of them overnight-only – that did not exist before Wilson took office. Another 200-bed overnight-only shelter is set to open in eight days. And locations and supplies have been secured for more than 500 additional “flex beds” that can be made available within 24 hours, according to city officials.
TRUMP ADMIN VS. OREGON
ICE arrests spur Salem to vote on reaffirming status as inclusive city
Statesman Journal | By Whitney Woodworth
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps across the state have led Salem City Council to vote on reaffirming Salem as an inclusive city during its Nov. 24 meeting.
McMinnville High School student among 4 U.S. citizens detained by ICE, advocacy group says
KGW | By Amy-Xiaoshi DePaola
A 17-year-old U.S. citizen was among those detained by ICE during sweeps in Yamhill County and was released later that evening, the school confirmed.
Anderson asks DHS to Immediately return Coast Guard helicopter to Newport before crab season begins
Lincoln County Leader | By Jeremy C. Ruark
"I respectfully ask the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard to, at least, temporarily redeploy one MH-65 and aircrew to Newport no later than December 1, 2025, and to conduct a longer-term review of permanently restoring rotary-wing coverage to the central coast," Anderson writes in his letter.
Coastal groups sue feds for removing Newport helicopter
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
State Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, also spoke against the helicopter’s removal. On Friday, Anderson sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requesting that the department return the helicopter to Newport “at least” for the crabbing season.
Wyden holds town hall to address Newport's helicopter move, potential immigration facility
KATU | By Jennifer Singh
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon hosted a town hall in Newport to address community concerns over the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) decision to relocate a rescue helicopter from Newport to North Bend and rumors of a potential immigration detention center in the city.
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