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Oregon News
TRANSPORTATION
Editorial: Lessons from a transportation tax disaster
The Oregonian Editorial Board
Even as she called for a repeal of her own transportation funding bill, Gov. Tina Kotek didn’t admit defeat.
She lamented Oregon’s historic failures to finance its infrastructural needs and noted the difficult tradeoffs that will be necessary to fund the state transportation department. She listed the traffic hazards Oregonians face every day and warned of layoffs that will undermine road safety. At the end of her remarks, she urged legislators, community advocates and others to collaborate with her on a new package for 2027.
But nowhere did she take accountability for her role in creating the mess Oregon now faces. While her fellow Democrats dropped the ball first, unveiling a ridiculously large transportation package less than three weeks before the legislative session was to end, Kotek did no one any favors by staying on the sidelines until the session’s dwindling days.
Her efforts to pass a smaller package through a special session were similarly cursed, with quorum issues, legislator health problems and Kotek’s puzzling decision to attend remotely rather than in-person. She also drew too hard a line in negotiating a package, relying on a Democratic supermajority to push through a bill rather than deal in good faith with Republicans whose constituents deserve representation as much as anyone else. Supermajority or not, listening to only one side of the aisle in crafting a massive tax increase is a recipe for severe voter backlash — a lesson she soon learned.
And once the $4.3 billion package finally made it through on the slimmest of margins, the governor delayed signing the bill into law, significantly limiting how long opponents had to collect the signatures needed to refer portions of House Bill 3991 to the November 2026 ballot. It did not matter; arguably, the stalling tactic backfired. A quarter million Oregonians signed the petition in a shockingly short amount of time, setting up a November ballot that includes both the unpopular tax package and Kotek’s bid for a second term as governor. Perhaps most notable about Kotek’s call for a repeal is that such a move would render a referendum moot.
To Kotek’s credit, she does somewhat appear to be taking the opposition’s message to heart. She is looking to move existing dollars in the Oregon Department of Transportation’s budget to prioritize core maintenance spending rather than pass new taxes in the upcoming short legislative session to balance the agency’s budget.
But rather than blindly repeal HB 3991, legislators should proceed cautiously.
It makes sense to repeal the taxes and fees that were referred to the ballot — a 6 cent-per-gallon increase in the gas tax; a 181% increase in title costs; a doubling of the payroll tax and several other hikes — even if Republicans may prefer to keep the referendum on the ballot for political advantage. Certainly, legislators and the governor should have paid much more attention to Oregonians’ voices before passing the bill. Of the thousands of comments submitted on the various transportation packages, upwards of 90% expressed opposition, based on a sampling of testimony. But that shouldn’t stop elected officials from acting on the clear message coming from voters now. The transportation package asks too much of cost-burdened Oregonians, and legislators should answer the public’s call for ditching them.
But aside from those tax and fee increases, some of the bill’s other provisions had broad support, such as a simplified weight-mile tax structure for trucks that addresses constitutional concerns over truckers’ share of the tax burden. Another provision established a road user charge for electric vehicles, expanding on an existing system and helping ensure greater contributions from electric vehicle owners, who don’t pay the gas tax. Legislators should consider the value of these provisions on their own, rather than treat them as bargaining chips for a bigger legislative package.
Additionally, legislators should be prepared to confront the future of such hapless highway projects as the Rose Quarter freeway widening and the Interstate 5 bridge replacement. While both remain central to Oregon’s long-term economic health, mismanagement, ballooning cost estimates, consultant fees and unforced errors have eroded Oregonians’ confidence in the ability of the state to handle such massive commitments. By the end of the session, lawmakers should be able to give the public a substantive update for these mega-projects’ futures.
Lawmakers should protect existing dollars for public transit. But they should also explore how to give local jurisdictions more flexibility over such funding as well as empower them to raise additional revenue themselves for public transit, which will vary in importance from urban areas to rural communities.
And finally, the governor and legislators must lay the groundwork for a truly bipartisan, fairly negotiated, targeted funding package for 2027. While it remains to be seen who will lead that charge next year, the work must begin now. That means evaluating ODOT’s consulting fees, labor contracts, staffing levels and other spending commitments to understand how best to strengthen its financial future. It means putting in place measures and, as soon as possible, a new director, who can instill true accountability as part of the agency culture. It calls for revoking the governor’s executive order that her own transportation department warned would increase costs by up to 20%, while benefiting Democratic donors. It includes asking public transit agencies to comb through their operating costs as well and conduct thorough audits of their spending. And it means rebuilding trust — among executives, legislators and the public to show that every single tax dollar is being spent in the public’s interest.
The transportation package of 2025 showed Oregon policymaking at its worst. The governor and legislators need to show that 2026 will be different.
OPINION: Rick Metsger demands accountability after I-5 bridge replacement cost doubles
KOIN 6 | By Ken Boddie
Political analyst and former Oregon State Senator Rick Metsger is demanding accountability after the estimated cost for the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project has doubled.
In this week’s Give Me a Minute, Metsger explained that a public records request revealed the $6 to $7 billion price tag for the project has ballooned to nearly $14 billion, despite transportation officials recently testifying they did not have an estimate.
PORTLAND SHOOTING
Oregon GOP leaders urge respect for law enforcement at every level after Portland shooting involving federal agents
KOIN 6 | By Jenna Deml
Oregon State Republican leaders addressed the public Sunday, calling out Democratic leaders for “rushing to conclusions” for political gain in response to Thursday’s shooting in Portland involving federal agents, while also urging Oregonians to respect law enforcement “at every level.”
Oregon Republicans criticize Democratic leaders’ response to Portland Border Patrol shooting
The Oregonian | By Sami Edge
Oregon Republicans criticized the state’s Democratic leaders Sunday for their responses to a Thursday shooting by a Border Patrol agent that wounded two people in Southeast Portland.
“This was a targeted operation that turned into a life threatening encounter because of the actions of the suspects,” Starr said Sunday. “... When elected officials immediately jump to inflammatory language before the facts are known they send a dangerous message: They tell the public that law enforcement is illegitimate. They tell people that officers are the enemy. They tell people that interfering with law enforcement is not just justified but somehow a righteous form of protest.”
Oregon Republicans condemn initial Democrat response to Portland shooting
OPB | By Joni Auden Land
Republicans in the Oregon Legislature on Sunday criticized Democrats for their initial response to the shooting of two people by federal officers in Portland last week.
Republicans say Portland mayor, police chief should have addressed the backgrounds of the people shot sooner.
“It is deeply irresponsible for elected officials to politicize an active investigation, to inflame fear and undermine law enforcement before the facts are established,” said House Minority Leader Lucetta Elmer of McMinnville at a press conference in Salem on Sunday. “That kind of rhetoric does not make communities safer. It makes them more divided.”
The Department of Homeland Security said the pair are affiliated with the Tren de Aragua gang and had criminal histories in the U.S.
“They’re not peaceful bystanders,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr of Dundee. “These are individuals tied to drug trafficking, sex trafficking and violent criminal activity.”
Oregon Republicans respond to Border Patrol shooting in Portland
KGW | By Jake Holter
Republican elected leaders in Salem on Sunday called statements by Democratic leaders "inflammatory."
In the wake of the Border Patrol shooting in Portland, state Republicans say they are alarmed by the rhetoric they've seen from elected leaders.
They held a press conference Sunday morning to share their thoughts on the incident.
"It is deeply irresponsible for elected officials to politicize an active investigation," state Rep. Lucetta Elmer, R-McMinnville, said.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, said this wasn't a random interaction.
"According to federal authorities, the incident involved a targeted law enforcement operation focused on individuals connected to a violent transnational criminal organization," Starr said.
Republicans said the situation is unlike the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, but the timing heightened tensions around the Portland incident.
Latest: Oregon GOP leaders speak after CBP shooting; PPB officer reassigned after protest video
KPTV
Oregon Republicans call out Portland leaders over ICE statements
Oregon’s Republican leaders spoke publicly on Sunday about the shooting of two Venezuelan immigrants. That shooting sparked protests across the area over the weekend.
“We know these moments are difficult. They’re emotional. And they require restraint. Unfortunately what Oregonians saw over the past 72 hours was not restraint.”
On Sunday, Republicans called out Democrats like Portland Mayor Keith Wilson who said on Thursday that he doubted the federal government’s claims about what happened.
Border Patrol agent fired 2 shots when driver rammed unoccupied federal rental car, FBI says
The Oregonian | By Maxine Bernstein
A U.S. Border Patrol officer fired two shots through the driver’s window of Luis Nino-Moncada’s red Toyota Tacoma as officers surrounded the truck when it rammed an unoccupied federal rental car several times, according to court records filed Monday.
Nino-Moncada, wounded in the arm, drove several miles away and stopped in a parking lot to call 911.
As Portland police placed a tourniquet on his arm there, he repeatedly said, “F–k ICE!” and later told FBI investigators that he intentionally rammed the Border Patrol rental car in an attempt to flee, according to the affidavit.
Man shot by Border Patrol in Portland arrested, accused of aggravated assault
The Oregonian | By Maxine Bernstein
The driver shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer in Southeast Portland was booked Sunday afternoon into jail on an assault allegation and is expected to appear Monday in federal court.
KATU obtains video that appears to show couple less than an hour before being shot by feds
KATU | By Victor Park
KATU has obtained video showing what appears to be less than an hour before the two people who were shot by federal officers.
Hundreds of Oregonians in Portland, Salem protest ICE, military action in Venezuela
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt, Julia Shumway
State Sen. Deb Patterson, D-Salem, walked around the crowd talking with Salem residents. Patterson said she’s working with other legislators, including some Republicans, on bills for the upcoming short session that begins in February to respond to the Trump administration’s crackdown on Oregon and other Democratic states.
“We’re a blue state. The federal government’s already targeting blue states, whether we’re on the street or not,” Patterson said.
Lawmakers haven’t released bill language yet, but they’ve discussed ideas to bar federal agents from wearing masks and support lawsuits against federal officers who enter people’s homes without permission. They’re expected to share more details during pre-session meetings next week.
Portland vigil condemns federal violence after ICE, Border Patrol shootings spark outrage
KATU | By Jennifer Singh
Hundreds of people gathered for a vigil in Portland Saturday night to honor two people who were shot by federal agents in Portland, and a U.S. citizen killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis.
POLITICS
Oregon DEQ data breach leaked thousands of people’s information, but the agency hasn’t told the public
OPB | By April Ehrlich
About 4,800 members of the public had their personal information exposed after a cyber attack on the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s servers — but nine months later, the agency has yet to publicly disclose the scope of the leak.
Oregon Rep. Greg Smith admits ethics violation, fails to disclose business client
Salem Reporter | By Les Zaitz
It’s the second time in a year that Smith conceded he broke state ethics law by not fully disclosing his clients.
Facing Trump administration lawsuit, Oregon will pare back voter rolls to remove voters with out of date registrations
The Oregonian | By Betsy Hammond
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read announced late Friday he will pare back Oregon’s voter rolls to exclude some people who have moved and not updated their address and who therefore have not been sent ballots or voted in years.
He did so as a court hearing nears on Trump administration efforts to force Read and his elections division to better explain how they ensure accuracy of the state’s voter rolls – and turn over highly personal information about every registered Oregon voter.
The practical effect of the change will be minimal.
There’s Another Advisory Group Worth Watching as County Commissioners Weigh Changes to Preschool for All
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
After a fiery summer warning from Gov. Tina Kotek, Multnomah County officials have been eager to show they’ve crafted a long-term, financially sound path forward for Preschool for All.
Much of the work that’s been publicized has been on the part of a technical advisory group, or TAG, composed of economists, a demographer and other business leaders. Notably, the group has so far determined the county has vastly overestimated how many seats it will need to ensure universal access to the program, and that has had striking implications for financial modeling.
But there’s another advisory group whose work in the wings is worth paying attention to. It’s the seven-member Program Advisory Group, or PAG. Composed of preschool providers and education experts, its members are tasked with answering how TAG-suggested financial changes to Preschool for All will affect the program’s implementation.
HOMELESSNESS
Citing need for accuracy, Lane County drops PIT count for unhoused community
KLCC | By Brian Bull
After 20 years, Lane County officials have announced that they’ll stop using the Point-in-Time count this year for gauging homelessness.
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