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Oregon News
TRUMP ADMIN. VS OREGON
Oregon lawmakers charge forward with disputed penalties for federal agent masking
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Shaanth Nanguneri
As legal battles threaten the viability of state laws that prevent federal immigration agents from covering their faces, Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday took a major step toward entering the fray themselves.
Tackling federal agent masking was a key priority of House Democratic legislative leadership, but it remains to be seen whether such a bill would survive legal challenges citing the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause.
An unnamed spokesperson for the Homeland Security Department previously told the Capital Chronicle in a statement responding to the duo’s bill that such pieces of legislation stoke dangerous rhetoric against Immigration and Customs Enforcement “for cheap points and fundraising emails.”
“When our heroic law enforcement officers conduct operations, they clearly identify themselves as law enforcement while wearing masks to protect themselves from being targeted by highly sophisticated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13, criminal rings, murderers, and rapists,” the spokesperson added.
Grand jury indicts man shot by Border Patrol in Portland
OPB | By Conrad Wilson
A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted the man who allegedly fled a U.S. Border Patrol traffic stop in Portland before being shot by one of the immigration officers.
Luis Nino-Moncada was charged with aggravated assault on a federal employee with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property.
A Border Patrol Shooting Rocked Portland. Five Days Later, Here’s What We Know.
Willamette Week | By Joanna Hou
At a tearful press conference Friday afternoon, Day, the police chief, walked back his Thursday evening comments that he was unaware of Tren de Aragua activity in the city.
Fight over transgender protections heads to court, pitting Oregon versus Trump administration
Associated Press
A group of Democratic attorneys general led by Oregon on Tuesday filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s requirement that states must recognize that male and female are the only two immutable sexes to receive certain federal funds.
The states are asking a federal court to block HHS from enforcing the new conditions.
POLITICS
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek taps Republican rival to boost business relations
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
In his new role, Knopp will work alongside the prosperity council, but also look for actions the governor can take on her own to assist businesses.
Kotek’s selection has drawn widespread surprise in business circles this week, with some privately expressing skepticism at the choice. Knopp doesn’t have an extensive background in economic development.
Outward signs suggest Kotek struggled to fill the prosperity officer role. The governor initially pledged to announce a hire by New Year’s Day, but four members of the state’s business lobby told OPB inquiries to several possible candidates were not successful.
A spokeswoman for Kotek declined to comment on who the governor sought for the job.
Former senator Tim Knopp named Oregon's chief prosperity officer to boost economy
KATU
Former Republican State Senator Tim Knopp has been appointed to serve as Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s new Chief Prosperity Officer – a role aimed at increasing the state’s GDP, growing local business, and creating family-wage jobs.
Feds warn Oregon, other states, on paying unemployment benefits to striking workers
The Oregonian | By Mike Rogoway
Beginning this month, workers in Oregon and Washington can collect unemployment benefits while on strike. But the U.S. Department of Labor warns those striking workers must also be seeking other jobs to be eligible for aid.
If states pay unemployment aid to striking workers without ensuring that they are seeking other work while on strike, Beebe cautioned those states could lose federal grants and businesses would lose their eligibility for federal tax credits.
In Oregon, that could cost the state government more than $108 million in federal funding for administering the unemployment insurance program and paying benefits. It could also cost Oregon businesses $500 million a year in tax credits on the federal taxes that help fund unemployment insurance.
“The discussion around ‘actively seeking work’ and what that means for striking workers compared to other eligible workers is one I support,” Rep. Dacia Grayber said in a statement. “We want to remain in compliance with federal law, and are happy to get to a solution that works for (Department of Labor) as well as for the people of Oregon.”
Facing $25M request, Oregon lawmakers again float delaying historic campaign finance law
The Oregonian | By Carlos Fuentes
Multiple Oregon lawmakers of both parties have expressed support for delaying implementation of the state’s historic law that will limit political contributions and increase the transparency of spending in Oregon politics.
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.
‘Flawed,’ ‘inaccurate,’ ‘biased’: Influential Oregonians say state’s lawyers wrote shoddy explanations for proposed ballot measure
The Oregonian | By Betsy Hammond
A host of heavy hitters in Oregon politics, including three former governors, say the state’s lawyers did an abominable job of coming up with draft ballot language for two proposed measures to open primary elections to the state’s 1.1 million voters not registered with a political party.
Editorial: Portland City Council deadlocks as crises deepen
The Oregonian Editorial Board
Ultimately, the City Council must figure out how to ensure this is not a recurring issue, either by reopening the question of whether the mayor can weigh in or by exploring some other avenue for resolving 6-6 ties on council president elections. But in order to do that, they need to get past this year’s council president election.
Get it done, Council. Portlanders will live with the outcome.
Councilor Jamie Dunphy elected Portland council president for 2026, breaking weeklong deadlock
KGW | By Anthony Macuk, Colten Weekley
After 13 rounds of voting, the Portland City Council selected Councilor Jamie Dunphy on Wednesday afternoon to serve as council president for 2026, ending a deadlock between the council's progressive and moderate wings that had persisted for more than a week.
ECONOMY
Oregon lawmakers are considering a bold tax change for businesses: What to know
KOIN 6 | By Lisa Balick
Oregon lawmakers are looking at state budget cuts once again in the upcoming session, and some are calling for a bold move when it comes to taxing big businesses.
Some state legislators with the Working Families Caucus are working on a bill that would keep businesses from getting a state tax break, mirroring federal tax breaks they get this year.
How Portland taxes have grown since the pandemic
OPB | By Kyra Buckley
Businesses operating in the Rose City have seen an increasing number of taxes to pay and keep track of since 2019.
These celebrated new tax breaks will save some taxpayers money. Do you qualify?
The Oregonian | By Aimee Green
Although the average refund to U.S. taxpayers is expected to increase by $300 to $1,000 this tax season, some of the most-talked-about tax breaks are unlikely to benefit most people.
Those deductions include “no tax on tips,” “no tax on overtime” and even a new $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older.
After the Republican-controlled Congress shepherded President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law last July, tax analysts began furiously crunching the numbers. For instance, “no tax on tips” is expected to boost the bottom line of as few as one in every 40 taxpayers, according to researchers.
Other changes brought on by the law, however, will benefit sweeping numbers of taxpayers, including a larger standard deduction and Child Tax Credit that are increasing faster than inflation.
Oregon electric utilities have strict green-power deadlines. Their odds of hitting them keep getting worse
The Oregonian | By Ted Sickinger
Oregon’s two largest electric utilities are increasingly unlikely to meet ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets established by the state Legislature in 2021, and their slow progress could cost ratepayers dearly.
HOMELESSNESS
Multnomah County can do more on homelessness with less, new report suggests
KGW | By Blair Best
The county won't replace two 24/7 shelters it's shutting down in March — instead, it will put funds toward supportive housing. That's due in part to recent findings.
HEALTH CARE
Oregon lawmakers confront ballooning Medicaid costs
The Oregonian | By Kristine de Leon
Oregon’s Medicaid program is running significantly over budget, and state health officials say lawmakers will have to decide how to cover the rising costs by either securing more money or cutting benefits.
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