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Oregon News
POLITICS
‘Budget pothole’: Oregon’s transportation funding challenge comes into clearer focus
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
Lawmakers are looking at freezing open positions and pulling money from certain programs as they work to avoid deep layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Unionized ODOT employees and their supporters walked the halls of the Capitol on Tuesday to make the case that lawmakers should salvage agency jobs.
The state’s road funding quagmire is the product of a political drama that has immersed the Capitol in the last year.
Layoffs, funding reallocations could be used to balance ODOT budget
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
ODOT could balance its budget without layoffs by redirecting existing funds in the agency's budget elsewhere.
That would require legislative action.
A total of $343.8 million could be reallocated from several programs.
That total is the combination of current unobligated funding and expected unobligated revenue for the rest of the current budget cycle that ends June 30, 2027.
Layoffs or redirecting funding: Oregon lawmakers grapple with ODOT budget gap again
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado, Robin Linares
Oregon lawmakers are once again discussing ways to fill a massive shortfall within the Oregon Department of Transportation’s budget — except this time they can’t raise taxes or fees.
Even though lawmakers passed a bill in the fall meant to fill the gap the department faced a year ago, the Republican-led No Tax Oregon campaign paused the revenue the agency anticipated for the current budget cycle until a statewide vote in November. Democrats are trying to move that vote to May.
The best case scenario is that the agency partners with the Legislature to find a revenue option and doesn’t have to lay off any workers but still leave 138 vacancies open to keep $70 million.
Prevailing wage bill leaves Oregon Dems caught between cheaper affordable housing production and unions
The Oregonian | By Jonathan Bach
Salem’s Democratic supermajority finds itself in a double bind as lawmakers weigh a bill intended to lower the cost of building affordable apartments.
If they approve Senate Bill 1566 — brought forward by the ranking Republican lawmaker on the Senate housing committee to address the high cost of publicly subsidized apartment construction — they’ll alienate trade unions that spend heavily for Democrats during election season.
If they ignore the bill, they skip a chance to do what housing policy analysts, and even state agency Oregon Housing and Community Services, say is necessary to build more affordable housing: lower construction costs.
Bipartisan effort underway to allow Oregon to purchase Abiqua Falls
KATU | By Christina Giardinelli
Two Oregon lawmakers, a Democrat and a Republican, are working together to pursue a state purchase of Abiqua Falls and avoid the risk of a potential private owner barring public access.
“I grew up in the woods. I am one of very few people in the Senate who were actually born in Oregon, and things like this are extremely important to me,” said Sen. Fred Girod, R-Stayton.
House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, said he began reading news reports of the sale and was immediately alarmed by the possibility that the falls could be closed to the public. After raising the issue during remonstrances on the House floor, he discovered Girod was also interested.
“I’m a Democrat in the House; he is a Republican in the Senate, but we are totally aligned on this issue, so it made for a great opportunity for us to work together to protect something beautiful,” Bowman said.
Both lawmakers said they are optimistic about the prospect of purchasing the properties.
“I really am not expecting a whole lot of pushback. The issue itself isn’t one of those issues that there’s a lot of opposition to. If you go back in our history, both Tom McCall and Mark Hatfield — most major Republicans — expected landmark features like waterfalls to have public access. Democrats, same thing,” Girod said.
Oregon lawmakers hear arguments over plan for state role in Moda Center ownership
KATU | By Vasili Varlamos
State lawmakers, Portland leaders, and community stakeholders testified Tuesday morning on a bill that could move the state toward shared ownership of Portland’s Moda Center.
While Portland and state leaders voiced strong support for the plan, Trail Blazers executives stopped short of making any formal commitment to remain at the Moda Center.
Local governments pledge major investments
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson told lawmakers that local governments are prepared to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars toward renovations.
Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr pressed local leaders on whether those commitments should be codified in state law to protect taxpayers.
Oregon lawmakers reveal reworked plans to partially delay campaign finance law
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt, Julia Shumway
Oregon lawmakers forced by the threat of a citizen-led ballot measure to adopt a sweeping law limiting campaign contributions in 2024 are once again trying to delay key portions of the law before it takes effect.
Woodburn needs housing. Will the Oregon legislature give it more land?
Statesman Journal | By Bill Poehler
“The community obviously needs some additional housing,” said Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer.
Oregon lawmakers consider overhaul of school funding model as districts face budget cuts
KATU | By Deb Knapp
Lawmakers say the issue is not simply how much money schools receive, but how the state determines what districts actually need.
“Yes, we’re giving more money, but what we are asking them to do requires significantly more manpower than we are providing them with the funds,” said Rep. Emily McIntire, R-Eagle Point. “I am sure there are many, many ways that we could make our districts more efficient and streamline processes.”
Oregon lawmakers propose capping cannabis edibles at 10 milligrams of THC
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
The bill is meant to curb children from accessing edibles with 50 to 100 milligrams of THC meant to be divided into several servings.
Oregon bill would mandate paper rental applications, other analog options to bridge digital divide
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Robin Linares
A clerical error on an online rent payment portal nearly led to one Milwaukie renter losing her home — and that’s just one example of housing advocates’ increasing concerns as online portals become more standard for finding housing and paying rent.
John Kitzhaber Is Still Fighting for His Oregon Health Plan
Willamette Week | By Andrew Schwartz
Today, surging health costs break personal, businesses and governments budgets alike. The father of the state’s largest health plan feels its stewards have lost their way.
John Kitzhaber is going to Salem. “I’m on my way down to rain on the OHA bill,” he says from his car, driving from Portland and talking to WW via Bluetooth.
Oregon child welfare system failed autistic teen, led to his death, report says
KOIN 6 | By Amanda Rhoades
An independent review of an autistic teen’s death accuses Oregon’s child welfare system of repeatedly ignoring red flags and delaying intervention that may have saved a life.
Portland's move to zone for more affordable housing riles neighbors who feel neglected by the city
KGW | By Blair Best
A spot in the Centennial neighborhood has long dealt with unsheltered homelessness. It's now the site of a new shelter and the prospect of future low-income housing.
This Republican challenger outraised an Oregon congressperson in the final months of 2025
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
Oregon’s candidates for Congress raised nearly $3 million between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 — half a million more than they had in the previous quarter, federal campaign finance records show.
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