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Oregon News
Avel Gordly, Oregon’s first Black woman state senator, dies at 79
The Oregonian | By Rob Davis
Gordly, who worked during a trailblazing public service career to improve police accountability, mental health treatment and the lives of disadvantaged Oregonians, including during her 17 years in the Oregon Legislature, died Monday of natural causes, her niece Michelle Burch said. She was 79 and had been in hospice at home for about a month, Burch said.
OSU researchers develop 'cancer-killing material' to treat melanoma
Statesman Journal | By Ginnie Sandoval
Oregon State University researchers have developed a new "cancer-killing material" that uses a low-power laser to safely and effectively remove melanoma tumors.
The researchers discovered a new type of nanoparticle that will allow the use of photothermal therapy, a treatment that uses heat to destroy cancer cells, OSU said in a release.
POLITICS
Oregon Senate passes partial disconnect from federal tax code changes
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo
Oregon Senate Republican proposal fails
The bill passed out of the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue on Feb. 9.
Vice-chair of the committee, Sen. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, gave notice in committee that Republicans would prepare a minority report, or an alternate version of the bill. The minority report submitted, like SB1507, would have increased the Oregon earned income tax credit but did not include any of the three proposed tax disconnects.
McLane, on the Senate floor, referred to "talking points" about disconnecting from the federal tax code as "propaganda." He read parts of two Oregonian articles: an editorial against the bill and a story about business bankruptcies hitting a new 12-year high. The minority report, he said, was the right policy for the state's current position.
Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, quoted testimony from Oregon Business and Industry, the Oregon Seed Council and Pacific Seafood opposing SB1507. Other Republicans, including Sen. Todd Nash, R-Enterprise, and Noah Robinson, R-Cave Junction, also spoke in opposition to SB1507 and in support of the minority report.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, also spoke in support of replacing the measure with the Republican proposal. Starr said he was "tired" of seeing headlines about businesses leaving the state. Starr also said the bill would mean additional work for businesses to comply with differing state and federal tax codes.
"I would like to say that today on the Senate floor, we have a moment of choosing," Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said. "We should choose prosperity. We should choose to adopt the minority report today and show businesses that we want them to stay here, that we want a thriving economy, that we want jobs."
McLane read from Gov. Tina Kotek's prosperity roadmap, saying the bill was counter to the goals Kotek set forth to grow Oregon's economy.
"I speak to you, Governor Kotek. Did you mean this? Or was it simply an election year gimmick?" he said, asking whether Kotek would sign SB1507.
Broadman acknowledged Republican comments, agreeing that Oregon was in competition with other states for jobs and businesses. He said the bill would align Oregon with more than two dozen states in decoupling from changes in H.R. 1.
The minority report failed, with no Democrats voting in support.
All Republicans voted against SB1507. They were joined by Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, who said the bill was "not an appropriate response" to the state's budget problems.
Oregon bill rejecting some Trump tax cuts clears state Senate
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
Is Senate Bill 1507 a reckless tax hike or a sensible budget move? Lawmakers disagreed Monday.
With Oregon set to lose out on nearly $900 million due to congressional tax breaks, state senators offered profoundly different takes Monday on what a bill rejecting some of those breaks would mean.
For majority Democrats, Senate Bill 1507 was an opportunity to reject Trump administration policies that favor the rich. As Oregon works to fill a budget hole brought on largely by H.R 1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” SB 1507 would help bring more than $311 million back into state accounts.
But Republicans cast the bill as a continuation of misguided policies that have ushered the state’s economy into perilous territory. At a time Gov. Tina Kotek and other top Democrats are preaching a business-friendly approach, the GOP urged opposition to a bill that would effectively raise taxes on businesses.
As usual, the majority party won out. SB 1507 passed the Senate on a 17-13 vote, with one Democrat, Sen. Mark Meek of Gladstone, joining Republicans in opposition.
“You can dress it up however you want,” Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, said on the chamber floor. “The revenue statement clearly says this is a tax increase on Oregonians.”
Starr and other Republicans pointed to broad opposition from business groups to the bill, arguing that functionally raising taxes on business does nothing to assist with Kotek’s stated economic development goals.
Oregon is not the only state considering opting out of tax breaks included in H.R.1, though each state has come up with its own formula for doing so. Republicans warn that any step that is viewed as unfriendly to business will hamper the state’s national reputation.
“These are small businesses in Oregon,” said state Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford. “I know the narrative here on the floor from the majority is we’re going sticking it to the evil big corporations, but it’s just not the case. It’s just not true.”
GOP senators attempted to introduce a substitute proposal on the floor that would have kept all of the federal tax breaks in Oregon’s tax code, but also expanded tax credits for low-income residents. That idea was defeated on an 18-12 party-line vote.
Oregon Senate Democrats pass bill to disconnect state from federal tax code, in part
KGW | By Jamie Parfitt
Democrats said the bill shields $311 million in revenue needed for key services, including health care, education, and public safety.
Oregon Senate Republicans framed the bill as a $311 million tax hike which would "increase the tax burden on local employers" at a time when the state can't afford to be any less business-friendly.
“Businesses testified clearly that this proposal will make Oregon less competitive," said Sen. Christine Drazan of Canby in a statement. "They are the ones making decisions about where to expand or relocate, and they will respond to what we do here. In the last year, Oregon has lost thousands of jobs, bankruptcies have hit a record high, and employers are telling us they feel targeted rather than supported."
Oregon Senate passes bill to reverse Federal tax breaks, add $311M in revenue
KATU | By Wright Gazaway
The Oregon Senate passed a measure Monday that adds more than $300 million in expected revenue to the state's coffers by eliminating certain tax exemptions included in H.R. 1 – President Donald Trump’s recent spending package approved by Congress.
“The revenue statement is the revenue statement, and the revenue statement clearly says that this is a tax increase on Oregonians,” Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr said.
Every Democrat voted for the measure, except Clackamas County Democrat Mark Meek. All Republicans opposed the bill…
Powerful Labor Leader Tells Lawmakers to Keep Their Hands Off Prevailing Wage Laws
Willamette Week | By Nigel Jaquiss
Few pieces of legislation in the current session have generated more substantive disagreement than Senate Bill 1566, which would clarify and tweak existing prevailing wage laws in order to increase the supply of affordable housing and child care.
Increasingly, the issue has driven a wedge between traditional allies: nonprofits and affordable housing developers on one side and trade unions on the other.
As expected, all sides testified in Salem on Feb. 9. But what was remarkable to veteran Salem watchers was when a high-ranking trade union official warned lawmakers not to consider such reforms again.
Child care, of course, is not a partisan issue. Nor is Oregon’s acute shortage of housing, for which Gov. Tina Kotek and other top elected officials have declared an emergency. But Sen. Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City), who sponsored SB 1566 along with Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville), is pessimistic that his bill will get any more oxygen this session.
That’s because of the powerful voice that spoke last and loudest on the bill.
Robert Camarillo is executive secretary of the Oregon State Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents 30 member unions. Rather than address specific parts of the bill, Camarillo simply told lawmakers to keep their hands off the prevailing wage law.
“This is something we strongly oppose,” Camarillo testified about SB 1566. “I urge you not to entertain these types of proposals in the future.”
“This is not something we will ignore,” he added.
Camarillo won’t have to worry. Anderson told OJP on Feb. 12 that he has been told by Democratic leadership his bill won’t move forward.
“It’s disappointing, but predictable, to see ‘Big Labor’ prioritize rigid adherence to prevailing wage rules over the urgent need to build more affordable housing in Oregon,” says Anderson, who is also the vice chair of the Senate Housing and Development Committee.
“If the Democratic majority truly wants to stand up for housing affordability, they should go further and pass this bill to actually build more housing,” Anderson adds. “Until they stand up to the unions, we will see a continuing spiral downward.”
After pushback, Oregon lawmakers ditch proposal to cut voters out of local gas taxes
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
Oregon lawmakers grappling with the financial fallout of a blocked gas tax hike recently considered a notable idea for funding the state’s deteriorating roads: Letting cities and counties more easily raise gas taxes on their own.
An amendment to House Bill 4007, a wide-ranging “omnibus” transportation bill, would have rolled back a 17-year-old law that requires local governments to ask voters before raising fuel taxes.
Had the proposal moved forward, cities and counties could have passed the taxes on their own, avoiding a hurdle that has repeatedly sunk road-funding measures around the state in recent years.
But the idea ran into opposition. Between the amendment’s emergence on Friday afternoon and a work session on the bill Monday morning, the proposal’s author, state Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, said he concluded it was not politically viable.
“I was truly entertained by the scale and scope of the communicated threats and observations sent to my office over the weekend,” Evans said Monday. “Especially [those] suggesting things that I’m pretty sure I physically cannot do to myself.”
“You don’t rebuild trust in government by taking decisions away from voters — especially when polling shows more than 70% of Oregonians want to keep their right to vote on local gas taxes,” said Mike Freese, a lobbyist for the fuels group. “Doing so also seems politically shortsighted, given that the central fight of this session revolves around a transportation package being referred to voters.”
Bill allowing Oregonians to ‘corner cross’ on public lands dies in legislative session
OPB | By Kristian Foden-Vencil
Large swaths of Oregon’s public and private lands are chopped into a checkerboard pattern. Senate Bill 1545 would have secured the right of people to “corner cross” the checkerboard, without fear of trespass.
Senate Bill 1545 died following its latest work session. Oregon Senate Republican Office Communications Director Ashley Kuenzi said Tuesday morning the bill’s sponsors are now focused on “building greater clarity and consensus ahead of the 2027 session.”
Oregon lawmakers consider adding 300+ acres into urban growth boundary for tech jobs
KOIN 6 | By Michaela Bourgeois
Oregon lawmakers are considering a bipartisan bill aiming to bring manufacturing and technology jobs to Oregon. However, the bill is getting mixed reviews among some elected officials and business owners.
The Oregon Senate Finance and Revenue Committee held a hearing Monday morning for Senate Bill 1586, the Oregon Jobs, Opportunity & Build-Ready Site (JOBS) Act. The bill’s chief sponsors include Senators Janeen Sollman (D-Forest Grove, Cornelius, Hillsboro, Rock Creek), Mark Meek (D-Oregon City, Gladstone, Happy Valley), Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City) and David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford).
Entire Portland City Council Urges Legislature to Pass Moda Center Funding Bill
Willamette Week | By Sophie Peel
Though the letter refers to a “large local investment” from the city into the renovation, not all councilors are on the same page about what that refers to.
Bill to regulate ICE in health care settings in Oregon faces legal hurdles
OPB | By Amelia Templeton
A bill that would require health care facilities to monitor federal immigration officers, and to exclude them in some situations, is running into headwinds in the Oregon capitol.
The bill was a joint effort between the labor union representing Oregon nurses and Sen. Wlnsvey Campos, D-Beaverton.
A handful of employers that would be directly regulated by the bill are raising concerns about it, and attorneys at the capitol say it could be challenged as unconstitutional.
The Hospital Association of Oregon, which lobbies on behalf of the state’s 60 community hospitals, is opposing the bill.
Oregon bill would increase firearm permit fees, wait times
Statesman Journal | By Capi Lynn
House Bill 4145, another contentious firearms bill being debated before the Oregon Legislature, aims to modify the firearm permit provisions of Ballot Measure 114.
Measure 114 was narrowly approved by 50.65% of voters in 2022, but has since been embroiled in legal challenges over its constitutionality in both state and federal courts.
The measure mandates a permit to purchase firearms, issued by local law enforcement within 30 days, and bans high-capacity magazines. The permit requires a background check, fingerprinting and safety training.
Opponents believe such regulations infringe upon Second Amendment gun rights.
The Oregon Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the case in November but has yet to issue a ruling.
Can Oregon officials text each other about city business? State lawmakers want to clarify
The Oregonian | By Austin De Dios
House Bill 4177 would change the conditions around how public officials can speak outside of public meetings, modify training requirements for elected officials and how violations of the law are handled, among other small adjustments.
‘A crisis with no end in sight’: Oregon educators protest at Capitol over lack of funding
KOIN 6 | By Lisa Balick
Oregon teachers and other school staff are handing out pink slips to lawmakers in Salem — making the point that educator layoffs are in the works if legislators don’t come up with more money for schools.
Many educators appeared at the State Capitol on Monday, protesting the lack of funding for Oregon schools.
Oregon House passes bill to aid veterans in crisis. What it would do
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
“When it comes to veteran issues, at the top of the list are those concerns having to do with mental wellbeing of those who have served our country in our armed forces, particularly those who have endured combat conditions,” Rep. Rick Lewis, R-Silverton, said.
House Bill 4099 creates a task force to submit recommendations on creating and training response teams for veterans in crisis by Sept. 15.
EDUCATION
Education, interrupted: A Portland school grapples with blending high-needs students and mainstream classrooms
The Oregonian | By Julia Silverman
Their family’s story underscores both the inherent promise and the significant challenges of Portland Public Schools’ four-year-old effort to include students with profound medical or behavioral needs in general education classrooms at their neighborhood schools, rather than enroll them in specialized classrooms, sometimes in schools far from their homes.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
PGE will expand to Washington state, acquiring swath of PacifiCorp territory
The Oregonian | By Ted Sickinger
Portland General Electric announced Tuesday that it will buy most of PacifiCorp’s utility assets in the state of Washington for $1.9 billion, including two wind farms, a natural gas-fired power plant, transmission and distribution lines, plus about 140,000 customers.
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY
2 Oregon officers, truck driver injured after crash on I-84
KOIN 6 | By Matt Rawlings
Two Oregon State Police officers were injured in a crash involving two semi trucks off I-84 in The Dalles on Monday, Oregon State Police announced.
The crash occurred around 7:30 a.m. at Hwy 197 and Bret Clodfelter Way (I-84 top of exit 87).
The two officers were transported to area hospitals. One of the truck drivers was also injured and taken to a medical facility, Oregon State Police said.
‘Excessive and disproportionate’: Police criticize feds’ tear gas tactics at Portland ICE protests
The Oregonian | By Maxine Dexter
Federal officers deployed tear gas in a clear overreaction at a recent protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Portland, endangering demonstrators as well as police at the scene, a Portland police supervisor said in a new sworn court statement.
2026 ELECTION
A Leading Contender for an Oregon Swing District Has Lived an Eventful Life
Willamette Week | By Anthony Effinger
Colorful histories haven’t hindered other Republicans. But Darcy LaPier faces bigger obstacles in a Florida federal court.
Among the four Democrats and three Republicans is a reality-television star who once owned 51 pairs of sunglasses and 80 pairs of shoes and, in the words of the New York Post, leapt “dexterously from wealthy husband to wealthy husband,” including Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion magnate Ron Rice and action-movie star Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Darcy LaPier filed paperwork last month to run in the Republican primary, aiming to succeed Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) who has created an opening by running for state Senate. The former beauty queen and rodeo star has the endorsement of a Salem power player who might give her an edge: former House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville).
Breese-Iverson’s husband, veteran political consultant Bryan Iverson, is working on LaPier’s campaign.
Controversial petition aims to ban hunting, fishing and pest control in Oregon
KATU | By Victor Park
This is not the first time a group has tried to criminalize hunting and fishing.
However, this time hunters and restaurant owners say they are concerned because of the amount of attention the move has gotten.
Michelle Wachsmuth is a fourth-generation owner of Dan & Louis Oyster Bar in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood. She told KATU the impact would be far greater.
“It would be devastating for our business. I would still be serving seafood, but we would have to import everything from another state. Oregon is already -- downtown Portland is already in a recession. And Oregon is number five in unemployment. And it's gonna send us right from a recession right into a depression. It's like, how much more can this poor state take?”
Education consultant, sister of Oregon House representative will challenge Hillsboro Democrat
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Shaanth Nanguneri
An experienced Oregon education specialist whose sister serves in the Oregon House is seeking to unseat one of the most influential moderate Democrats in the Senate.
Education consultant Myrna Muñoz, related to Rep. Lesly Muñoz, D-Woodburn, announced on social media last week that she’ll run in the Democratic primary Oregon’s 15th Senate District, challenging Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro. The Washington County district encompasses much of the city of Hillsboro, as well as Forest Grove, Cornelius and the Rock Creek area.
Regional & National News
Senate Democrats acknowledge estate tax issues as bill advances to roll back increase
KOMO
Senate Democrats are making what may be their first public acknowledgment that recent tax policy could be contributing to some residents leaving Washington.
Lawmakers last year increased the state estate tax to a top rate of 35%, described by supporters of the rollback as the highest in the country, and they are now moving to unwind that increase through Senate Bill 6347, which would lower the top rate back to 20%.
“We do have a lot of anecdotal evidence that people are making a decision to re-domicile, and I think it’s worth taking that seriously,” said Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle.
Democrats grapple with ‘abolish ICE’ movement
Tribune News Service
The idea of abolishing ICE, which surfaced during Trump’s first term, is again gaining steam among progressives in response to the aggressive tactics used by agents in Minneapolis.
But Democrats are far from united on whether ICE should be abolished. Concerns about border security helped deliver Trump a second term, and some worry Republicans could try to tie all Democrats to the slogan much as they did with “defund the police.”
“If certain very loud Democrats overplay this moment and take it to a place that flips it politically, that could be tied to all Democratic candidates in 2026.”
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