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Oregon News
Oregon Dems block effort to alert ICE before illegal immigrant murderers are released
Fox News | By Charles Creitz
Oregon Senate Democrats unanimously voted to kill an effort to require that federal authorities be notified when an illegal immigrant convicted of a violent felony is about to be released from prison, leading the chamber’s top Republican to say the majority is choosing ideology over common sense.
This particular minority report would have directed state officials to notify federal authorities when an illegal immigrant convicted of a violent felony, such as murder, was about to be released. That would give ICE an opportunity to transfer the person to its custody without the kind of expansive resource deployment seen in some uncooperative blue cities.
The Oregon State Senate voted down the minority report for Senate Bill 1594, 18-12, along party lines, with one lawmaker excused, as Republicans warned of the tally’s public safety consequences.
State Sen. Mark Meek, D-Oregon City, who is considered a moderate, defended his vote on the floor in Salem by saying that ICE should instead "sit outside" state prisons because recapturing subjects would be like "fishing in a pond; in a barrel."
"If the federal government wants to be serious about taking care of that business, then that’s the place you should be," Meek said.
Critics of that view said it would run counter to the left’s tendency to protest broad ICE operations in certain localities.
Oregon’s corrections department previously tracked the immigration status of those convicted of felonies but has not run a check since 2022, after a 2021 bill restricted the tracking of whether an inmate has an ICE detainer, according to a source familiar with the matter.
"The vote runs contrary to the clear will of Oregonians and Americans across party lines, who overwhelmingly support the removal of illegal immigrants convicted of violent or serious crimes across multiple reputable polls," the minority caucus said in a statement on the minority report’s failure.
State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, called the bill "as common sense as common sense gets."
"Do we want violent felons who have no legal right to be present in Oregon to remain here, or should there at least be an opportunity for federal authorities to take custody?"
"The effect of voting ‘no’ today is to affirm that a person who is here illegally and commits a felony in Oregon should remain here as the felon is released from prison," added state Sen. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte.
Fox News Digital reached out to Oregon Senate President Robert Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, and Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, D-East Portland, for comment.
Northwest Portland neighbors frustrated after needle bill dies
KPTV | By Pete Ferryman
Earlier in February, Senate Democrats in Salem announced that a bill to ban the distribution of needles and pipes in school zones would not advance this year.
They cited several reasons for killing the bill, but neighbors and parents in Northwest Portland say they’re not buying it.
Community members also say the lawmaker who’s supposed to represent them in Salem has just done the opposite.
That lawmaker is State Senator Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland, who shocked the neighbors last week by killing a bill that would have banned harm reduction organizations from giving away free needles and pipes within 2000 feet of schools and daycares.
“Why did you kill the bill? Why did you kill it? Because she did kill it,” said Dave Gray, a concerned neighbor.
FOX 12 also wanted answers, but our multiple requests for an interview were ignored. So, we decided to go straight to the capitol to get a response.
We continued to try to find her, eventually waiting for her outside the Senate Majority office.
But she never did come out, exiting through a rear door instead.
Later, after noticing FOX 12 had been in the chamber, the Senate Majority leadership team called the newsroom. And while no interview was arranged, they did have Senator Reynolds’ office send a statement:
“Needles showing up on our streets is of grave concern to me as an inner westside resident and as someone who meets regularly with concerned neighbors and community leaders.
“When SB 1573 was introduced, I agreed with the goal but disagreed with the penalty. I worked on an amendment that was not accepted by the bill’s supporters and chief sponsor.”
That chief sponsor of the bill is senator Christine Drazan, R-Canby, who claims Reynolds never negotiated in good faith.
“This last week… that’s the most deeply disappointed I’ve been in a while,” Senator Drazan said.
Oregon Senate panel clears Democratic senator of discrimination, harassment
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Julia Shumway
A Democratic Oregon state senator who interrupted and raised his voice at a Republican state representative during a contentious debate last June was disrespectful but didn’t break the Legislature’s anti-discrimination policies, the Senate Conduct Committee determined Wednesday evening.
The complaint stems from a verbal altercation in a public meeting over transportation funding. It highlighted a long-running conflict between free speech and respectful conduct in the state Legislature, where tempers often run hot and lawmakers from both parties have accused each other of weaponizing conduct complaints for political reasons.
In separate 4-0 and 3-1 votes, the committee of two Democrats and two Republicans found that Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, did not engage in harassment or discrimination when he interrupted Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany. Sens. Deb Patterson, D-Salem; Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, and Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, did acknowledge that Gorsek responded differently to Boshart Davis than to male lawmakers who made similar comments.
Along with Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, they unanimously recommended that the two participate in a “facilitated conversation,” though whether that happens is up to Boshart Davis.
Oregon lawmaker did not violate conduct rule over heated exchange
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo
Boshart Davis on social media and in a text to the Statesman Journal said she was "appalled" by the determination.
Gorsek disagreed with the determination that he had violated the respectful workplace policy, but said he regretted the exchange. He did not immediately respond to the Statesman Journal's request for additional comment.
Boshart Davis submitted a one-page written response and spoke before the committee. She said the suggestion from the Legislature's Human Resources Director Tracey Yee that she and Gorsek should have a "facilitated conversation" to restore a working relationship was "somewhat laughable" eight months later. She strongly disputed Gorsek's response that his outburst during the June meeting was to be characterized as "passionate legislative debate" and exempt from the respectful workplace policy.
"Legislative proceedings are not a free-for-all where aggression and disrespect are excused under the guise of passion," Boshart Davis said. "Senator Gorsek's explanations may have been deemed believable in the report, but it does not excuse or rationalize inexcusable behavior. It simply highlights a double standard where powerful figures can claim passion to justify intimidation."
"Do I fear retaliation for sitting here tonight? Absolutely," she said during her statement to the committee. "But a legislator like me, even in the minority, has a unique responsibility to stand up to power and disrespect because we hold elected authority and are trusted to protect the public interest."
Oregon House further delays gas tax bill vote after blowing deadline
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
The Oregon House of Representatives pushed deliberations to March 2 on a bill to move the gas tax referendum vote from November to May, further delaying the highly criticized proposal Republicans oppose.
The House was scheduled to vote on the bill Feb. 26 before unanimously agreeing to come back to it March 2.
Oregon Republicans push to kill transportation tax bill after missed deadline
KPTV | By Abby Davis
A missed deadline is raising new questions about the future of a bill that would fast-track a vote on transportation tax hikes, with Republicans saying the legislation should be considered dead.
Republican Sen. Bruce Starr said the missed deadline is an issue Oregonians should care about, expressing concern that lawmakers who support the bill are silencing voters’ voices.
“What you have now, really, is a pattern. A pattern where the Democrat supermajority and the legislature and the governor are working to disenfranchise voters,” Starr said, “to make it more difficult for them to access their rights under Oregon’s Constitution, and that is a problem.”
Bill sponsors and the governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment.
Oregon House delays vote to move gas tax referendum; Sec. of State warns of consequences
KATU | By Vasili Varlamos
Republicans say delay undermines voter participation
Republican lawmakers say the delay reinforces concerns raised by election officials about limiting public participation in the referendum process.
Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, argued the missed timeline could make it harder for everyday Oregonians to weigh in, particularly through statements submitted to the state voters’ pamphlet.
"The voters' pamphlet statement is probably the most important piece of information that Oregonians rely on as they make decisions about how to vote," said Starr. “To not have a process where Oregonians can provide their arguments in the voters' pamphlet without having to write a $1,200 check, that’s not insignificant.”
Starr was one of the chief petitioners leading the effort to refer the transportation tax increases to voters this year.
He said he believes the Secretary of State's recommended deadline was meaningful and accused Democratic leaders of disregarding warnings about the election timeline.
"This is a pattern of behavior from the majority and the governor in this process where they just completely ignore Oregonians and completely make it more and more difficult for them to have their voice heard," said Starr.
He also suggested the timeline concerns could ultimately raise legal questions about the referendum process.
“There's no question,” said Starr when asked if the situation could impact Oregonians’ constitutional right to referendum. "I believe it's a constitutional issue. I think Oregonians have a constitutional right to these things. And at the end of the day, is this gonna get in front of a court? We'll see."
Democrats’ tax move could undermine ‘fair and equal’ public input, Oregon secretary of state warns
The Oregonian | By Carlos Fuentes
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read on Wednesday warned top lawmakers that if they did not pass a contentious tax referendum bill by the end of the day, they would risk denying voters a “fair and equal chance” to participate in the democratic process leading up to the May election.
His warning is unlikely to speed up the bill. Democrats have struggled to advance Senate Bill 1599 over the last week amid resistance from Republicans and several members of their own party, and it is expected to take lawmakers until at least later this week to pass the bill.
Republicans on Wednesday called on Democrats to drop their effort to pass the bill as it became clear that lawmakers would likely miss the Wednesday deadline.
“It’s clear that Senate Bill 1599 should be considered dead by every lawmaker in this building,” Senate Republican Leader Bruce Starr of Dundee said in a statement. “If supermajority Democrats continue to move it forward, it will prove that their loyalty is to politics above all, not the people of Oregon.”
As Oregon lawmakers blow gas tax deadline, Tobias Read warns of consequences
OPB | By Dirk VanderHart
As they debate whether to hurry up a vote on a gas tax and fee hikes, Oregon lawmakers are blowing past a loose deadline set by election officials. According to Secretary of State Tobias Read, that risks suppressing public debate.
Republicans lawmakers, who bitterly oppose changing the election date, immediately seized on Read’s warning on Wednesday.
“It’s clear that Senate Bill 1599 should be considered dead by every lawmaker in this building,” Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, said in a statement. “If Supermajority Democrats continue to move it forward, it will prove that their loyalty is to politics above all, not the people of Oregon.”
What's next after deadline passes to approve bill moving gas tax vote?
Statesman Journal | By Anastasia Mason
Kotek would not confirm Feb. 24 if she would continue to support the bill if the argument submission timeline was shortened, saying instead that she is "encouraging legislators to get it done as soon as they can."
Sen. Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, a leader of the referendum effort, said Democrats are "creating a situation where it's going to be more difficult for average Oregonians who don't have $1,200 to write a check to get an argument in the voter's pamphlet."
The potential limiting of public participation is "just another example of how the majority is ignoring the will of the voters, and honestly making this process more difficult for their voices to be heard," Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, said. "This is a pattern now of how the Democratic majority and the governor have operated really from last June moving forward."
Republicans, who are staunchly opposed to moving the date and believe it is being done in an attempt to help Democrats avoid political consequences for the bill, say the move would disenfranchise voters.
"We believe the 25th is meaningful and we think that this bill should be dead after the 25th," Sen. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, told reporters Feb. 23 after the bill passed the Senate. Drazan is running for governor for a second time.
Secretary of state warns Oregon lawmakers for missing gas tax referendum bill deadline
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Mia Maldonado
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr, a Dundee Republican and leader behind the No Tax Oregon campaign, said Gov. Tina Kotek and Democrats in the Oregon Legislature demonstrate a troubling pattern of ignoring the will of voters.
“It’s clear that Senate Bill 1599 should be considered dead by every lawmaker in this building,” Starr said in a statement. “If supermajority Democrats continue to move it forward, it will prove that their loyalty is to politics above all, not the people of Oregon.”
House passes bill to partially disconnect Oregon from federal tax code
Statesman Journal | By Dianne Lugo
A bill to partially disconnect Oregon's tax code from federal changes is heading to Gov. Tina Kotek's desk after the Oregon House passed it on Feb. 25. Republicans vowed to immediately refer parts of Senate Bill 1507 to voters.
Passage of SB1507 would lead to the loss of more family farms and make life more expensive for all, Rep. Bobby Levy warned.
"If a majority of the members in this body don't care, then the farmer who can't raise the cost of their commodities will have to find a new way to further cut costs," Levy explained.
Rep. Ed Diehl, R-Scio, said there's a disconnect between the rhetoric coming from Kotek's office and reality. He referenced the hiring of a chief prosperity officer and the governor's announcement of a "Prosperity Roadmap" to boost the state's economy and said the bill ran counter to her goals.
Oregon Democrats’ plan to end 3 Trump tax breaks heads to governor; Republican threatens to seek voter veto
The Oregonian | By Betsy Hammond
A Republican lawmaker announced he will seek a voter veto of that plan.
Republicans in both the state Senate and House uniformly decried the plan as anti-business. They particularly criticized Democrats’ move to end accelerated depreciation on machinery and equipment purchases by corporations or business owners that do business in Oregon. Continuing to mirror the
Oregon lawmakers approve bill reversing federal tax breaks, Republicans vow challenge
KATU | By Vasili Varlamos
Republicans: This is just another tax
Republicans sharply opposed the bill, arguing it effectively raises taxes on businesses during a period of economic uncertainty.
They argued the bill cancels tax relief families and businesses were expecting under federal law and could discourage investment.
Oregon will partially disconnect state tax code from new federal code to curb revenue loss
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
Most Democratic Oregon lawmakers voted to disconnect some of the state’s tax code from the federal tax code to keep hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue the state otherwise would lose by replicating federal tax cuts. Republicans in turn threatened to send it to Oregon voters in November via a ballot referral.
Oregon ski areas hate a bill that some lawmakers say will help save them
The Oregonian | By Aimee Green
A polarizing debate is unfolding in the Oregon Legislature over a pair of dueling bills that set out to save the state’s 10 ski resorts and countless other recreational providers from an onslaught of lawsuits and the skyrocketing insurance rates that come with them.
Senate Bill 1517, which passed the Senate 16-13 this week and now awaits vetting in the House, seeks to curtail the range of lawsuits filed against recreational providers — from rafting companies to rock gyms — while still allowing some of the most negligently injured Oregonians to sue.
But insurance companies, all of Oregon’s ski areas and dozens of recreational providers say the bill will greenlight more lawsuits through the court system and “enrich” plaintiffs’ attorneys.
Oregon gun control bill advances with higher permit fees, new rules
The Oregonian | By Maxine Bernstein
Oregon’s House Wednesday advanced a bill that pushes back the date when the state’s stalled gun control Measure 114 would kick in and raises the cost of gun permits and other fees.
Federal judge dismisses Marion County suit over immigration subpoenas
Statesman Journal | By Bill Poehler
A federal judge dismissed Marion County's lawsuit about releasing information about non-citizens on parole.
The lawsuit argued that state and federal laws were in conflict.
PacifiCorp now owes over $1B in Oregon wildfires class-action lawsuit
OPB | By April Ehrlich
An Oregon jury has awarded $305 million to 16 wildfire survivors harmed by the Santiam Canyon wildfire that burned across hundreds of thousands of acres in 2020.
This is the largest jury verdict issued in relation to the James v. PacifiCorp class-action lawsuit, pushing PacifiCorp’s total liability past $1 billion.
Portland advances antidiscrimination protections for polyamorous families
OPB | By Alex Zielinski
Portland is poised to be the largest U.S. city to allow polyamorous families to sue over discrimination.
The policy, part of a larger ordinance upholding LGBTQ+ rights, allows people to sue over claims of discrimination related to employment, housing and other areas.
Judge orders protective measures for Columbia River salmon after Trump canceled historic deal
OPB | By Tony Schick
A federal judge in Oregon has ordered dams that operate on the Columbia and Snake rivers to generate less hydropower and allow more water to pass in an effort to keep salmon populations from dying out.
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