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Jeff Reardon calls it quits after decade in Oregon state House
Portland Democrat Jeff Reardon plans to end his legislative career next year after a decade in the Oregon House. Reardon, elected in 2012, said he plans to focus on his three grandchildren, travel and public service in his community after he finishes his term at the end of next year. “Serving the people of District […]
Republican Oregon state Rep. Jack Zika won’t seek re-election in newly Democratic district
State Rep. Jack Zika, R-Redmond, will retire instead of seeking re-election in a redrawn House district that now favors Democrats. Zika, a real estate agent elected to the House in 2018, cited a family illness and personal health in a press release announcing his decision. “This was a hard decision, but I’m proud of all […]
Long-time Oregon companies help State Sen. Betsy Johnson raise $2 million for governor’s race
Since she launched her independent run for governor a month ago, Betsy Johnson has accomplished two things no other candidate has yet: raising $2 million and securing large contributions from a broad swath of the state’s business community. The $2.2 million reported in Johnson’s campaign finance account is more than double the $1 million former […]
Oregon economic forecast: Higher wages drive state revenue, workers feel inflation
Higher wages are driving up Oregon’s projected tax revenue, but most middle-class workers won’t feel the benefits of larger paychecks over the next year because of inflation, state economists said Wednesday. A quarterly economic forecast from the state Department of Administrative Services predicted that Oregon will recover from a pandemic-induced recession much more quickly than […]
More than 100 new faces headed to Oregon state boards
The Oregon Senate confirmed more than 100 new members of state boards on Wednesday despite opposition from Republicans to three of Gov. Kate Brown’s picks. All eight Senate Republicans who attended Wednesday’s floor session and Sen. Betsy Johnson, an independent from Scappoose, voted against Amy Schlusser, an environmental attorney who Brown chose for the commission […]
Oregon Supreme Court won’t hear redistricting arguments
Two separate groups of Oregon voters seeking to invalidate all or part of new legislative maps won’t get their day in court. In an order Tuesday, Oregon Supreme Court Justice Lynn Nakamoto wrote that the court will combine two lawsuits over the new districts drawn by the Legislature in September. The court will decide the […]
Congressional redistricting judges appear to favor Oregon Democrats
Attorneys for a group of four Republicans who once held elective office found a frosty reception Tuesday from the five-judge panel as they contested Oregon’s new congressional boundaries. After a three-hour hearing, the panel that will decide whether new boundaries drawn by the Legislature in September will last for the next 10 years appeared to […]
Brown attends infrastructure bill signing in Washington, DC
Gov. Kate Brown was on hand Monday in Washington, D.C., as President Joe Biden signed a $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill that will bring more than $5 billion to Oregon over the next five years. Brown described the new law as a “game changer” for Oregon. “It will help us repair and improve our roads […]
Oregon tenants urged to get bid in for state rent help before Dec. 1 cutoff
The state agency in charge of helping Oregonians cover their rent has nearly run through the $289 million it received from the federal government and will stop accepting applications Dec. 1. A six-week pause in accepting applications for rent help that was announced Friday doesn’t just mean tenants who fall short on December rent won’t […]
Oregon state Sen. Chuck Thomsen to retire, clearing way for Rep. Daniel Bonham
State Sen. Chuck Thomsen, a Republican from Hood River, will end his decade-long legislative career next year, clearing the way for a younger Republican to seek his redrawn Senate seat. Thomsen and state Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, announced their plans in a joint statement Wednesday. They said they would campaign together for Bonham to […]
Audit: Oregon agency vulnerable to cyberattacks, ignored warnings
The Oregon state agency that oversees workers’ compensation and banks and investigates consumer complaints hasn’t heeded cybersecurity warnings over the past five years and remains vulnerable to attacks, state auditors found. A review released Tuesday by the Audits Division of the Secretary of State’s office found that the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services […]
A year after the 2020 election, Oregon county clerks still fighting back fraud allegations
A week before this November’s Linn County special election over a tax increase to fund law enforcement, a man walked into the election office and asked to see the county clerk. Steve Druckenmiller walked over and asked how he could help, but the man didn’t want assistance. “I just wanted to see the enemy of […]