Author
Some Oregon bills skip committee hearings. Legislative Republicans say that needs to change.
Oregon legislative procedures allow lawmakers to fast-track some of the most controversial measures, skipping opportunities for public testimony that other bills receive. Republicans in the minority in the House and Senate want that practice to end. They sent Democratic leaders a letter last week asking for changes before the Legislature convenes in 2024 to ensure […]
Kotek presses to divert money from Oregon reserves on 100th day in office
Gov. Tina Kotek and legislative Democrats clashed Wednesday over spending, amplifying their first major conflict since she took office in January. At a press conference marking her 100th day in office, Kotek doubled down on calls for the Legislature to divert hundreds of millions of dollars intended for the state’s savings account to instead pay […]
Republican Chavez-DeRemer leads Oregon congressional delegation in fundraising
Republican U.S. Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer has raised more money for her re-election campaign than any other member of Oregon’s congressional delegation, quarterly campaign finance reports show. Chavez-DeRemer, a freshman who narrowly won her race in the 5th Congressional District spanning from southeast Portland to Bend, raised more than $635,000 between Jan. 1 and May 31. […]
Oregon open primaries supporters start fresh with 2024 ballot measure
Supporters of opening primaries to all voters started fresh on Monday with a new proposed ballot measure that would prohibit closed primaries beginning in 2027. All Oregon Votes, the political organization behind the effort, started pushing to get a measure on the November 2024 ballot last September. Supporters collected 1,000 signatures from Oregon voters, the […]
Oregon Gov. Kotek balks at plans for $1 billion Interstate 5 bridge bond
INDEPENDENCE— Gov. Tina Kotek isn’t on board with legislative plans to commit $1 billion in state-issued bonds to replace the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington.
Oregon lawmakers hear pitch to pay $1 billion toward replacing Interstate 5 bridge
State transportation officials and local leaders from Portland and Vancouver on Thursday urged an Oregon legislative panel to approve $1 billion to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. The bridge is actually two bridges – a northbound bridge built in 1917 and a twin southbound bridge built in 1958. Tens of […]
Kotek calls for narrow research tax credits after signing $210 million semiconductor bill
Tax breaks for semiconductor manufacturers should be targeted and not cost the state money, Gov. Tina Kotek said Thursday as legislators focused on expanding the state’s semiconductor industry consider tax cuts. Kotek commented after signing Senate Bill 4, a $210 million boost to the semiconductor industry. The new law includes $190 million in direct grants […]
New state-funded homeless shelter opening in former Salem hotel
One of the first homeless shelters created by a $50 million investment the Oregon Legislature made last spring is set to open soon in northeast Salem with rooms for about 100 people. The ARCHES Lodge, in a former hotel in northeast Salem, is among the first projects that received funding from the 2022 iteration of […]
Oregon sending $80 million to large cities, counties for homeless response
Oregon’s largest urban areas will start receiving nearly $80 million to help residents out of homelessness by the end of the month, Gov. Tina Kotek announced Monday. The money comes from a $200 million housing package passed by the Legislature and signed by Kotek late last month. The sums announced Monday are only for the […]
Lobbying email from Oregon secretary of state’s office raises eyebrows in Salem
An email from a state division director asking customers to advocate for the agency’s budget raised eyebrows among business owners and legislators. The Corporation Division of the Secretary of State’s Office is seeking a roughly $2.6 million increase to its existing $15 million budget over the next two years to hire more staff and digitize […]
Oregon budget writers starting road trip with Saturday visit to Portland
Faced with a heap of funding requests and limited resources, legislative budget writers plan to tap the pulse of the electorate to determine the top priorities for Oregonians. Starting Saturday, lawmakers on the Joint Ways and Means Committee that decides what gets funded will spend a month traveling the state, talking with residents. They have […]
House passes $210 million Oregon CHIPS Act to fund semiconductor industry
Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, keeps a ceramic winged pig on her desk in the Oregon House. Bynum collects pigs with wings, she explained to her colleagues on Thursday, because she believes in the possibility of the Legislature accomplishing great things. “I’m an optimist,” she said. “They say when pigs fly, something will happen, so that’s […]