Khushboo Rathore Oregon Journalism Project

When Gov. Tina Kotek convened the first meeting of her newly named Prosperity Council on Jan. 22, she told the 16-member panel what she hoped to achieve. “The goals I’ve put forward—about growing our GDP, creating new jobs and supporting the workforce we need for the future—those are very simple goals,” Kotek said. “And they […]

As Oregon public school leaders face reductions in state funding, they turn to their biggest expense to find cuts—about 85% of their budgets go to personnel. This time around, they have more staff to cut: Over the past five years, the number of full-time employees at the state’s 197 school districts has grown by nearly […]

Four-year high school graduation rates in Oregon have inched up, but still remain below the most recent national average. Data released on Jan. 29 by the Oregon Department of Education shows the state reached an 83% graduation rate across the state’s 197 school districts. That mark is Oregon’s highest in a decade. Nationally, a recent […]

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the percentage decline in marijuana tax revenues since 2021. Since 2022, the state’s cannabis taxes have paid for free behavioral health and addiction treatment for more than 35,000 Oregonians all across the state, a first-of-its-kind program. “But plummeting pot prices have resulted in a significant decline in marijuana tax […]

As lawmakers search for a funding solution for the Oregon Department of Transportation, an OJP analysis of Oregon bridge data shows that only 6% of the state’s bridges are in poor condition. Of the 7,183 Oregon bridges used by motor vehicles, 425 are classified as “poor,” meaning part of the bridge has significant damage or […]

While many Oregon farmers pull back amid tariff worries, low crop prices and a difficult labor market, Jeff Newton plans to invest in new hazelnut trees at Christensen Farms near Amity in Yamhill County. Newton, along with other Oregon hazelnut growers, is waiting for a final tally of the volume of nuts they sold in […]

Oregon’s already low kindergarten vaccination rates may worsen after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month stopped recommending the hepatitis B vaccine at birth. Public health experts decried the controversial decision, which overturned 30 years of guidance that cut rates of liver disease and cirrhosis. Oregon is part of a new public […]

Despite early forecasts of a punishing 2025 wildfire season, Oregon escaped relatively unscathed. The season started with an ominous blaze. In just a few days in June, the Rowena Fire, just west of The Dalles, destroyed 56 homes and 100 additional structures. By that measure, the Oregon Department of Forestry said, it was the one […]

Oregon, a state that prides itself on innovation, can now claim another first: the first state with a professional sports team whose coach was arrested by the FBI and charged with scheming to rig illegal poker games. The recent bust of ex-NBA star and Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups focused a national spotlight on […]

As the government shutdown stretches into its fourth week, most of the nearly 23,000 federal employees in Oregon are still going without pay — including many required to keep working during the shutdown, such as airport screeners and air traffic controllers.    Analysis by OJP indicates that back pay for Oregon’s federal workers, mandated by the […]