Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

Gov. Tina Kotek issued three vetoes on June 24, all for bills related to child welfare and the Oregon Department of Human Services. Kotek has not often used her veto pen because she’s generally in sync with the Democratic supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature. But one of the governor’s priority bills—House Bill 3835—put […]

As the 2025 legislative session lurches toward its conclusion, a bipartisan bill aimed at speeding wildfire damage payouts remains stalled in committee. The looming expiration of a federal tax break for fire victims adds urgency to Senate Bill 926. That tax break—available to people who get financial compensation for losses in fires that are declared […]

As the Oregon Legislature prepares for looming floor votes on House Bill 2025, a transportation funding bill at the center of the legislative session, polling obtained by the Oregon Journalism Project shows voters are unconvinced of the need for legislation that would raise nearly $2 billion in new funding annually. And perhaps more importantly, the […]

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek told reporters Monday afternoon she would be very reluctant to follow the lead of her fellow Democrat, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last week proposed reducing his state’s spending on health care for undocumented immigrants. In a May 14 budget message, The New York Times reported, Newsom proposed halting new sign-ups […]

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality said today it was delaying enforcement of its Advanced Clean Trucks rule, which went into effect Jan. 1. “Effective immediately, Oregon DEQ will refrain from pursuing enforcement or assessing civil penalties against any manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (Classes 2b–8) who does not meet the specified [zero-emission vehicle] […]

The percentage of Oregon kindergartners whose families opted them out of vaccinations for nonmedical reasons jumped to 9.7% for the 2024–25 school year. That percentage is the highest in state history, according to the Oregon Health Authority, and marks the fourth consecutive annual increase. Like other states, Oregon allows two types of exemptions from common […]

Governor Tina Kotek shut the door this week on Oregon’s large, if largely invisible, role in the rapidly declining sport of greyhound racing. On May 7, Kotek signed House Bill 3020, which, according to a staff summary, “prohibits any person from wagering on the outcome of a greyhound or other dog race, or accept or […]