Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project
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Oregon Will Exit the Dog-Racing Business

Gov. Kotek signs a bill prohibiting the state’s vast online gambling books from taking bets on greyhounds.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

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 […]

Posted inNews

Oregon Developers Build Few Condos

A pending bill aims to increase production
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

CHIEF SPONSOR: State Rep. Pam Marsh (D-Ashland) WHAT IT WOULD DO: House Bill 3746 A would shorten the time frame for condo owners to sue for construction defects in condominiums from 10 years to seven years. (Colorado, Nevada and Washington allow six years, as this bill originally did before being amended.) The bill would also require […]

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Higher Reimbursements for Primary Care Providers Would Exempt a Powerful Special Interest

Pediatricians in private practice get paid less than hospital doctors
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

One of the bonuses—and drawbacks—of a citizen Legislature made up of part-timers is that the lawmakers bring real-world expertise, but also their own financial interests, to Salem. Senate Bill 28 would require private insurers to pay independent primary care providers, such as pediatricians and internists, the highest rate their counterparts who work for hospitals receive—a […]

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Dismal Financial Results Threaten Oregon Hospitals

Costs are rising much faster than reimbursements
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

In the 18 years of hospital profitability data the Oregon Health Authority has collected, only one year—2022, a COVID hangover—yielded lower profits than 2024. “We are at a tipping point in this state,” Becky Hultberg, CEO of the Hospital Association of Oregon, said in an interview. “Hospitals are on the brink of closure.” A report […]

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An Oregon Senate Bill Would Make Tech Giants Share Their Wealth

The concept has been tried in California, Canada and Australia
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

CHIEF SPONSOR: State Sen. Khanh Pham (D-Portland) and 13 Democratic co-sponsors, along with one Republican, Sen. Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City) WHAT IT WOULD DO: Senate Bill 686 would compel the dominant players in internet search, Google and Facebook, to compensate local news organizations for the content they provide. Currently, internet searches yield results that are often generated […]

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Proponents File Ballot Initiative to Move Hard Liquor Sales into Grocery Stores

Similar campaigns to privatize OLCC’s monopoly failed in the past.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

Two men filed ballot initiatives today for 2026 and 2028 that would allow grocers to sell hard liquor. It is unclear who the chief petitioners, David John Allison and Kyle LoCascio, both of Portland, represent. Neither immediately responded to phone calls. With small exceptions, the right to sell hard liquor at the retail level currently belongs exclusively […]

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The Gas Tax Already Hits Rural Oregonians Disproportionately. Lawmakers Want to Raise it 50%.

City motorists drive less but benefit from the gas tax’s distribution formula
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

Last week, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation released its long-awaited funding proposal for the Oregon Department of Transportation. The proposal, which would raise nearly $1 billion a year, includes a slew of ideas, such as higher title and registration fees, a sales tax on vehicles, a road-use charge on delivery vehicles and gradually moving […]

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ODOT’s Alternative to the Gas Tax Is Stuck in Neutral

Sen. Bruce Starr has a plan to fix that: Require electric vehicles to take part in the OReGO program
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

On March 25, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation discussed two related problems that could turn its future into roadkill. First, the Oregon Department of Transportation’s budget calls for spending far in excess of projected revenue. What’s more, ODOT over relies on revenue from the gas tax, which is vulnerable to inflation, greater fuel efficiency […]

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Judge Blocks Kotek’s Executive Order Requiring Union Labor for State Construction Projects

In December, the governor ordered state agencies to use union labor for construction contracts. Contractor groups objected.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

Marion County Circuit Judge Thomas M. Hart issued a temporary injunction today blocking a December executive order by Gov. Tina Kotek. The December order decreed that state agencies “shall” enter into project labor agreements with labor unions for most state construction projects. Earlier this month, the Oregon-Columbia chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America […]

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Kotek and Conservation Groups Want DEQ to Address Deschutes River Water Quality

Six conservation nonprofits join the governor and the Deschutes River Alliance in pushing for changes in dam operations
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

In the past two weeks, seven conservation groups have written to Gov. Tina Kotek and state environmental regulators pushing for changes they hope could improve the water quality in the lower 100 miles of the Deschutes River. As the Oregon Journalism Project has reported, Portland General Electric and its partner in the Pelton-Round Butte Dam […]

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