Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project
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Statewide Arts Group Sues DOGE & National Endowment for the Humanities

Oregon Humanities says Trump’s team usurped congressional authority when cutting federal arts funding
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

Oregon Humanities filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration Friday, May 16, in U.S. District Court in Portland. The organization, a nonprofit formerly known as the Oregon Council for the Humanities, was founded in 1971. It advocates for and distributes money to arts groups all over the state. Nearly half of its $2.46 million […]

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DEQ Pauses Controversial Advanced Clean Trucks Rule

by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

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] […]

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Vaccination Avoidance Rises in Oregon

Nonmedical exemptions for kindergartners is at a record high
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

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 […]

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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 […]

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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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