Franklin Avenue in Bend will be reduced to one lane temporarily starting Tuesday, Sept. 2 to widen sidewalks and improve crosswalks and bike lanes between NE 4th and 8th Streets east of 3rd Street. Work crews will install a landscape barrier between the bike lane and vehicle traffic. It’s part of the Bend Bikeway Project […]
Regional/National
Posted inRegional/National
Oregon Cries Poverty, but Its Transportation Spending Is Typical of Western States
An OJP analysis of five recent years’ spending figures show that Oregon falls roughly in the middle of the other six states cited by ODOT.
When Oregon lawmakers convene in a special session Aug. 29 to decide whether to raise the gas tax and bail out the Oregon Department of Transportation, most will likely be operating on the reasoning of a well-honed ODOT sales pitch: The agency is broke and Oregon underfunds its roadways compared to six nearby Western states, […]
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Six Oregon Tribes Blast Kotek’s Office and Out-of-State Tribes
As tribal tensions rise, the governor is caught in the middle.
In the wake of Gov. Tina Kotek’s decision earlier this month not to veto a controversial $45 million appropriation to Willamette Falls Trust to buy land at the falls in West Linn, six Oregon tribes have collectively expressed widespread dissatisfaction to the governor about her office’s handling of tribal relations—and the involvement of tribes from […]
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A Call for State Sen. President to Resign
Friction inside the Senate Democratic caucus erupts as lawmakers prepare for special session.
State Sen. Mark Meek (D-Gladstone) has not cooled down since the 2025 legislative session ended June 27. Toward the end of the session, Meek, who chairs the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee and sat on the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment, announced he would vote against House Bill 2025, an Oregon Department of Transportation funding […]
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Key Takeaways From the 2024 Bias Crimes Annual Report
New statewide data shows that Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino community members continue to be targeted in unprecedented ways
Data from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission’s 2024 Bias Crimes Annual Report reveals the hotline has continued to receive a large number of reports of bias-motivated acts toward Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino community members. That’s just one of several key takeaways from the report, which came out in July. The Source also reported on the key […]
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Governor Kotek Announces Funding Solution to Address Transportation System Crisis
Thursday, August 7th, Governor Tina Kotek unveiled the details of a funding solution to preserve critical transportation and maintenance services for Oregonians, protect the jobs of hundreds of essential workers across the state, and preserve transit services. The proposal would deliver adequate funding for the State Highway Trust Fund in the 2025-27 biennium, while maintaining Oregon’s emergency […]
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Governor Kotek Signs Bills to Improve and Expand Mental Health, Addiction Care
Bipartisan bills take comprehensive approach to behavioral health prevention and intervention
Today, Governor Tina Kotek hosted an event to commemorate the signing of House Bill 2005, House Bill 2059, House Bill 2024, and House Bill 3321, all bipartisan legislation building on the Governor’s initiatives to improve and expand mental health and addiction care in Oregon. Governor Kotek stated: “Mental health and addiction challenges touch lives and […]
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Forest Service Road 370 Opens Friday
On Friday, August 8, the Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District on the Deschutes National Forest will open the gate at Todd Lake to Forest Service Road (FSR) 370 which provides driving access to the Broken Top and Crater Ditch Trailheads. Forest Service Road 370 is a very rough road with sections through which low-clearance vehicles cannot […]
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Off Target: How the managers of Oregon’s $100 billion pension fund ignored expert guidance and lost big
A PERS investigation
Earlier this year, Grant School District Superintendent Mark Witty faced a $900,000 hike in what his district needs to pay this coming year to the Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund. It was a crippling announcement. The cause of the increase? Lousy investment returns by the state agency empowered to invest public employees’ money. And when investment […]
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Governor Kotek Declares Drought Emergency in Douglas, Morrow, and Union Counties
Drought emergencies declared in five counties this calendar year
Salem OR – Governor Tina Kotek has declared a drought in Douglas, Morrow, and Union counties through Executive Order 25-18 and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region. A link to Executive Order 25-18 can be found here. Union County According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Union County has been experiencing […]