Regional/National
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As Kotek Scrambles to Save ODOT Union Jobs, Here Are Positions Being Cut and Vacated

The layoffs are slated for the end of July. ODOT would also erase vacant positions.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

ODOT cut 22 jobs in Deschutes County including Transportation Maintenance Specialist, Professional Engineer, and Heavy Equipment Technicians to name a few. Read more about it below: As Gov. Tina Kotek works the phones in an effort to stave off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation July 31, the lists of proposed layoffs […]

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Lawmakers Slash $100 Million from Budget for Eviction Prevention, Legal Aid

The move comes as Central Oregon sees spikes in homeless population
by David Dudley ForJournalism Lab

Oregon lawmakers in June passed a bill that will cut $100 million from eviction and legal assistance for Oregonians. Lawmakers said the cuts became necessary after a discouraging revenue forecast suggested the state would have to work with $500 million less than expected. The forecast accounts for economic factors like imports and exports, taxes, potential for […]

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Gov. Kotek signs Executive Order Setting a Statewide Standard for Cell Phone Use in Schools

The order comes after the failure of a similar bill in the 2025 Legislative Session
by The Source Staff

The following is a news release from the Governor’s office: Today, Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 25-09, which aims to improve student educational outcomes and mental wellbeing across the state by prohibiting cell phone use by students during the school day in Oregon’s K-12 public schools. Model policies for schools that already have prohibitions […]

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Governor Kotek Announces Landmark Office to Spur Housing is Open for Business

Housing Accountability and Production Office will assist local governments and developers to meet housing production goals
by The Source Staff

S alem, OR – Today, Governor Tina Kotek announced the full launch of the Housing Accountability and Production Office (HAPO), a joint office between the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and the Building Codes Division (BCD), part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). HAPO is an essential piece of the […]

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GOP Candidate for Governor Gets First Big Check

Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell gains support from a top Republican donor.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

The first big check in the 2026 Republican primary for governor arrived this week—and it didn’t go to House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, the 2022 GOP nominee and next year’s likely frontrunner, if she chooses to run. Instead, filings with the Oregon Secretary of State’s office show that Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell recorded a […]

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Kotek Vetoes Three Bills Relating to Child Welfare

The governor plays hardball after the defeat of one of her priority bills. Lawmakers push back.
by 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 […]

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Hunters and Environmentalists Join Together to Fight for Lodging Tax Increase

The unlikely allies face opposition from the hospitality industry and legislative maneuvering.
by James Neff, Oregon Journalism Project

Rural Oregon hunters and the state’s urban environmentalists have joined in a rare public embrace. The two groups, who often fall on opposite sides of the political spectrum, are together pursuing a tax increase that would benefit them both. In the Legislature’s waning hours, these strange bedfellows support House Bill 2977, a bipartisan measure that […]

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Prevailing Wage Expansion Advances With Key Questions Unanswered

Trade unions strongly support extending higher-wage requirements to off-site fabrication but lawmakers—and legislative lawyers—don’t know whether or how the state would enforce the proposed law.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

A bill that would expand the scope of Oregon’s prevailing wage law is moving toward a floor vote with key questions unanswered. That matters because the expansion could impact just about every public works project in Oregon, from roads and sewers to schools—both renovations and new construction. House Bill 2688 “applies the prevailing rate of wage […]

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Time Running Out on a Bill That Could Help Wildfire Victims

Senate Bill 926 would pressure PacifiCorp to pay compensation before a federal tax break expires.
by Nigel Jaquiss, Oregon Journalism Project

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 […]

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