Oregon lawmakers proposed hundreds of bills in the packed, five-week-long legislative session that wrapped on Friday, including dozens that failed to cross the finish line. Many of the dead bills broadly directed state agencies to study specific issues. And some Republican-led proposals gained little traction among the legislature’s Democratic majority. Multiple ambitious bills were watered […]

Oregon House Speaker Julie Fahey on Friday chided the chamber’s sole gubernatorial candidate, Republican Rep. Ed Diehl of Scio, for violating self-imposed House rules by collecting campaign donations during this year’s short legislative session. In a letter of correction sent to Diehl on Friday, the Eugene Democrat urged Diehl to return the money and refrain […]

The Oregon Legislature yet again delayed a vote on one of the most politically contentious bills of the year’s short legislative session to reschedule a referendum on transportation tax and fee increases from November to May. Lawmakers in the Oregon House on Thursday agreed to push Senate Bill 1599 to Monday for consideration, despite it […]

It’s a common scene at the Oregon Legislature: Crowds filling committee rooms and hallways hoping to testify on legislation, only to miss their chance to speak, submit written testimony instead or face interruption by a committee chair with a reminder that they have two minutes or less to speak. Legislative chambers in more than a […]

Oregon lawmakers forced by the threat of a citizen-led ballot measure to adopt a sweeping law limiting campaign contributions in 2024 are once again trying to delay key portions of the law before it takes effect. Lawmakers on the House Rules Committee heard public testimony Tuesday morning on an 84-page amendment to House Bill 4018, […]

Oregon lawmakers opened the 2026 legislative session Monday with a clear rift between Democrats and Republicans over how best to spend their time sprinting to the finish line of the 35-day short legislative session. That work began in the newly renovated Oregon State Capitol, which has for years closed off its iconic rotunda and most […]

Two powerful Oregon Democrats are cautioning against lawsuits the state could run into as lawmakers attempt to regulate the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, pitting them against activists eager to fight in court to prevent federal agents from covering their faces. The issue has taken on urgency for lawmakers in the wake of several high-profile immigration […]

With a transportation funding referendum likely headed to Oregon voters in November 2026 and a short legislative session approaching, it’s unclear if and how Republicans and Democrats can compromise on a sustainable plan to fund road maintenance and operations.  House Bill 3991, which Gov. Tina Kotek signed into law on Nov. 7 after a special […]

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek called upon Oregon’s business community on Monday to support her plan to create more jobs and streamline the permitting process, as the state battles lagging economic growth and a reputation for crushing businesses with taxes and regulation. The governor made her remarks at the annual Oregon Leadership Summit in the Oregon […]