Oregon Capital Chronicle

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the…

The Senate is adjourned until 9 a.m. and the House until 11 a.m. tomorrow, the likely final day of the legislative session. Our team will continue covering the session until the end, and you can follow along here.
oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/l...

Oregon Legislature votes to give cities, counties flexibility in tourism revenue • Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 4148 to reduce the share of transient lodging tax that must be used for tourism promotion or tourism-related facilities from 70% to 50% and let cities and…

“My communities are drowning,” Sen. Suzanne Weber, R-Tillamook, told colleagues as she urged them to vote for a bill giving local governments more flexibility in how to spend lodging taxes. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/o...

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the C...

Changes to campaign finance clear Senate on a 20-9 vote, @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social reports in our #orleg live blog. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/l...

Trump's second tariff push faces immediate legal challenge from two dozen states • Oregon Capital Chronicle Two dozen states sue to block Trump's new tariffs, calling the 1974 law he's relying on archaic and misapplied

Oregon, Arizona, California and New York are leading a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump's new tariff attempt, saying he's relying on an archaic and misapplied 1974 law.

Raiders of the lost dedicated funds • Oregon Capital Chronicle Money, from taxes, fees and other sources, often comes to governments with strings attached.

Pull a dollar bill out of your wallet and you can trust that dollar will spend like any other. And if you think the story ends there, you’re obviously not a government accountant, columnist Randy Stapilus writes.

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the C...

House passes campaign finance changes, recesses until 2:30. Senate is set to return at 1. More live updates: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/l...

Oregon Senate waters down controversial gun control bill, winning Republican support • Oregon Capital Chronicle Democrats during the short legislative session pushed aggressively to move a more wide-ranging gun control bill through the House.

Oregon state senators on Thursday gutted this year’s legislation to bolster the rollout of a 2022 voter-approved gun control law currently being litigated, despite Democrats expending significant political capital to push a wide-ranging firearm safety bill through the House.

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the C...

More legal pathways for the wrongfully convicted passes House, @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social reports in our live blog. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/l...

Oregon lawmakers propose deal to acquire Abiqua Falls in Santiam State Forest • Oregon Capital Chronicle A popular waterfall located an hour east of Salem could soon become public property under a bill up in the Oregon Legislature.

A popular waterfall located an hour east of Salem could soon become public property under a bill up for a vote this week in the Oregon Legislature.

BREAKING: Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to tap Oklahoma Sen. Mullin • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump Thursday said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will be leaving the post for a job as a special envoy, following an appearance before a U.S. Senate panel…

BREAKING from our DC bureau: Kristi Noem out as DHS secretary; Trump to tap Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/r...

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the C...

A bill that would make it a felony to threaten public officials or their families with the intent to cause alarm appears to be dead, @shaanthx.bsky.social reports for our live blog.

oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/l...

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the C...

Fate of campaign finance bill anyone’s guess, @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social reports in our #orleg live blog.
oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/05/l...

Live updates: 2026 legislative session draws to a close • Oregon Capital Chronicle After just more than a month of long meetings, sharp disagreements and hard-fought compromises, the Oregon Legislature must adjourn by 11:59 p.m. Sunday. Capital Chronicle reporters have been at the…

The #orleg session is drawing to an end in the next few days, and our live blog is up to help you keep up with the news. Follow along here for updates from reporters @miamaldonado.bsky.social, @shaanthx.bsky.social and @alexbaumhardt.bsky.social and editor @jmshumway.bsky.social buff.ly/9UymuGV

Good governance groups to take campaign finance to ballot if lawmakers adopt ‘loopholes’ • Oregon Capital Chronicle Good governance groups that two years ago negotiated a historic campaign finance law with the Oregon Legislature now say lawmakers have betrayed them by backing a “technical fix” bill to that law…

Good governance groups that two years ago negotiated a historic campaign finance law with the Oregon Legislature now say lawmakers have betrayed them by backing a “technical fix” bill to that law that instead creates “huge loopholes” to political spending limits. buff.ly/O531HX3

Oregon legislators clear the way for more residential, farmworker housing in Woodburn • Oregon Capital Chronicle On Wednesday, the Oregon Legislature cleared a path for the city of Woodburn to build more affordable housing.

On Wednesday, the Oregon Legislature cleared a path for the city to build more affordable housing.

US Senate rejects limits on Trump war powers, as Hegseth vows ‘death and destruction’ for Iran • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans and a single Democrat blocked a War Powers Resolution Wednesday aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s joint war with Israel in Iran that has taken the lives of…

Senate Republicans and a single Democrat blocked a War Powers Resolution Wednesday aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s joint war with Israel in Iran that has taken the lives of six American troops and killed top Iranian leaders. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/04/r...

Oregon to nix cervical cancer diagnostic testing costs for patients, rest of US may follow suit • Oregon Capital Chronicle Dr. Carrie Frederick can think of many instances over her 14 years in practice in Oregon when patients tried to negotiate their way out of diagnostic testing for cervical cancer because of the…

Oregon is set to become the first state in the country to require insurers to cover those costs for cervical cancer patients, and that policy could expand nationwide if a new federal regulation  takes effect at the start of next year.

Talarico wins Democratic primary for US Senate in Texas; Cornyn and Paxton go to GOP runoff • Oregon Capital Chronicle In a critical 2026 battle for control of the U.S. Senate, The Associated Press early Wednesday declared James Talarico the winner of the Democratic primary in Texas, while incumbent Republican Sen.…

In a critical 2026 battle for control of the U.S. Senate, The Associated Press early Wednesday declared James Talarico the winner of the Democratic primary in Texas, while incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton will compete in a runoff election.

Republican petitioners sue Oregon over law rescheduling gas tax referendum • Oregon Capital Chronicle Leaders of a petition to pause gas tax and transportation fee hikes until a citizen vote are suing Oregon over a law rescheduling that vote.

Republican leaders of a successful petition to pause gas tax and transportation fee hikes until a citizen vote are suing the state over a new law rescheduling that vote. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/03/r...

Coastal Oregon conservative announces run for U.S. Senate  • Oregon Capital Chronicle Sen. David Brock Smith of Port Orford says he's focused on working families, public safety, addiction and homelessness.

A southern Oregon state senator announced Tuesday that he would seek the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

Oregon Working Families Party, state’s largest teachers union decline to endorse in governor’s race • Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon Education Association in 2022 endorsed then-candidate Tina Kotek for governor, but members recently voted not to endorse her again.

UPDATED: The Oregon Working Families Party joined the state’s largest teachers union in declining to endorse Gov. Tina Kotek for reelection, with the caveat that things could change by the time it nominates candidates in August.

Iran war drives gas price uncertainty ahead of busy summer season • Oregon Capital Chronicle The national average price of a gallon of regular gasoline topped $3 Tuesday for the first time this year, and is expected to keep going up. The average price Tuesday was $3.11, up about 11 cents…

Gas prices are already rising because of the Iran war, though Oregon and other Western states with already-high gas prices aren't experiencing as much volatility as Midwestern or East Coast states.

Oregon bill to move gas tax referendum heads to governor’s desk • Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon House passed a bill that would move the date Oregonians can vote on a controversial 2025 transportation law from November to May.

Update: Gov. Tina Kotek late Monday signed Senate Bill 1599 into law, clearing the way for the gas tax referendum to take place on the May primary. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/03/02/o...

Oregon’s largest teachers union will not endorse any current candidates for governor • Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon Education Association in 2022 endorsed then-candidate Tina Kotek for governor, but members recently voted not to endorse her again.

Members of Oregon’s largest teachers union will not endorse any of the current candidates for governor, including incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.

Oregon would temporarily bar expanded tax benefits for data centers under changes to governor’s bill • Oregon Capital Chronicle The governor’s economic bill expanding property tax exemptions in standard enterprise zones has been criticized as a boon for data centers.

Newly built data centers could be temporarily exempt from Gov. Tina Kotek’s hotly-debated economic stimulus bill that would double the length of property tax exemptions for industries investing in Oregon infrastructure and jobs in urban and suburban “enterprise zones.” buff.ly/rDXf96Q

Oregon bill to move gas tax referendum heads to governor’s desk • Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon House passed a bill that would move the date Oregonians can vote on a controversial 2025 transportation law from November to May.

The Oregon House of Representatives in a 31-20 vote Monday passed a bill that would move the date Oregonians can vote on a controversial 2025 transportation law from November to May.

Judge blocks Noem policy limiting congressional visits to immigrant detention facilities • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — A federal judge Monday temporarily blocked a Department of Homeland Security policy that instituted a seven-day notice requirement for members of Congress to conduct oversight visits at…

A federal judge Monday temporarily blocked a Department of Homeland Security policy that instituted a seven-day notice requirement for members of Congress to conduct oversight visits at facilities that hold immigrants.

Oregon Senate moves to penalize landlords divulging citizenship status, private information • Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon law already ensures that landlords may not discriminate against tenants due to their immigration status.

Oregon tenants whose landlords leak confidential information such as their immigration status or medical records could soon have a pathway to collect up to twice their monthly rent as a form of recourse.

Honorary page program returns to Oregon Legislature during short session • Oregon Capital Chronicle Senate and House honorary page programs see increased youth participation after COVID, capital remodel

No one would describe the Oregon Senate, with an average age of 61, as having a particularly youthful energy. But now, middle and high schoolers are helping the Senate start its day.

Death toll for US service members in Iran war at 4 as Hegseth refuses to specify timeline • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — The U.S. war on Iran will continue unabated on President Donald Trump’s terms, with more troops on the way and more casualties expected, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters…

The U.S. war on Iran will continue unabated on President Donald Trump’s terms, with more troops on the way and more casualties expected, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters early Monday.