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Site URL: oregoncapitalchronicle.com
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Reporter’s note: Minnesotans’ whistles are a warning and a bellwether for Oregon and the nation
Published: February 19, 2026 21:35
When I left Portland in early February for my hometown of Minneapolis to swap newsrooms for a week and report for our States Newsroom sister site, the Minnesota Reformer, I took one central worry with me. I feared most that the people I love in the Twin…
Oregon Senate advances bill to protect public lands
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/briefs/oregon-senate-advances-bill-to-protect-public-lands/
Published: February 19, 2026 21:29
The Oregon Senate in a 17-11 vote Thursday advanced a bill meant to safeguard public lands against the threat of privatization. Senate Bill 1590, sponsored by Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, would prohibit state agencies from using any funding, data,…
Oregon Senate Republicans end one-day walkout ahead of transportation referendum vote
Published: February 19, 2026 19:47
Oregon Republicans ended a brief Senate walkout that threatened to derail Democrats’ plans to reschedule a referendum on controversial transportation tax and fee increases from November to May. Both chambers on Thursday gaveled in with enough Republicans…
Tensions rise among Oregon lawmakers over push to introduce bill limitations
Published: February 19, 2026 14:00
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…
Communities fight ICE detention centers, but have few tools to stop them
Published: February 18, 2026 23:42
Outrage erupted last month when Oklahoma City residents learned of plans to convert a vacant warehouse into an immigration processing facility. Making matters worse was the secrecy of the federal government: City leaders received no communication from U.S.…
Oregon Republicans walk out of Senate ahead of vote on transportation referendum
Published: February 18, 2026 23:30
Republicans in the Oregon Senate staged a walkout Wednesday afternoon ahead of a scheduled vote on a bill to reschedule a referendum on controversial transportation tax and fee increases from November to May. Senators were scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m.,…
Oregon still dragging its feet on polluted northeast Oregon drinking water
Published: February 18, 2026 22:00
Progress doesn’t look like letting billion-dollar corporations and big industries continue to pollute groundwater for a few more years in order to protect their profits.
Climate, health groups challenge EPA repeal of major greenhouse gas regulation
Published: February 18, 2026 19:31
A coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a suit Wednesday challenging the Trump administration’s recent finding that the Environmental Protection Agency could not regulate climate-warming greenhouse gases. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin…
Bills are debated, dead or dying as Oregon 2026 legislative session hits midpoint
Published: February 18, 2026 14:00
The five-week Oregon legislative session started in February with more than 260 bills aimed at tackling issues from roads funding to data privacy to school funding to federal immigration and tax policies. Now, halfway through the session and past the Feb.…
A ‘servant leader’ honored: The nation pays tribute to Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon
Published: February 17, 2026 23:58
WASHINGTON — Tributes poured in across the country for the revered civil rights figure the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., who died Tuesday morning at 84. The two-time Democratic presidential hopeful and Greenville, South Carolina, native died peacefully,…
Avel Gordly, first Black woman elected to Oregon Senate, dies at 79
Published: February 17, 2026 23:36
Oregon Public Broadcasting first published this article. Avel Gordly, one of Oregon’s most influential civil rights champions and a politician who was often referred to as the “conscience of the state Senate” for her strong moral compass, died at home on…
Oregon House clears bill to alert school, university communities of immigration activity
Published: February 17, 2026 22:58
Oregon public universities and schools would have to promptly notify their communities when federal immigration agents step onto campus under a bill the Oregon House passed Tuesday. Federal policy has long blocked immigration enforcement at “sensitive…
Legal fights over Trump attempt to deploy National Guard to Portland come to an end
Published: February 17, 2026 22:35
This is a developing story and may be updated. Ongoing legal fights over President Donald Trump’s attempt to send hundreds of Oregon, California and Texas National Guard troops to Portland last fall over the objections of residents and state and local…
Oregon lawmakers want to build on immigration protections. Here’s where those bills stand
Published: February 17, 2026 21:03
As the first state in the nation to pass a sanctuary law, Oregon has some of the most comprehensive immigration protections in the country. However, lawmakers are trying to do more in response to concerns that federal immigration officers are overstepping…
High housing costs, shortages propel movement on reform in Congress
Published: February 17, 2026 19:03
WASHINGTON — Republicans, Democrats and the White House are methodically, calmly inching toward a common goal: agreeing on a thick package of laws that would do something quickly about slowing housing costs and boosting supply. There’s no talk of gridlock…
Southern Oregon state Sen. Jeff Golden to retire at the end of the year
Published: February 17, 2026 14:00
Oregon state Sen. Jeff Golden, a Democrat from Ashland, will retire at the end of the year rather than running for a third term. Golden, 75, announced Friday in a video that he was abandoning his earlier run for reelection, citing the intense pace of the…
Education consultant, sister of Oregon House representative will challenge Hillsboro Democrat
Published: February 17, 2026 01:44
An experienced Oregon education specialist whose sister serves in the Oregon House is seeking to unseat one of the most influential moderate Democrats in the Senate. Education consultant Myrna Muñoz, related to Rep. Lesly Muñoz, D-Woodburn, announced on…
Federal judge orders the restoration of exhibits on slavery to the President’s House in Philadelphia
Published: February 16, 2026 23:33
In a scathing opinion, U.S. District Court Judge Cynthia Rufe, a George W. Bush appointee, ordered the federal government to restore exhibits on slavery that had been removed from the President’s House in Philadelphia last month. While the order provides…
Campaign finance reform suffers the risk of ‘a deal that has yet to be real
Published: February 16, 2026 21:54
It’s not like we need another example of dysfunctional, disingenuous and generally bad behavior in our politics today, but that’s what we’re seeing in the latest effort to undermine a historic piece of legislation that promised to limit the influence of…
Small business owners squeezed by Trump tariffs await Supreme Court decision
Published: February 16, 2026 19:48
WASHINGTON — Aluminum cans rolling off Virginia cider maker Tristan Wright’s production line cost more because of increased tariffs on aluminum. Minnesota baby product inventor and seller Beth Benike ran out of inventory and lost income for months last…
As Trump’s deportation campaign grows violent, some Oregon Republicans begin to push back
Published: February 16, 2026 14:02
After hearing her Democratic counterpart cite the immigration detention of a 7-year-old and her parents seeking medical care in Portland, Rep. Lucetta Elmer couldn’t help but interject. “Tell the whole story,” the House Republican Leader from McMinnville…
How WA lawmakers are trying to regulate data centers
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/02/14/how-wa-lawmakers-are-trying-to-regulate-data-centers/
Published: February 14, 2026 13:54
With data centers expected to become the largest source of electricity demand in the Pacific Northwest, Washington legislators are pressing ahead with a bill aimed at protecting the grid and offsetting potential hikes for utility ratepayers. House Bill…
Judge questions feds’ use of force with tear gas near Portland ICE facility
Published: February 14, 2026 03:30
PORTLAND— A federal judge on Friday sharply questioned a federal attorney over inconsistent reports regarding the use of less-lethal munitions outside the Portland Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, as well the integration of social media…
Salinas, Merkley, immigrant rights advocates speak against ICE in Woodburn
Published: February 13, 2026 22:38
Para leer en español, haga clic aquí. WOODBURN— Stopping overly aggressive immigration enforcement will take a “groundswell” of backlash from elected leaders and ordinary Americans, U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas said Friday. Salinas, a Democrat who along with…
Free tax filing assistance available to Oregonians at upcoming events
Published: February 13, 2026 22:00
WorkSource Oregon and the Oregon Department of Revenue are hosting six events statewide where people can receive free assistance filing their state and federal taxes. “We know that filing your taxes can be a scary and confusing process,” said David…
Clock ticks toward Department of Homeland Security shutdown after midnight deadline
Published: February 13, 2026 21:11
WASHINGTON — The second partial government shutdown in 2026 was set to begin at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, after lawmakers left the nation’s capital without reaching a deal on changes to immigration enforcement tactics at the Department of Homeland Security. …
Democratic-led states drop lawsuit against Arctic refuge oil drilling in Alaska
Published: February 13, 2026 14:21
Fifteen Democratic-led states have dropped a six-year-old lawsuit challenging the legality of a federal plan that allowed oil and gas drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The states announced their plans in a…
Democratic Oregon lawmakers advance bill to move transportation tax referendum to May
Published: February 13, 2026 02:09
A bill to reschedule the date for a controversial transportation tax referendum from November to May is headed to the Oregon Senate for a vote. Senate Bill 1599 is a Democratic-led attempt to move the date that Oregon voters can approve or reject parts of…
Oregon looks to regulate AI chatbots
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/02/12/oregon-looks-to-regulate-ai-chatbots/
Published: February 13, 2026 00:37
Lawmakers who ”missed the boat” on regulating social media now have a chance to address the next emerging technology’s effects on youth, Oregon lawmakers contend. Sen. Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland, and the Senate Early Childhood and Behavioral Health…
A partial decoupling from federal tax law
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/02/12/a-partial-decoupling-from-federal-tax-law/
Published: February 12, 2026 22:49
The federal government and the state of Oregon have a disconnect these days on everything from health care to energy policy to, obviously, immigration. But it boils down to specifics in the case of Oregon Senate Bill 1507, which concerns income taxes, and…
Jobs report shows a historic stall in hiring last year
Published: February 12, 2026 22:25
U.S. jobs increased by 130,000 in January, buoyed by hires in health care, social assistance and construction. But in another sign of anemic hiring last year, estimates for 2025 were revised down by more than a million jobs to a level of low growth rarely…
Department of Homeland Security shutdown nears, as US Senate remains stuck on funding
Published: February 12, 2026 21:43
WASHINGTON — The Department of Homeland Security is headed for a shutdown as lawmakers on Capitol Hill remained stuck Thursday over bans on face masks and other immigration tactics. The department’s funding expires Friday night. A procedural vote to…
US House approves bill mandating proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections
Published: February 12, 2026 19:47
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed legislation Wednesday that would require the public to produce a passport or birth certificate in most cases to register to vote, less than a year out from November midterm elections. The 218-213 vote split mostly along…