Ben Botkin - Oregon Capital Chronicle
Ben Botkin covers justice, health and social services issues for the Oregon Capital Chronicle. He has been a reporter since 2003, when he drove from his Midwest locale to Idaho for his first journalism job. He has written extensively about politics and state agencies in Idaho, Nevada and Oregon. Most recently, he covered health care and the Oregon Legislature for The Lund Report. Botkin has won multiple journalism awards for his investigative and enterprise reporting, including on education, state budgets and criminal justice.
Governor interviews three candidates for OHA director opening
Interviews to run Oregon's health agency come amid a national search after Gov. Tina Kotek’s first director resigned in March after less than two months.
Oregon state officials urge Portland Public Schools, educators to reach a deal to end strike
On Tuesday, Portland teachers began striking for the first time in district history.
Two LGBTQ youth sue Oregon Youth Authority, saying they were abused in custody
In separate lawsuits, two men say Oregon Youth Authority staff ignored their pleas to intervene when they faced abuse based on their sexual orientation.
Oregon has $3.6 million in grants to help refugees from Afghanistan
More than 1,400 refugees from Afghanistan have arrived in Oregon since the nation fell to the Taliban in 2021.
Fagan apologizes and resigns from her cannabis consulting job
Amid questions of influence, the Secretary of State ended a lucrative $10,000-a-month consulting deal.