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.
Gov. Kotek, Oregon Health Authority project another 465 new treatment beds
Oregon needs to nearly double its behavioral health beds to meet demand, according to a state-commissioned study.
Salinas seeks range of solutions to fentanyl crisis
U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas talked to local officials and law enforcement in each county in her district about the fentanyl crisis.
Salinas introduces bill in Congress to increase behavioral health workforce with scholarships
A new proposal from Rep. Andrea Salinas seeks to encourage people to get degrees for behavioral health careers while avoiding student debt.
Court releases Oregon man from prison, ruling governor’s order illegally kept him there
Oregon judges have released four people from prison, finding Gov. Tina Kotek’s orders that revoked their early release unlawfully violated their rights.
Oregon lawmakers preview health care priorities for 2025 session
Lawmakers are planning proposals to expand behavioral health services, improve maternal health outcomes and control prescription costs for pharmacies.
After reforms, Oregon still struggles with shortage of public defenders
More than 3,500 Oregonians are out of custody but have no lawyer representing them, and about 160 without a lawyer are stuck in jail.
Feds postpone auction of two wind energy sites off Oregon coast as Kotek pulls out of task force
In a letter to the federal agency that oversees offshore wind energy leases, Gov. Tina Kotek said asked the feds to halt all leasing activities off Oregon’s coast.
Years of work ahead for Oregon to address its lack of behavioral health beds
Oregon faces a shortage of thousands of beds for mental health and addiction treatment.
Drug possession arrests have increased since new misdemeanor charge took effect
Oregon lawmakers are waiting to see the initial results of House Bill 4002, which recriminalized low-level drug possession and allocated money for county deflection programs.
Oregon State Hospital bringing in outside help after multiple violations and patient deaths
The hospital signed a $1.7 million contract with consulting firm that will work on site for six months to correct problems