Category OREGON NEWS
Cherry harvest is well underway in Oregon. But some workers aren’t showing up
Farmers say some migrant workers are afraid of making the journey up from California to harvest Oregon cherries out of fear they could get pulled over or detained by ICE.
‘Sobering gut check’: Report shows more spam calls, fewer victim reports to Oregon bias hotline
A probe from Oregon’s Criminal Justice Commission is prompting calls for reform of the state's bias hotline after employees reported more than 2,200 calls that were abusive or spam last year.
ODOT will lay off close to 500 employees, cut road maintenance, fire prevention
The Oregon Department of Transportation will lay off almost 500 employees on July 31 after a funding bill to help the department maintain staff and meet a budget shortfall failed to pass the Oregon Legislature. It’s not yet clear how many of the affected jobs are in Salem, where hundreds of DMV and administrative employees work.
Oregon police erred in use of aerial surveillance camera for marijuana bust, appeals court says
A ruling against aerial surveillence was lauded by civil rights advocates and privacy watchdogs fresh off of a fight in the Oregon Legislature over a bill that would have granted more power to police to use drones.
Oregon leaders respond to passage of GOP megabill, warn of ‘devastating consequences’
Oregon’s lone Republican congressman, Cliff Bentz, voted to pass Republicans' sweeping bill Thursday, while the state’s Democrats called it "a betrayal."
Oregon lawmakers regulate guns, public defense, while crime victim, exoneree funding stall
Bills meant to reform and direct more money to the state’s criminal justice system had a mixed bag in the 2025 legislative session.
Gov. Tina Kotek orders Oregon schools to prohibit students from using cellphones
Kotek's ban on phones in schools follows the failure to pass a similar bill during the 2025 legislative session and will help student mental health and learning, the governor said.
Oregon, Washington sue Trump admin for sharing Medicaid files with ICE
Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined other Democratic attorneys general in asking a court to bar the use of medical data for immigration enforcement.
Gov. Kotek launches new agency to fast-track housing construction
Oregon remains far short of the governor's goal of building 36,000 new homes per year.