Dirk VanderHart

portlandmercury.comCandidate For Oregon Governor Wanted Mail-In Voting Overturned. Now She’s Using It to Boost Her Campaign. - Portland MercuryDespite her own legislative efforts for more stringent requirements to cast a ballot in Oregon, Christine Drazan’s campaign is utilizing the state’s current vote-by-mail system to potentially boost he...

21 Aug

Interesting story from @courtneyvaughn.bsky.social: Republicans have complained for years about "ballot harvesting" carried out by labor and other Dem supporters. Christine Drazan's campaign is quietly planning to make it part of their strategy. #orpol www.portlandmercury.com/news/candida...

Dirk VanderHart reposted

Rob Davis

@robwdavis.bsky.social

21 Aug

New: Oregon has given out $1.4 *billion* to build low-income housing. The cost of those units is up 2X. Homelessness keeps increasing. “For all the public money, we seem to be digging a deeper hole." Yet Oregon is one of the only states that won't disclose the details of how that money is spent.

propublica.orgOregon Is Spending More Than Ever on Low-Income Housing. A State Law Keeps the Details Secret.The state has given developers an unprecedented $1.4 billion, and the cost of developing each subsidized apartment has nearly doubled. But, thanks to a carve-out in its public records law, Oregon does...

opb.orgKotek snags final minor-party nomination, likely cementing a three-way race for Oregon governorWith the Oregon Working Families Party’s decision, the state is on pace to have its least crowded race in more than two decades.

21 Aug

Oregon is on the verge of its first three-candidate gubernatorial race in more than 20 years. Back in 2002, it was a conservative third-party threatening to act as a spoiler for Republicans. This year, it's the opposite. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2026...

15 Aug

On the same day state Rep. Greg Smith gets hit with $12,000 in fines from the state ethics commission, House Speaker Julie Fahey pulls his role as co-chair of a key budget subcommittee. #orpol #orleg

oregoncapitalchronicle.comOregon ethics commission fines Rep. Greg Smith $12K for using office for pay raise, excess vacation • Oregon Capital ChronicleThe Oregon Government Ethics Commission agreed to fine him for abusing his position as a leader of an Oregon public development authority.

15 Aug

Smith, known for playing ball with Democrats, has long been the only Republican with a gavel in a budget subcommittee. Story on his ethics case from @oregoncapitalchronicle.com is here: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/08/14/o...

opb.orgOregon House Republicans A No-Show At Evening SessionRep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said her caucus would deny Democrats a quorum needed to conduct business on Tuesday — and may stage more walkouts going forward.

15 Aug

Smith has had the gavel pulled before. Then-Speaker Tina Kotek yanked it in 2020, after Smith joined a Republican boycott of the House. He got it back later. www.opb.org/news/article...

statesmanjournal.comFirm won $1M ODOT contract. Now it’s auditing the agency | ExclusiveThe Oregon Legislature selected an engineering firm to audit ODOT despite them being tapped to complete $1 million in work for the agency.

14 Aug

The Oregon Legislature tapped a firm to audit ODOT that also gets $$ from contracts with ODOT -- and no one seems to see anything wrong with that. Great story from @anastasiacmason.bsky.social. #orleg #orpol www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/p...

27 July

It's looking increasingly unlikely the OR gov's race will include a conservative third-party candidate. The Libertarian Party of Oregon opted to cross nominate GOP state Sen. Christine Drazan over the weekend. #orpol

opb.orgCould a third-party candidate shake up the Oregon governor’s race?The lone minor-party nominee currently headed to the ballot could siphon votes from Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek.

27 July

As we reported last week, the race has just one minor party entrant -- Pacific Green Party nominee Brett Smith. That could cut into Gov. Tina Kotek's vote. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2026...

27 July

"It’s not that our party has great love for Christine Drazan," LPO Vice Chair Richard Burke told me. "It’s that we want Kotek to lose." #orpol

26 June

Gov. Tina Kotek's reelection bid received its biggest check to date yesterday: $400K from IBEW Local 48. The money arrived the same day that Kotek accepted recommendations from a Prosperity Council that labor groups have been hostile to. #orpol

opb.org‘Prosperity Council’ wish list for Gov. Tina Kotek: lower taxes, less regulation, more landThe business-dominated group’s newly unveiled recommendations to boost Oregon’s economy will inspire fierce debate.

26 June

More on the Prosperity Council recommendations here. www.opb.org/article/2026...

Dirk VanderHart reposted

Alex Zielinski

@alexzee.bsky.social

22 June

Portland lost one of its most delightful journalists/human beings this weekend. 💔

oregonlive.comZane Sparling, reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, dies of cancer at 33“He wanted his identity to be a reporter, and that’s what it was,” his father said.

opb.orgChristine Drazan holds sizable lead in GOP race for Oregon governor, new poll suggestsThe poll by Salem-based Nelson Research is the first public survey to emerge in the battle to take on Gov. Tina Kotek in November.

21 Apr

A poll has finally emerged in the heated GOP race for Oregon governor. It shows state Sen. Christine Drazan with a commanding lead. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2026...

Dirk VanderHart reposted

Ryan Haas

@ryanjhaas.bsky.social

13 Apr

For more than a week, Amazon has managed to keep a death at its Troutdale, Oregon, facility out of public view. Workers I spoke to are pissed.

thewesternedge.media‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon FacilityA worker died at Amazon’s Troutdale warehouse last week. Employees were told to look away.

11 Mar

State Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, decided not to file to run for Oregon's Labor Commissioner, despite creating a website for the purpose. (Anderson was hoping for a 1-on-1 race against Commish Christina Stephenson but another person was in the race). #orpol

opb.orgOregon may have a real labor commissioner race on its handsSen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, says he’s leaning toward challenging Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson.

11 Mar

Anderson seemed to be the only person that could stand in Stephenson's way as she looks for another four years. www.opb.org/article/2026...

2 Mar

Whoops! Left out that the $365M is for Moda Center renovations designed to keep the Blazers in Portland. #orleg

Dirk VanderHart@dirquez.bsky.social

As a bill to put $365M in state funding continues to move in the Legislature, some notable numbers are emerging. That includes the first estimates for how much will be diverted from the state's general fund in coming budgets. #orleg

Maybe more notable, the total estimated costs of bonding for that money, which could tack on hundreds of millions in costs. #Orleg

26 Feb

The Oregon House is debating a bill that would nix some of the tax cuts passed by congress last year. If SB 1507 passes, state Rep. Ed Diehl, who already referred a gas tax hike to voters, says he'll collect signatures to send pieces of it to the ballot. #orleg

opb.orgOregon bill rejecting some Trump tax cuts clears state SenateIs Senate Bill 1507 a reckless tax hike or a sensible budget move? Lawmakers disagreed Monday.

26 Feb

Background on the bill, which is wonky: www.opb.org/article/2026...

olis.oregonlegislature.govolis.oregonlegislature.gov

25 Feb

All indications are that there's been a transportation funding deal for weeks. Lawmakers are just opting not to tell anyone what it is. #orleg

Julia Shumway@jmshumway.bsky.social

Kotek says there's a bipartisan agreement on short-term transportation funding that avoids layoffs but didn't share details when OPB's @dirquez.bsky.social pressed her. This is the most recent public document, a suite of options including potential layoffs. olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2026R1/D...

opb.orgOregon may have a real labor commissioner race on its handsSen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, says he’s leaning toward challenging Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson.

24 Feb

Could Oregon have an interesting BOLI race this year? State Sen. Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, says he's close to announcing a challenge to Commissioner Christina Stephenson. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2026...

24 Feb

One thing Anderson thinks could help him? Democrats' insistence on pushing a gas tax vote from Nov. to May. Since labor commish is nonpartisan, it can be decided in the May election. Anderson thinks more people upset over a gas tax works in his favor. #orpol

opb.orgLacking support, Oregon Democrats delay Senate bill to move gas tax voteIt’s just the latest misstep in an ongoing road-funding saga in the Capitol.

The Oregon Senate is about to convene and take up SB 1599, the bill to reschedule a public vote on gas tax/transpo fee hikes from Nov. to May The crucial question is whether a weekend of screw-turning has won Dems the votes they need. #orleg Background: www.opb.org/article/2026...

Meanwhile, House Republicans appear to be getting ready to refuse to attend a floor session this afternoon. That would block a first reading of SB 1599 in that chamber. That would push passage to 2/26 (at earliest). #orleg x.com/repgregsmith...

The Secretary of State's office just confirmed what many have suspected: 2/25 is not a hard and fast deadline to pass SB 1599. It's feasible it could pass 3/8 and still be successful, the SoS office says, though that's not recommended. #orpol #orleg

opb.orgLacking support, Oregon Democrats delay Senate bill to move gas tax voteIt’s just the latest misstep in an ongoing road-funding saga in the Capitol.

SB 1599 passes 17-13. Sen. Mark Meek was the only Dem against. #orleg

opb.orgLacking support, Oregon Democrats delay Senate bill to move gas tax voteIt’s just the latest misstep in an ongoing road-funding saga in the Capitol.

GOP is in filibuster mode as a vote approaches. They are moving that the vote be bumped to March 8. Arguments include: "March is the transition month... March also, of course, is legendary for its celebration of all things Irish. We’re not asking that this be moved to the 17th."

That motion fails. Now: debate. Sen. Jeff Golden a Dem expected to support the bill, gets real. "Both parties want the election day they want for partisan political reason. Everyone in this chamber knows it. Most Oregonians who are paying attention know it." #orleg

opb.orgLacking support, Oregon Democrats delay Senate bill to move gas tax voteIt’s just the latest misstep in an ongoing road-funding saga in the Capitol.

Assuming the bill passes today, the question becomes timing in the House. I believe the earliest it could pass there, under the best conditions, is 2/26. Elections officials say SB 1599 should be signed into law by 2/25 to ensure the election can be moved to May. #orleg

Republicans clearly expecting SB 1599 to pass today. Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, stood up to rail against pressure over the bill. "When the majority wants a bill bad enough.. the full weight of the institution comes down," she says. #orleg

opb.orgLacking support, Oregon Democrats delay Senate bill to move gas tax voteIt’s just the latest misstep in an ongoing road-funding saga in the Capitol.

It sounds to me like the weekend worked in Dems' favor. Sen Chris Gorsek, a Democrat who was a holdout on Friday, just told me he will back the bill after discussions over the weekend. #orleg

20 Feb

The Oregon Senate is getting ready to vote on SB 1599 -- probably the legislative session's most contentious bill. It would move the date of a vote on gas tax increases from Nov. to May. The big question is whether Dems can find 16 votes in their 18-member caucus. #orleg

If the Dems have the votes to pass SB 1599 they are not acting like it. They have skipped over the bill repeatedly with no explanation. Wagner, the senate prez, is not at the rostrum. #orleg #orpol

20 Feb

Aaand wow. The Senate is now kicking the question of SB 1599 to next week, making clear Dems did not have their ducks in a row on this. A continuing trend in the transportation funding realm. #orleg #orpol

Democrats are starting down one vote: Sen. Janeen Sollman is absent today. Sen. Mark Meek has said he is a "no." That means all remaining Ds must vote yes. Sen. Jeff Golden has been hard to read. He told me earlier today he would reveal his intentions on the floor. #orleg

19 Feb

Looks like Senate Republicans will be on the chamber floor today, after refusing to show up yesterday in protest. "We're proceeding," Senate Minority Leader Bruce Starr just told me. #orleg #orpol

19 Feb

Senate Democrats are expected to move a vote on SB 1599 to tomorrow, rather than today. That's the hugely contentious proposal to bump up a public vote on the gas tax package Dems passed last year. There is almost certainly more to the deal than that, but unclear what at present. #orleg #orpol

10 Feb

More GOP Oregon state representatives have reported accepting campaign donations during this year's session -- breaking a chamber rule that legislative attys say is likely unconstitutional. E. Werner Reschke accepted $500 on 2/2. Alek Skarlatos accepted $250 on 2/5. #orleg

opb.orgOregon House Republicans test rule barring political donations during sessionA recent opinion by legislative attorneys suggested the longstanding rule is unconstitutional.

10 Feb

ICYMI we reported on this last week. #orleg www.opb.org/article/2026...

9 Feb

Lawmakers are about to hold a hearing on the most contentious question of the Oregon session: Whether to move a vote on gas taxes Dems passed last year from November up to May. Of nearly 3,300 pieces of testimony filed, I count fewer than 50 in favor. #orpol #orleg

opb.orgOregon House Republicans test rule barring political donations during sessionA recent opinion by legislative attorneys suggested the longstanding rule is unconstitutional.

9 Feb

ICYMI last week: The Oregon House has a rule that members can't raise campaign funds during session. At least one Republican is putting it to the test, after legislative attorneys said it is likely unconstitutional. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2026...

opb.orgAs cuts loom, Oregon’s budget picture improvesA new revenue forecast suggests lawmakers have about $100 million more than they’d been planning for.

4 Feb

Oregon lawmakers got a slightly brighter budget picture this morning. They'd been planning for a $750 million budget hole. Now it's closer to $650 million. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2026...

opb.orgOregon Democrats float plan to reclaim state money lost to Trump tax cut billThe proposal to disconnect from some pieces of H.R 1 is likely to generate friction in the brand-new session.

2 Feb

Oregon Democrats today unveiled their plan for reclaiming state money that is due to be lost to the Trump tax cuts. This figures to be one of the more heated debates of the new legislative session. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2026...