New: According to staff, the Senate floor session scheduled for tomorrow is likely to be delayed again -- by perhaps weeks -- because Sen Chris Gorsek can't make it to the Capitol. Gorsek has been battling health problems, but is needed to pass a tax package. #orleg #orpol

Notable #orleg news. State Rep. Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, says she won't run for re-election. Instead she's seeking a seat on the Clackamas County Commission. Hartman does not have many positive things to say about legislative politics in her announcement.

NEW: State Rep. Cyrus Javadi is now a Democrat. After a decisive vote in favor of Gov. Tina Kotek's transportation tax package on Monday, Javadi will seek reelection next year as a member of the majority party. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

New: A vote on the Gov Tina Kotek's transportation package is expected to be delayed by two weeks, with Sen. Chris Gorsek out for health reasons. #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

There are a LOT of rumors in Salem right now, but this much feels clear: The Senate is not likely to vote on the transportation bill tomorrow -- and maybe not until well after. Sen Chris Gorsek, whose vote Dems may need, is unable to attend for health reasons. #orleg

The Oregon Senate just met briefly. Democrats did not attempt to force a vote on HB 3991, the governor's transportation funding bill. Under normal procedural rules (which Republicans are insisting on) tomorrow is the first day it can get a vote. #orleg #orpol

As Hartman said she would vote against the measure, Rep. Hoa Nguyen, who is undergoing cancer treatment and wasn't here earlier, came to the floor. It takes 36 votes to pass any tax measure, and there are 36 Democrats. Javadi, the only R to support the measure, could cancel out Hartman. #orleg

The Oregon House is back in session to vote on @GovTinaKotek's transportation funding bill. And Republicans, who hate the bill, agree to suspend the rule requiring it to be read in full. So this will be somewhat efficient? #orleg #orpol

Oregon Dems are signaling they will back off on some of their funding ambitions as they negotiate with Republicans. Gov. Tina Kotek proposed doubling a 0.1% payroll tax for transit. Now Speaker Julie Fahey has an amendment that would sunset the increase after 2 yrs. #orleg

The GOP's "Big Beautiful Bill" doesn't just include federal tax cuts. Because Oregon automatically adopts the federal code, it could blow a $373M hole in Oregon's budget. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

More than 1750 pieces of testimony have already been filed ahead of a public hearing today on @GovTinaKotek's bill to raise taxes to fund ODOT/transit. No idea the overall makeup, but each one of the dozens I've checked have been opposed. #orleg #orpol

We finally have firm details for what the transportation funding bill being pushed by @tinakotek.bsky.social would raise in tax revenue. It's about $5.8B over a decade (and more after, as these taxes would continue). That's half a major bill that failed in June. #orpol #orleg

On June 18, a major GOP fundraising platform began listing Christine Drazan as a gubernatorial candidate for next year. Drazan's camp says it doesn't know why that happened. The listing was removed today. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Tom Homan’s visit came more than a month after he name-checked Portland during a televised interview with Fox Business

New: Gov. Tina Kotek is delaying mass layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation by 45 days. She'll call lawmakers into special session on Aug. 29 to fill a funding hole at the agency. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

In news that will disappoint folks who were salivating over their own run, Jeff Merkley is seeking reelection next year. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Every part of Oregon and the PNW is forecast to face high wildfire danger every month of summer — July, August and September, according to monthly forecast from the National Interagency Fire Center. It may be the first time that’s ever been the case: tinyurl.com/5zehdfjr

Gov. Tina Kotek had a lot of blame to spread around, after lawmakers failed to pass new $$ for roads this session. None for herself, so much. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

NO

NEW: Democrats' major road-funding bill is dead. The party is scrambling to instead pass a 3-cent gas tax increase. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Democrats have unveiled their rejiggered road-funding proposal. Features: --Smaller tax increase on car sales --Smaller gas tax increases --No gas tax indexing A partial rundown: www.opb.org/article/2025... #orpol #orleg

“Get your popcorn,” said state Rep. Jeff Helfrich, R-Hood River, who was one of a handful of Republicans who helped negotiate the package with Democrats before concluding he could not support it.

With the Dem transportation bill's fate looking dire last week, House Speaker Julie Fahey spent the weekend trying to bring skeptical members of her party on board. House Dems were scrambling to sell a revised plan to the Senate on Monday. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham and Senate's top transportation guy, texted to say he's offered his resignation from the Joint Transportation Reinvestment Cmte to keep focus on the transportation bill. Rs are decrying his heated exchange last Friday with Sen. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany. #orleg

House Democrats are signaling they will call HB 2025 today to send it back to committee. Unclear what amendment will be. "We work right til the bell," says state Rep Susan McLain, a key author. #orleg #orpol

A legislative committee is about to take up HB 2025, the Democrats' massive road-funding bill. Not coincidentally, Democratic Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, has been removed from that committee. Meek said earlier this week he couldn't support the bill, which could have doomed it.. #orleg #orpol

The Oregon House just passed a bill that might be important next year. HB 3390 says that if any of the laws they pass this year -- like a major tax hike for roads -- is referred to voters, then legislators (aka majority Democrats) get to write the language on the ballot. #orleg #orpol

Rep Hoa Nguyen, D-Portland, who has been absent this session receiving cancer treatment, is in the House this morning. Many are wearing masks to limit her exposure to germs. Her presence is notable, given that Dems may need her to pass a massive transpo bill. #orleg

The big #orleg transpo bill will not get a committee vote today, after all. Meeting got pushed to tomorrow. That could be for any number of reasons, but as OPB noted yesterday, support from key Dems isn't assured. #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

We finally have an estimate for what HB 2025, Democrats' major transportation funding bill, might raise. It's a lot! #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

As Democrats look to sell a massive transportation funding bill, opponents are already raising money to send it to voters. "If it's referred, it won't pass," says one Dem. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

A bill to grant striking workers unemployment pay has now passed the Senate, two days after failing in a surprise. The bill was weakened to max benefits at 10 weeks, rather than 26. That won over two skeptical Ds. #orleg #orpol Background: www.opb.org/article/2025...

Legislative Democrats unveiled, at long last, their 175-page proposal for funding Oregon's transportation system this morning. Republicans who spent weeks negotiating the bill behind closed doors now say they can't support it. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

Oregon Democrats are getting ready to -- finally -- unveil a transportation funding bill. Here's what it will look like. #Orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

40 years ago, Oregon voters decided the governor shouldn't fill vacant U.S. Senate seats. Oregon lawmakers have just given that power back -- putting Oregon in league with most states. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

Remember how cap-and-trade was once so complex and controversial it blew up two Oregon legislative sessions? It's back -- and bipartisan? -- with just five weeks left in the session. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Crankiness levels are rising in Salem, after two GOP members went rogue to negotiate with Dems over road funding. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

The final Oregon revenue forecast before lawmakers pass a 2-year budget just dropped. Economists' best guess amid A LOT of uncertainty: the state will have $500 million less to spend than previously expected. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Today on the podcast: @opb.org's The Evergreen Goes To Salem 🌲 A visit to the state capitol to see lawmaking in action doesn’t happen every day. Well, unless you’re an OPB political reporter! So, we hitched a ride with @dirquez.bsky.social to find out what goes on all day in the Oregon legislature:

New: State Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, has been appointed to fill the Oregon Senate seat left open by the death of Sen. Aaron Woods. Commissioners from 3 counties touching SD 13 selected Neron over two other nominees (one of who threw his support behind Neron). #orleg

Good catch by the O that House Rs had vastly overinflated one piece of their transportation counterproposal. (We don't have any sign that majority Democrats were taking much of that proposal seriously to begin with.) #orleg

Another day, another last-minute amendment to a placeholder bill in the #orleg. A proposal to transform SB 1206 from simple study bill into one that creates a complex task force on health insurance was unveiled just 3 minutes before the 8am hearing.

In Salem these days, what you see isn't always what you get. An explosion in the use of so-called "placeholder" bills by Oregon lawmakers has made it increasingly tricky for the public -- and even lobbyists -- to track legislation flying around. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Oregon State Sen. Aaron Woods died on Saturday. It's a shockingly fast development. Woods took a leave from the Legislature earlier this month to address cancer that had reemerged. #orpol #orleg www.opb.org/article/2025...

Here's our story on today's protests across Oregon. Big turnouts in cities across the state. www.opb.org/article/2025...

A few days ago, @joniaudenland.bsky.social helped past victims of former St. Helens High School teacher Gene Evans tell their stories of alleged abuse from the 1980s. Now, Oregon's Department of Human Services - Evans' former employer - is investigating him.

An #orleg committee is taking up a bill right now that would make it easier to forcibly treat people with severe mental illness. It's a long -- and highly emotional -- debate that appears primed to lead to change this year. Here's an explainer: www.opb.org/article/2025...

Oregon Democrats have unveiled an ambitious proposal to raise billions for roads. Key elements: 20-cent gas tax hike, new EV usage fees, a 1% tax on vehicle sales and lots, lots more. #orleg #orpol www.opb.org/article/2025...

Republicans in Oregon are hopping on the national dialogue around voting to challenge the state's longstanding vote-by-mail process. So many people submitted testimony about the longshot bill it nearly broke the state's legislative website.

Tomorrow, Metro Council will vote on an amendment to push forward ODOT's plan for I-5 at the Rose Quarter. But with only (roughly) half the project funded (kinda), the agency's current plan only includes building a small portion of the freeway caps, which are what the project's momentum is based on.