The bill that moved through the House would tax ZYN and other products, and divert a portion of interest generated from a rainy day fund.
With wildfires already burning across the state, Oregon lawmakers approved a measure on Monday they hope will help prepare the state to both fight and prevent future fires.
Advertisement
The measure, House Bill 3940, would tax oral nicotine products and tap the interest on Oregon’s rainy day savings account and put the money toward wildfire mitigation.
Even with the Monday boycott of some House Republicans, the bill garnered bipartisan support.
Burned trailers and cars are all that remains of a home in the community of Rowena outside The Dalles, Ore., after the Rowena Fire. June 18, 2025.
April Ehrlich / OPB
Lawmakers in support of the measure noted that it’s the first time the state will establish a permanent source of funding specifically for wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts.
Advertisement
“This bill doesn’t pit urban and rural Oregonians against each other. It recognizes that all of us are impacted by wildfires,” said Rep. Bobby Levy, R-Echo. “Whether you live in a small timber town or a city choked with smoke each summer, this is a statewide issue.”
Starting in January of 2026, there would be a 65-cent tax on oral nicotine packages, such as ZYN pouches. The tax would be higher on packages with more than 20 pouches. The combined $43 million or so generated – which would come from the nicotine tax and by redirecting a portion of the interest generated from the state’s rainy day fund – isn’t enough, many lawmakers acknowledged. But, they said, it’s a start. The state’s rainy day fund is the state’s savings account, money held back to be used for emergencies. The ending balance for the rainy day fund is projected to be about $1.9 billion.
Democratic state Rep. Pam Marsh, of Ashland, called the measure “a long time coming.”
“It’s June 23rd, in addition to our fire in the Applegate, more than 400 fires have already scorched 20,000 acres and burned up 56 homes this year,” Marsh said, with the latter a reference to the destructive Rowena fire in the Columbia River Gorge. “I know from firsthand experience in my district that the families displaced by fire face financial, physical and emotional challenges that may not be resolved for years, if ever, their lives are permanently changed in the face of unremitting wildfire risk.”
Marsh said the measure was “not enough,” but called it a “crucial first step.”
Advertisement
How to pay for wildfire costs has been a problem plaguing the state. Last fire season, more than 1.9 million acres burned. For months, the state failed to pay millions owed to contractors who were crucial in fighting the fires because they didn’t have the funds. Lawmakers met in December for a one-day special session to allocate $218 million in emergency funding to cover the costs.
A range of other ideas were floated this legislative session. At one point, Gov. Tina Kotek threw her support behind an idea to withhold parts of next year’s expected personal income “kicker” tax refund. Instead of sending the money back to taxpayers, she suggested using it to cover wildfire costs. But that idea failed to gain momentum.
House Bill 3940 now heads to the Senate.
Sign up today for OPB’s “First Look” – your daily guide to the most important news and culture stories from around the Northwest.
OREGON (KTVZ) — Oregon work zones experienced a five-year high in crashes in 2024 with 621 incidents reported, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). These crashes resulted in 14 lives lost and 36 serious injuries. All individuals who suffered serious injuries or died in Oregon work zones in 2024 were drivers or their
BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
Advertisement
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
Advertisement
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
Advertisement
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
The Oregon Ducks have been progressing through the class of 2027 with hopes of landing some of their top target’s commitment on both the offense and the defense.
Advertisement
With many names left on the board, the Ducks have started to receive some great news, including some news from someone they have been targeting since they offered back in January of 2025.
Darius Johnson Releases His Top Four Schools
Advertisement
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning takes the field as the Oregon Ducks face the Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9, 2026, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Advertisement
One of the Ducks top targets’ in the 2027 class at the cornerback position is Darius Johnson. Johnson recently released his top schools with Hayes Fawcett, as he is entering a crucial part of his recruitment. The four schools he has listed at the top include the California Golden Bears, Michigan Wolverines, UCLA Bruins, and the Oregon Ducks.
Johnson is one of the better cornerbacks in the country. He currently ranks as the nation’s No. 178 prospect in the country, No. 20 player at the position, and the No. 14 player in the state of California, according to Rivals. Landing his commitment would be major for any of the schools, as he is someone who could see the field early due to his size, and his growing ability to lockdown a side of the field all by himself.
Advertisement
More About Darius Johnson
Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning during the Rose Bowl head coaches press conference at Sheraton Grand LA. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Johnson currently measures in at 6-1 and 155 pounds, and will be someone who continues to add weight through his high school program, and will eventually have the chance to really improve his frame when he gets to college. As of now, each of the four schools has a solid chance to win its recruiting battle, but there seems to be a clear leader at this moment.
The leader for the Ducks target seems to be the Michigan Wolverines, who have the only scheduled official visit at this moment. It seems likely that the talented prospect will schedule his other official visits sooner rather than later now that he has officially cut down his list. If the Ducks want to land his commitment, they will need to get him on an official visit because they are likely trailing at this point.
Advertisement
What If He Committed to Oregon Today?
Jan 9, 2026; Atlanta, GA, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dan Lanning reacts during the first half of the 2025 Peach Bowl and semifinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Indiana Hoosiers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Advertisement
If he were to commit to the Ducks today, he would be the ninth commitment for the Ducks in the class of 2027. He would also be the third cornerback commit for the Ducks in the class of 2027, which is a position they have been recruiting heavily. The cornerbacks the Ducks have at this moment are four-star Ai’King Hall from the state of Alabama and four-star Josiah Molden from the state of Oregon.
Advertisement
Some of their other commits at this moment include four-star EDGE Rashad Streets, four-star defensive linemen Zane Rowe, and four-star EDGE Cameron Pritchett. This class is shaping up to be another top-five class if the pieces continue to fall into place for Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.
