Capital Chatter: Democracy is a messy business — even in Oregon
Published 5:06 pm Thursday, July 3, 2025
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The 2025 Oregon Legislature exemplified the Founders’ warning. Democracy – even the representative democracy the Founders established – is a messy affair.
“I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory,” John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, on July 3, 1776.
The next day, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, whose 249th anniversary we celebrate this Fourth of July.
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The chaos of democracy was on full display during the concluding day of this year’s meandering legislative session.
Among the political weirdness on Friday, June 27, what stood out was how the public was treated.
Or mistreated.
The supermajority Democrats had put forth a last-gasp bill aimed at keeping the Oregon Department of Transportation afloat by increasing fuel taxes and vehicle fees.
The House Rules Committee scheduled a 3:45 p.m. public hearing on House Bill 3402. A second hearing room was opened to handle the expected overflow crowd. Forty-five people signed up to testify, either in person or online. Most opposed the bill, as did the more than the 250 pieces of written testimony.
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The committee staff arrived on time. Individuals waiting to testify were on time. So, too, were various government officials, lobbyists and assorted onlookers.
They waited.
They waited more.
They kept waiting.
House Democrats were caucusing next door, discussing their next steps and refreshing themselves with dinner that had been brought in. Gov. Tina Kotek was among those milling around in the hallway. Yet there was nary an announcement from Democratic leadership as to what was happening and when the public hearing might start.
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The delay stretched past two hours. Multiply two hours by the number of people waiting, and it adds up to a huge waste of their time and – for those on the clock – their salary.
Many individuals gave up, having made dinner plans. A legislative employee brought snacks to the committee staff.
Around 6 p.m., committee members began trickling in. House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, of Tigard, opened the meeting at 6:07 p.m. – two hours and 22 minutes late.
“Thank you for your patience and for everyone being here this evening,” Bowman said.
I would have expected a full-fledged apology for the tardiness. Of course, I also would have expected legislative leaders to keep the committee staff and public updated.
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Kotek testified first, speaking for about six minutes in favor of the bill. Then came Republican Reps. Bobby Levy, of Echo, and Shelly Boshart Davis, of Albany, in opposition.
When public testimony began, each individual was allotted two minutes.
Another lengthy pause ensued before the committee approved the bill on a 4-3 party-line vote.
Yet HB 3402 died because:
Republicans declined to waive the normal timelines for considering a bill on the House floor.
The Democratic leadership adjourned the Legislature instead of continuing to meet for two more days, as the Oregon Constitution allowed.
Adjournment came at 11:16 p.m. Each side declared victory.
The Republican leaders – Rep. Christine Drazan, of Canby, and Sen. Daniel Bonham, of The Dalles – emphasized how Republicans had stood together.
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House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, and Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, whose press conference began at 12:04 a.m. Saturday, said the failure of a transportation package should not overshadow good work done by the Legislature in other areas.
Gov. Kotek was less complimentary when addressing reporters later Saturday morning: “I want to point out that it is Saturday here in Salem, and my team is working, but the Legislature has gone home.”
Meanwhile, the financial dominoes began dropping.
Julie Brown, general manager of the Rogue Valley Transit District, alerted state and local officials that the agency was poised to lose all federal funding and 82 employees would be laid off on Aug. 30. Brown also chairs the Oregon Transportation Commission.
While Wagner and Fahey were holding their post-midnight press conference, ODOT Director Kris Strickler emailed department employees to expect hundreds of layoffs.
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Those layoff notices are expected to go out next week. ODOT already has canceled maintenance planned for several highways, including Oregon 34 between Alsea and Philomath, U.S. 26 in Grant County, and OR 203-A and OR 237-A in Union County.
Many construction projects, which are funded differently, will continue. So, too, will the recriminations among lawmakers.
About DICK HUGHES, for the Oregon Capital Insider
Dick Hughes, who writes the weekly Capital Chatter column, has been covering the Oregon political scene since 1976. Contact him at thehughesisms@gmail.com.
The University of Oregon’s Board of Trustees voted Tuesday to approve a $1.55 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year.
But they asked university leadership to return with an amended proposal by Dec. 15, when more details about future budget cuts will be known.
FILE — The Board of Trustees recently approved next year’s budget for the University of Oregon. The vote comes several weeks after the school’s president announced that he wants the university to reduce its annual budget as revenues and out-of-state enrollment decline.
Brian Bull / KLCC
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The vote comes several weeks after University of Oregon President Karl Scholz announced that he wants the school to reduce its annual budget by around $65 million.
At a trustees meeting Monday, Scholz said the estimated budget shortfall for next year is just around $23 million. But he said out-of-state enrollment is below historical norms for the second year in a row, and it’s unlikely to bounce back.
“One year can be an aberration. Two years is a pattern,” said Scholz. “And I believe we have to treat it as a new reality.”
Scholz said in May that discussions about the budget would happen over a six-month period. He said no final decisions about cuts would be made over this summer.
On Monday, UO Senate President Dyana Mason told trustees that the Senate had approved a new process to allow for community feedback in the cost-cutting process.
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Mason said the provost will work with the deans on budget proposals, finding “clear rationale” for why programs are considered for elimination.
The provost would then bring those proposals to the Senate Committee for Academic Modifications—which includes staff, faculty and students—for feedback.
Once the plans are nearly finalized, the Senate could then hold a period for public comment.
Mason told trustees that a six-month timeline is better than the three months that frustrated some staff last year, but she recommended taking however much time is necessary.
“The worst situation would be rushing forward to make decisions without appropriate evidence, data, feedback from the people that are most in the know about the impact on our students,” said Mason.
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UO’s Board of Trustees Chair Steve Holwerda said that every week that university delays the decisions could cost them millions of dollars.
Nathan Wilk is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom.This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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Oregon’s juvenile justice system has been reshaped in recent years by a sweeping reform law that changed how the state handles minors accused of serious crimes.
Senate Bill 1008, which took effect in 2020, ended automatic transfers of juveniles into adult court and eliminated life without parole sentences for juveniles. The law also created “second-look” hearings and established parole eligibility after 15 years for certain offenders who committed crimes before turning 18.
To help explain the law and its impact, KVAL’s Frannie Pedersen put together a timeline video tracing the history of Senate Bill 1008, from the passage of Measure 11 in 1994 to the reforms that later reshaped Oregon’s juvenile justice system.
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The video breaks down how the law changed, why lawmakers pushed for reform, and how SB 1008 continues to influence Oregon’s justice system today. Viewers can watch the full video for a detailed timeline and explanation of the changes.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A New Jersey man was sentenced to federal prison last Friday for conspiring to distribute fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon.
Mark T. Eager, 34, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release.
“This defendant showed a blatant disregard for human life by trafficking fentanyl across the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “My office will continue to pursue those who profit from poisoning our communities, and we will use every available resource and partnership to combat fentanyl trafficking and keep Oregonians safe.”
“This investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from across the nation,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Homeland Security Investigations special agents from Portland, Newark, and Houston contributed to the case, along with the Portland Police Bureau and HIDTA HIT officers, who were instrumental in identifying Eager. His 11-year sentence sends a clear message: no matter where you are in the country or the world, if you attempt to sell narcotics online to Americans, we will find you.”
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“Fentanyl trafficking poses a grave threat to communities across the United States, and Homeland Security Investigations is committed to working with our partners to disrupt and dismantle the criminal networks responsible,” said HSI Houston Special Agent in Charge Lucia Cabral-DeArmas. “This case demonstrates the power of interagency collaboration under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, leveraging resources from across the country to hold traffickers accountable and protect the American people. We will continue to pursue those who endanger lives through the distribution of dangerous synthetic opioids, and we remain steadfast in our mission to safeguard our communities from the violence and instability caused by transnational criminal organizations.”
“By following this offender’s digital trail, Homeland Security Investigations and our law enforcement partners nationwide executed federal search warrants, dismantled an active dark web fentanyl packaging operation and recovered deadly amounts of fentanyl, thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, and a trove of electronic devices and packaging materials,” said HSI Newark Acting Special Agent in Charge Spiros Karabinas. “This case is a powerful example of how coordinated, data-driven investigations can disrupt dangerous networks and help protect our communities from lethal synthetic opioids.”
According to court documents, from November 2023 through June 2024, Eager and his co-conspirator sold fentanyl on the Dark Net and Telegram. Eager operated as the vendor WRSEH10 and marketed the fentanyl as “China White Synthetic Heroin.”
In June 2024, HSI agents executed search warrants on two residences associated with Eager in Kearny, New Jersey, and seized over 360 grams of powdered fentanyl, counterfeit M30 pills, drug ledgers, cellular phones, two computers, and drug packaging consistent with three deliveries that were sent to Oregon.
On September 4, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Eager with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
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On February 4, 2026, Eager pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.
HSI Portland and HSI Houston investigated this case with assistance from HSI Newark, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT). Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey assisted the U.S. Attorney’s in Oregon in obtaining the search warrants that were executed in Kearny.
