Oregon
Drug addiction, housing and homelessness to dominate session – Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon lawmakers are starting the legislative session, promising to aim squarely at the state’s homelessness and drug addiction crisis.
From Gov. Tina Kotek to Democratic and Republican legislators, elected officials agree on the priorities, especially with fentanyl overdoses skyrocketing in Oregon and across the country.
They agree police need more tools to investigate and charge fentanyl drug dealers. They also agree that addiction treatment and services need to expand. And they want to cities to add affordable and middle-income housing to address the state’s homelessness crisis and high home prices.
They have their differences, however. Republican and Democratic lawmakers, for example, disagree on criminal charges for possession of small amounts of drugs, which was decriminalized after voters passed Measure 110 in 2020.
And the Oregon Supreme Court ruling last week against Republican senators who participated in the 2023 walkout gives them no incentive to show up if they object to proposals, they said. Lawmakers need a quorum with two-thirds of members present to conduct business.
That could put more pressure on the agenda, which is ambitious for a short session. They come every even-numbered year and are intended for emergencies, budget adjustments and technical fixes.
Here’s a look at what’s ahead:
Housing and homelessness
Gov. Tina Kotek has just one bill for the session, and it’s aimed at the housing and homelessness crisis in Oregon.
“We have a critical shortage of housing supply across the state,” Kotek told reporters last Wednesday at a legislative preview event.
Kotek’s proposal, Senate Bill 1537, would allow cities to expand their urban growth boundaries, but with a caveat: at least 30% of the land within the expansion area would have to be designated for affordable housing.
Kotek stressed the proposal would give cities a one-time chance to add land, something she failed to get passed last year. Her current bill includes $500 million for housing programs, including grants and loans to cities to purchase land and build infrastructure for affordable housing, loans for developers and grants for environmentally friendly homes that use electricity instead of natural gas.
That allocation includes $5 million for a new Housing Accountability and Production Office within the Department of Land Conservation and Development to help local government agencies add new homes.
Kotek has separate requests for $65 million to support existing homeless shelters and $35 million to help homeless prevention efforts like rental assistance. Kotek said the ice storms that clobbered Oregon in January demonstrate the need for communities across the state to have adequate shelters.
Drug addiction and overdoses
Democratic lawmakers have released a wide-ranging proposal to address the state’s drug addiction crisis.
The proposal would allow police to charge people with a low-level misdemeanor for possession of a small amount of drugs. Measure 110, which voters passed in 2020, decriminalized possession for users and put a share of cannabis revenues toward addiction services and programs. The measure allowed police to issue $100 citations to people found with a small amount of hard drugs, but those citations largely failed to motivate people to enter treatment.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers differ on the severity of the punishment: The Democratic proposal would carry a sentence up to 30 days in jail, and the person could avoid a charge if they entered a treatment program. Republicans want a more stringent misdemeanor penalty that carries up to a year in jail.
“Fentanyl has been a significant game changer as it relates to the world of street drugs and it is deadly and disastrous for Oregonians,” Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, said during a news conference last week.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers largely agree on other proposed changes, including expanded treatment opportunities, more residential services and tools to help police rein in drug dealers, such as higher penalties for selling drugs.
“I think we agree on more than we disagree,” Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, D-Beaverton, said at the same event.
Lawmakers on a joint committee have worked since last year on gathering information and crafting proposed changes, work that Kotek said is “moving in the right direction.”
She said the state needs more than punishment to address the crisis.
“I would hope everybody looks at this as a comprehensive package,” Kotek said at a news conference.
Lawmakers also want to hear from members of the public on the issue.
“The public input is really important to this process,” House Majority Leader Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, said.
Wildfire funding
Democrats have at least three proposals addressing wildfire funding in the state.
Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, is proposing both a new state body dedicated to public safety and wildfires and a ballot measure to be presented to Oregon voters that would fund it. The ballot measure would include a tax of up to 25 cents on every $1,000 of assessed property taxes. According to the Legislative Revenue Office, this could bring in at least an additional $125 million per year to wildfire prevention and response.
Sen. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants the timber industry to step up its funding. He’s proposing a ballot measure to reinstate a tax on the value of timber logged on industrial forestland. This would send tens of millions of dollars to the forestry department and ease pressure on the state’s general fund, according to Golden.
“Asking all Oregonians to pay even more for wildfire protection does not address the very large tax advantages that have been developed for companies whose lands (the state) protects,” he said.
Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, will propose reducing the millions in per-acre fees that timber and grazing landowners pay to the state for wildfire protection after ranchers expressed anger about fees going up as much as 40% in a year. She walked back part of her earlier proposal that would have charged every property owner in the state a $10 fee. The proposal no longer includes details about where the forestry department would make up that lost revenue, but she is co-sponsoring Evans’ tax proposal.
Rep. Paul Holvey, D-Eugene, is backing Golden’s proposal and introducing a bill that would require the state’s investor owned utilities such as PacifiCorp and Portland General Electric to report to the State Fire Marshal and the forestry department every time a fire is started because of the company’s infrastructure. Such reports could be used in court if a large wildfire starts from the companies’ electrical equipment and leads to property losses. It would also mandate that utilities cannot recoup the costs of fires that their equipment starts by raising rates on customers.
Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, said there was not an effort among House or Senate leaders to encourage collaboration on an omnibus wildfire bill rather than considering all three independently.
“Wildfire funding is a real challenge,” Wagner said. “I think I’m open to hearing from everyone on solutions.”
Reporter Alex Baumhardt contributed to this report.
ATLANTA – The Oregon Ducks’ 56‑22 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Peach Bowl ended their national championship dreams, leaving heartbreak in its wake.
The defeat brought flashbacks to last year’s season-ending 41‑21 Rose Bowl loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes, who went on to win the National Championship. Overreactions are rolling in as frustrations boil. While Oregon’s chances at winning its first-ever National Championship may be over, the sky isn’t falling in Eugene.
Indiana beat Oregon in all three phases, and the Ducks looked clearly inferior to their Big Ten foe. Still, amid the humbling loss, Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his team demonstrated leadership and resilience. Lanning didn’t bash his players or dwell on errors… instead, he led in the locker room, turning this lopsided loss into a potential turning point – a learning experience- that this core group of Ducks can utilize next season.
The comment section can be a rough place the day after the game. Some of the once-Oregon mighty turned quickly on the coaching staff and even some of the players.
Emotional responses are natural after back-to-back lopsided playoff losses, but Oregon’s program under Lanning remains strong. The facts speak volumes.
The 39-year-old has compiled a 48‑8 record, notching double-digit wins in each of his first four seasons. He ranks fourth all-time in wins among Ducks head coaches and has guided Oregon to consecutive College Football Playoff appearances, a Big Ten Championship, and victories in the Orange, Fiesta, and Holiday Bowls. Oregon is the only FBS team to win 13 games in each of the past two seasons, tying the program record set in 2025, 2024, and 2014.
Dan Lanning enters his fifth season as head coach at Oregon. It took Dabo Swinney nine seasons to win his first national title at Clemson before becoming a perennial contender. Kirby Smart captured his first championship in his sixth season at Georgia.
Lanning’s loyalty to Oregon has been clear amid the constant coaching carousel – something Ducks fans shouldn’t be quick to forget.
Dan Lanning’s Leadership Under Pressure
There are two moments that illustrate Lanning’s leadership from Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The game couldn’t have started any worse for Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. On the very first play, Moore threw a pick-six. As Indiana teammates ran to congratulate cornerback D’Angelo Ponds on his big play, Lanning didn’t flinch. The coach found his quarterback, and immediately picked him up. Lanning spoke to Moore for a good 20 seconds after the turnover delivering a message amid a stadium full of Hoosiers fans in a frenzy. Lanning provided the calm in the chaos.
The next drive, Moore seemed to regain his composure, leading the Ducks on a 14-play drive and throwing a 19-yard touchdown to tight end Jamari Johnson.
It was a brief highlight but an important one that shows the true colors of Lanning when the chips are down.
Another moment came after the loss. In his postgame press conference, Lanning was asked what Moore can learn from the lopsided loss. Lanning took the opportunity to shield Moore from singling him out. He instead focused on how the entire team can learn from the experience.
“I think every man can learn from adversity,” Lanning said. “I just told that whole locker room, right, this is going to be about how you respond in life. This is going to be a life lesson that a lot of people never get. We just got our butt kicked. Right? That’s going to happen in life, right, and not just Dante. Every single person in the locker room, every coach, every person can learn, ‘Hey, how do you respond to that?’ Some people crawl into a hole, right, don’t face the music.”
“Some people say, ‘Okay, let’s figure it out. Let me challenge myself so I can be better. Let me be an example of how you handle moments like this.’ I think there is a way to handle that. Dante has been exceptional. Bryce, these guys have been exceptional, stewards of what we wanted to look like all year long. And it’s gone right for us 13 times. Didn’t go right tonight. And you can’t let that overshadow,” Lanning said.
MORE: What Dan Lanning Said After Oregon’s Loss to Indiana
MORE: Instant Takeaways From Oregon’s Playoff Loss to Indiana
MORE: Dante Moore NFL Outlook Comes Into Focus After Peach Bowl Loss
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Turning The Defeat Into A Life Lesson
Oregon’s team is led by mostly underclassmen. Moore is 20 years old, and freshmen like Dakorien Moore, Jordon Davison, Brandon Finney, Aaron Flowers, and Dierre Hill Jr. play prominent roles. The Ducks’ youth was evident, yet it also presents an opportunity: Oregon ranks second nationally behind North Texas in touchdowns scored by both true freshmen (26) and all freshmen (29). This season, 35 true or redshirt freshmen have taken the field.
On the other side, Indiana fielded a much older team, with an average age around 23 years old. If the Ducks’ inexperience was their Achilles heel this season in the playoff, they certainly got a lifetime of experience in 60 minutes vs. Indiana and coach Curt Cignetti.
Lanning did his part by helping his team process the loss without letting it define them.
“Every one of us has unbelievable disappointment. Learn from it. But there’s a lot of lessons to be learned for everybody in life, and we’ll learn the hard lessons here. And you know what, most people will never be in the position where they get to learn that lesson that we get to learn on. These guys were in that position,” Lanning said.
Experience Matters In The Playoff
A trend is emerging in the College Football Playoff: the most experienced quarterbacks often find the most success. This year’s National Championship game will feature Miami quarterback Carson Beck and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Beck, 23, has played 54 college games over six seasons. Mendoza, 22, has played 35 games over three seasons.
Moore has played 29 games, but this was his first season as a full-time starter. If he returns to Oregon for 2026 instead of taking his talents to the NFL, he will join the ranks of the more experienced quarterbacks in college football.
The Ducks are losing integral players to the program in linebacker Bryce Boettcher, running back Noah Whittington, kicker Atticus Sappington, receiver Gary Bryant Jr., offensive linemen Isaiah World, Alex Harkey, Matthew Bedford and Emmanuel Pregnon… to name a few. Lanning made sure to highlight the contributions of the seniors after their final game as a Duck when he described the hardest part of being in the locker room after the loss.
“You hurt for those guys because the world is going to judge everybody in that room based on the result tonight. I’m going to judge those guys on the kind of fathers they become someday, the kind of husbands they become someday. But in this moment, you feel like a failure, right, for them, and they’re not. They’re not failures. These guys won a lot of damn ball games. They’ve had a lot of success. They’ve changed some people’s lives, but right now, that moment is going to hurt,” Lanning said.
“And the hard part, you know, you got guys like Bryce (Boettcher) that they don’t get to be a Duck anymore. They will be a Duck forever, but he does not get to go wear that uniform and go play a game for us again. I really wanted that for them, really wanted them to be able to enjoy that and experience that, and they don’t get to,” Lanning continued.
The Ducks fell short of their National Championship goal, but the guidance of Lanning and the lessons learned by Oregon’s young core set the stage for next season.
ATLANTA — For the second time in as many seasons, Oregon entered the College Football Playoff with high expectations and exited with a pillar to post thrashing from a conference foe.
In similar fashion to last year’s Rose Bowl rout by Ohio State, No. 1 Indiana had its way with No. 5 Oregon in a CFP semifinal at the Peach Bowl Friday night. By the end of the 56-22 mauling, led by Fernando Mendoza’s five touchdowns, neither the scoreboard nor the box score reflected how lopsided things truly were.
Three Ducks turnovers, including a pick-six by Dante Moore on the opening play of the game, led to 21 first-half points for the Hoosiers (15-0), who led 35-7 at halftime.
“This is going to be a life lesson that a lot of people never get,” Oregon coach Dan Lanning said. “We just got our butt kicked. That’s going to happen in life and not just Dante. Every single person in the locker room, every coach, every person can learn, hey, how do you respond to that.
“Some people crawl into a hole, don’t face the music. Some people say, okay, let’s figure it out. Let me challenge myself so I can be better. Let me be an example of how you handle moments like this. I think there is a way to handle that.”
One could say the Ducks (13-2) should have learned a similar lesson from the Rose Bowl, but with so many new starters from a year ago that’s not entirely accurate.
This UO team ranked in the top 10 in many statistics all season and was at times even more dominant than last year’s team. But against the best competition its weaknesses showed more than its strength. The Hoosiers (15-0) capitalized on many of those to advance to face Miami in the CFP Championship on Jan. 19.
“They have a great defense, great disguise and different looks, but you can’t win football games if you’re causing turnovers,” said Moore, who was 24 of 39 for 285 yards with two touchdowns but lost 28 yards rushing due to three fumbles. “Something of course I need to work at.”
Moore lost two fumbles, one on a strip sack and another when running back Dierre Hill Jr. ran into the tip of the ball on Moore’s wind up.
“First play, I still like the play, but it sucked the result,” offensive coordinator Will Stein said. “We had the fumble off the elbow, like, crazy. … We were stopping ourselves, but they’re a really good defense. They are really good and they create takeaways and they don’t mess up.”
Mendoza was 17 of 20 for 177 yards and the five scores, which went to four different IU players.
Named offensive MVP, Mendoza set a Peach Bowl completion percentage record and threw the most touchdowns against Oregon since Cal’s Davis Webb had five in 2016.
“He understands what he’s doing,” Lanning said. “He has great weapons to be able to take advantage of.”
Indiana was 11 of 14 on third down, including nine of its first 10, underscoring one of Oregon’s defensive weaknesses against better teams.
Defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi called it a “really poor finish” to an “awesome season.”
It’s difficult to take a long view after another promising campaign ends in such brutally demoralizing fashion, though several players tried.
“This is a great program,” said running back Noah Whittington, who was limited due to turf toe. “It’s going to continue to grow. Eventually we’re going to get the job done. Unfortunately it wasn’t today, but down the road we’re going to get ‘em.”
Yet for a second year in a row, albeit once again with several top skill players out due to injury, Oregon was embarrassed on a national stage.
“In this moment,” Lanning said, “you feel like a failure and they’re not. They’re not failures. These guys won a lot of damn ball games. … I also think you can’t discredit that we played well. We’ve played well at times even here in the postseason.”
Lanning proclaimed Oregon’s season motto “double down,” an expected value proposition in blackjack, which adopted because the program’s process is sound, even if last year’s Rose Bowl ending was not.
In many cases, it worked. But not always, like Friday night. It doesn’t mean that Lanning’s methods won’t pay off in the long run. It does mean the 2025 season ends without the ultimate reward, and in this case, far worse: another playoff blowout loss, which even if it proves again to be against the eventual national champion is still an offseason’s worth of misery to endure.
Adding insult to injury is Mario Cristobal, in his fourth year at Miami, bringing the Hurricanes back to the national championship game for the first time in 23 years.
But Oregon still earned a seat back at the CFP table. Whether Lanning is willing to double down in the same spot, or consider greater changes with two outgoing coordinators, could determine if the Ducks play differently next year.
The second College Football Playoff semifinal game is a can’t-miss Big Ten showdown. We’ve compiled everything you need to know about where to watch the Peach Bowl, including live streaming options for cord-cutters.
The No. 5 Oregon Ducks will take on the No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers in the Peach Bowl. With the Ohio State Buckeyes, a Big Ten powerhouse and the reigning National Champions, out of the picture after a shock quarterfinal elimination, the Ducks and Hoosiers both have a shot at making it to the championship. Oregon has had a tremendous season, going 13-1 and shutting out Texas Tech in the quarterfinals. Their only fumble this season was Indiana (a 30-20 Hoosiers victory in October), which went undefeated (14-0) and walloped Alabama 38-3 in the quarterfinals. It’s safe to say that it’s anyone’s game, and only time will tell which of the two teams will earn a spot at the National Championship.
If you’re hoping to tune in, we’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn some of the best live streaming options below. The services we’ve highlighted will also allow you to live stream the National Championship on January 19.
What channel is the Peach Bowl on?
Like the rest of the CFP, the Peach Bowl will air on ESPN in the US. The Oregon vs. Indiana game is scheduled to kick off on Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, but the network’s college football coverage will begin at 6 p.m.
Where to watch the Peach Bowl in the US
If you don’t have cable, you don’t need to worry about missing out on any of the action. There are several ways to live stream ESPN, including ESPN Unlimited, the network’s direct streaming counterpart. At $30 a month, ESPN Unlimited unlocks total access to all things ESPN, including live streams from the flagship network and other properties, like ESPN2, the ACC Network, and SEC Network.
ESPN Unlimited
ESPN Unlimited has everything from ESPN Plus, in addition to all that the ESPN linear networks have to offer.
If you’d prefer a service with a free trial and other channels beyond those in the ESPN family, DirecTV and Fubo are two of our top live TV recommendations. DirecTV offers ESPN in all of its Signature packages, but you can save some money if you’re only interested in sports by subscribing to the DirecTV MySports genre pack. Subscriptions cost $70 a month, but there’s a five-day free trial for new customers. MySports also unlocks ESPN Unlimited access.
DirecTV MySports
DirecTV’s MySports pack carries popular sports channels, from mainstays like ESPN to niche offerings like the ACC Network.
Fubo is another top sports-centric streaming service. You can get ESPN and around 28 other channels through Fubo’s Sports + News pack, in addition to ESPN Unlimited access. Subscriptions start at $56 a month, but new users can get a five-day free trial and a $10 off first-month discount.
Fubo Sports + News
The new Fubo Sports + News pack is only available in select areas. It combines 20+ major sports channels (including the new ESPN Unlimited) and select local networks (ABC, CBS, and FOX).
Where to watch the Peach Bowl in the UK
In the UK, College Football Playoff games (including the Peach Bowl) are available through DAZN. Subscription prices vary by plan, but most college football games this season were available for free in the UK (as long as you create an account). DAZN will also live stream the National Championship later this month.
How to watch the Peach Bowl from anywhere
If you’re traveling away from home, you can still keep up with your usual streaming options with the aid of a VPN. Short for virtual private networks, VPNs are cybersecurity tools that enable people to change their devices’ virtual location. This way, their go-to websites and apps work from anywhere, just like they would back home. VPNs are also popular methods for enhancing online privacy and security.
NordVPN is our No. 1 recommendation right now. It’s a top-rated option with tons of features, servers, and a hassle-free 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s no sweat if you find that it’s not what you’re looking for. Our official NordVPN review breaks down everything else you might need to know about the app.
NordVPN Plan
NordVPN is one of the top VPN services in the business. It offers excellent value with a strong selection of features and a low monthly price. A wide selection of international servers, high-end security, fast connections, and audited privacy protection have made the brand a household name in the world of VPNs.
Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.
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