Elizabeth O’Neal, an IRS employee, attends a town hall held by Oregon Democratic legislators at the Federal Building in Portland, Ore., March 17, 2025. The event aimed to provide an opportunity for federal employees to talk about the impact of layoffs in the federal government.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Current and former federal staffers joined Oregon Democrats in a town hall in Portland on Monday, saying President Donald Trump’s efforts to shrink the federal government presents risks to Oregon life, potentially harming how the state responds to wildfires, preserves its natural resources and cares for veterans.
Dozens of attendees packed into the cafeteria of a federal building in Northeast Portland, filling up rows of seats and standing around the edges of the room. Many focused their ire on the mass firings by Trump and his billionaire partner, Elon Musk, who leads the administration’s cost-cutting initiative called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Shawn McMurtrey, a disabled combat veteran who was recently fired from his job in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, speaks to legislators during a town hall in Portland, Ore., March 17, 2025.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
“This is not the America I swore an oath to protect,” said Shawn McMurtrey, a disabled combat veteran who served in the U.S. Army in Iraq and Afghanistan and was recently fired from his job in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Monday’s was the latest in a series of packed town halls that have occurred across Oregon since Trump’s second term began less than two months ago. In that time, firings have hit regional employers like the U.S. Forest Service, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Bonneville Power Administration — agencies that impact Oregonians’ lives, maintaining public lands, predicting the weather and keeping residents’ lights on.
“We have a department in the federal government now that is supposed to be concerned with efficiency, and government efficiency, but from what I’ve seen it’s more of an agency of chaos,” said Craig Ackerman, the former superintendent of Crater Lake National Park, Ywho retired in October and moderated the town hall.
Six of Oregon’s eight members of congress attended Monday’s town hall, and so did Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield. Newly-elected U.S. Rep. Janelle Bynum had a previous commitment and did not attend.
In recent weeks, members of the delegation have faced pushback from town hall attendees who have accused the national Democratic party of being slow and disunified in its response to Trump’s barrage of new policies.
“I can feel the anger. I can feel the frustration,” said U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter. “I know we are not giving answers that are satisfactory.”
Republicans like U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, who represents much of rural eastern and southern Oregon, say the cuts are necessary to shrink government spending and eliminate national debt. Bentz was not invited to attend the town hall.
Oregon Democrats say the administration is cutting jobs that are critical to the lives and safety of Oregonians.
(Left to right) Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, U.S. Rep. Maxine Dexter, U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkely and Ron Wyden, U.S. Reps. Val Hoyle, Andrea Salinas and Suzanne Bonamici, during a town hall held at the Federal Building in Portland, Ore., March 17, 2025. The event aimed to provide an opportunity for federal employees to talk about the impact of layoffs in the federal government.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
“It is as clear as Crater Lake that Trump and Musk and their cronies are indiscriminately attacking your ability to serve publicly and are illegally firing many of you,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, the senior member of Oregon’s congressional delegation, who emphasized the importance of federal employees blowing the whistle when they see the government acting illegally.
Among those fired was McMurtrey. As a government scientist, his job was to help prevent fungal diseases from killing pears in Oregon, the nation’s second leading producer of pears. McMurtrey said his government salary wasn’t enough to afford to live where he worked, in Hood River, forcing him to sometimes sleep in a lab or his car when he’d commute to work from Portland.
“It is partially thanks to this research that you can buy pears all year round at the grocery store,” said McMurtrey, speaking from a table at the front of the room. He added, “I am not a waste of money.”
Federal workers – some of whom remain employed – said Monday that the mass firings have upended their lives, impacting their retirements, health insurance, loan payments and their future aspirations of public service jobs. Some voiced concerns of being retaliated against for speaking publicly. Others carried signs that said “S.O.S Save Our Services” and “Stop the war on America’s workforce.”
Belle Zaccari of Portland asks pointed questions of Oregon legislators during a town hall at the Federal Building in Portland, Ore., March 17, 2025. Zaccari, a clinical psychologist who has worked more than 10 years as a clinical psychologist for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, said she has more than $300,000 in student loan debt.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
Belle Zaccari, a clinical psychologist who has worked more than 10 years as a clinical psychologist for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, said she has more than $300,000 in student loan debt. She added, “This is true for many people in this room.” She says veterans with chronic pain are not being served because of Trump’s previous executive orders.
“I came into the field of psychology to serve veterans, and I’m here. I get to actualize that dream,” said Zaccari. “And in this administration I see that threatened every single day. If I am to lose my job during this administration I don’t know that I’ll come back.”
Much of the battle over Trump’s efforts will be fought in court with Democratic attorneys general like Oregon’s Dan Rayfield, who attended Monday’s event. Rayfield, who has already sued the Trump administration eight times, alleges the mass firings are a result of decisions happening in “smoke-filled rooms without the public process.”
“Part of our jobs as attorneys general is to make sure the Trump administration is following the rule of law, making sure he’s following the constitution, and when he and his billionaire friends are not, we will hold them accountable in a court of law,” Rayfield said.
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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 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. 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. 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.
It is part of OPB’s broader effort to ensure that everyone in our region has access to quality journalism that informs, entertains and enriches their lives. To learn more, visit our journalism partnerships page.
Education
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.”
“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.
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.
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