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Hard hit by US opioid crisis, Oregon reconsiders decriminalization

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Hard hit by US opioid crisis, Oregon reconsiders decriminalization


Police officer David Baer pulls a man who was caught smoking fentanyl to issue him a citation and to offer him a card that lists a 24-hour treatment hotline which he can call to get his citation dismissed in Portland, Oregon, U.S. February 7, 2024. REUTERS

PORTLAND, Oregon — It’s a common sight on the streets of downtown Portland, Oregon: people in front of stores, trendy restaurants and hotels, on sidewalks, corners, and benches, crouched over torch lighters held up to sheets of tinfoil or meth pipes.

Some drape blankets over their heads or duck behind concrete barriers. Others don’t try to hide.

“All summer long, we were right out in the open. You didn’t have to be paranoid anymore, you didn’t have to be worried about the cops,” said John Hood, a 61-year-old drug addict living on the streets of Oregon’s most populous city.

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Hood spoke to Reuters on a downtown Portland corner, across from where he had just smoked fentanyl and methamphetamine outside an old bus station-turned-homeless shelter.

READ: US opioid crisis: From pills to fentanyl

“It was like smoking cigarettes. You just did it, and you didn’t have to worry about it. Now they’re cracking back down. They’re wanting to make it illegal.”

Oregonians in 2020 passed a ballot measure that created the most liberal drug law in the country, decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs and funneling hundreds of millions of dollars in cannabis taxes to addiction recovery services.

What’s known as Measure 110 was touted as a revolutionary approach, treating addiction as a public health matter, not a crime. The skepticism around it comes as cities across America are seeking solutions for a drug crisis. Nationally, the U.S. drug overdose death toll crossed 100,000 for the first time in 2021 amid the medical care disruptions of COVID, increased mental health problems, and the widespread availability of lethal drugs.

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Under Measure 110, instead of arresting drug users, police issue them $100 citations along with a card that lists the number to a hotline for addiction treatment services, which they can call in exchange for help dismissing the citation. Those who simply ignore the citations face no legal ramifications. State data shows only 4 percent of people who receive citations call the hotline.

Now, facing public pressure amid a surge in overdose deaths, state lawmakers are preparing to vote on re-criminalization sometime during the session that started earlier this month. Democrats, who are the statehouse majority, are pushing for a bill to make small-scale drug possession a low-level misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, with the opportunity to seek treatment instead of facing charges.

‘Go back underground’

Measure 110 garnered support from 58% of voters, including 74% of voters in Portland’s Multnomah County. The law that resulted went into effect in February 2021. According to an August survey by Emerson College, 56% of Oregonians support a total repeal of Measure 110; 64% support changes to the law.

“It became very, very obvious that what was happening on the streets of Portland, and what was happening on Main Street, Oregon, was unacceptable,” said state senate majority leader Kate Lieber, a Democrat who co-chairs the legislator’s addiction committee.

The proposed bill also carries harsher sentences for drug dealers, wider access to medication for opioid addiction, and expanded recovery and housing services along with drug prevention programs.

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Republican lawmakers say the bill falls short. Their own proposals include up to a year in jail for drug possession, with the option for treatment and probation in lieu of jail time.

“We need serious penalties in order to make sure that people are getting into treatment, as opposed to staying on the street,” said state senate minority leader Tim Knopp.

READ: US fentanyl-related deaths more than tripled over 5 years

Portland, a city of some 630,000 known for its coffee houses, bike paths, book shops and breweries, has long grappled with homelessness. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a normally vibrant, bustling downtown eroded by business closures. Storefronts have been boarded up, and camping tents and litter have overtaken sidewalks. Once the fentanyl crisis grabbed a foothold in Oregon in 2019, the use of synthetic opioids exploded.

Tera Hurst, whose Oregon Health Justice Recovery Alliance focused on Measure 110’s implementation, does not believe the proposed changes will be effective.

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“It’s not actually going to save lives or help people get into services. It’s going to create barriers to housing and employment, which is what criminal records do,” Hurst said.

Drug overdose deaths increased by a third in Oregon from 2019 to 2020 and another 44% in 2021, according to state figures. A New York University study found no notable connection between the new law and the rising number of overdoses; a University of Toronto study found the opposite.

Nationwide, drug overdose deaths rose 0.7% from 108,825 Americans in 2022 to more than 109,000 in 2023. Oregon’s increase over that period was 11%, putting it among seven states with double-digit percentage increases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent annual figures.

Oregon’s Measure 110 funds were slow to be distributed to recovery programs, according to a state audit. The state’s drug treatment infrastructure was inadequate at the law’s onset. Federal data from 2020 ranked Oregon last in the nation for access to drug treatment due to historic underinvestment.

If Measure 110 is repealed or changed, Hood anticipates he’ll keep using it, albeit more discreetly.

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“I’m going to go back underground and hide it and just go back to the old ways. And just hope I don’t get caught,” he said. “I’m sure one day I’ll wake up and want to get some help.”





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Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now

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Timeline video traces SB 1008’s impact on Oregon juvenile justice, viewers can watch now


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.



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New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl

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New Jersey man sentenced in Oregon federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl


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.



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4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional

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4 Takeaways From Oregon State Baseball’s Run At The Eugene Regional


Oregon State’s season came to an end in Eugene on Sunday evening, after a rocky 7th inning doomed them against the 11th-ranked Oregon Ducks. The Beavers put up a valiant effort to try and fight their way back from the loser’s bracket, but they couldn’t accomplish this incredible feat that they pulled off in 2025.

A Bad Start Changed Everything

Winning the first game of a regional is almost a must if you want to advance, and this is where things started to go south.

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After a nearly two-week layoff (since they didn’t have a conference tournament), OSU’s bats were rusty against a very solid left-hander in WSU’s Nick Lewis. Though the Beavers were able to put up a run early on, Lewis rolled with the punches and ended up throwing a complete game against the country’s seventh-ranked team. Though their bats came to life the next day, the uphill climb proved to be too much.

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Pitching Wasn’t the Issue

Oregon State came into this tournament with the nation’s best ERA, and their starting rotation was exactly as advertised.

After a good outing from Kleinschmit on Friday afternoon, Eric Segura threw a 6.2 inning gem in an elimination game against Yale. True freshman Trey Morris threw 117 pitches in the rout of WSU early Saturday, and Wyatt Queen was excellent against the Ducks off of short rest later that evening.

The Power Just Wasn’t There

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In today’s era of baseball where starting pitchers are so talented, it’s crucial to have guys that can get you runs with just one swing of the bat, especially when the man on the hill is striking a lot of people out.

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Throughout the entirety of this season, the Beavers have not been a club that hits for much power, and this makes things difficult in the postseason. In four games across the Eugene regional, Oregon State didn’t hit a single ball out of the park. In 2026 they only hit a total of 55 homers, a stark contrast from the 107 of 2025’s Omaha year.

They Ran into a Good Team With a Deep Pitching Staff

In Mark Wasikowski’s tenure with the Ducks, his team’s pitching has often been a crutch that holds them back from big postseason runs. This certainly doesn’t seem to be the case this year.

Throughout the regional that they hosted, Oregon starters looked nearly untouchable. Will Sanford struck out 14 batters and didn’t allow a run against Washington State. Yesterday against the Beavers, left-hander Miles Gosztola was phenomenal, bouncing back after allowing a run in the second inning. The Ducks also have great relievers in guys like Tanner Bradley and Devin Bell. With a lot of reliable arms to go to, it would’ve been difficult to beat Oregon twice.

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