As calls for stronger education accountability continue to grow from the upper echelons of Oregon’s government, the Joint Subcommittee on Education approved Senate Bill 141 on Wednesday afternoon by a 7-1 vote. The approval means the bill will now advance to the broader Joint Committee on Ways and Means.
SB 141 is part of Gov. Tina Kotek’s effort this session to improve the state’s dismal education outcomes. It gives more power to the Oregon Department of Education to coach and intervene in struggling school districts, and establishes more metrics to track, specifically around early chronic absenteeism and eighth grade mathematics. It will also streamline grant reporting processes for school districts and improve ODE’s data transparency.
Kotek’s focus on education accountability came amid dueling reports presented to the Oregon legislature this cycle. A report from the American Institutes for Research studied the state’s Quality Education Model (that projects the cost to adequately educate students statewide), and found it would cost Oregon billions more to help its students achieve proficiency in mathematics and reading, while reducing chronic absenteeism. Another presentation, from the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, mapped increased education funding since 2013 against declining student outcomes.
As she unveiled her bill in March, Kotek told reporters she didn’t “believe in writing a blank check.” SB 141 accompanies the state government’s largest-yet investment in the State School Fund, though many district leaders say many of those costs will be offset by the Public Employees Retirement System, inflation and other rising costs, alongside declining enrollment. (In the same hearing Wednesday, the subcommittee approved $11.36 billion for schools in the upcoming biennium.)
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The majority of legislators expressed optimism that Kotek’s bill was a step in the right direction to building a system of shared accountability between school districts and the state for student outcomes, which are in the bottom nationwide for both reading and mathematics.
But many of them emphasized that the bill must be implemented properly. Sen. Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook) said Oregon tends to fall for “shiny tricks,” where legislators are attracted to new policies but fail to follow through. “If we start this program, we have to commit to it,” she said.
Rep. Dwayne Yunker (R-Grants Pass) was the sole no vote for the accountability package in the subcommittee. He says many of the problems school districts face are not ones that can be addressed from the top down. For example, he says it’s hard to blame a school when a parent doesn’t send their child to attend.
“I think what’s going to work is changing what we’re doing…more class time, more time in school,” Yunker says. “We’re not changing any of that, and I think there’s other things we could’ve done that would’ve been more productive to change outcomes.”
Sen. Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro) told Yunker the bill is not about imposing a top-down authority on schools, but rather setting the state up to provide school districts with resources and tools to help students succeed. It’s meant to foster collaboration, she said, and emphasized that a streamlined grant process will also give schools more time to focus on improving outcomes.
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Sen. Lew Frederick (D-Portland) added that until everyone in the education system and the broader community all put in the work to make student outcomes a priority, the bill’s text is just “rhetorical posturing.” He says it’s the conversation this bill will spark that may be its most powerful effect.
“I’m hoping that what will happen as a result of this is that people will begin to actually step forward and say ‘Alright, what do I need to do?’” Frederick says. “I don’t want to see yet another document that tells me we believe in education but we aren’t actually getting everyone involved in making changes. I hope this begins a process of accountability not just for the schools…but for everybody.”
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.
