Oregon
One of Oregon governor’s top attorneys is leaving
Gov. Tina Kotek talks with local leaders in Hermiston, Ore., May 3, 2023. In the past month, her office has experienced a staff exodus.
Antonio Sierra / OPB
One of Gov. Tina Kotek’s top attorneys will depart her position in coming weeks, marking a fourth staffer leaving the governor’s office in less than a month.
Lindsey Burrows, Kotek’s deputy general counsel, informed superiors on Monday she plans to depart the office on April 26 to return to work as a criminal defense attorney, according to a letter shared with OPB.
“Although the decision to leave has been difficult, I am returning to the work to which I have dedicated my legal career: protecting the rights of individual Oregonians in criminal cases, when they are particularly vulnerable,” Burrows wrote in a resignation letter. “Defense attorneys make our systems more just and more humane. As you know, this essential work is as important now as ever, while the state faces a critical shortage of qualified counsel.”
The departure makes Burrows the latest gubernatorial staffer heading to the exits. In late March, three of Kotek’s top aides announced their departures, in a move that sources with knowledge of the governor’s office have said is tied to the expanding role First Lady Aimee Kotek Wilson has sought on policy matters.
Kotek has declined repeatedly to discuss the reasons behind those moves, but has not contradicted widespread reports that Kotek Wilson’s ambitions have played a part in the shakeup. In a meeting with reporters last week, she at one point cast reporting on the matter as “assumptions” while pledging to seek guidance from state ethics officials about developing a formal Office of the First Spouse.
Kotek Wilson’s role in the office is the subject of ethics complaints filed with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, though the actual substance of those complaints is currently confidential.
There is no suggestion in Burrows’ resignation letter that her decision to leave is tied to Kotek Wilson. Even the presence of a resignation letter – readily supplied by the governor’s office – is different. The office has said it doesn’t have such letters for the three aides that have already departed or gone on leave: former Chief of Staff Andrea Cooper, former special adviser Abby Tibbs and Deputy Chief of Staff Lindsey O’Brien.
Burrows did not immediately respond to an inquiry on Tuesday. Members of the general counsel office help the governor navigate legal matters and vet nominees for open judicial seats, among other things.
Turnover is expected in any governor’s office, though observers say the lockstep departure of three-fourths of Kotek’s executive team in recent weeks bucks the normal trend. Kotek last week seemed to paint the staff departures as routine.
“We are continuing to work hard every day on the priorities that I’ve set and we have a transition in our office where we need to have some new leaders step up or bring in some new people,” she told reporters last week. “That is not unusual.”
Burrows has worked for been with Kotek’s office since March of 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile, meaning she will have spent a little over a year as deputy general counsel.
That tenure is shorter than some others who have held similar roles. Dustin Buehler, a deputy general counsel under former Gov. Kate Brown, served in the role for three years, before being promoted to Brown’s general counsel.
His predecessor, Misha Isaak, also spent years in the governor’s office.
CENTRAL OREGON (KTVZ) — New rules approved by Oregon regulators aimed at how utilities charge large energy users are expected to have implications beyond Portland General Electric, including for Central Oregon customers served by Pacific Power.
The Oregon Public Utility Commission approved changes allowing Portland General Electric to charge higher rates to large energy users such as data centers. The goal is to ensure those customers pay for the cost of expanding the power grid, rather than shifting those costs onto smaller or household ratepayers.
The move comes after six consecutive years of rate increases for Oregon customers, driven in part by what PGE describes as an unprecedented rise in electricity demand, with data centers as a major factor.
Under the new rules, large energy use facilities must pay 100% of the cost to expand distribution systems needed to serve them. They must also use at least 90% of their contracted power capacity, with requirements for contract lengths and penalties for exceeding usage or exiting early.
The rules define large energy users as facilities capable of drawing more than 20 megawatts of power at a time. A separate category for “very large loads” — those exceeding 100 megawatts — includes a 1 cent per kilowatt-hour surcharge, with funds going toward reducing energy burden for vulnerable customers.
The order also includes a queue system to ensure new large users can only connect when enough zero-emission energy is available to meet demand under House Bill 2021.
While the decision directly applies to PGE, Pacific Power is proposing a similar approach for customers in Central Oregon.
PacifiCorp exclusively sent a statement to KTVZ News, saying utilities have seen a growing number of extremely large new load requests in recent years, requiring significant investments in transmission and generation infrastructure.
The company has filed a proposed tariff with the Oregon Public Utility Commission under House Bill 3546 to create a new rate schedule for “New Large Energy Use Facilities.” Under the proposal, large energy users such as data centers would be required to cover the costs of infrastructure upgrades needed to serve them.
PacifiCorp said the approach would allow the utility to meet the needs of large energy users while continuing to invest in infrastructure and protecting affordability for other customer classes.
PGE has until June 3 to file a new pricing system to implement the order, which would take effect June 10. The utility is also required to begin annual reporting on large energy users starting June 1, 2027.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — The Oregon Department of Forestry is asking Oregonians to be careful when disposing of yard debris this spring.
READ MORE | High pressure brings 48-hour warmup to western Oregon as temps near 90 Tuesday
“There have already been 23 escaped debris burns for a total of 83 acres reported on ODF-protected land in 2026,” the agency said.
The agency said that at this time last year, it had responded to 37 escaped burns.
“More than 70% of wildfires every year in Oregon are human-caused, with escaped debris burns topping the list,” ODF said. “With record-low snowpack and an abnormally warm winter, forecasters are anticipating a hotter and drier summer than usual.”
The Central Oregon District of ODF has already declared the start of fire season.
On May 14, fire restrictions will go into effect for all Bureau of Land Management lands in Oregon and Washington.
“We are increasingly concerned that 2026 could rival the most extreme years on record for heat and dryness in the Pacific Northwest,” said Jeff Fedrizzi, assistant chief of operations for the Pacific Northwest, U.S. Wildland Fire Service. “Every visitor must understand that even one small spark can lead to a costly and destructive fire in these high-impact conditions.”
Officials say the restrictions will help reduce the risk of human-caused fires. BLM officials say anyone who violates the prohibition could be fined up to $100,000 and/or face up to 12 months in prison.
More information on fire season is available on the ODF website.
The Bureau of Land Management website has additional information on fire restrictions and closures.
The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 10 drawing
1PM: 8-2-8-4
4PM: 5-1-2-6
7PM: 1-5-9-6
10PM: 8-6-5-1
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
- Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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