Oregon
Oregon bill to end daylight saving time fails to clear state Senate
FILE: Dave LeMote uses an wrench to adjust hands on a stainless steel tower clock at Electric Time Company, Inc. in Medfield, Mass., in this March 7, 2014 photo.
Elise Amendola / AP
Oregon senators have rejected a bill that would make Oregon the only state on the West Coast to switch permanently to standard time.
In a 15-15 vote Tuesday, Senate Bill 1548 became the rare bill to fail on the chamber floor. It went down after lawmakers in both parties raised concerns that Oregon would be going it alone, creating confusion for people who travel frequently to and from neighboring states.
The result means that Oregon, like Washington, is unlikely to take action on ending daylight saving time this year.
The idea isnât completely dead, however. SB 1548 supporters will try to put an amended version back before the Senate, they said. The altered bill would ensure Oregon does not change its time standard without other neighboring states doing the same.
Lawmakers have demonstrated for years they want the state to âditch the switch,â ending the twice-yearly time changes that have been linked to increased instances of heart problems and negative mental health impacts.
In 2019, the Legislature approved a bill that would have kept the state permanently on daylight savings time, a move requiring Congressional approval that never came.
Leaving the state on standard time is a far simpler change, requiring only that lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek agree. Hawaii, much of Arizona, and U.S. territories like Puerto Rico and Guam already operate on the system.
State Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, is a major proponent of ending the twice-yearly time change in Oregon. Her bill to do so failed to clear the Senate on Tuesday.
Kristyna Wentz-Graff / OPB
âIf and when the federal government ever decides to entertain daylight saving time again, we can look back at that and reconsider,â said Sen. Kim Thatcher, a Keizer Republican who introduced SB 1548, and argued Oregon could set an example for its neighbors. âFor now, we have that ability, we have that power to step out on this issue.â
Thatcher said sheâs been working with lawmakers in other West Coast states, but right now California and Washington arenât moving. A bill to adopt permanent standard time in Washington appears dead in the current legislative session, and a proposal in California hasnât been scheduled for a hearing.
That created the possibility that border-area residents who commute into or out of Oregon would have their time change repeatedly on any given day.
âThat really has the potential to be very disruptive,â said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland who opposed the bill. âI understand and sympathize with the⦠goal of setting a precedent for the other states to follow, but Iâm not sure that what Oregon does is necessarily in and of itself going to drive those other states to take action.â
Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, represents a wide swath of northeastern Oregon, and said heâd heard worries from constituents who frequently cross the border into Washington.
âI just am going to have to follow what Iâm hearing from my constituents and be a no vote even though I would like to move in this direction,â Hansell said.
Fans of the bill responded that any confusion it created would be temporary. âIn this age of remote work, many of us on an ongoing basis are constantly dealing with businesses and other people in time zones that are not the same as ours,â said Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland. âWe know how to do this.â
A family physician, Steiner argued that switching to daylight saving time each year poses unnecessary health hazards.
âWhen our time clock is not aligned with the sun, it is bad for mental health,â she said. âIt increases risk of depression. It is bad for heart disease. We see a significant exacerbation in heart attacks.â
The notion of changing the stateâs time standard inevitably stirs up a heated debate in Salem, as fans of either standard or daylight time rush forward with research they believe makes their case.
Supporters of sticking with daylight saving time all year roundâ meaning darker mornings but light extending further into the evening â cite research that suggests the change would save lives by cutting down on traffic fatalities during the evening commute. They also argue more light at night reduces crime, cuts back on collisions with deer and that it would be a waste to have the sun rising before 5 a.m. during summer months. In Portland, a switch to permanent standard time would result in the sun rising as early as 4:21 a.m. in June.
âThe entire point of DST is to push daylight into the portion of the day when the vast majority of the public is awake, moving about town, and can enjoy the benefits of light vs. the dangers of darkness,â said Steve Calandrillo, a law professor at the University of Washington who has argued for clocks to remain on daylight savings time year-round. âThose benefits do not accrue if we move to permanent standard time.â
But advocates for standard time are just as adamant â so much so that there is now a nonprofit dedicated solely to touting the benefits of sticking with what its fans sometimes call ânatural timeâ or âGodâs time.â This camp emphasizes that standard time more closely syncs with the bodyâs natural clock, an argument that is backed by sleep scientists.
The broad benefits promised by fans of standard time include improved âimmunity, longevity, mood, alertness, and performance in school, sports, and work.â They point out that permanent daylight saving time could result in sunrise later than 8 a. m. during winter months â as late as 8:50 a.m. in Portland.
âMoving clocks to DST acutely deprives sleep; leaving clocks on DST chronically deprives sleep,â Jay Pea, president of the group Save Standard Time, wrote in testimony submitted in support of Thatcherâs bill. âDSTâs delayed sunrise significantly increases accidents, disease, and health care costs. It significantly decreases learning, productivity, and earnings.â
Many people do seem to agree that the twice-annual changing of the clock needs to end. But not everyone.
Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis, said on the Senate floor that sheâd concluded that falling back and springing forward are necessary evils, since Oregonâs northerly position on the globe ensures that sunrise will either come unreasonably early or unreasonably late without them.
âThe real issue is that we are geographically in a place where, as inconvenient as it is, it probably makes sense that we change our clock twice a year,â Gelser Blouin said.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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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