The law reintroduces penalties for possession of small amounts of illicit drugs. Some counties will offer “deflection” to treatment instead of jail.
Drug possession arrests in Oregon have fallen from a weekly average of 218 to 170 three months after Oregon recriminalized possession of small amounts of controlled substances and offered treatment programs instead of jail, according to data shared with lawmakers Wednesday.
There was an initial peak of 218 arrests per week after House Bill 4002 went into effect Sept. 1, repealing the Class E violations created by the voter-approved Measure 110 and introducing a new misdemeanor crime for possession, said Ken Sanchagrin, executive director of the Criminal Justice Commission.
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But arrests have since fallen to a weekly average of about 180 in October and 170 in November, Sanchagrin told lawmakers.
The bill also allocated $20.7 million for counties to set up “deflection programs” and offer eligible Oregonians treatment before entering the criminal justice system.
Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 4, a total of 442 people were referred to deflection and 263 were enrolled.
“I’m really proud of what we did and I’m also really thankful that you all dug in,” Sen. Kate Lieber, D-Portland, told representatives of Lane, Washington and Malheur counties who talked about their deflection programs.
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Lieber, now co-chair of the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, will be part of fielding additional funding requests for the program.
“All of us in this room and who have participated in this, ultimately, we want to make Oregon safer and we want Oregonians to get the treatment they need when they need it,” Lieber added.
What Oregon’s dashboard tracking drug arrests shows
A dashboard maintained by the commission shows 1,648 cases have been filed for the new drug enforcement misdemeanor. Of those, 931 cases filed were standalone, meaning there were no other accompanying charges.
Another dashboard maintained by the Criminal Justice Commission shows 2,734 arrests for possession were made from Sept. 1 to Dec. 12. The number includes all possession arrests including commercial drug offenses.
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Prior to the pandemic, there was an average of about 300 arrests a week for possession of controlled substance. After Measure 110 went into effect, there were about 50 arrests per week.
Status of county programs for people arrested with narcotics to avoid immediate jail time
Of Oregon’s 36 counties, 28 counties applied for Behavioral Health Deflection grants.
As of December, 19 deflection programs are operational and most have committed to using a Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program similar to the program that Marion County has been operating since 2018.
Lane County was awarded $2 million for its new deflection program, which launched Oct. 18.
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Lane County District Attorney Chris Parosa shared preliminary data with lawmakers that 65 people were deemed eligible for the county program and 25 people were offered deflection.
A total of 35 people were in deflection, more than offered because police had referred them even without charges filed, Parosa said.
Four people declined the program and 15 people were terminated from deflection. “The primary reasons are that they just weren’t ready for treatment at that point and they’re not willing to engage,” Parosa said.
He urged lawmakers to maintain funding for the deflection programs. If state funding dries up, the program will end, he warned.
“Having talked with many of my compatriots from around the state and district attorney offices, if we are going to have the expectation that they’re going to build up robust programs in their communities, they’ve gotta receive adequate funding as well,” Parosa said.
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Baker, Crook, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Malheur, Morrow, Tillamook, Union and Wasco each received $150,000 and “are going to need more funding put into their system in order for them to stand up these programs,” he said. “We wouldn’t have even known where to start if that is what had been given to us.”
Sanchagrin said 216 people remained enrolled in deflection statewide and 70 did not complete their program largely because they did not engage as required.
A best practices report by the commission about deflection programs and including recommendations for funding of the Oregon Behavioral Health Deflection Program is expected in April.
Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo
PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Starting in 2026, a new law in Oregon requires all non-motorized boats, regardless of size, to buy and carry a waterway access permit. That includes paddleboards and kayaks.
But there has been some push back from one organization.
Ben Roche is part of Let Us Paddle. The organization aims to repeal the updates to the waterway access permit.
“It’s Oregonians constitutional right to free access to our waterways. And human powered watercrafts are the best way to do that, and the least environmentally impactful,” said Roche.
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According to the Oregon State Marine Board, permit fees range from $6 to $35.
If you’re caught without a permit, there’s a $115 fine.
The state agency says the funding goes directly to two programs.
One supports aquatic invasive species watercraft inspection stations and the other improves access points to the water that specifically serve paddlers.
“There is a need for inspection and we support that. What we don’t support is charging recreational paddleboarders for cleaning of motorboats that enter our state,” said Roche.
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Roche adds, the state is only funding a few dozen access points.
Let Us Paddle has collected at least 20,000 signatures, and they want about 130,000 more by July 2.
They need at least 120,000 verified signatures to put the repeal before voters on the November ballot.
But even if they don’t meet the requirement, Roche says he’ll keep pushing for change.
“I think it’s really a poorly crafted bill that collects a small drop in the bucket of revenue but impacts thousands of recreational kayakers across the state,” said Roche.
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FOX 12 reached out to the Oregon State Marine Board to ask more questions, but have not yet to heard back.
Oregon DMV temporarily paused dispersing new undercover vehicle license plates starting April 15.
FILE – The U.S. Department of Justice seal is seen on a podium before a news conference, May 4, 2026, in Washington.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson / AP
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The Justice Department is suing four states after they refused to issue confidential license plates to federal law enforcement agencies, despite having done so in the past.
The lawsuits, filed Wednesday in Oregon, Washington, Massachusetts and Maine, seek to force states to resume what the federal government describes as long-standing, routine policies.
The scope of the combined litigation raises questions about ways the federal government has aggressively carried out immigration enforcement since President Donald Trump’s reelection, and whether the Constitution grants states the power to deny federal law enforcement agencies license plates that effectively conceal officers’ identities.
“Oregon’s DMV policy illegally discriminates against the United States, violates the Supremacy clause, and is unconstitutional,” attorneys for the federal government argued in court filings.
Oregon DMV temporarily paused disbursing new undercover license plates to all federal agencies starting April 15.
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“The DMV is currently evaluating the undercover vehicle registration program to ensure the program complies with Oregon law,” Oregon DMV Administrator Amy Joyce explained in a May 22 letter to Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate.
A recent lawsuit filed against Oregon State Police alleges the state is providing personal information to federal immigration authorities through databases, including Oregon’s DMV.
“If the DMV process for issuing undercover plates could be questioned under Oregon law, the State is at risk for additional litigation,” Joyce explained in the letter to Shumate.
The state’s review of the undercover license plate program doesn’t prevent federal vehicles from legally driving on Oregon roads.
“State and local law enforcement are unaffected by this pause and the federal agencies that participate in the program are able to continue to use their existing unexpired plates,” Kevin Glenn, a spokesperson for Gov. Tina Kotek wrote in a statement.
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Immigration officers have relied on these license plates for enforcement, including during Operation Black Rose in Oregon. According to U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, officers arrested more than 1,498 people between September and March, which led to 1,057 removals.
The lawsuits filed Wednesday argue the states’ DMV policies undermine ongoing federal investigations.
“Federal law enforcement agencies should not be subject to the challenged DMV policy, which is unconstitutional and recklessly disregards officer safety, public safety, and federal operational needs‚” the Justice Department’s lawsuit states.
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Thursday is shaping up to be another active weather day across the region, with the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms developing this afternoon and evening. The greatest severe weather threat is expected across southeast Oregon, where the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk for severe storms. Portions of southwest Idaho remain under a Marginal Risk, meaning isolated severe storms are possible. Boise and much of the Treasure Valley are mainly under a general thunderstorm threat, but storms could still bring gusty winds, blowing dust, lightning, and brief heavy rain later today.
Idaho News 6
Storms are expected to first develop across southeast Oregon and near the Nevada border this afternoon before tracking north and northwest through the evening hours. The strongest storms will likely stay west of Boise, especially across areas of Malheur County, western Owyhee County, and parts of the west-central Idaho mountains.
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Impacts
The biggest impact today will likely be strong outflow winds. Some storms could produce wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph, with isolated gusts near 70 mph possible in the strongest storms across eastern Oregon. Winds of that strength can blow around patio furniture, trampolines, garbage cans, and other loose outdoor objects, bring down tree limbs, and cause isolated power outages.
Blowing dust may also become a major issue in open desert and agricultural areas, especially across eastern Oregon and southwest Idaho. Visibility could quickly drop on roads and highways, creating dangerous travel conditions for drivers.
Some storms may also produce hail capable of damaging vehicles and outdoor property, while brief heavy downpours could lead to ponding on roads and reduced visibility. Frequent lightning will also make outdoor activities dangerous through the afternoon and evening.
Even though Boise is not currently in the higher severe weather categories, residents should still stay weather aware because any thunderstorm that moves through the Treasure Valley could produce sudden gusty winds and localized blowing dust.
Looking ahead
Storm chances continue Friday with additional showers and weaker thunderstorms before conditions gradually dry out heading into the weekend. Temperatures will cool closer to normal on Saturday before another warming trend develops next week.
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