Oregon
Oregon lawmakers pass bill authorizing governor to fill US Senate vacancies
What to know about Oregon’s short, long legislative sessions
What is the difference between Oregon’s short and long legislative sessions?
The Oregon Legislature passed a bill on June 3 that would allow the governor of Oregon to appoint a U.S. senator to represent the state temporarily in the event of a vacancy.
Under current state law, vacancies in the U.S. Senate are filled by a special election, and the seat remains empty until the special election is held.
If Kotek signs Senate Bill 952, Oregon would become the 47th state to grant the governor the authority to fill a vacancy. North Dakota, Rhode Island and Wisconsin do not allow temporary appointments before a special election is held, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
SB 952 would require the governor to appoint within 30 days of a vacancy an individual qualified to hold office who is affiliated with the same political party as the previous senator.
A special election would be required within 150 days of the vacancy.
SB 952 passed by a vote of 31-24 on June 3 in the Oregon House and passed on a 16-13 vote in the Oregon Senate on April 28.
Why advocates for Oregon Senate Bill 952 say it is necessary
“Senate Bill 952A is a safeguard,” said Rep. Hai Pham, D-Hillsboro. “It ensures that Oregonians are always represented and never left without a voice in the U.S. Senate during critical moments.”
Oregon U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley submitted letters in support of SB 952. Wyden stated in his testimony that collaboration between two senators is crucial to making the state a better place to work and live.
“Oregonians would have only half a voice in the U.S. Senate if our state lacked a senator because of death or injury for a prolonged period. And that in turn could hurt our state significantly,” Wyden wrote.
Merkley echoed Wyden’s testimony in a letter he submitted to the Legislature, saying both voices matter for the state.
“If Oregon is left without a Senator for several months because a vacancy occurs and current law does not provide for an appointment, then that critical work will not happen, and it could have significant repercussions for the people of Oregon,” Merkley wrote.
What opponents said about authorizing Oregon governor to appoint a US senator
Opponents who spoke on the floor included Republicans and Rep. Paul Evans, D-Monmouth, who expressed concerns that the measure would erode voters’ power.
“It takes a step closer to centralizing control and a step away from democratic values,” said Rep. Dwayne Yunker, R-Grants Pass.
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said the bill was unnecessary. She recalled her campaign for governor and said appointees should not be allowed to represent without undergoing a similar process.
“[Campaigning] is grueling, it is humbling, it is demanding, and it is appropriate that it be so,” Drazan said. “It demands more than policy knowledge or just political connections … Senate Bill 952 hands power to insiders and it takes it from the people. That is always a mistake.”
Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on X @DianneLugo
Oregon
Two Oregon State Police troopers, truck driver hurt in crash off I-84 in The Dalles
THE DALLES, Ore. (KATU) — Two Oregon State Police troopers were hurt Monday morning in a crash involving two commercial trucks on an Interstate 84 off-ramp, The Dalles Police officials said.
The crash was reported about 7:30 a.m. at the top of I-84 on-ramp at exit 87, along Highway 197 just north of the interstate.
Initial reports state an Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife K-9 vehicle was involved in a crash with two commercial vehicles – an unloaded log truck and a semi-truck & trailer.
Two OSP troopers and one of the commercial truck drivers were all taken to medical facilities for treatment.
The K-9 and the other truck driver were not hurt in the crash.
RELATED | Crash on Airport Way led to DUII arrest during unrelated traffic stop
Highway 197 was closed at Bret Clodfelter Way through much of the day Monday, and is expected to reopen in the evening hours.
Washington traffic heading south to Oregon was diverted to Hood River or Biggs Junction, while northbound traffic was rerouted onto Highway 30 at Exit 85.
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“The investigation is ongoing and we are asking for anybody who has information regarding this crash to call us at 541-296-2613 and reference case number D26-0261,” City of The Dalles Police Department said.
Oregon
Oregon 4A wrestling: Champions, takeaways from district meets
The 4A wrestling district meets took place over the weekend, with the OSAA state championships scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.
Here’s a look at the champions and three takeaways from each of the four district meets. The top four finishers from each district advance to state.
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Special District 1 (at Molalla)
Team champion: Tillamook (376.5 points)
Most automatic qualifiers: Tillamook (15), Molalla (11), Estacada (10)
Individual champions
106 Liam Pyle, jr., Tillamook
113 Braiden Grochowsky, sr., Estacada
120 Cole Stafford, fr., Molalla
126 Kipton Allen, soph., Tillamook
132 Leroy Mixon, jr., Estacada
138 Beau Sandberg, sr., Molalla
144 Beau Smith, jr., Astoria
150 Logan Riga, jr., Estacada
157 Brayden Cooley, jr., Seaside
165 Tyler Kenton, jr., Molalla
175 Turner Jackson, jr., Estacada
190 Charlie Becker, jr., Gladstone
215 Melesio Brito, soph., Astoria
285 Adrian Balli, sr., Astoria
3 notes
Tillamook earns eighth consecutive district title
The Cheesemakers romped to another championship, putting six wrestlers in the finals and advancing 15 to state to outscore runner-up Estacada by 105 points and set themselves up for a run at improving upon back-to-back sixth-place finishes at state. Pyle repeated as 106-pound champion, pinning teammate Javier Vazquez in 74 seconds in the final.
Three-time champions hope to make mark in two weeks
Two wrestlers won their third consecutive district titles, with Sandberg pinning Scappoose’s Lawson Komp 41 seconds into the second round and Cooley earning a 4-0 decision over Tillamook’s Dillon Bennet. Now, each looks to improve upon his 2025 state finish — Sandberg placed fifth at 132 and Cooley sixth at 150.
Estacada’s Grochowsky avenges loss in district final
Grochowsky won a district title as a freshman but lost 12-11 to Seaside’s Henry Rollins in the 113 final last year. This weekend, he got the better of Rollins when the Seagulls junior had to retire because of injury after the second round. Grochowsky’s teammate, Mixon, also won a second title, as did Astoria’s Balli.
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Special District 2 (at Newport)
Team champion: Sweet Home (507 points)
Most qualifiers: Sweet Home (20), Cascade (14), Cottage Grove (7), Philomath (7)
Individual champions
106 Cody Sieminski, fr., Sweet Home
113 Keegan Jefferson, jr., Sweet Home
120 Riley Vaughan, jr., Sweet Home
126 Jesse Landtroop, jr., Sweet Home
132 Jeffery Conklin, jr., Cottage Grove
138 Henry Bankhead, jr., North Marion
144 Leonardo Michel, sr., Stayton
150 Riley Barrett, sr., Philomath
157 Porter Compton, sr., Philomath
165 Hans Kamm, jr., Cascade
175 Luke Rosa, sr., Sweet Home
190 Lake Mulberry, sr., Philomath
215 Matthew Hinkle, sr., Cascade
285 Lynkin Royer, sr., Sweet Home
3 notes
Sweet Home poised to reclaim state championship
A 12th consecutive district championship trophy is nice, but with 2025 champion Crook County now in 5A, the Huskies put themselves in fine position to reclaim the state title in two weeks — they won in 2017 and 2024 and have five runner-up finishes in the past decade. They owned the lower weights, winning every title from 106 to 126 pounds, and Jefferson, Vaughan, Landtroop and Rosa repeated as district champions.
Conklin ends six-year title drought for Cottage Grove
Conklin improved to 46-0 (improving his win streak to 48 after placing third at state as a sophomore) when two-time district champion Tytus Hardee of Sweet Home sustained an injury in the final. Cottage Grove had not had a district finalist since 2023, and Conklin became the program’s first champion since 2020, when Jacob Dunn, Drew Swenson and Cobie Simpson took home titles.
Philomath state champion shrugging off early-season injury
Barrett suffered an ankle injury at Philomath’s season-opening tournament and has been brought back gradually to prevent a recurrence as he tries to become the program’s first three-time state champion. He improved to 18-0 with a 14-0 major decision over Sweet Home’s James Hearick in the district final.
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Special District 3 (at Hidden Valley)
Team champion: Marshfield (299 points)
Most qualifiers: Marshfield (14), Hidden Valley (9), North Bend (9), Mazama (9)
Individual champions
106 Rhoan Rambo, fr., Hidden Valley
113 Garron Castro, sr., Marshfield
120 Ryker Pruett, fr., North Bend
126 Acen Clark, soph., Henley
132 Nicholas Campbell, sr., North Bend
138 Nicco Kovacic, soph., Klamath Union
144 Jackson Swanson, sr., North Bend
150 Levi Padoshek, jr., Mazama
157 John Willett, sr., North Bend
165 Walter Collier, sr., Henley
175 Jyles Peterson, jr., Hidden Valley
190 Brent Kolkow, sr., Hidden Valley
215 Dylan Swanson, sr., North Bend
285 Mitchell Quist, sr., Hidden Valley
3 notes
Depth key to Marshfield’s second consecutive district title
A year ago, Marshfield won eight individual championships en route to its first team title since 2018. This year, the Pirates won only one weight class when Castro took home his third district crown with a third-period technical fall, but their depth (state qualifiers at 12 of 14 weight classes) was enough to stave off Hidden Valley (and the Mustangs’ four district titlists) by 39 points.
Returning champions square off in 285 final
The 285 final featured returning district champions Quist moving up from 215 to challenge Marshfield’s Skyler Folau. Quist, whose only loss this season came in the High Desert Classic final to Burns’ Joe Weil, defeated Folau for the second time this season with a 4-1 decision. It was a closer match than in mid-December, when Quist (third at state a year ago) won an 11-3 major decision in the North Bend Coast Classic quarterfinals.
North Bend’s Swanson, Henley’s Collier also repeat
Two other wrestlers repeated as district champions, with Swanson moving down from 150 (where a possible final against two-time state titlist Riley Barrett awaited) to beat Phoenix’s Caden Cunningham by second-period fall, and Collier moved up from 157 to 165 and earned a second-round pin over Mazama’s Isaac Stacey.
—
Special District 4 (at Madras)
Team champion: La Grande (396 points)
Most qualifiers: Pendleton (18), La Grande (16), Madras (9)
Individual champions
106 Darren Gulzow, jr., La Grande
113 Hank Roy, soph., Pendleton
120 Aiden Cox, fr., Pendleton
126 Deegan Nelson, soph., La Grande
132 Bragen Anderson, sr., La Grande
138 Colton Livingston, sr., La Grande
144 Bryler Anderson, soph., La Grande
150 Cole Roy, sr., Pendleton
157 Tommy Belding, sr., La Grande
165 Kainen Zimmerman, sr., Pendleton
175 Vance Nelson, sr., Pendleton
190 Aidan Perkins, sr., Pendleton
215 Dex Dunlap, jr., La Grande
285 Gage Valencia, sr., Ontario
3 notes
La Grande edges Pendleton for first district title since 2022
The departure of three-time reigning champion Crook County to 5A created a wide-open district tournament, where Pendleton enjoyed a 3-2 edge over La Grande in district finals matching the schools’ wrestlers and an 18-16 edge in state qualifiers but still saw the Tigers eke out a 1.5-point victory for their first title since 2022 — the year before the Cowboys dropped to 4A. Belding and Bragen Anderson each won a third district title to lead the charge, and Dunlap repeated as 215 champion.
Two No. 2 seeds help Buckaroos push for team title
The Buckaroos had six district champions, one fewer than La Grande, with Nelson needing just 31 seconds to pin Madras’ Colton Gillespie to earn his third individual crown. They also got wins at 120, where Cox earned a 5-3 decision over La Grande’s top seed Kallen Blakely, and 165, where Zimmerman posted a 14-5 major decision over top seed Noah Collins of La Grande.
Ontario heavyweight denies La Grande-Pendleton title sweep
Ontario will have only four wrestlers make the 375-mile trip from the eastern tip of the state to Memorial Coliseum, but one of them is Valencia, who was the only wrestler not from La Grande or Pendleton to win a title — he earned a second-period technical fall over La Grande’s Darryn Richardson to improve to 31-4.
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For complete coverage of Oregon high school sports, visit OregonLive’s high school sports section throughout the year.
Oregon
Four-star RB Cadarius McMiller talks pledge to Oregon: “It felt right”
Tyler (Texas) High Rivals300 running back Cadarius McMiller committed to Oregon over the weekend, choosing to play for the Big Ten powerhouse over the likes of Arizona State, Baylor, Texas Tech, SMU, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Tennessee, Washington and Ole Miss.
“I really like the school,” McMiller said. “Nobody else showing me love like Oregon.”
That love begins with future position coach Ra’Shaad Samples.
“Coach Samp it’s a good relationship,” McMiller said. “It felt right.
“He’s a good dude. I feel like to be a good recruiter you have to have good communication and relationship skills and he has both of them.”
Rivals ranks McMiller as the nation’s No. 15 running back and No. 173 prospect overall. He visited Eugene a few weeks ago.
“The coaching staff of course,” he said of what stood out. “Everybody is cool. They got a good facility.”
McMiller also highlight the “winning” program.
“The head coach he’s a good leader. He knows how to run a program.”
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound McMiller has 10.2 speed in the 100m dash and as a junior he used his speed to rush for 943 yards and 17 touchdowns with 186 more yards receiving and three scores.
“I’m a run hard running back,” McMiller said. He can also play in the slot. “I’m not doing all that dancing. I’m straight downhill into somebody’s face.”
Oregon signed Rivals No. 4 ranked class in the 2026 cycle and with recruiting wins like McMiller they’ll compete for another top five haul in 2027.
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