Oregon
Oregon Legislature adjourns 2024 'short session,' parties tout accomplishments; Gov. Kotek says she'll sign Measure 110 fix – KTVZ
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) – The Oregon Legislature wrapped up its month-long “short session” three days before the deadline Thursday night, with Democrats, Republicans and Gov. Tina Kotek expressing satisfaction with what got done on Measure 110 fixes, major housing funding and other issues, in contrast to last year’s GOP walkout-hobbled session.
Here’s what each had to say in statements issued after the gavel came down at “sine die” — that means adjournment, including Gov. Kotek’s announcement that she does plan to sign the Measure 110 bill, working with those concerned about its impacts.
Isabella Warren will be reaching out to Central Oregon lawmakers Friday to see how they feel it all went and about major successes or misses from the condensed time in Salem.
Senate Democrats Turn Oregon’s Shared Challenges into Shared Solutions in 2024 Session
Statement from Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber on adjournment of the 2024 Legislative Session
SALEM, OR – Oregon’s 82nd Legislative Assembly adjourned the 2024 Legislative Session today having delivered major victories for the people of Oregon. This session, Senate Democrats worked to turn Oregon’s shared problems into shared solutions. Lawmakers prioritized taking action on the most urgent issues impacting all Oregonians: reducing homelessness, increasing affordable housing, improving public health and safety – including real solutions to the drug crisis – and strengthening our schools and the economy.
Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber (D – Beaverton & SW Portland) issued the following statement on the major wins Senate Democrats delivered for the people of Oregon:
“Oregonians are the winners of this legislative session.
“I’m so proud of the job our caucus did this year, taking on our state’s toughest challenges to make a real, positive difference in peoples’ lives. I’m proud of the way we worked together, with our fellow Democrats and Republicans, to deliver meaningful progress Oregonians’ biggest priorities, including major investments in the homelessness and housing emergencies and common-sense solutions to the drug crisis.
“This responsibility is never easy, and we had to make some really hard decisions this session, but I’m confident that Oregon’s future is brighter because of the victories we secured for communities in every corner of our state.”
Senate Democrats’ 2024 Uniting Oregon Agenda focused on bringing people together to solve our state’s most pressing problems with the goal of making life better for all who call Oregon home. Legislation passed to accomplish this goal includes but is not limited to:
HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS
SAFE, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
- Oregon Drug Intervention Plan (HB 4002, HB 5204)
- Urgently Expanding Drug Treatment in Oregon (HB 4151, HB 4001, HB 4023, HB 4092)
- Protecting Oregonians on Public Transit (SB 1553)
- Strengthening Support for Survivors of Child Abuse, Domestic and Sexual Violence (HB 4140, HB 4146, HB 4156)
- Improving Government Accountability and Transparency (SB 1533, HB 4117)
- Building on the Success of Oregon’s Marine Reserves (HB 4132)
- Modernizing Oregon’s Emergency Medical Services (HB 4081)
- Protecting Kids Getting On and Off School Buses (HB 4147)
- Safeguarding Oregon’s Economic and Environmental Future (HB 4083)
- Making Prescription Drugs More Affordable for Oregonians (HB 4113)
- Keeping Insulin, Prescriptions Affordable for Oregonians (SB 1508)
- Managing Monsanto Settlement to Protect Oregon’s Environment (SB 1561)
- Defending Voters, Elections from Artificial Intelligence (SB 1571)
- Task Force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention (SB 1503)
- Human Services Omnibus to Improve Systems of Care (SB 1521)
- Ensuring Access to Mental Health Care for Youth Under 21 (SB 1557)
- Legislature Passes Bipartisan, Practical Limits on Money in Politics (HB 4024)
STRONG SCHOOLS, STRONG ECONOMY
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2024 SESSION RECAP: Senate Republicans Prioritized Emergencies Like Measure 110 and Housing Supply; Lowered Costs for Oregonians, Protected the Kicker
SALEM, Ore. – This evening, the 2024 Legislative Session adjourned sine die. Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) released the following statement:
“Since the first day, Senate Republicans have been consistent: this 35-day short session must be focused on bipartisan work to tackle emergencies, fine tune technical fixes, and make reasonable budget adjustments. With few exceptions, the 2024 short session met these criteria. I am proud our Caucus remained dedicated to delivering on these promises by recriminalizing hard drugs, giving law enforcement the tools necessary to crack down on drug dealers, unleashing builders and funding critical infrastructure to boost housing production, strengthening services for children who are victims of abuse, and giving needed financial relief to wildfire victims.”
Republican accomplishments include:
Boosting Housing Production
SB 1564: Allows cities who do not have the bandwidth to create and administer their own model ordinance codes to adopt a code created by DLCD that is aligned with that city’s population.
HB 1530, HB 1537: A bipartisan package of housing bills aimed at boosting housing production, funding critical infrastructure in communities across the state, developing an innovative revolving loan fund, and focusing on workforce housing levels.
Addressing Drug Addiction, Homelessness, and Crime
HB 4002, HB 5204: A bipartisan proposal to give law enforcement, district attorneys, and local government leaders many of the tools they say are needed to get people off the streets and into life-saving addiction treatment. It signifies an end to the nationwide decriminalization movement.
SB 1579: Begins the work of funding and expanding access to underserved, historically marginalized, low-income areas of the state while offering needed services to children who have been abused through Child Advocacy Centers. This critical investment will help ensure equitable access and services for children who have been abused and neglected. It will give all of Oregon’s CACs the opportunity to be accredited with the standards and best practices of the National Children’s Alliance, leading to better standards of care and services.
Defending the Kicker, Growing the Economy, Lowering Costs
SB 1520: Allows Oregon wildfire victims to recover and rebuild their lives without the additional strain of taxation or settlements related to their wildfire losses. The measure proposes to exempt legal settlements from state income taxes for wildfire occurring after January 1, 2020, that were declared state and federal emergencies.
SB 1545: Authorizes a county to allow a homestead rebuilt by the same owner on the same lot to replace the homestead destroyed by the September 2020 wildfires to have a specially assessed value equal to the destroyed homestead’s real market value for the 2020-2021 property tax year, to the extent of the square footage of the destroyed homestead.
SB 1562: Increases the limit for transferring funds from the General Fund to the Rainy Day Fund from 7.5 percent to 12.5 percent of revenue received in the prior biennium. This will allow the state to increase the reserves in Rainy Day Fund as compared to current law.
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Legislative Session 2024: Governor Kotek Issues Statement on Housing and Homelessness, Education, Campaign Finance Reform, and House Bill 4002
Salem, OR – Today, after Oregon lawmakers concluded the 2024 legislative session, marking continued progress on critical issues facing Oregonians, including housing and homelessness, education, and more, Governor Tina Kotek issued the following statement:
“I commend lawmakers for a productive session with bipartisan successes and a strong focus on the top issues facing Oregonians.
“Oregon will now have more tools to meet the urgent demand for all types of housing, in all parts of the state. Senate Bill 1537 will help stabilize housing costs by increasing housing production through cutting red tape in permitting processes, establishing some of the strongest affordability standards for new construction in the country, and other critical reforms. Combined with investments in Senate Bill 1530, I look forward to ensuring that every dollar advances housing production.
“Our students will have more educational supports this summer to offset the learning loss between school years, and we are on track to make budget information that the State already collects from school districts more accessible and easier to understand.
“This session also marks the historical passage of campaign finance reform with strong bipartisan support. I applaud all those who came to the table to find compromise and deliver a policy that will strengthen transparency and confidence in Oregon’s elections. I want to thank legislative leadership for their commitment and urgency in getting it done this session.
“Finally, reforms to Measure 110 will start to take shape, as I intend to sign House Bill 4002 and the related prevention and treatment investments within the next 30 days. As Governor, my focus is on implementation. My office will work closely with each implementing authority to set expectations, specifically in response to the Criminal Justice Center’s Racial Equity Impact Statement, which projected disproportionate impacts to communities of color and the accompanying concerns raised by advocates. House Bill 4002 will require persistent action and commitment from state and local government to uphold the intent that the legislature put forward: to balance treatment for individuals struggling with addiction and accountability.”
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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