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Oregon Legislature ends 2023 session

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Oregon Legislature ends 2023 session


The 2023 Oregon legislative session came to a close Sunday after lawmakers cleared hundreds of bills in a marathon week.

House lawmakers cheered and hugged when Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, declared the session over at about 4:15 p.m. In closing remarks, Rep. David Gomberg, D-Otis, thanked Democrats and Republicans alike for reaching the finish line and chided his Senate colleagues for a historic impasse that stalled floor votes, but not committee work, in that chamber for six weeks.

The Senate gaveled out about 11 minutes later, ending work for the regular session.

Lawmakers again passed a slew of bills in their final hours of work, including asking voters to approve ranked choice voting in elections statewide and create a state board to scrutinize — and possibly raise — salaries for state elected officials.

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“I couldn’t be more proud of the work we did,” Rayfield told reporters, noting noting major outlays for housing and homelessness, climate projects and early childhood literacy that lawmakers hammered out.

However, three bills died on the Senate floor in an unusual display of late-session disagreement among Democrats.

Senate Democrats killed House Bill 3414, a bill backed by Gov. Tina Kotek to jump-start more affordable housing. At issue was a late amendment that would have allowed local governments outside the Portland area to expand their urban growth boundaries for more housing. Environmentalists and mayors broadly opposed that plan.

Kotek has resolved to oversee the construction of 36,000 affordable housing units per year, up from the current rate of about 20,000 annually.

The bill failed by one vote. A spokesperson for Kotek’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday afternoon.

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Enough Democrats also opposed House Bill 3013, which would have established more oversight of pharmacy benefit managers criticized for raising prescription drug prices, and House Bill 3242, which would have allowed people to sue insurers over unfair claim settlements, to kill those measures as well.

But Democrats and Republicans repeatedly thanked each other for their hard work during the six-month legislative session, which saw major strides on housing, climate policies, public defense and more.

In a Sunday morning speech Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, thanked Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, for playing a key role in stalled negotiations between Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp and Senate President Rob Wagner, a Lake Oswego Democrat.

“I believe that you are 95% of the reason we are here,” Findley said of Taylor.

Here are looks at the moments and legislation that defined the five-month session and the key bills that lawmakers approved in the final days:

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Oregon notches record gains toward taming housing shortage

Republican boycott casts long shadow over session, Oregon’s political future

Oregon voters to decide whether state commission should review — and potentially raise — elected officials’ salaries

Phone fee of 40 cents per month to fund 988 suicide prevention hotline passes Oregon Legislature

Should Oregon Legislature be able to impeach statewide officeholders? Voters to decide in 2024

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Oregon offers chipmakers more than $500 million, hoping for billions in return

Rent hikes in Oregon can’t top 10% after Legislature approves new limit

Oregon lawmakers approve bill to clamp down on paramilitary activity

Oregon lawmakers boost PERS retirement benefits for deputy district attorneys, but leave their elected bosses out

Oregon lawmakers kill proposal to fund new state agency to promote liquor

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Bill to address problems with Measure 110, Oregon’s drug decriminalization law, passes Legislature

Minimum staffing mandate for Oregon hospitals approved by lawmakers

– Grant Stringer; gstringer@oregonian.com; @Stringerjourno



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‘They are stunt kings’: 36th Annual Oregon International Airshow kicks off

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‘They are stunt kings’: 36th Annual Oregon International Airshow kicks off


HILLSBORO Ore. (KPTV) – Oregon’s 36th annual international air show kicked off Friday night in Hillsboro and hundreds of people showed up for the occasion!

For people who show up every year, including Chris Roman, he said it never gets old.

“You know, it’s like a birthday. It’s not quite the same every year but it’s still fun each and every year. There’s always something different and there’s always different stories you hear about the pilots so it’s a great time,” Roman said.

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Community members got the chance to sound off on a proposed rate hike by Portland General Electric Thursday night.

The show features the U.S. Air Force F-16 Viper and U.S. Navy F/A-18 Rhino demonstration teams which will both fly heritage flights with the P-51 Val-Halla and F6F Hellcat.

People who attended the event also got to see the F-15 Strike Eagles of the 366th Fighter Wing, the Air Force’s C-17 and KC-135 demonstration teams.

“These guys are acrobats, and they are stunt kings,” Perry Manns said.

Some planes even brought back memories for some, including Teresa Busch.

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Along with the K9 Trials will be a community fair where you can pick up some free doggie treats made by a special group of local kids.

“I brought my dad the last year, prior to this passing. He was a World War II vet and Korean war vet, and they treated him like royalty,” Busch said.

Another attendee said seeing the planes up close and personal made him regret his own career decision.

“Oh my God…I should’ve joined the Air Force, instead of the Coast Guard,” Perry Manns laughed.

The 2024 Oregon International Air Show will take the skies from May 17-19 at the Hillsboro Municipal Airport at 3355 NE Cornell Rd., Hillsboro, OR 97124.

Tickets can be found here.

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Oregon man charged with murder in suspicious deaths of 3 women in 'complex' case: DA

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Oregon man charged with murder in suspicious deaths of 3 women in 'complex' case: DA


An Oregon man has been charged in the murders of three women who were found dead under “suspicious circumstances” last year, officials announced Friday.

Authorities have identified one suspect in the deaths of the three women – Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leanne Webster, 31, and Joanna Speaks, 32 – the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Bridget Leanne Webster, Charity Lynn Perry, and Joanna Speaks.

Multnomah County DA/Clark County Sheriff’s Office

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Jesse Lee Calhoun, 39, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse in connection with the women’s deaths, the district attorney’s office said, after a grand jury returned the six-count indictment on Thursday.

At a press briefing Friday, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt called the case “complex,” and said it required a “significant investigation” involving multiple law enforcement agencies.

“There’s still more work to be done, investigations are ongoing,” Schmidt said.

Calhoun has been in custody at Snake River Correctional Institution since July 2023 for unrelated charges and was scheduled to be released next month, online Oregon Department of Corrections records show. He is expected to be transferred to the custody of Multnomah County authorities for arraignment, prosecutors said. It is unclear if Calhoun has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Multnomah County authorities, citing the ongoing investigation, released few details about the case, including what alleged evidence led them to the suspect and how the women died.

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Speaks’ body was found at an abandoned property in Ridgefield, Washington, on April 8, 2023, authorities said. Police in Portland, Oregon, said in November 2023 that the homicide was believed to have happened in Portland.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in July 2023 that they were investigating whether the deaths of four women – including Perry and Webster – who were found dead throughout Oregon were related. The announcement came weeks after Portland police spoke out against online speculation regarding a possible serial killer in the Pacific Northwest.

PHOTO: This undated photo provided by the Oregon Department of Corrections show Jesse Lee Calhoun, who has been under investigation in the deaths of four women whose bodies were found scattered across northwest Oregon last year.

This undated photo provided by the Oregon Department of Corrections show Jesse Lee Calhoun, who has been under investigation in the deaths of four women whose bodies were found scattered across northwest Oregon last year.

Oregon Department of Corrections via AP

Perry’s body was found in a culvert near Ainsworth State Park in east Multnomah County on April 24, 2023, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon said Webster’s body was found six days later, on April 30, 2023.

Perry’s mother, Diana Allen, told reporters Friday that it’s been “very, very frustrating” for the families of the victims not to have answers amid the ongoing investigation, but that she has had respect for the district attorney office’s process.

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“Even though they wouldn’t give me the answers, I knew they had answers,” she said.

The deaths of two other women – Kristin Smith and Ashley Real, both 22 – initially believed to have been linked, remain under investigation, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

The body of Smith, who was reported missing in December 2022, was found on Feb. 19, 2023, in a wooded area in Portland, police said. Real’s body was found in a wooded area in Clackamas County in Oregon in May 2023, a month after she was reported missing to Portland police, authorities said.

“We keep waiting, we keep praying and stay hopeful,” Melissa Smith, Kristin Smith’s mother, said during Friday’s press briefing. “We stay hopeful that we soon can get justice for them as well.”



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Arizona drops opening game of Oregon State series | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com

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Arizona drops opening game of Oregon State series | ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com


Arizona’s second largest crowd of 4,600 (second largest of the year)watching the Wildcats in their 9-2 loss to Oregon State. (Arizona Athletics photo)

No. 14 Arizona (32-19, 19-9) opened their three game series at Hi Corbett Field against No. 6 Oregon State a game and a half ahead of the Beavers in the race for the final Pac-12 regular season championship.

By the end of Thursday night, that lead dwindled to a half-game as the Beavers(40-12, 18-9) used a five-run third inning to defeat the Wildcats 9-2 in the series opener.

“There was not a facet of the game I thought we did very well at all,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said. 

Aiden May, Oregon States starting pitcher, happens to be a familiar face for Arizona. The right hander transferred to Oregon State after spending the previous year with the Wildcats.

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May pitched 7 innings, had 7 strikes, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs (1 earned) to improve to 6-0 on the season.

Jackson Kent, Arizona’s starting pitcher, opened the game with a strike out of Oregon States lead-off batter and No.2 draft prospect Travis Bazzana on a 96-mph fastball.

Kent pitched two solid innings before the Beavers opened the dam in the third inning including two 2 RBI homers one by designated hitter Gavin Turley and the other by right fielder Brady Kasper.

“First inning he looked dynamite, 95.. his breaking ball was snapping, just ran into a buzz saw there, they did a great job. Haven’t had many of those starts obviously all year he’s been great.” Said Hale.

Arizona, already skinny in the outfield position, with Easton Breyfogle (hamstring) day-to-day and TJ Adams (shoulder) out indefinitely, lost another one when right fielder Emilio Corona was hit in the hand while up to bat in the second inning.

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Corona, in obvious pain, took the field in the third and fourth inning before getting pulled.

“The way it got so swollen so quick, it’s not good,” Hale said about Corona’s hand.

With Corona out, pitcher Casey Hintz may see some time in the outfield in Friday’s game.

Arizona’s first run came in the third inning when Brandon Rogers hit a single to the right side. A fielding error by Oregon State’s right fielder Brady allowed Rogers to show his speed, ending up safe at third base.

Richie Morales’ ground out brought Rogers across the plate.

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The Wildcats’ second and final score of the night came in the eight inning. Freshman first baseman Andrew Cain doubled down the first base line and Morales hit into a double play, advanced Cain home.

Arizona, needing one win against Oregon State to secure the Pac-12 regular season championship, will start Clark Candiotti on the mound Friday night.

Game two in the series will start at 6:00 p.m. at Hi Corbett Field.

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