Oregon
Oregon Senate passes bill to recriminalize certain drug possession crimes
The Oregon Senate passed House Bill 4002 by a vote of 21-8 Friday, which recriminalizes certain drug possession charges that Oregon voters voted to decriminalize in 2020.
Under the bill, individuals charged with possession of small amounts of drugs like methamphetamine or fentanyl will face misdemeanor charges that can result in jail time. Additionally, the bill contains provisions intended to expand access to opioid withdrawal treatment medications and make it easier for individuals to get addiction treatment.
In 2020, Oregon voters passed Measure 110, which made most unlawful possession of a controlled substance offenses a Class E violation. A Class E violation is a less serious offense than a misdemeanor and only involves a fine of $100. Measure 110 allowed individuals charged with unlawful possession to have their charges dismissed if they sought treatment within 45 days of receiving a citation. This change applied to Schedule I-IV drug possession offenses. The measure also established a drug addiction treatment program funded by the state’s marijuana tax revenue. House Bill 4002 would make most of these offenses misdemeanors again.
In response to the passage of the bill, Policy Director of the ACLU of Oregon Jessica Maravilla stated:
Together, ACLU of Oregon’s more than 27,000 members imagined an Oregon filled with healing and thriving communities, not more jails and prisons. Thousands of us took action and engaged in our democracy — calling and emailing lawmakers and submitting testimony for hearings. We asked for real solutions including more treatment, housing, prevention programs, community revitalization efforts, and non-police mobile crisis response teams. The ACLU of Oregon community has deep gratitude for the lawmakers who voted ‘no’ to the false promises of criminalization in HB 4002 — and its unconscionable human and other costs to our state.
Conversely, Oregon Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp praised the bill’s passage, stating:
Republicans stand united with Oregonians who overwhelmingly believe we deserve better than Measure 110. In this historic vote to reimpose criminal penalties for drug possession, we are making it clear that Oregon is no longer a drug tourism state. Though lawmakers will have much more to do in future sessions to continue making progress on the fentanyl-fueled drug overdose and addiction crisis facing our state, I was proud to stand on the right side of history by casting my vote in favor for HB 4002. Passing this bill will put Oregon on a path to recovery and signifies and end to the nationwide decriminalization movement. I call that a victory.
The bill will now go to Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for passage. If Kotek signs the bill, it will become law in Oregon. However, if Kotek vetoes the bill, the state legislature can override the veto with a two-thirds vote of those present in both the House and the Senate, and the bill will become law without Kotek’s approval. Also, if Kotek does not sign or veto the bill, it will become law on either January 1, 2025 or the prescribed effective date on the bill. The Oregon House previously passed the bill by a vote of 51-7.
Federal agents are responding after explosives were found in a vehicle that crashed into the front entrance of an Oregon athletic club Saturday, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said. A person was found dead inside the vehicle.
Portland Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a vehicle driving into the club’s front entrance at 2:49 a.m. local time, according to a news release from the department.
The vehicle caught fire after the crash, the department said. Once the blaze was brought under control, law enforcement found the deceased person inside. The Portland Police Department’s Explosive Disposal Unit responded after evidence of an explosive device was found in the vehicle.
The person has not been identified, and an investigation is ongoing, police said.
The club said in a statement that the facility will remain closed until further notice and that they are expecting a prolonged closure.
“Our team is cooperating fully with the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue, who are leading the investigation. Out of respect for that process, we will defer to them for additional details,” the statement said.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An Oregon woman will spend the rest of her life behind bars for the murder of her ex.
A Coos County jury convicted 46-year-old Reina Jackson of second-degree murder this week following a three-week trial for the death of her former husband in 2021.
“Dr. Craig Jackson served his country, built a career dedicated to caring for people, and was building a new life for himself and his daughter,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield.
“What happened to him was brutal and calculated. His family deserved justice, and the sentence reflects the gravity of what was done.”
Dr. Craig Jackson, Reina’s ex-husband and a physician at Bay Clinic in Coos Bay, was shot and killed in his home in North Bend on Aug. 2, 2021. The couple recently had a contentious divorce and Dr. Jackson was granted full custody of their daughter.
Evidence submitted by the state at trial suggested that Reina conspired with two others to carry out the attack. According to a memo from prosecutors, Reina broke into her ex’s home with two others in the middle of the night and fought with him in his bedroom. She shot him in his rectum and then through his head.
His new wife, who had been lying in bed with him when Reina and the others entered, said she quickly rolled off the bed and hid underneath it. When she believed it was safe, she came and found her husband shot and lying in the hallway.
Police later found a hand-drawn map of Dr. Jackson’s home in Reina’s vehicle and DNA evidence of two unknown men who are believed to have accompanied her. She was also on probation for previously breaking into his home and assaulting him.
Just before Reina was arrested, she withdrew her daughter from school and fled to Guatemala. She was later arrested in Atlanta after returning to the U.S. on June 10, 2023.
According to court documents obtained by KOIN 6 News, Dr. Jackson’s family believes Reina forged a check in his name for $40,000 and used the money to purchase land for herself in Guatemala. The check posted a few days after his death.
Reina was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for at least 25 years.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Average gas prices have gone up nearly 20 cents a gallon in Oregon and Washington in the past week as tensions in the Middle East continue.
Washington state has the third most expensive gas in the country at an average of $5.57 a gallon for regular, followed by Oregon at fourth in the U.S. with roughly $5.15 per gallon for regular.
The average price for regular in the U.S. is $4.30 a gallon. AAA says the price of oil has surged to more than $100 a barrel, with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will be back open.
National Gas Price Comparison for 2023-26 as of April 30, 2026 – Graphic courtesy AAA
A poll found that half of all Americans expect gas prices to rise even higher in the next year.
That same poll from ABC and Ipsos said some Americans are changing their behaviors because of the higher gas prices.
About 4 in 10 people are driving less (44%) or have cut back on other household expenses (42%) to compensate.
More than a third have changed their travel or vacation plans, the poll said, and about 15% of people said they’ve considered buying an electric vehicle.
Pump prices are now the highest they’ve been during this time of year since 2022, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed crude oil prices above $100 per barrel.
The poll found that about a quarter (23%) of all Americans are falling behind financially, which is up from 17%in February, before gas prices started to spike.
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About half of those who took the poll said they have just enough to maintain their standard of living, while 24% said they are getting ahead – down from 28% in February.
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