Oregon
Push to introduce bill limits divides Oregon lawmakers
It’s a common scene at the Oregon Legislature: Crowds filling committee rooms and hallways hoping to testify on legislation, only to miss their chance to speak, submit written testimony instead or face interruption by a committee chair with a reminder that they have two minutes or less to speak.
Legislative chambers in more than a dozen states already limit the number of bills lawmakers can propose in response to similar issues, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The Oregon Legislature limits lawmakers to two bills in 35-day short sessions, like this year’s ongoing session. But how and whether to address the problems of limited public input and time for considering bills in 180-day long sessions has divided lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over the past two decades. Multiple attempts at legislation to cap the number of bills lawmakers can introduce each year have failed in Salem.
To supporters, such a limitation would ensure public input and streamline engagement with lawmakers. But to the bill’s detractors, it would limit the voice of Oregonians with little access to the Legislature outside of the bills they can convince their elected officials to introduce.
This year’s version of the legislation, House Bill 4002, has the backing of House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, 16 other Democrats and two Republicans. It would limit the number of bills lawmakers could request a legislative draft for at 25 bills a piece for each long session. It comes after lawmakers last year introduced a record number of bills — more than 3,400 — in at least two decades, and as dozens of bills have already failed to clear key deadlines and died in this year’s short legislative session.
“We already have the limits in the short session, but I feel very strongly that bill limits will help us improve public engagement in the long session. There are too many bills. There are too many amendments there,” Fahey told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s too difficult for the public and the media to track what is happening in the long session, because the agendas are so packed.”
She confirmed Tuesday evening that the bill remains alive after the House Rules Committee canceled a scheduled Tuesday vote. As of Wednesday evening, no new amendments had been posted and no committee vote had been scheduled.
Opposition’s ‘numbers are growing’
In the meantime, at least one Democrat and some Republicans have voiced concerns with the legislation, and opposition appears to be growing. They argue that the legislation would further entrench power with the Democratic majority and that they are doing their due diligence to represent their constituents across the state. That includes Rep. Paul Evans, a Monmouth Democrat who filed more than 300 bills in the last session, Sen. David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, and Rep. E. Werner Reschke, R-Malin.
“I’ve never introduced bills thinking they’re all going to pass in one session. It’s not about that. It’s about bringing people together, using the vehicle, seeing it written down and figuring out what people can live with, what they can’t live with,” Evans told the Capital Chronicle. “By limiting bills without giving the ability to amend on the floor, that means you’ve got to be aware on things and not really be invited to the conversation.”
Aside from the limitations on lawmakers, the bill would limit Gov. Tina Kotek and state agencies to preparing drafts for up to 200 pieces of legislation, aside from bills necessary to implement her budget. Other independent agency heads, such as the attorney general and secretary of state, would have up to 15. The same figure applies to the Oregon Judicial Department and the head of the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Rules committees in both chambers could get around the bill’s limitations by requesting additional measures.
Kevin Glenn, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, did not say whether Kotek supports the bill, but noted that she will review any legislation that comes to her desk before signing off on it.
Two Republicans, Rep. Kim Wallan, R-Medford, and Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, signed onto the bill-limiting bill as sponsors, but Wallan walked back that support in an interview Wednesday. She told the Capital Chronicle that she signed onto the bill to “facilitate the discussion,” and that Evans’ testimony at a Feb. 12 public hearing swayed her.
“I want all bills to originate in the Legislature,” she said. “It partly is just separation of powers. We’re the branch that makes the laws. So the agency or the executive, anyone has to come to us to get a bill.”
Divisions over the bill have also boiled over at Democratic caucus meetings. Evans told the Capital Chronicle on Wednesday that he resigned from his position as assistant majority leader last week after he was dissatisfied with his party’s deliberations over the legislation. Asked whether others in his caucus feel similarly, he said “our numbers are growing, actually.”
He also shared a statement that he had held off from publishing, in which he wrote that “the leader of our caucus holds a governing philosophy I cannot support.”
“I don’t know why people are afraid of ideas,” he said. “The more the speaker makes this an issue, the more she’s going to divide the caucus.”
In a Wednesday statement, Fahey said she respected Evans and that “it’s no secret that he advocates fiercely for his district.”
“While we disagree on the idea of bill limits, I know his opposition to is rooted in that advocacy,” she said. “I’m grateful for his time on our leadership team and honored to have him as a colleague.”
— Shaanth Kodialam Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle
The Oregon Capital Chronicle, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit news organization that focuses on Oregon state government, politics and policy.
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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