KGW’s Straight Talk

Over the years, when people would encourage then-Oregon state Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose to run for governor, she says her comeback line was always, "I'd rather throw myself in a wood chipper." 

It's not the wood chipper, but Johnson has thrown herself into the ring in the three-way race for Oregon governor. Johnson was a guest on this week's episode of Straight Talk to discuss why she's running for governor and her position on issues important to Oregonians, including gun safety measures.

Beaverton Mayor Lacey Beaty is a combat veteran who served in Iraq, married to another combat veteran. They are gun owners — but Beaty believes it's time for the nation to pass what she called "reasonable gun control measures."

Beaty said following the mass shooting at a Uvalde, Texas elementary school where a gunman used an AR-15 rifle to kill 19 children and two teachers, she felt unsafe in America for the first time since serving in Iraq.

Following Oregon's primary election on May 17, the state's general election in November is shaping up to be historic and expensive. For the first time in state history, all the major candidates for Oregon governor are women. Former House Speaker Tina Kotek secured the Democratic nomination, former Republican House leader Christine Drazan won the GOP nomination, and it's expected former longtime Democratic lawmaker Betsy Johnson will qualify to be on the ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. The governor's race is also expected to be the most expensive when it comes to campaign spending in state history. KGW political analyst Len Bergstein and Republican strategist Rebecca Tweed discuss their takeaways on the election results and their thoughts about the general election in November.

Dan Ryan was first elected in 2020 in a special election to serve the last two years of the late Commissioner Nick Fish's term. Now, he is running for a full four year term, but faces a challenge from several candidates, including the leading opponent Alanna Joy "AJ" McCreary.

In their pitch to Portland voters, Ryan pointed to his experience and said now is not the time to elect a newcomer to politics, while McCreary said Portland needs change and new leaders.

Most Oregon voters have their ballots and Election Day is just weeks away for the May Primary. Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is term-limited and cannot run again, and for the first time in decades it appears possible a Republican candidate could win election to the governor's office. In a debate hosted by Portland City Club and moderated by KGW's Laural Porter and David Molko, candidates Bridget Barton, Jessica Gomez, Bud Pierce and Stan Pulliam answered questions on the issues of homelessness, crime, education and more.

Oregon's primary election is May 17th and ballots are beginning to hit mailboxes throughout the state. At the top of the ticket, the Governor's race which is wide open this election since incumbent Gov. Kate Brown can't run again because of term limits. KGW and The City Club of Portland partnered for a debate between the leading Democratic candidates, former House Speaker Tina Kotek and State Treasurer Tobias Read. A debate between five Republican candidates is set for Tuesday, May 3rd at noon.

This episode of "Straight Talk" includes excerpts from Kotek and Read as they debated how to tackle homelessness and gun violence, what they would do for rural Oregon, and how they would have handled the pandemic.

Shortly after receiving the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, KGW alum Ann Curry sat down with Laural Porter at Portland's Behind the Museum Café for a wide-ranging conversation about her reflections on her career, the most powerful stories she's covered, restoring trust in journalism, the importance of local journalism and why Oregon still holds a special place in her heart.

Oregon's primary election is about a month away on May 17, with ballots going out in less than two weeks. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan wants Oregonians to feel confident in the security of the state's election process. Appearing on KGW's Straight Talk with Laural Porter, Fagan was emphatic in saying the 2020 election results were accurate. Her office is on the offensive in an effort to reassure Oregonians they can feel confident in the safety and security of Oregon elections and to clear up any confusion voters may have about the process.

Oregon lawmakers passed massive back-to-back investment packages in the state's mental and behavioral health system in the 2021 and 2022 legislative session, leveraging state general funds and federal dollars for a combined total of $1.25 billion.

Lawmakers have described the investments as "historic" and the beginning of an effort to turn around a neglected system. Oregon state Senator Kate Lieber, D-Portland, and Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, are co-leaders of the Oregon Legislature's Joint Budget Committee, and they helped lead the way to pass both packages.

The two lawmakers joined this week's episode of KGW's Straight Talk to discuss how the money will be invested and the difference they think it could make for Oregonians struggling with mental health and addiction issues.

The new Speaker of the Oregon House, Rep. Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis), said he would give the recently completed 2022 short legislative session an A-minus grade, because there's always room for improvement. Republican House leaders would agree there's room for improvement — a lot of it. They said they would grade the session a D. House Republican Leader Rep. Vikki Breese Iverson (R-Prineville) and Deputy Republican Leader Kim Wallan (R-Medford) join Laural Porter to share their thoughts on how the session went.