OPB Politics Now

In Central Oregon, accusations of harassment against one candidate could sink Democratic hopes of a supermajority in the Oregon House. And in the suburbs of Portland, the lone African American woman in the state house goes canvassing for votes -- and gets a visit from police.

Between Supreme Court decisions in Washington D-C and ballot measures in Salem, this was a tough week for progressives and a good one for conservatives in the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon’s attorney general is joining yet another lawsuit against the Trump Administration, this time over the family separation policy.
We’ll look what happens politically when a Democratic-led state government becomes parts of the resistance and the potential disaster the immigration controversy presents for Oregon Republicans.

Of all the ballot fights Oregonians could expect later this year, abortion may be the most surprising. Hyper blue Oregon has repeatedly shot down new restrictions on abortion over the years. But now, a conservative group is hoping to call the question again. On this week’s episode, we’ll look at what that fight’s all about—and what it might mean for one candidate for governor.

When it comes to presidential politics, Oregon and Washington aren’t exactly battleground states. This week, we’ll discuss some Pacific Northwesterners who seem to be positioning themselves for a run at the White House.

It was a big week for tax news in Oregon. This week, we bring you inside the special session on a business tax break. And we talk about why Oregon income taxpayers might be getting another one of those “kicker” tax rebates.

Pundits are calling this the year of the woman in politics. But in Oregon, this demographic shift has been years in the making. On this week’s episode of OPB politics now, we examine the changing demographics of state politics and whether more diversity makes a difference in policy.

On this special edition of OPB Politics Now, news director Anna Griffin and senior political reporter Jeff Mapes walk through the May primary results and the general election to come.

Oregon’s primary election is days away, and candidates are making their final frantic pleas to voters. And in some races, that’s taking a negative turn. In this week’s Politics Now podcast, we look at some of the state’s most-heated contests. We’ll also preview a controversial special legislative session being called by Governor Kate Brown.

The primary election is a week and a half away, and some of Oregon’s most fascinating races are happening on the local level. Will Portland elect its first woman of color to city council? Who’s poised to round out Multnomah County’s commission? And what’s all this national money doing in a race for district attorney? This week’s podcast explores these topics and more.