OPB Politics Now

 If you weren’t in front of a computer or on the Internet, it was truly spectacular in Portland last weekend. It was clear and sunny, but not too warm. People were out and about. Running errands, doing yard work or just hanging out with friends and family. But meanwhile in the background, President Trump was taking aim at the city.. We are still piecing together what it all means, what might happen next and when National Guard troops may arrive in the Rose City. We’ll discuss what we know and what we are learning and maybe take some questions along the way. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson sailed into City Hall this year on the back of an ambitious pledge to end unsheltered homelessness. That plan relies heavily on swiftly opening a bunch of overnight-only shelters across town. We’re now nine months into Wilson’s term, and quickly approaching his self-imposed deadline to get everyone off the streets. So let’s check in on the system and its progress. Join us on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now.

It’s been five years now since the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Oregon and a global pandemic shook our lives and our politics.The virus is now endemic. A permanent feature of life. Causing less destruction and loss than it did, but still capable of sending people to the hospital and worse.This is the time of year when boosters for COVID and the flu are typically available. But this year, those boosters have been caught up in fights at the Centers for Disease Control and allegations the agency’s scientists are being sidelined by politicians. The controversy has prompted West Coast states like Oregon to create their own COVID-19 vaccine guidelines. All of that has rekindled a simmering political debate around the effectiveness of these vaccines. What could this mean for Oregon’s role in health care? We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now.

Last week, two Oregon lawmakers bucked their respective parties in a major vote on transportation taxes. This week, both of them face very different political futures. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we look at what their votes mean for the Democratic and Republican parties in Oregon. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The special session that was supposed to funnel billions of dollars into the state’s roads and prevent hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation…well similar to a crumbling bridge, it fell apart. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the last week of politics in Salem. Democratic state lawmakers said they will be back later this month to pass a transportation package, because despite holding supermajorities in both chambers, the full package has not crossed the finish line.

Lawmakers will be back in Salem this week to consider a proposal that would help stave off layoffs for hundreds of transportation workers. But it would also raise taxes at a time when a lot of Oregonians are already hurting financially. Does this sound familiar? Yes, we’ve been here before but this time Gov. Tina Kotek said she’s confident lawmakers will approve a transportation package that will raise billions for the state’s road and bridge upkeep. We’ll discuss the politics at play on both sides of the aisle. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Much of Oregon relies on our forests to generate cash for roads, bridges, law enforcement and more. But for decades, that money has faded as the timber industry has struggled. Now those problems are coming to a head in a whole new way.. On the latest episode of OPB politics now, we explore how Oregon’s timber counties are bracing for losses after the passage of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and the complex history of logging, federal lands and politics mix. Find the show anywhere you get your podcast.

Gov. Tina Kotek’s office released an analysis this week detailing how much money Oregon stands to lose in federal funding. The state could lose more than $15 billion it uses to pay for health care and food assistance programs and a whole lot more. But Republicans have a different take: It’s not the big beautiful bill that’s going to hit Oregon’s economy, it’s the overtaxing of Oregonians that is hurting the working class. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the latest. 

Portland and other Democratic-leaning cities are trying to figure out how to respond to Trump administration 2.0. On the latest live edition of "OPB Politics Now," reporters Bryce Dole and Alex Zielinski talk about what the city did before, what it's doing now and what observers have to say about it.

Oregon has some of the strictest land-use policies in the nation. And those laws have made Oregon what is today. They’ve protected farmlands and preserved coastlines. They’ve pushed developers to build up - not out - in an effort to avoid sprawl. And they have prompted endless battles as housing becomes more expensive and farm land becomes less available. The latest land-use battle pits farm stands - think U-pick, corn mazes, and concerts -- up against some of the state’s biggest conservation groups. We’ll discuss all that and more on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now.