Last week, Portland City Council heard testimony on a proposal that would ban daytime camping from 8AM to 8PM on public property, as well as impose stricter rules on camping during all hours. More than a 100 city residents shared their thoughts and concerns with commissioners. The council will vote on the ordinance on Wednesday, June 7. Katie O’Brien is the executive director of Rose Haven, Portland’s only daytime shelter serving women, children and gender-diverse Portlanders. Sandra Comstock is the executive director of Hygiene4All, a nonprofit providing showers, laundry service, first-aid and other services to people experiencing homelessness in the city. They both join us to share their thoughts on the proposal and the potential impact it would have if passed.

Tourism all over Oregon saw a big jump last year, both from in-state and out-of-state visitors. And in some categories, activities reached new highs. That’s according to a recent report released by Travel Oregon, the state’s tourism commission. We talk with CEO Todd Davidson about what this means for Oregon communities, and the agency’s strategy to support sustainable growth in the industry over the next decade.

The movie theater industry is still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ticket sales are rebounding and onlookers have high hopes for summer blockbusters. We hear from Thomas Baham, owner of the Rio Theater in Sweet Home. He shares more on what movie theaters mean to smaller communities in Oregon, his plan to reopen the only movie theater in Silverton and how the industry is faring in Oregon.

Downtown Portland has seen better days. Its recovery from the pandemic's economic downturn and resulting vandalism has been uneven at best. The area continues to grapple with high numbers of homeless campers. In some areas, open drug use and gun violence threaten the survival of some local businesses. We’re joined in studio by Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell to discuss how strained local law enforcement officers are trying to stay on top of the high demand, and his plans for responding to crime downtown more broadly.

Patrick Radden Keefe has made a career of finding out about people who don’t want to talk to him. In 2021 he published “Empire of Pain,” a nonfiction account of the Sackler family, noted philanthropists and purveyors of the opioid OxyContin. He has also taken on the Troubles in Ireland in his book “Say Nothing,” and CIA maneuvering during the Cold War in his podcast “Wind of Change.” Patrick Radden Keefe joins us in front of an audience of high school students at Lincoln High.

Author Lauren Groff retreated to the middle ages for her latest novel. After her book “Fates and Furies," received wide praise, and in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Groff found solace in writing about the life of nuns cloistered together in 12th century England. We talk to Groff about her latest book, “Matrix,” in front of an audience of students at Leodis V. McDaniel High School in Portland.

Earlier this month, Oregon Rep. Charlie Conrad (R-Eastern Lane County) was the sole Republican on the Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee to vote in favor of HB 2002, which would protect access to abortion and expand insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. It would also allow minors to obtain abortions and teens 15 and older to receive gender-affirming care without parental consent. The bill is one of two cited by Republican state leaders who staged a walkout four weeks ago, effectively grinding legislative votes in the Senate to a halt.

The Capital Chronicle earlier reported on why Conrad shifted his stance from opposing to supporting HB 2002, including by researching medical guidelines on gender-affirming care and talking with the parent of a transgender child. Conrad is a freshman Oregon lawmaker who represents House District 12 which covers Eastern Lane County. He joins us to talk about his support for HB 2002, and being a moderate Republican whose views on abortion and other issues sometimes put him at odds with his party and constituency.

More than 100 bills have been stuck in the Oregon state senate after Republican senators staged a walkout that began May 3. The political tactic is a strategy to block Democratic legislation on abortion rights, transgender care and gun safety. High profile walkouts that grind business to a halt was exactly what Ballot Measure 113 was aimed at preventing. Passed overwhelmingly by voters last fall, the constitutional amendment says legislators with 10 or more unexcused absences may not run for subsequent elective office.

Most of those participating in the walkouts have already hit the 10 or more mark, and Republicans say they will challenge the law in court. While speech and electoral freedom concerns have been raised, it’s not entirely clear on what basis Measure 113 would be challenged or whether the case would be filed in state or federal court. Norman Williams is a professor at Willamette University and teaches both constitutional and election law. He says only one thing seems all but certain: there will be a challenge of some kind. He joins us to walk us through some of the legal issues and questions that could come before judges.

Oregonians passed Measure 114 in November. It would ban the manufacture, purchase or sale of high capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. It would also require people to take a safety course and pass a background check to get a permit allowing them to purchase a firearm. But the law never went into effect due to legal challenges at both the state and federal level. The Department of Justice is preparing to defend Measure 114 in federal court in June, and in state court in September. Michael Kron, special counsel to the state attorney general, joins us to give us the latest.

Earlier this month, Talent residents voted in a special election to determine whether they would fund an urban renewal plan to help rebuild the town after the 2020 Almeda Fire. Almost two-thirds of residents voted against the plan to use tax-increment financing that could have generated almost $19 million over 20 years. Darby Ayers-Flood is the mayor of Talent. She joins us to share what’s next for the town and how they might fund revitalization efforts in the future.