Here’s how Oregonians can update their voter registration info ahead of May primary • Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregonians have until April 28 to register to vote or change their party affiliation for the upcoming primary election.

Oregonians have until April 28 to register to vote or change their party affiliation for the upcoming primary election.

Top Oregon GOP gubernatorial candidates set to debate in Hillsboro this week • Oregon Capital Chronicle The forum offers a fresh opportunity for the candidates to introduce themselves to the state's more than 700,000 registered GOP voters.

The top four leading candidates for the Republican nomination in Oregon’s 2026 gubernatorial race are set to debate each other for the first time Thursday.

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State policy contributes to mentally ill Oregonians falling into homelessness, Multnomah County says • Oregon Capital Chronicle A letter from five county commissioners urges state officials to change what they described as a discriminatory policy.

Multnomah County commissioners urged state officials late last year to change what they characterized as a discriminatory policy that’s contributing to people with “severe persistent mental illness” falling into homelessness.

State education officials propose new accountability targets for districts, students’ success • Oregon Capital Chronicle State education officials are considering a number of new ways to measure success in Oregon schools following a 2024 law.

State education officials are considering a number of new ways to measure success in Oregon schools following a 2024 law meant to boost student performance and establish better accountability standards for districts.

The U.S. Forest Service research labs in Seattle and Wenatchee are targeted for closure: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/briefs/fores...

Oregon's urban growth boundaries are essential for housing and economic development • Oregon Capital Chronicle Simply adding land to cities or removing planning for housing and urban industrial needs is counterproductive to the problems we face.

Simply adding land to cities for housing, or removing urban planning processes, is counterproductive to the problems Oregon faces, our commentator says: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/13/o...

Trump approves Oregon disaster declaration over severe winter storms • Oregon Capital Chronicle Individuals, nonprofits and state, tribal and local governments can tap federal financial assistance for recovery efforts.

President Donald Trump approved a disaster declaration for Oregon following winter storms that brought record rainfall and caused flooding, landslides and mudslides in eight counties. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/briefs/trump...

How incarcerated Oregon youth are helping restore native plants and forests • Oregon Capital Chronicle Youth in custody of the Oregon Youth Authority are gaining job experience and playing an important role in restoring Oregon’s forests.

Nestled in front of the Northern Oregon Coast Range sits Camp Tillamook, a 25-acre space that houses incarcerated youth and one of a few native plant nurseries along the Oregon Coast @miamaldonado.bsky.social reports: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/13/h...

Like a child trying to find ways around a parent’s “no,” President Donald Trump is still trying to find ways to justify his tariffs after the Supreme Court in late February struck them down, Oregon’s attorney general said.
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Gov. Kotek signals she’ll veto bill changing Oregon public meetings law criticized by journalists • Oregon Capital Chronicle The bill, meant to create clarity about what public officials can call and text about outside of public meetings, would be Gov. Kotek’s only veto following 2026 session.

Following outcry from professional journalist groups and Oregon news publishers, Gov. Tina Kotek is considering vetoing a bill passed last month by the state Legislature that makes changes to the state’s public meetings law: oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/10/g...

Republicans are vowing to send another Oregon tax bill to the ballot • Oregon Capital Chronicle Republican lawmakers are targeting a bill passed by the Oregon Legislature that blocked some cuts to federal tax code passed by President Donald Trump from applying to Oregon's state tax code.

Oregon is expected to lose out on roughly $890 million in state taxes in its current budget due to the federal tax and spending cut megalaw passed by Trump and congressional Republicans last summer. SB 1507 was an effort to get a portion of that money back.
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Prices for all items together, including food, energy, shelter and other commodities like vehicles, rose by 3.3% from a year ago. That’s the highest annual jump since May 2024, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics historical data.
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Melania Trump denounces ‘baseless lies’ connecting her to Epstein • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump said Thursday she was “never involved in any capacity” with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and that “baseless lies” about her are being circulated. In a…

First lady Melania Trump said Thursday she was “never involved in any capacity” with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and that “baseless lies” about her are being circulated.

Melania Trump denounces ‘baseless lies’ connecting her to Epstein • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — First lady Melania Trump said Thursday she was “never involved in any capacity” with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and that “baseless lies” about her are being circulated. In a…

First lady Melania Trump said Thursday she was “never involved in any capacity” with the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and that “baseless lies” about her are being circulated.

Oregon governor signs slew of bills protecting immigrants amid federal crackdown • Oregon Capital Chronicle Gov. Tina Kotek signed eight bills into law defending immigrant rights as the Trump administration ramps up federal immigration enforcement.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek signed eight bills into law Thursday defending immigrant rights as the Trump administration ramps up federal immigration enforcement.

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Conservation groups hold public meetings on forest protections after feds won’t • Oregon Capital Chronicle Federal officials in August proposed terminating a 25-year-old rule protecting millions of forest acres from development, including 2 million in Oregon.

Conservation groups hold public meetings on forest protections after feds won’t

Drought time ahead for Oregon • Oregon Capital Chronicle This may be the most challenging large-scale drought year Oregon has seen in decades.

COMMENTARY: On March 26, Gov. Tina Kotek declared a drought emergency in Deschutes, Umatilla and Baker counties at the request of county governments. Call that the first drop of what may soon be a flood of drought-related actions.

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PacifiCorp wins victory in Oregon wildfire lawsuit brought by 2020 Labor Day survivors • Oregon Capital Chronicle PacifiCorp has won a notable victory in a lawsuit tying it to four major wildfires that burned in Oregon over the 2020 Labor Day weekend.

PacifiCorp has won a notable victory in a lawsuit tying it to four major wildfires that burned in Oregon over the 2020 Labor Day weekend.

Report on alleged ethics violations by Rep. Greg Smith could be delayed until after primary • Oregon Capital Chronicle Rep. Greg Smith received a time waiver from the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, sparing him from public scrutiny at April meeting.

A longtime state representative who’s implicated in multiple ethics investigations secured a time waiver that will ensure officials won’t rule on one of those investigations at least until May primary ballots are out, and potentially not until after the election.

New report puts outstanding Oregon criminal court sanctions at more than $1B • Oregon Capital Chronicle The findings urge state leaders to work toward eliminating all fines and fees in the criminal court system.

Oregon’s patchwork system for collecting fees, fines and restitution from people facing criminal charges has resulted in more than $1 billion in uncollected debt that has drained revenue from the state and made it harder to pursue rehabilitation efforts, according to a new report.

A day after Iran-US ceasefire declared, doubts linger amid continuing Gulf strikes • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — The United States and Iran both claimed victory Wednesday, a day after agreeing to a two-week conditional ceasefire, though doubts loomed following continued strikes across the Gulf…

The United States and Iran both claimed victory Wednesday, a day after agreeing to a two-week conditional ceasefire, though doubts loomed following continued strikes across the Gulf nations.

Despite court ruling, WA still blocked from inspecting immigrant detention center • Oregon Capital Chronicle Washington health inspectors have been trying for months to enter the Tacoma immigrant detention center amid concerns about the conditions.

Despite a court ruling, Washington health inspectors are still blocked from inspecting the Tacoma immigrant detention center where ICE sends many people it detains in Oregon.

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Billions in unpaid taxes could help states fill budget holes, report says • Oregon Capital Chronicle Though states are missing out on billions in unpaid tax dollars, few have any mechanism to measure how much is being lost, according to a new report.The so-called tax gap — the difference between the…

Though states are missing out on billions in unpaid tax dollars, few have any mechanism to measure how much is being lost, according to a new report.

Trump announces 2-week Iran ceasefire, backing off threat ‘a whole civilization will die’ • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump agreed Tuesday evening to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, at least delaying his threat of a catastrophic attack on the country’s civilian population as he said the…

President Donald Trump agreed Tuesday evening to a two-week ceasefire with Iran, at least delaying his threat of a catastrophic attack on the country’s civilian population as he said the countries were near a long-term peace agreement. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/07/r...

Appeals judges consider reinstating restrictions on officers at Portland ICE facility • Oregon Capital Chronicle Federal appeals judges will decide whether to uphold a lower court order barring federal agents' excess force, chemical use on protesters.

In back-to-back hearings, three federal appeals judges seemed disturbed by videos of federal officers’ conduct outside the Portland ICE facility and skeptical that such force was warranted.

Trump threatens ‘a whole civilization will die’ in Iran; Schumer calls him 'extremely sick' • Oregon Capital Chronicle WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump continued to escalate his rhetoric against Iran Tuesday, even as some Republicans in Congress began to back away from his declarations, threatening that “A whole…

President Donald Trump continued to escalate his rhetoric against Iran Tuesday, even as some Republicans in Congress began to back away from his declarations, threatening that “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.

More business openings than closings in Oregon in last decade, despite economic stigma • Oregon Capital Chronicle Far more businesses have opened than closed in Oregon during the last decade according to analysis from an Oregon State University economist.

Oregon has for most of the last decade seen significantly more new businesses register in the state than exit. oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2026/04/07/m...