Interstate Bridge Staff Hid Information About Ballooning Cost of Giant Highway Project
The estimated price tag more than doubled from $6 billion to $13.6 billion, but staff told a bistate panel Dec. 15 it didn’t have new numbers.
By Nigel Jaquiss
January 7, 2026
Hazelnuts Are a Bright Spot for Oregon Agriculture
1/3/2026 - Although the total amount of cultivated farmland in Oregon is shrinking, filbert acreage is booming.
Oregon Parents Disproportionately Exempt School-Age Children From Vaccines
12/19/2025 - Oregon has the nation’s third-highest opt-out rate, leaving more than 50,000 children vulnerable to serious disease.
If You Build It, Will They Come?
12/16/2025 - Oregon’s leading politicians want to bet billions of dollars on a new shipping terminal. Critics say it’s a costly mistake.
12/10/2025 - Our death tax is the greediest in the nation.
12/8/2025 - Mississippi’s reading turnaround, built on “the science of reading,” holds lessons for Oregon.
12/3/2025 - Oregon’s rookie attorney general is making his living suing Donald Trump.
Three Takeaways From the 2025 Oregon Fire Season
11/23/2025 - More fires, less damage, and people still cause more fires than lightning.
Audit Blasts the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries
11/20/2025 - The workplace watchdog suffers from chronic mismanagement, leaving workers exposed.
Over a Third of Students in Oregon Still Aren’t Consistently Attending School
11/20/2025 - Kindergarten attendance went up while more than half of 12th graders were chronically absent.
PacifiCorp Agrees to Pay 1,400 Wildfire Survivors
11/19/2025 - The settlements are for far less than jury verdicts but bring some closure for damages suffered five years ago—and beat a federal tax penalty.
11/13/2025 - Christine Pitts says there’s a simple reason why Oregon kids don’t know how to read. No one is checking how they’re taught.
There’s a State-Sponsored Bookie in Your Pocket
11/7/2025 - The NBA gambling scandal highlights Oregon’s role in sports betting. For all the hoopla—and harm—it doesn’t generate much revenue for the state.
Longtime Investor Files 11 Initiatives for the 2026 Ballot
11/6/2025 - John von Schlegell proposes constitutional amendments on a variety of issues, including education, public safety, mental health, land use, campaign finance and taxes.
PacifiCorp Warns of Bankruptcy Risk
11/5/2025 - Warren Buffett’s giant electric utility is struggling to pay for 2020 wildfire damage.
Ex-Blazer Chris Dudley Talks about Oregon, the 2026 Governor’s Race, and NBA Gambling
11/3/2025 - The Republican nearly beat Democrat John Kitzhaber in 2010. He’s thinking about taking another shot.
State Treasurer Sings a New Tune on Private Equity
11/3/2025 - Elizabeth Steiner says she supports reducing state pension fund investment in the underperforming assets.
Kotek Frees Up $5 million in Emergency Aid for Food Banks
10/30/2025 - Just days before SNAP benefits are set to be cut off, the governor provides modest relief.
The Clock for SNAP Benefits Is Ticking Down
10/29/2025 - Oregon leaders have no public plans so far to support SNAP beneficiaries if federal funding stops.
Oregon’s Rural Counties are the Hardest Hit by the Federal Government Shutdown
10/24/2025 - Nearly 23,000 Oregonians aren’t getting paid, but many must keep working.
Kulongoski Lends His Name to New Ballot Initiatives Pushing for Open Primaries
10/22/2025 - The former governor was a key architect of Democrats’ dominance of Oregon. He says the current system isn’t working.
State Officials Continue to Make Subsidized Housing More Expensive
10/21/2025 - The decisions undercut pledges to address Oregon’s ongoing “humanitarian crisis.”
Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Later, Oregonians Disproportionately Suffer from Mental Illness
10/20/2025 - No other state in the country has a higher prevalence of mental illness. At the same time, access to care in Oregon is improving.
Ex-Blazer Chris Dudley and Former MMA Fighter Chael Sonnen to Address GOP Reagan Dinner
10/19/2025 - The two former athletes are among those mulling 2026 challenges to Gov. Tina Kotek.
A Travel Oregon Board Member’s Company Got a Six-Figure, No-Bid Contract From the Agency
10/15/2025 - Travel Oregon’s CEO claims the Department of Justice gave the travel agency permission to go forward with the contract, but DOJ disputes that.
Oregon’s Most Dangerous Job is Not What You Might Expect
10/10/2025 - Health care workers are much more likely to suffer injuries on the job.
10/3/2025 - A key sticking point of the current federal government shutdown, the “enhanced premium tax credit,” will have an outsized impact in three Oregon counties.
An Elections Expert Explains Why the Federal Government Doesn't Need Oregon Voters' Private Data
9/25/2025 - Two weeks ago, President Trump’s Department of Justice sued Oregon and Secretary of State Tobias Read for failing to turn over full information about every Oregon voter.
Canadians and Other International Tourists Shun Oregon This Summer
9/24/2025 - Spending by international travelers to Oregon this summer has dropped sharply.
Oregon’s Early Child Care Crisis Impacts All but Two of the State’s 36 Counties
9/23/2025 - When Courtney Eggleston gave birth to her son, she knew she would have to rely on friends and family to help care for him when she went back to work.
9/15/2025 - At a recent public meeting about the financial health of OPERF, an activist criticized the Oregon State Treasury for losing money when it recently sold $4.5 billion in private equity holdings from the fund.
Oregon Gained State Government Workers in the Past Year While Manufacturing Ranks Fell
9/11/2025 - Oregon’s lagging economy had one hot spot last fiscal year: State government’s workforce grew 4%.
9/10/2025 - Nick Green’s big ideas to revive rural Oregon have divided John Day.
9/9/2025 - One of the state’s leading economic observers says Oregon’s growth is over.
More Questions Arise About State Investments in Private Equity
9/2/2025 - The Oregon Investment Council faces tough questions from lawmakers, unions and advocates. An email shows the former state treasurer shared their concerns.
New Study Finds PGE’s Efforts to Restore Deschutes River Aren’t Working
8/27/2025 - A peer-reviewed paper says measures to mitigate harms from dams have “resulted in a net reduction in water quality and aquatic habitat.”
8/20/2025 - Joe Cortright says the state agency is misleading lawmakers and the public about its budget.
Oregon Cries Poverty, but Its Transportation Spending Is Typical of Western States
8/20/2025 - An OJP analysis of five recent years’ spending figures show that Oregon falls roughly in the middle of the other six states cited by ODOT.
Why Oregon’s Governor Had to Intervene on Pumpkin Patches
8/15/2025 - The latest rulemaking dispute is part of long-standing tensions over land use.
8/5/2025 - How the managers of Oregon's $100 billion pension fund ignored expert guidance and lost big.
Judge in PacifiCorp Wildfire Trials Wants to Quadruple the Court’s Pace
8/1/2025 - Many victims of the 2020 wildfires still await resolution of their damages.
An Internal GOP Investigation Finds a Party Official Diverted Proceeds From an Inaugural Celebration
7/24/2025 - Don Powers organized a big bash in D.C. His colleagues are trying to follow the money.
A Veteran GOP Lawmaker Sided With Democrats on Transportation. Why?
7/16/2025 - Kevin Mannix changed his vote after a large appropriation to a project he favors. He says there’s no connection.
Oregon Hospitals Are Bracing for Medicaid Cuts That Will Hit Harder Here Than in Most States
7/16/2025 - Weakening the safety net program will cost everybody.
Merkley Will Run for Re-Election in 2026
7/10/2025 - “It was a difficult decision.”
The Man Who Wants to Kill Vote-By-Mail in Oregon Contests a May Election Result
7/9/2025 - Ben Edtl is working to save his job—and change the way Oregonians cast their ballots.
Feds Say Robert Pamplin Jr. Dragged His Feet in Making Pensioners Whole
7/2/2025 - The industrialist admitted violating pension laws. As he slowly makes amends, other creditors are coming for him.
6/18/2025 - Todd Davidson ran the state tourism agency for three decades while making one of the highest salaries in state government.
6/14/2025 - Hotel and travel marketing groups oppose a House bill that would let public dollars earmarked for tourism promotion be diverted to pay for increased burdens on public safety and roads.
6/13/2025 - The departure of Oregon companies speaks to a bigger problem for the state.
New Lawsuit Aims to Clarify Whether State Bond Dollars Trigger Prevailing Wages.
6/11/2025 - The stakes are enormous for the development of affordable housing.
Oregon Got a Massive Federal Recovery Grant After 2020 Wildfires. Most of the Money Remains Unspent.
6/3/2025 - The state was unprepared for the unprecedented loss of housing.
Lawmakers Hamstrung in Overseeing Travel Oregon’s Spending
5/30/2025 - Gov. Tina Kotek avoids saying the agency needs more oversight.
Trump’s New Tax Bill Could Penalize Oregon for Providing Health Care to All Undocumented Immigrants
5/28/2025 - Oregon was the first to provide such coverage and remains the most committed. Hard decisions loom.
5/24/2025 - But nobody’s minding the state agency that promotes Oregon tourism.
Longtime Travel Oregon CEO Steps Down Amid Oregon Journalism Project Investigation
5/22/2025 - Todd Davidson led the lodging tax-funded agency since 1996.
State Policy Stands in the Way of a Major Housing Expansion on the Eugene Waterfront
5/14/2025 - Developers aligned with the city of Eugene are challenging a state ruling that threatens their plan to transform an industrial property into 1,300 units of new housing.
4/22/2025 - He has a plan to stop Oregon from burning. Think Moneyball for forests.
Oregon GOP Chairman Resigns After Oregon Journalism Project Report About His Past
4/9/2025 - Jerry Cummings won election to lead his party in February.
The Gas Tax Already Hits Rural Oregonians Disproportionately. Lawmakers Want to Raise it 50%
4/9/2025 - City motorists drive less but benefit from the gas tax’s distribution formula.
The Oregon GOP’s New Chairman Brings Some Baggage to His Role
4/9/2025 - Court records provide details from a long-running divorce and custody case that raise questions about Gerald “Jerry” Cummings.
Are Oregon’s Top Democrats More Interested in Housing the Poor or Helping Their Campaign Donors?
4/2/2025 - Examples in Astoria point to a state government that says it wants more affordable housing but places costly roadblocks in the way.
The State Failed to Set Aside Sufficient Money to Cover Legal Liabilities Even as Risks Increased
3/26/2025 - Self insurance requires state agencies to kick money into the state risk pool. They haven’t done enough.
New Oregon Department of Forestry Report Says PacifiCorp Wasn’t Responsible for Santiam Canyon Fire
3/19/2025 - The long-awaited report supports the utility’s version of the deadly blaze.
3/12/2025 - Letter submitted by Megan Hill, Senior Manager of Environmental Science, PGE.
The State’s Largest Union Wants to Assist Caregivers—and Grow Its Own Ranks
3/5/2025 - Senate Bill 1138 would create a board to oversee working conditions in the direct care industry and give that board extraordinary authority.
Bill Would Create $1 Billion Fund to Aid Utilities in Paying Wildfire Victims
3/1/2025 - In a document circulated last fall, Oregon power brokers argue wildfires endanger the entire state’s economic health.
2/12/2025 - Letter submitted by Erin Isselmann, Vice President Communications, PacifiCorp.
2/5/2025 - PacifiCorp was grossly negligent in Oregon’s 2020 wildfires. Now it’s asking lawmakers for protection.
Kotek’s Gift to Trade Unions Contradicts Her Own Agency’s Analysis
1/29/2025 - The Oregon Department of Transportation found that it will be costly and disproportionately hit rural Oregon.
1/22/2025 - Raymond Parenteau built a fortune from one of the fastest-growing government programs in Oregon.
1/15/2025 - Dr. Robert Pamplin concedes he raided his employees’ pension fund. Properties all over Oregon will now be sold so he can pay back tens of millions of dollars.
1/8/2025 - Oregon’s new electric truck rule is disrupting the state’s transportation industry.
12/18/2024 - People who love an iconic Oregon river say an electric utility is harming it.
Haines, Oregon