OPB Politics Now

The rising cost of wildfires has left Oregon lawmakers scrambling to pay their bills on time. On this week’s show, we look at the problem and the results of this week’s special session to pay 2024 fire costs.

Republican Christine Drazan is returning to a leadership role in Salem and she’s not the only change in the legislative power structure. Democrats switched things around as well. In Portland,  the new City Council is already putting in work, and part of that is cajoling colleagues to support their run for a new powerful position. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Earlier this week, Think out Loud and the Politics Now team joined forces for an election roundtable. And we tried something new. The episode was aired live – On camera – On OPB dot org and our YouTube page. It was fun! So fun we are sharing the audio for you here as well.

Keith Wilson will be Portland’s next mayor. And the 12 person city council is coming into focus. I’m Andrew Theen. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we talk about Wilson’s victory, the new faces coming to city council and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts

Democrats nationally are in disarray – but here in Oregon – the party appears poised for another cycle of big victories. On the next episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss what to make of the local versus national disconnect and other major takeaways from statewide races. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The Portland area found itself in the national spotlight this week for a not particularly flattering reason: Repeated arson attacks on ballot boxes. We’ll be going over what we know about those attacks, but first we’re going to take a close look at the many races this year for a spot in Portland City Hall. A massive governance shift approved by voters two years ago has upended how campaigning for city council and mayor works – with some pretty interesting results. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The Legislature doesn’t get as much attention in this hotly-contested election cycle, but there are a number of key races and candidates are making their final arguments to voters. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart delve into the legislative races to watch and what Democrats may do if they land a supermajority in both chambers in Salem. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Central Oregon will be decisive in the state’s most competitive congressional race this year, but there’s a lot more political intrigue just east of the Cascades. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, we check in on the most dramatic and notable races in Bend and beyond. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

On this special live episode, OPB's political team runs through the biggest items on Oregon and Southwest Washington ballots.

It has been a long time since Oregon voters have elected a Republican to a statewide office. But this election cycle, voters will pick a new secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer. Will voters finally choose a Republican to serve in the upper echelons of state government? We’ll discuss on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now. Reporters Lauren Dake, Conrad Wilson and Kyra Buckley analyze the races. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Oregon is home to one of the nation’s most consequential Congressional races. OPB’s Bryce Dole took a deep dive – and drive – through the district in recent weeks where he visited the fire-ravaged Santiam Canyon, talked housing in Deschutes County and delved into the issues on the urban/rural divide in Clackamas County.  On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we take a deeper dive into the 5th Congressional District and what voters say are their top issues. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

In Oregon, we’ve been using vote-by-mail for more than 20 years without evidence of systemic fraud. So, it’s been easy for Democrats to dismiss conservatives who have been raising questions about the system. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart discuss the history of Oregon’s voting system and its various tweaks, the revelation that hundreds of people were automatically registered to vote who shouldn’t have been and what the political fallout may be. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Greg Walden has been a major feature of Oregon politics for decades. Now the former congressman has emerged as the most-influential figure in helping Republicans win back power in the state Capitol. 

On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Alex Zielinski discuss the state of Republican fundraising in Oregon, Walden’s influence and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon’s experiment with decriminalization is over. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Conrad Wilson are joined by editor Michelle Wiley to discuss the new world beginning on September 1st and beyond. Subscribe to OPB Politics Now anywhere you get your podcasts – or watch it on YouTube – to get the latest episodes each Friday.

Stop us if you’ve heard this before, but two elected officials in Multnomah County had a public dispute in recent weeks over how to address homeless camping. This time the elected sheriff of the state’s most populous county was at loggerheads with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, but now they appear to be on the same page. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski and Dirk VanderHart discuss the latest on the issue and what comes next. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Portland’s government makeover will fundamentally alter how things work inside City Hall. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski and Dirk VanderHart go deep into how the City Council will introduce legislation, engage the public and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts

We're taking a break from the normal pod this week, but with good reason. OPB's Think Out Loud host Dave Miller recently sat down with Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for a lengthy discussion that touches on cell phones in schools, the controversy over first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson and lots more. We'll be back with a new episode next week.

On this week's show, reporters Lauren Dake, Troy Brynelson and Jeanie Lindsay discuss the big races in next week's Washington state primary.

On this week's show, OPB reporters Lauren Dake and Bryce Dole examine Democratic responses in Oregon to President Joe Biden's decision to exit the race.

Peter Courtney, the longest-serving state lawmaker in Oregon history, and arguably the most consequential one died this week. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart talk about Courtney’s legacy and the influence he had over policies that now shape our state.

Oregon’s top transportation officials said they need billions of dollars to maintain the state’s roadways. Without it there will be more potholes, more traffic and worse driving conditions for everyone. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, we’ll dig into the politics and ask what it will take to make Portland great for bikes again. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

In April, United States Supreme Court Justices heard arguments in one of the most widely watched cases out of Oregon in recent memory. The question at the heart of Grants Pass v Johnson was whether cities can regulate where and when people can sleep outside, especially if there isn’t shelter space available. 

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had held that the city’s ordinance was in violation of the basic principle established in Martin v. Boise from 2018: “A person cannot be prosecuted for involuntary conduct if it is an unavoidable consequence of one’s status.”

But on Friday the Supreme Court issued its ruling siding with Grants Pass, saying that it is not cruel or unusual punishment to penalize people from living outdoors even if they have nowhere else to go. 

We get reaction and analysis from Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol and Sara Rankin, associate professor at Seattle University School of Law and the director of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project. 

 Oregon’s scenic beauty is one of its main draws and some rural communities are trying to bring tourists to their region with the promise of an elite mountain biking experience. But not everyone is thrilled. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we will look at the complex push and pull as some former timber communities try to reinvent themselves. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.