Oregon Likely Won't Ban Teacher Strikes or Flavored Tobacco
Today some updates on a range of civic issues: other states ban teacher strikes and flavored tobacco. There's a hold on releasing jailed without a lawyer.
Today some updates on a range of civic issues:
Other States Ban Teacher Strikes
Oregon Republican legislators are proposing laws that would bar teachers from striking now that more than 40,000 students at Portland Public Schools have lost at least 10 school days this month. The proposal is unlikely to pass the Democratic-controlled legislature. But 37 states already bar the practice, including solidly Democratic places such as Massachusetts and New York, because they prohibit all public-sector unions from striking. [Oregon Capital Chronicle]
No Statewide Ban on Flavored Smokes
Multnomah and Washington counties — the two most populous in the state — have already passed bans on flavored tobacco. But state legislators appear unlikely to move forward on a statewide ban next year. Five states have already outlawed flavored tobacco. [Willamette Week]
Release for Lawyerless Put on Hold
There’s now a delay on the previously ordered release of Oregon defendants. A federal judge stepped in earlier this month to address the long-term shortage of public defenders and ordered the release of any defendant held for seven days without being assigned a public defender. A federal appeals court will hear a challenge after placing a temporary hold on that order, which was due to go into effect on Thursday. [Oregonian 🔒]
More about Local Civics
$106M in Unspent Funds at the Portland Housing Bureau
The Portland Housing Bureau has $106 million in unspent funds, the city administrator disclosed late last week. Some of it may be spoken for, but it leaves open the question of how City Council will spend the funds. When the pot of unspent funds was believed to be only $21 million, City Council was divided over whether to spend it on rent assistance or a Prosper Portland housing project. Maybe all of the above are possible now. [Portland Mercury]
City Cast Portland staffFeb 10, 2026
The Gas Tax and Oregon's Legislative Session
State lawmakers convene in Salem next week after a chaotic few weeks for Democratic state leaders as they scramble to address the issue of transportation funding. They have a key problem: Voters appear to oppose the gas tax passed last fall.
City Cast Portland staffJan 28, 2026
US Sen. Wyden Explains His Votes To Arm Israel
Oregon’s U.S. senators usually vote the same way (like for continuing the government shutdown until healthcare costs are addressed). But a key exception in recent months was Sen. Ron Wyden’s support for continued arms sales to Israel while Sen. Jeff Merkley voted to oppose them. Wyden’s support came up again last weekend — at a Portland Book Festival event featuring Omar Al Ekkad, author of “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” (a title you may recognize as “the one book every Portlander should read right now”).
City Cast Portland staffNov 12, 2025