The state’s short legislative session has come to an end. The most hotly-debated topic has been the re-criminalization of drug possession, but let’s take a closer look at what else lawmakers accomplished.
❌ Daylight Saving Time
Daylight saving time is here to stay. House Bill 1548 would have permanently placed Oregon in standard time, but it died on the House floor due to time constraints after narrowly passing in the Senate. [OPB]
✅ Coal investments
The COAL Act, aimed at divesting nearly $1 billion from coal and energy investments in the state’s $94 billion Public Employee Retirement System (PERS), passed without much opposition. House Bill 4083 will ensure PERS does not hold stocks in companies generating 20% or more of their revenue from coal production and proposes a move towards net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. [Oregonian]
✅ Campaign Finance
There is now a limit of $3,300 from individuals on contributions to candidates and political parties in Oregon, mirroring federal limits. The bipartisan-backed bill will also create an online system for disclosing money that is spent in support of a political candidate without that candidate’s knowledge, aka “independent expenditures” that have been deemed by the U.S. Supreme Court to be free speech and cannot be limited. The limits will go into effect in 2027. [AP News]
✅ Summer School Programs
The Legislature passed House Bill 4082, which will earmark $30 million for summer programs in school districts across the state — a boost from last year’s funding but less than initially proposed. The bill will also prioritize Title I schools serving low-income students and offers potential for long-term solutions in sustaining summer learning programs. [Oregonian]
❌ Book Ban Prohibition
House Bill 1583 would have prevented school boards and other school officials from removing library books that were written by, or about, protected classes like people of color or LGBTQ+ people, but Republican opponents delayed the vote until Saturday. The bill was dropped in lieu of working into the weekend. [Oregon Legislature]
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