OPB Politics Now
‘OPB Politics Now:’ The problem with Interstate 5
Interstate 5 is a key part of the transportation system that moves both people and goods up and down the West Coast. But the highway has problems, especially where it travels through Portland to Washington state. On this week's show, we'll dig into the politics of fixing the interstate and building a new bridge connecting Oregon and Washington.
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‘OPB Politics Now’: Big changes in Salem, bad news for Nick Kristof
It's been a week of seismic change in Oregon politics, with two state legislative leaders announcing their departures and a leading Democratic candidate for governor losing his spot on the ballot.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Calm in Salem, drama in Portland
Oregon lawmakers were back at the Capitol this week to prevent an eviction crisis. And Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty is suing the union representing city police officers. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, we catch you up on a remarkably drama-free week in Salem and a drama-filled week in Portland.
‘OPB Politics Now’: The fight over campaign finance limits
Last year, Oregon voters changed the state Constitution to allow limits on how much donors can give to political campaigns. But now the progressive groups that pushed to rein in spending can’t agree on who and what those new rules should include. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, we’ll look at why the debate over money is so hard — and what new rules might cover.
‘OPB Politics Now:’ Peter DeFazio to retire, Jaime Herrera Beutler faces right-wing challenge
On this week's show, we take a close look at how this week's big news reshapes next year's fight over control of the U.S. House.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Measure 110 isn’t measuring up
On this week's show, OPB reporter Dirk VanderHart and Oregonian/OregonLive reporter Noelle Crombie take a deep dive into Measure 110, the drug decriminalization measure voters approved last year. So far, the results haven't been as significant or widespread as supporters hoped.
‘OPB Politics Now’: 2022 races get clearer, plus morale problems at Portland City Hall
This week, the fields for two big 2022 races became clearer. And Portland leaders heard troubling news about morale among their Black employees.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Hot times at Portland City Hall
It’s been a big week in Portland City Hall, with developments that touch on three of the most contentious issues of the day: homelessness, recent political protests and abortion.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Redistricting wrap up and the future of civility in the statehouse
The Oregon Legislature concluded its special session to redraw the state’s political maps this week. The question now is whether those maps — and civility in the statehouse — can survive.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Redistricting gets messy
On this week's episode, OPB political reporters Dirk VanderHart and Sam Stites break down a wild week in Salem in which lawmakers struggled to find consensus on new political lines.
‘OPB Politics Now’: Portland’s Texas boycott fumble and what lies ahead for redistricting
The city of Portland made a national splash a few weeks ago when the city council announced it would be boycotting the entire state of Texas. But after the city made the headlines, the plan changed. This week, we run down the details of how the city’s confused response to Texas’s near-total ban on abortions. We also discuss the redistricting fight state lawmakers are gearing up for.
