Dirk VanderHart
JPR Oregon State Capitol CorrespondentDirk VanderHart covers Oregon politics and government for Oregon Public Broadcasting, a JPR news partner. His reporting comes to JPR through the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington. Before barging onto the radio in 2018, Dirk spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter鈥攎uch of that time reporting on city government for the Portland Mercury.
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Oregon lawmakers have reached a deal that appears likely to give state campaign finance limits for the first time in decades. -
As the Legislature speeds to adjournment, a proposal to regulate political giving is still being negotiated. -
State estimates show 1,333 people will be convicted of drug possession and 533 could go to jail every year under House Bill 4002. The numbers suggest that the system Oregon lawmakers envisioned to replace Measure 110 鈥� in which drug users can avoid criminal consequences through treatment 鈥� will only go so far. -
The voter-approved Measure 110 is nearing its end as the Legislature sends a bill unwinding Oregon鈥檚 drug decriminalization to Gov. Tina Kotek. -
Senate Bill 1583 would block school districts from withholding access to books for discriminatory reasons. It passed on a party-line vote. -
The bill gained bipartisan support from the joint committee that was tasked with finding solutions to Oregon鈥檚 drug addiction crisis. -
Law enforcement groups now back House Bill 4002, but opposition from fans of decriminalization is as strong as ever. -
Business and labor groups have negotiated a system of contribution limits they hope to push through before lawmakers adjourn March 10. Critics say the proposal is weak. -
A negotiated bill that includes the potential of six months in jail is expected to have momentum in the Capitol. -
Bills on greenhouse gas emissions and teachers strikes are gone, while proposals on campaign finance and drug addiction are being drawn up. -
A deadlocked vote in the chamber means Oregon will not be changing its time standard without its neighbors following suit. -
Democrats and Republicans often clash on the subject of caps on political giving, but are hoping to avoid a messy ballot fight.
