Dirk VanderHart
Dirk VanderHart covers Oregon politics and government for OPB. Before barging onto the radio in 2018, he spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter—much of that time reporting on city government for the Portland Mercury. He’s also had stints covering chicanery in Southwest Missouri, the wilds of Ohio in Ohio, and all things Texas on Capitol Hill.
Dirk’s byline has appeared in USA Today, The New York Times, The Houston Chronicle, The Columbus Dispatch, The Oregonian, and more. He’s got a journalism degree from Michigan State University.
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A framework released Thursday includes a major gas tax hike, several entirely new taxes, and a lot more. -
The bill stands little chance of passing, but inspired a torrent of testimony that flooded the site Monday. -
They are lobbying for a five-fold increase to a tax paid by Oregon workers. -
Secretary of State Tobias Read, a Democrat, says the order would disenfranchise eligible voters without increasing security. -
Senate Bill 1038 would tie Oregon’s temporal fate to Washington and California. -
A coalition of contractors has argued the move is an unconstitutional power grab. -
The pioneering bill squeaked through one chamber of the Legislature in Salem, but there were some Democratic dissenters. -
The state might have enough money to fund core priorities. Or it might be scrambling to fill holes left by federal cuts. -
They’re hoping state lawmakers will be moved to act by a Friday deadline, but opponents say existing law is adequate. -
A handful of budget bills would steer more than $420 million out the door for social services, wildfire and more.