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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The two-term state representative from Northwest Portland announced Tuesday she’s running for the U.S. House, joining an increasingly crowded Democratic field to replace retiring Congressman Earl Blumenauer.
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Superintendent Andrea Castañeda says the budget pains are the result of an outdated formula for school funding, something Gov. Tina Kotek wants to address.
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The latest state revenue forecast predicts an additional $335 million in the current budget.
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State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, will not seek reelection next year. One former House Republican leader is already rolling out a campaign.
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Police and sheriff's departments around Oregon ay they want authority to arrest people who use and possess drugs as a way to steer them to treatment.
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Teachers and district officials alike have said the standoff — in its second day Thursday — could have been avoided if the Oregon Legislature had appropriately funded schools.
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Blumenauer has spent five decades serving at all levels of elected office. He says Congress is no longer "the most productive way to be involved."
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UFCW Local 555 says it will push a ballot measure next year asking Oregonians to go back to the (recent) days of requiring attendants at gas pumps.
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Five Republican lawmakers say they can't be barred from running for another term because they boycotted the Senate earlier this year.
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Oregon lawmakers say they’re serious about tackling Oregon’s addiction crisis — from stanching the supply of fentanyl on city streets to reducing Oregonians’ demand for drugs.