Dirk VanderHart
Dirk VanderHart covers Oregon politics and government for KLCC. 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.
-
The voter-approved Measure 110 is nearing its end as the Legislature sends a bill unwinding Oregon's drug decriminalization toward the governor's desk.
-
The Oregon state legislature has voted to overhaul Measure 110, recriminalizing small amounts of drugs and signaling the end of the most progressive experiment in U.S. drug policy.
-
Oregon's House overwhelmingly approved a bill that would recriminalize drug possession in the state, with 51 members voting to approve the bill. The bill would make possession of small amounts of drugs a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail.
-
Oregon's bill to recriminalize illicit drug use sailed through a joint committee that was tasked with addressing the state's addiction crisis.
-
Senate Bill 1583 would block school districts from withholding access to books for discriminatory reasons.
-
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.