Dirk VanderHart
JPR Oregon State Capitol CorrespondentDirk VanderHart is JPR's Salem correspondent reporting from the Oregon State Capitol. His reporting is funded through a collaboration among public radio stations in Oregon and Washington that includes JPR. Before barging onto the radio in 2018, Dirk spent more than a decade as a newspaper reporter—much of that time reporting on city government for the Portland Mercury.
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Current Speaker Dan Rayfield has said he will lead the chamber through this year's legislative session, but a change could come soon after. -
Top Democrats hope the move would incentivize users to seek help while offering plenty of opportunities to avoid a conviction. It’s likely to have opposition on both sides of the state’s drug debate.
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Gov. Tina Kotek took Marshall off a task force considering higher beer and wine taxes because of a Facebook post her office called insensitive and inappropriate.
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A case before the Oregon Supreme Court seeks to block Trump from the ballot because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
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Tweaks to Measure 110, more speed cameras and new consequences for extremism are among laws that kick in on New Year's Day.
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Sen. Brian Boquist and Rep. Anna Scharf say Democrats have ignored an unconstitutional disparity in how heavy trucks are being taxed versus personal vehicles. Their push for a special session is unlikely to succeed.
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The state will send a jaw-dropping $5.6 billion back to taxpayers next year, ratcheting up pressure on a policy voters love.
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The state’s approach to funding K-12 education is not easy to comprehend, and the Portland Public Schools strike has shoved the thorny issue into the political spotlight.
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The latest state revenue forecast predicts an additional $335 million in the current budget, driven by income taxes from wealthier Oregonians and surging corporate profits.
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Police and sheriff's departments around Oregon say 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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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.
