OPB Politics Now

During his campaign to be Portland’s next mayor, Keith Wilson had an idyllic pitch for the city’s future. Now the mayor is up against his first major challenge: balancing the budget. With a huge funding gap, how does Wilson hope to confront the city’s problems? On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Bryce Dole and Alex Zielinski discuss Wilson’s plans, the political tradeoffs and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon lawmakers are increasingly relying on bills that are not what they initially seem. Lawmakers this session filed a record number of placeholder bills, which are often just empty vessels of legislation that morph into something more significant later in the legislative process. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the rise of placeholders, why lawmakers use them and why transparency advocates and citizens are concerned. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Portland lost one of its most active and knowledgeable advocates for police accountability earlier this month. Dan Handelman spent decades of his life keeping track of the actions of the Portland police bureau, and pushing for reform. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss Handelman’s life, death and what happens when an institutional watchdog is no longer there. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Tariffs have been one of the dominant themes of the first few months of the Trump administration. And Oregon businesses are feeling the pinch, and the uncertainty. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss how Oregon businesses are responding to the tariffs and what it could mean for consumers. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Oregon’s legislative session is at the midway point. I’m Lauren Dake. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss what the Legislature has accomplished so far, how the Trump administration has affected Salem and much more. Find the show where ever you get your podcasts

The Pacific Northwest’s rugged beauty - our mountains, forests, deserts and rivers - is a draw for many of us who call this region home. For decades, many of our most powerful rivers have been tamed - by dams. But in recent years we’ve seen some major dams come down. And it’s possible more big changes are afoot. Is that good? Bad? We’ll discuss the politics of dam removal on the latest episode of OPB Politics Now. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Democrat Melissa Fireside came out of nowhere in November to win a key election in Oregon’s third most populous county. But the Clackamas County commissioner’s sudden rise came with an even quicker downfall. It’s just the latest change on a county board that’s seen the political pendulum go back and forth many times in the past decade. Settle in and turn up your volume- it’s time for a Fireside chat. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek stopped by the OPB studio this week for an extended interview with Think Out Loud. She talked about her housing policy, what she views as her role in responding to the Trump administration and much more. It was a meaty conversation. Here’s governor Kotek with OPB’s Dave Miller

Many Oregon students are struggling to pass tests and graduate. State lawmakers and Gov. Tina Kotek are trying to do something about it. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we talk about the state of Oregon schools and the policies proposed during this year’s legislative session. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Having trouble with your finances? Well, Multnomah County and the city of Portland feel your pain. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we discuss the challenging budget cycle facing two of the state’s largest governments – and why the situation for state government is vastly different. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon’s congressional delegation got an earful at recent town halls, and strong feelings seem to be growing. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we talk about the town halls, what constituents are saying about the Trump administration’s policies and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Lori Chavez-DeRemer returned to Washington D.C. this week. The Happy Valley Republican is no longer a member of Congress, but she may soon be a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as the nation’ labor secretary. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we dig into Chavez-DeRemer’s confirmation hearing and what made it stand out from others. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The first month of the 2025 legislative session may have been overshadowed, a bit, by the flurry of federal action underway in Trump administration 2.0. But there’s plenty to dig into. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski and Dirk VanderHart and Alex Zielinski discuss the first month of the session, what’s emerged and what hasn’t, and what to expect in the coming weeks. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has been consistent about her priorities since entering the governor’s mansion: housing, homelessness and healthcare. That’s left some wondering where she stands on climate and environmental issues. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Monica Samayoa discuss Kotek’s priorities and vision on the climate beat. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

What happens when the federal money faucet is turned off? Week two of the second Trump administration started with an effort to find out. On this week’s episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Dirk VanderHart and Bryce Dole discuss how the brief funding freeze played out in Oregon. Then, they also dive deep into the state’s growing eviction crisis and why Oregon continues to struggle to build enough housing.

What does the second Trump administration mean for the Pacific Northwest? In the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we get a sense of what people had to say in the days before the inauguration and what happens next. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts and read our full coverage about the new administration at OPB.org.

We are only a few days away from the 2025 long legislative session kicking off in Salem. State lawmakers' paramount duty is passing the next two-year budget. But they likely won’t stop there. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, we will dig into how the state will fund wildfires and ease the housing crisis. Plus, will there be new taxes? How will the legislative leaders get along in this new era? We’ll discuss. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts

New year, new government. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Alex Zielinski discuss the fascinating start of the new era of governance in Portland City Hall. They talked about the political fault lines emerging, the personalities on the council and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Keith Wilson seemed to come out of nowhere. Until earlier last year, he was a trucking company president whose one previous attempt at elected office got paltry results. Then, suddenly, he was a frontrunner in Portland’s high-stakes mayoral race, with an audacious pitch to solve the city’s most difficult issue. Now, he’s the mayor. Given that swift turn of events, you might be asking yourself: Who is Keith Wilson? That's the topic of this week's episode of OPB Politics Now. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Earl Blumenauer is one of the longest-serving elected officials in Oregon history – if not the longest. He first won election to the Oregon House of Representatives in his early 20s, and over the course of five decades went on to serve on the Multnomah County Commission, Portland City Council and, most famously, for nearly 30 years representing Portland in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District.In that time, Blumenauer has stood out for any number of reasons: his bow tie, his enthusiasm for bicycles, and his passion for cannabis legalization to name a few. But now he’s saying goodbye to public office, and looking forward to a role helping his hometown find its feet.Blumenauer came into OPB on December 13 to chat with reporter Dirk VanderHart. They chatted about Blumenauer's career, his take on national politics, and what comes next. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts. And if you have a question for the OPB Politics Now team as we head into 2025, shoot us an email at opbpoliticsnow@opb.org. (edited) 8:03 Andrew Theen fyi we're gonna start asking for reader questions via email/voice memo to see if we get any engagement.