Governor Tina Kotek apologized this week and said she would not create an office of the first spouse . But what does that actually mean, and did Kotek answer all the questions? On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we delve deep into that story and more.. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Should politics be a family affair? One Oregon community will put that issue to voters. I’m Lauren Dake. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we talk about a ballot proposal in Redmond plus how drug recriminalization may look in rural Oregon. We also address Gov. Kotek’s recent trip to Boardman to discuss nitrates. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

The OPB politics team is working hard on stories ahead of next month’s Oregon primary election. We’re going to have all sorts of coverage on this podcast, on OPB.org and on the radio in the coming days and weeks. That's a long way of saying - we're taking a break this week. But we’re not leaving you hanging. In case you missed it, here' a Think Out Loud debate featuring three of the candidates for Oregon’s Third Congressional Seat – that’s the one held by Earl Blumenauer for decades. This...

Right 2 Dream Too used to dominate headlines in Portland, but the homeless community is largely overlooked these days. Also, one of the city’s newest outdoor shelters is nearing the one-year mark but finding housing remains a challenge. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Alex Zielinski and Bryce Dole discuss Right 2 Dream Too and the Clinton Triangle. Find the show anywhere you5 get your podcasts

Last year, Portland’s city council passed a new ban on unsanctioned homeless camping within the city during daytime hours. Almost a year later, it’s stalled and now Mayor Ted Wheeler has a new plan. On this week’s OPB Politics Now we walk you through the latest on Portland’s push and pull with addressing camps. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.   

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s wife Aimee wants a larger role in state politics. What should Oregonians think of that? Does it matter? On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss why several top staffers left Kotek’s office and what other state’s do when it comes to first spouses. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon lawmakers accomplished many things during the short session, but environmental policies were not at the top of the docket. But that doesn’t mean nothing passed the legislative finish line. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake, Alejandro Figueroa and April Ehrlich discuss what passed, what didn’t and what it means. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Rene Gonzalez wants to be mayor of Portland. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we took a look at Gonzalez’s first year. Plus, will the latest plan to solve homelessness work or is it more of the same?  Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.  

Oregon lawmakers finished their short session this week - with big bipartisan bills crossing the finish line and a surprise or two. I’m Andrew Theen. On the next episode of OPB Politics Now, we discuss the biggest takeaways from the session. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon lawmakers are tackling some major issues in the short session. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we focus on the housing bill moving through Salem. We discuss the political fault lines animating the bill, whether it will actually be used and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon lawmakers have a lot on their plate, but they are shuffling to act as quickly as possible during the short session in some cases to avoid a larger fight at the ballot box. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the sudden interest in campaign finance limits and the latest on the efforts to unravel Measure 110. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon lawmakers already had a big agenda to tackle in the short legislative session, but a surprise wrinkle entered the fray. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the session’s first two weeks, Gov. Tina Kotek’s housing bill and its changes and why there’s a sudden bipartisan effort to finally address campaign finance limits statewide. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.  

On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Alex Zielinski discuss why some Portland police officers continue to use force at greater levels than their colleagues, what the bureau says about it and why some experts say it's a problematic trend. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Oregon lawmakers return to the Capitol on Monday for a frenetic 35-day session. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart talk about the major issues, the key Oregon Supreme Court ruling and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon’s landmark drug decriminalization law is now in the crosshairs of Democratic leaders. Republicans and other Measure 110 opponents say the proposal doesn’t go far enough, while drug recovery advocates say this is not the way. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake and Alex Zielinski talk about the fight to come and they discuss why Portland and Multnomah County leaders continue to squabble over how to respond to weather emergencies.

Gov. Tina Kotek will once again push for a bill to make it easier for cities to add land for housing. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss the bill, how it was derailed in the Legislature and why the governor thinks this time may be different. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Tina Kotek is no stranger to Oregon politics, but her perception inside and outside Salem may have changed as she traded in the speaker’s gavel for the governor’s office. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, political reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake discuss their deep dive into Kotek’s first year. They discussed how the progressive has shifted to the middle, what her political opponents have to say and much more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

It’s going to be a busy year for politics in Oregon and beyond. There’s a presidential election, a coveted and presumably safe Democratic seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is up for grabs and Portland is embarking on a historic election.  On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski and Dirk VanderHart discuss all that and more. Dive into the busy year to come. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Oregon loves to be an outlier, and its special kicker tax rebate is yet another example. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Kyra Buckley and Dirk VanderHart go deep on why Oregon's kicker continues to hit unprecedented dollar figures, how the state compares nationally and much more. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Did Tina Kotek fix downtown Portland or did the governor just convene a big to-do task force with little to show for it? Or is the truth somewhere in between? On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Alex Zielinski, Dirk VanderHart and Kyra Buckley discuss the task force, the business community’s reaction to it and much more. Find the show wherever you listen to podcasts.

On this week's show, OPB reporters Dirk VanderHart and Lauren Dake go deep on the state of Oregon's continuing failure to find safe, consistent housing for the most vulnerable children.

The fight over how Oregon funds K-12 education isn’t new, but in the wake of a nearly monthlong strike in Portland Public Schools the longtime issue is back in the limelight. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Dirk VanderHart explain the history, the present and what lawmakers and school insiders are saying about whether Oregon schools are getting enough money. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Portland has struggled for years with how to oversee matters of police discipline and the controversy appears to be continuing. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Lauren Dake and Alex Zielinski discuss how the City Council appears to be changing elements of the police oversight system that was overwhelmingly supported by voters three years ago. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Tribes in Central Oregon are fighting a county-approved plan to build a luxury resort on their ancestral lands, which could further deplete the region's shrinking groundwater supply. This week, an appeals court is hearing arguments over whether that development may violate treaty rights.  On this week’s OPB Politics Now, politics reporter Alex Zielinski talks about the project with Central Oregon bureau chief Emily Cureton Cook. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.