OPB Politics Now

In April, United States Supreme Court Justices heard arguments in one of the most widely watched cases out of Oregon in recent memory. The question at the heart of Grants Pass v Johnson was whether cities can regulate where and when people can sleep outside, especially if there isn’t shelter space available.  The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had held that the city’s ordinance was in violation of the basic principle established in Martin v. Boise from 2018: “A person cannot be prosecuted for involuntary conduct if it is an unavoidable consequence of one’s status.” But on Friday the Supreme Court issued its ruling siding with Grants Pass, saying that it is not cruel or unusual punishment to penalize people from living outdoors even if they have nowhere else to go.  We get reaction and analysis from Grants Pass Mayor Sara Bristol and Sara Rankin, associate professor at Seattle University School of Law and the director of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project. 

 Oregon’s scenic beauty is one of its main draws and some rural communities are trying to bring tourists to their region with the promise of an elite mountain biking experience. But not everyone is thrilled. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we will look at the complex push and pull as some former timber communities try to reinvent themselves. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.  

The two new leaders of Oregon’s Planned Parenthood affiliates are pushing to dissolve the political arm of their organization in a move that has blindsided some long-time advocates and has them worried about the future of reproductive rights in the state. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, Alex Zielinski and Lauren Dake discuss Planned Parenthood’s inner turmoil

Oregon has a long history of struggling to help kids in foster care and a high profile trial was supposed to put those struggles on center stage. But a settlement put that case on ice at the last minute. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, we’ll discuss what that settlement means plus we’ll dive into the latest shakeup in Salem leadership circles. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.   

Is progressivism on life support in Portland politics or was the Multnomah County District Attorney’s race an isolated event? On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now, reporters Dirk VanderHart, Alex Zielinski and Conrad Wilson discuss the DA’s race and what it may mean for Portland’s city council races this fall. Plus, how will Vasquez approach the job differently than Schmidt? Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.  

Results are still trickling in from the May election but we know who won some key races. We know Earl Blumenauer’s successor. We know two Clackamas County politicians will have a third election battle and we now know Mike Schmidt’s political fate. On the latest episode of OPB Politics Now we break down all that and more. Find the show anywhere you get your podcasts.

Dark money is flooding into the race to replace longtime Congressman Earl Blumenauer in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District. And the stakes are high in the 5th Congressional District where it could ultimately determine who holds power in Congress. On this week’s OPB Politics Now we’ll discuss two of the hottest Congressional races and give you what you need to know before next weeks’ primary election.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt sailed into office four years ago with what looked like a mandate from voters. Four years later he’s in a dogfight for his political life with one of his top deputies, Nathan Vasquez. On this week’s OPB Politics Now, we’ll walk you through Portland’s hottest race in the May 21 primary. Find the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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.