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.
-
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.
-
Tweaks to Measure 110, more speed cameras and new consequences for extremism are among laws that kick in on New Year's Day.
-
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.
-
The state will send a jaw-dropping $5.6 billion back to taxpayers next year, ratcheting up pressure on a policy voters love.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Five Republican lawmakers say they can’t be barred from running for another term because they boycotted the Senate earlier this year. Now, Oregon’s top court will decide the true meaning of Measure 113.
-
A new legislative committee convened Wednesday with a look at the state’s threadbare treatment system.
-
Prosecutors and Republicans say a 2021 court opinion has made it too hard to convict dealers. Top Democrats are listening.