Oregon faces another high-risk fire season as forecasters predict hot, dry weather across the state. Last summer ranked among the most expensive wildfire seasons in Oregon to date.
At a press conference Tuesday in Medford, Gov. Tina Kotek said that state agencies are fully staffed and ready to respond, but she added they will need help from the federal government as well.
“I am a little worried about the federal situation," she said. "What we're hearing from our federal partners is that they will have the staff and they will be ready to go, but there is a lot of uncertainty there.”
The Trump administration has fired thousands of federal employees, who, while not technically firefighters, play a key role in wildfire prevention.
Many of those employees are certified to fight fires, and they also support firefighters by clearing trails or doing prescribed burns. Communication between state and federal partners could become an issue as wildfires start to pop up across the region.
The governor's concerns come as she announced her support of withholding $1 billion of next year's personal income “kicker” tax refund to fund wildfire suppression and prevention.
Push for school accountability
Kotek also raised concerns about the slow pace of the legislative session, which ends in a month. She said lawmakers haven't done enough, particularly when it comes to schools.
Despite increased spending on public schools, test scores in Oregon continue to decline.
Kotek's recommended budget calls for a $500 million boost for public schools — and more oversight. She says a lot of districts are struggling in the post-pandemic era and need extra support.
“I think we can do both," Kotek said. "We can have strong base funding for our districts and require additional accountability, and that's what I'm focused on in the session.”
Kotek's proposal would force school districts to receive state help if they fail to meet performance targets. Both of the bills in the state legislature that would do this are still waiting in committee.
State lawmakers writing the budget for the next two years are on board with a funding increase, as long as increased accountability comes with the extra money.
