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OPB’s First Look: Oregon legislative session is over
OPB’s First Look: Oregon legislative session is over
OPB’s First Look: Oregon legislative session is over

Published on: 03/07/2026

This news was posted by Oregon Today News

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Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.

Good morning, Northwest.

After a 35-day sprint, Oregon’s legislative session ended yesterday. The laws passed ranged from filling holes in the state budget to pushing back on the federal immigration crackdown.

OPB politics reporters Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake and Bryce Dole have the latest from the Capitol floor in Salem.

Plus, daylight saving time starts tomorrow at 2 a.m., when clocks will spring forward to 3 a.m. Be sure to get enough sleep tonight.

Here’s your First Look at Saturday’s news.

— Winston Szeto

Oregon lawmakers gather in the rotunda after ending the 2026 legislative session. The 2026 session saw big budget bills, approving major public spending to renovate the Moda Center and many other major pieces of legislation.

Oregon lawmakers end 2026 legislative session: What you need to know

In the last month, Oregon state lawmakers bought a waterfall, spent big to help a billionaire renovate the Moda Center, and used an inordinate amount of time debating a gas tax that most believe will end up going nowhere.

The 2026 legislative session is over.

After the end of most sessions, there are the inevitable questions: What did lawmakers accomplish? Did they make the state better or worse?

Whether the state will be better off after the 35-day legislative sprint, which adjourned yesterday, is a matter of perspective. But lawmakers were certainly busy.

Didn’t pay attention? Here is what you missed. (Dirk VanderHart, Lauren Dake and Bryce Dole)

Learn more

People ice skate in the Lloyd Center in Portland, Ore., Aug. 19, 2025.

3 things to know this morning

  • A coalition of news organizations, including OPB, filed a motion yesterday asking a federal judge to give them access to documents regarding President Donald Trump’s attempt to deploy the National Guard to Portland last fall. (Michelle Wiley) 
  • The Portland Design Commission voted unanimously this week to demolish Lloyd Center and its ice rink. The mall’s owners plan to tear it down in favor of a multi-use development. (Joni Auden Land) 
  • A federal judge has ruled that the Bonneville Power Administration intentionally destroyed evidence that could have tied it to a 2020 wildfire, in a lawsuit brought by more than 200 people and businesses affected by that fire. (April Ehrlich)
Thick clouds of tear gas, deployed by federal immigration officers, fill the air as hundreds of protesters demonstrate outside of the ICE building in Portland, Jan. 31, 2026.

Headlines from around the Northwest

Lakayana Yotoma Drury poses for a portrait at the Oregon Public Broadcasting offices in Portland, Ore., on March 4, 2026.

‘503’ collection highlights the experiences of Black Portlanders in poems, essays and photos

Lakayana Yotoma Drury is an educator, social entrepreneur, community advocate, writer, poet and filmmaker. Now, with the publication of his “503” magazine, he adds “editor-in-chief” to his accomplished list.

Yotoma Drury said he wrote it as “defiant anthem of Black joy and resilience against a backdrop of gentrification, community violence, miseducation, and white supremacy.”

Lakayana Yotoma Drury — who serves as vice chair of the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs — hopes the publication encourages a greater investment in young people. He appeared on OPB’s “Think Out Loud” to share more about his work. (Allison Frost)

Learn more

Subscribe to OPB’s First Look to receive Northwest news in your inbox six days a week.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/03/07/oregon-legislative-session-ends-opb-first-look/

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