No Tax Oregon petitioners have gathered over 150,000 signatures to petition the planned increases to the state’s gas tax, vehicle registration and title fees and a transit payroll tax until voters have a chance to weigh in next November
A pipeline carrying 90% of Oregon’s transportation fuel has been shut down since Nov. 17 following a discovered leak. The disruption to the fuel supply, and the potential for impacts at pump and airports, prompted Gov. Kotek to declare a state of emergency that will last through Dec. 24, unless conditions change
The Oregon Department of Transportation is rushing to fill vacant positions as it recovers from resignations and a hiring freeze.The department will hire slowly at first and likely leave many positions vacant until it has enough revenue to cover the positions over the course of the 2025-27 two-year budget cycle.
The Oregon Senate on Monday passed the long-awaited transportation bill to update the state’s funding sources for road maintenance and operations. The bill would raise taxes and fees, including a gas tax increase from $0.40 to $0.46, effective Jan. 1, 2026.
Lawmakers are considering passing House Bill 3991, a transportation package that would raise $4.3 billion over the next 10 years by raising the gas tax by 6 cents, increasing vehicle title and registration fees and temporarily raising a statewide payroll tax for transit from 0.1% to 0.2%.
The House narrowly passed the 10-year transportation package; with a key Democratic senator recovering from surgery, the Oregon Senate will delay their planned vote on the transportation tax package for two weeks. The vote is scheduled Sept. 17 when Sen. Chris Gorsek will be available.
A bill to stave off hundreds of layoffs at the Oregon Department of Transportation, pay for road infrastructure projects and temporarily boost funding to public transit agencies moved forward Sunday after a rocky start. The House was expected to vote on the package Monday, with what would be a final Senate vote anticipated Wednesday.
Speakers shared testimony during a public hearing on Gov. Tina Kotek’s transportation funding proposal meant to prevent layoffs, preserve highway funds with counties and cities and modernize transportation funding.
The Rogue Valley Transportation District will begin major service reductions starting Tuesday, Sept. 2, due to financial strain caused by delayed federal funding. The cuts to service include the Medford-Ashland Express (Route 1X), shortened weekday hours and a complete suspension of Saturday service.
State Rep. Pam Marsh, D-Ashland recapped the 2025 legislative for constituents during a Sunday, Aug. 3 town hall and ice cream social in Talent.
Oregon’s fourth-grade reading scores have plummeted to last place in the nation, even as education spending has surged. Meanwhile, Mississippi, known for its underfunded schools, now leads the country after embracing the “science of reading.”
More than 60 people turned out for a look at the proposed Ashland Mill mega-project during an open house Wednesday night at the Historic Ashland Armory. Planned on the former Croman Mill site on 60-plus acres of the city’s southeast side, what’s now known as the Ashland Mill project represents the largest development proposal in the city’s history, with more than 550 housing units and 200,000 square feet of retail and commercial spaces, as well as pathways, small parks and open spaces.
Janai Mestrovich: That day, two drunk, homeless strangers became my unexpected protectors. In my heart, I still call them my “drunkles” (my drunk uncles) because in that shaky New York afternoon, they cared for me as gently as family.
Ashland school officials greenlit an 18-month road map to explore restructuring the district amid declining enrollment. While emphasizing that no school closures are being proposed, district Superintendent Joseph Hattrick outlined an approach to the plan that focuses on data analysis, public input, and long-term planning. Changes are not expected until 2027 or later. The plan aims to curb anxiety about school closures, particularly at Bellview Elementary.
Obituary: Longtime Ashland resident Judith “Judy” Ellen Greifer Benjamin passed away on Jan. 14, 2024. She was 91. A former president of the local League of Women Voters, Judy lived a life “filled with curiosity, creativity, and global adventure.” A graveside internment of ashes and memorial will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the Jacksonville Cemetery. At 2 p.m., a memorial celebration of life will be held at the family home.
A majority of Jackson County Library District employees have signed union authorization cards, marking the formal start of a process toward collective bargaining.
(It’s free)
