The Oregon Legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation Funding will consider legislation this week called “LC 2” as they head into a special session to address transportation funding. The Governor’s Transportation Budget Framework defines the problem as an ODOT “budget gap” that needs to be addressed with a “funding solution.” She says that the cause is […]
Testimony of John A. Charles, Jr. Regarding LC 2 Before the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding August 22, 2025 Summary My name is John Charles, and I am President of Cascade Policy Institute. Cascade is a nonprofit policy research organization that works to find common sense solutions to policy problems. We have reviewed LC […]
Governor Tina Kotek has called a special session of the legislature to secure more funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). She wants to raise gas taxes by six cents per gallon, double vehicle registration fees, and increase titling fees. Both the governor and legislative leaders claim that ODOT revenue has been declining due […]
Polar bear move supports survival plan for one of the world’s most vulnerable species She made a big splash at the Oregon Zoo, but even bigger things may be in store for polar bear Amelia Gray. The playful marine mammal will be moving to Brookfield Zoo Chicago in the coming weeks, as part of a […]
In 2017, when the Oregon Legislature authorized a modest highway widening project on I-5 just north of the I-84 intersection, it was expected to improve travel speeds and reduce traffic accidents. The estimated construction cost was $500 million-$700 million. By 2021, the project had morphed into a social justice and real estate development scheme, with […]
Portland, Ore. — Cascade Policy Institute submitted a 30-page special report for testimony, Monday, on the massive 12-tax transportation package HB2025 heading into its final hearing Thursday (6/12) at 4:00 PM with the Joint House-Senate Transportation Reinvestment Committee. The report is titled “From Gas Tank to Paycheck: Oregon’s Plan to Tax Everything That Moves,” by […]
It’s official: More than half of America’s K-12 students are now eligible to participate in a school choice program. On May 3rd, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2 into law, making the Lone Star State the latest to enact a universal Education Savings Account program. According to the American Federation for Children, the […]
I was listening to Ken Hovind on YouTube. He is a scientist who speaks about the errors of evolution. Although I don’t understand everything he says (and he talks fast), I recommend him. His podcasts offer good reasons to believe the Bible’s account. Your faith may not be challenged, but the faith of your kids […]
On Monday, June 9, at 10 a.m.-noon, The Salvation Army Washington County HOPE Center (WCHC), located at 1440 SE 21st Ave. in Hillsboro, hosted a Media Tour and Check Presentation Ceremony from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to officially commence Phase II of renovations, including building a client-choice food pantry. Other renovations […]
Everyone Knows This — So Why Haven’t We Changed the Rules? In science, paradigm shifts often begin with a quiet “that’s odd.” But in the political economy of biomedical innovation, the most damning truths begin with: “Everyone knows this.” Everyone knows that American universities—funded by taxpayers—perform the foundational research that leads to most new drugs. […]
