By Julia Shumway | Editor
Oregon’s governance method has long relied on pulling groups of interested and politically connected people (“stakeholders”) together onto committees (or task forces, work groups, commissions, or boards) to spend weeks, months or even years producing reports lawmakers and their staff may or may not read as they try to pass incremental changes to state law.
Today, senior reporter Alex Baumhardt and freelancer Jake Thomas have tales of two committees tasked with figuring out two of the thorniest political questions: what to do about data centers and how to pay for a voter-requested switch to a statewide single-payer health care system. The data center group made clear it won’t recommend a statewide moratorium on new data center development, as some cities are adopting and some Democratic lawmakers, conservation groups, farmers and residents in data-center-heavy areas have demanded. And the health care group punted the release of its final report from Sept. 15 to Dec. 1 because it doesn’t have answers for how to pay for the switch to a single-payer system. It acknowledged the extra two and a half months might not be enough time to find those answers.
Also in today's edition:
State officials warn of wildfire scams
Columnist Randy Stapilus on data center politics
And one more thing:
Remember Alex’s great recent reporting on an astroturfing data center group? She’ll talk about it on today’s episode of “Stories from the States," States Newsroom’s weekly podcast.
News tips, feedback or questions? Email us at [email protected]
By Alex Baumhardt
An explosion of data center facilities, including the one pictured here in northeast Oregon on May 18, 2026, have been built along the Columbia River Gorge during the last few years. (Photo by Jordan Gale/Oregon Capital Chronicle)
Gov. Tina Kotek’s data center advisory committee won’t recommend a statewide moratorium on new data centers, despite local action and growing calls from Democratic lawmakers, conservation groups, farmers and residents in data-center-heavy areas.
By Jake Thomas
Voters say the cost of healthcare will be a major factor in how they vote in this year’s midterm elections. (Getty Images)
A state board in charge of developing a universal health plan for all Oregonians will delay the release of its final report to lawmakers, citing uncertainty over how to pay for it.
By Shaanth Nanguneri
The Riverview Fire in La Pine in March was the first big wildfire of 2026. (Photo courtesy of the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office)
Oregonians should exercise significant caution to avoid potential scams when they seek contractors for help to rebuild their homes after a wildfire or support an online fundraising campaign for those who have been affected by the fires, according to state emergency officials.
By Randy Stapilus
In May, state Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, area lost her bid for reelection to the legislature, the first such incumbent loss since 2018. Multiple reasons contributed to Sollman’s loss to union-backed challenger Myrna Muñoz, but a pivotal and new factor was data centers.
FROM STATELINE
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Could Oregon end up building more prisons to address earthquake safety concerns? | Shaanth Nanguneri
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