Longest-serving legislator faces $12K fine

By Julia Shumway | Editor

This Friday, the Oregon Government Ethics Commission will vote on whether to accept a settlement with Rep. Greg Smith, a Heppner Republican and the House’s longest-serving legislator whose consulting work has led to multiple ethics commission complaints. The latest, for which Smith agreed to pay a $12,000 fine, involves him using a grant application to secure a $66,000 raise for himself as head of an eastern Oregon public development authority and approving his own time cards at that job to give himself nearly 11 weeks of paid vacation over the course of eight months in 2025.

Also in today's edition:

Oregon looks to how other states fund transportation
Two minor political parties lose party status
Podcast features Alex Baumhardt’s recent data center reporting

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Eastern Oregon state Rep. Greg Smith will pay $12K to settle latest ethics violations

By Alex baumhardt

Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, looks at papers on his desk in the state House in January 2025. (Photo by Laura Tesler/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

Oregon’s longest-serving state representative will pay the Oregon Government Ethics Commission $12,000 in fines for breaking state ethics laws and leveraging his position as director of an eastern Oregon public development authority for power and pay.

Oregon looks to how other states fund their transportation needs

By Mia Maldonado

Oregon receives most of its transportation funding from vehicle registration and title fees, driver’s license fees, its 40-cent-per-gallon gas tax, and a weight-mile tax on heavy vehicles. (Photo by Mia Maldonado/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

The transportation group charged with vetting and recommending ideas to solve Oregon’s $200 million 2027-29 budget gap spent its fourth meeting examining how other states fund their transportation systems.

Constitution, We the People parties no longer qualify as Oregon political parties

By Julia Shumway

Oregon will have two fewer political parties eligible to nominate candidates. (Getty Images)

Two minor Oregon political parties no longer have enough members to qualify as parties that can nominate candidates, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office announced Frida

PODCAST: Pro-data center industry group behind ad campaign in 7 states

Senior reporter Alex Baumhardt joins tbe most recent States Newsroom podcast to talk about Oregon’s data center politics and her recent reporting on an astroturf group backing pro-industry ads in at least seven states.

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