As this year’s legislative session was nearing its end, Patrick Starnes, in a meeting with Gov. Kate Brown, said he got news he didn’t want to hear: Lawmakers wouldn’t be passing bills to reform the state’s campaign finance system.

The strongest belief that pulled me back into politics three years ago is this: we won’t make much headway solving Oregon’s core problems until we dramatically reduce the power of big money in Salem. ...

Letter to the editor

The 2021 session was supposed to be focused responding to wildfires and COVID-19, but lawmakers accomplished a great deal more in a tumultuous -- and historic -- five months.

Kate Titus and Eric Richardson call on Oregon legislators to stand up against Oregon special interests.

Oregonians who want credible campaign contribution limits and an independent commission to redraw legislative and congressional boundaries should organize behind initiative petitions that will accomplish what legislators refuse to do, the editorial board writes.

Oregon lawmakers are considering creating a public match program for state legislative candidates, similar to the system in Portland. It's the one possible win still available to advocates of campaign finance reform in the final weeks of the legislative session.

Bills to limit political contributions always faced an uphill battle in 2021. Now, a less contentious proposal to publicly finance campaigns faces skepticism in the Senate.

Oregon voters in November cleared the way for the state to impose campaign finance limits. Now the Legislature needs a plan.

People who want Oregon to adopt campaign contribution limits on Tuesday acknowledged it looks increasingly unlikely the Legislature will pass limits this year, after a key lawmaker suggested scrapping limits and instead focusing on a public match program.

Oregon lawmakers’ interest in capping political money was never particularly high this session — no Democratic leaders listed it as a priority — and now appears to be withering.

Oregon lawmakers are considering whether to adopt limits on how much individuals and groups can contribute to political candidates, after voters overwhelmingly approved a state constitutional amendment in November to make clear such limits are allowed.

The campaign to legalize political contribution limits in Oregon is heading into election season with less than $10,000 on hand, after spending heavily during the summer on staff salaries and a statewide poll by a Washington, D.C. firm. The poll found voters of every age, party and region of Oregon overwhelmingly favor campaign finance limits and disclosure requirements.

“Polluted by Money,” a four-part series published in 2019, exposed how Oregon’s lack of campaign finance limits led to an easy tolerance of polluters by lawmakers who benefited from campaign contributions.

Oregon's voter approved campaign contribution limits still do not apply to state level races, the secretary of state announced Friday citing an opinion from the attorney general. That's despite a state Supreme Court ruling last week that such limits are allowed under the Oregon Constitution.

Backers of strict curbs on campaign money in Oregon lost twice Friday in their attempt to quickly impose limits on donations to candidates for public office.  

The Oregon Supreme Court has dropped a bomb into the middle of the 2020 election, ruling on Thursday that campaign contribution limits do not violate the Oregon Constitution. The most immediate effect...

The Oregon Supreme Court ruled on April 23 that campaign contribution limits do not violate the constitution, making them now legal in the state of Oregon. What that means, however, is not yet certain, as Oregon’s Secretary of State and Attorney General review to see if the ruling means a 2006 ballot measure would now take effect – the court had stayed the measure earlier.   Possible impact: This ruling means controls could now be legal on campaign donations in local and […]

 The Oregon Supreme Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a voter-approved Multnomah County law putting a $500 limit on campaign donations. It could lead to new campaign finance limits throughout the state.

Oregon is one of just five states with no limits at all.

House Bill 4124 would most likely ensure that a key campaign finance reform measure passed by Oregonians in 2006 will never go in effect, writes attorney Dan Meek. If the current walkout mirrors last year's and Republicans return with a few days remaining, the bill could be one of many passed in the rush to sine die.

House Bill 4124 would most likely ensure that a key campaign finance reform measure passed by Oregonians in 2006 will never go in effect, writes attorney Dan Meek. If the current walkout mirrors last year's and Republicans return with a few days remaining, the bill could be one of many passed in the rush to sine die.

Will Oregon lawmakers appoint a campaign contribution limits task force likely to propose keeping political money flowing freely in the state?

New legislation would delay voter-approved campaign finance limits if Oregon Supreme Court upholds constitutionality of donor caps.

Oregon is among a handful of states with no limits on campaign contributions in elections. The 2020 session offers lawmakers another chance to change that.