In General

The ruling reverses an earlier decision that barred the limits. The county elections division will implement the $500 individual cap on campaign contributions, spending limits and disclosure requirements for candidates moving forward.

In 2018, just outside Portland, Oregon, longtime Washington County District Attorney Bob Hermann announced his retirement. To those in the know, it was obvious that Kevin Barton, a moderate independent and Hermann’s longtime lieutenant, was the best man to fill the spot. Well-liked and with no Republican challengers, Barton was running unopposed. However, hundreds of miles away a “dark money” group with $10 million from Mark Zuckerberg and zero connection to Washington County decided that this was unacceptable. To them, it was obvious that Washington County really needed a high-dollar competitive election with a radical left-wing contender. The people just didn’t know it yet.

Academics and board members say it’s unlikely things will change anytime soon.

Cash from Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg appears to have leaked into prosecutor races as part of his foundation's larger mission to reform the criminal justice system, a review of tax forms show.

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.

Campaign finance databases reveal much about cultural values, political influence and interesting trends. We found that, and more, in a recent News-Register investigation ...

Our Oregon alleges that a committee to pay costs for Republican state senators participating in a walkout broke state campaign finance rules.

Two state senators want Oregon U.S. Attorney Natalie Wight’s office to investigate cash donations from cannabis company to state politicians.

Oregon lawmakers are mulling whether to boost pay for statewide officeholders and pass ethics reforms following the resignation of former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, who stepped down after news that she had taken a $10,000 a month side job with a troubled cannabis company.

Oregon Democrats promised to reform the state’s campaign finance laws. But their fix tilts the playing field in their favor, says a Democratic lawmaker.

Knight made the donation April 4 to the Bring Balance to Salem PAC

Political fundraisers now entangled in broad criminal investigation of diverted liquor.

With two months left in the legislative session, the issue of capping political contributions has received little attention and lawmakers are hedging on whether a proposal can pass.

New proposals introduced in the state Senate last week would set strict limits to quell the exorbitant spending in Oregon elections — without the same loopholes included in other bills introduced by top Democrats this session.