News
Editorial: The blindspot in Oregon's look at data centers
1+ hour, 53+ min ago (269+ words) Published 6:30 am Thursday, February 26, 2026 By Bulletin Editorial Board What's noticeably missing from the agenda of Gov. Tina Kotek's Data Center Advisory Committee are tax breaks. Kotek convened her data center committee to come up with policy recommendations to take advantage…...
Oregon governor forms new committee to advise on massive data center growth
1+ mon, 6+ day ago (491+ words) Published 9:39 am Tuesday, January 20, 2026 Oregon's governor is organizing a new committee of advisers to weigh in on issues rising from the rapid growth of data centers in the state. Gov. Tina Kotek announced the new Data Center Advisory Committee on…...
Utility watchdogs accuse PGE of skirting new law meant to make data centers pay for rising demand
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (1097+ words) Published 5:23 am Monday, December 15, 2025 Oregon's largest electrical utility is proposing to make residential customers pay at least part of the long-term cost of supplying large data centers, despite a new law requiring it to charge the centers' developers, not other…...
Cell phone bans going well, some to be implemented in new year
4+ mon, 2+ week ago (1137+ words) Published 5:45 am Saturday, October 11, 2025 Multiple school districts in Central Oregon now ban cell phones use while school is in session, following policies put in place months before the statewide deadline. Administrators have noticed fewer rings and beeps, and more conversation…...
Commentary: Student cellphones need to be away in school
7+ mon, 2+ week ago (768+ words) Published 7:32 am Friday, July 11, 2025 By Mary Ellen Klas, Bloomberg Opinion There are few things most American politicians seem to agree upon, but banning mobile phones in classrooms seems to be one of them. Based on the experiences of some schools…...
Gov. Kotek orders Oregon schools to prohibit students from using cell phones
7+ mon, 3+ week ago (427+ words) Published 10:55 am Wednesday, July 2, 2025 By ALEX BAUMHARDT / Oregon Capital Chronicle Gov. Tina Kotek on Wednesday issued an'executive order'to Oregon's 197 school districts, requiring they adopt a policy for banning student cell phone use by Oct. 31, 2025. Those policies must be fully implemented…...
Commerce secretary promises broadband funding by end of year
8+ mon, 2+ week ago (1101+ words) Published 9:21 am Friday, June 6, 2025 The federal government intends to award funding to all rural broadband expansion programs by the end of the year, the U.S. commerce secretary says. The national trade association for service providers says states should be in the…...
Bill to protect residential electricity customers from subsidizing data center demand moves forward
8+ mon, 2+ week ago (588+ words) Published 6:11 am Friday, June 6, 2025 By Alex Baumhardt, Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon is close to ensuring data center owners pay what they owe for their growth following several years of painful residential electricity hikes driven in part by rising energy demand…...
Too much communication: For cell phones in schools, simpler may be better
10+ mon, 1+ week ago (549+ words) What do you do with legislation that cuts into the middle of how Oregonians live their lives, when most people want it but many are sharply opposed? The short answer: Test it, when that's possible. Launch a suggested solution, but…...