OPB’s First Look: Oregon settles voter roll lawsuit

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Good morning, Northwest.

In 2024, the national group Judicial Watch and others sued Oregon, arguing that the state was not canceling voters from voter rolls as required by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Tobias Read announced that he would clean up voter registration records more thoroughly.

Now, Read has agreed to share data with the lawsuit’s plaintiffs annually for five years in a settlement last week. OPB’s Dirk VanderHart leads today’s newsletter with more.

In other news, Erik Neumann explores how the responsibilities of law enforcement volunteers in Klickitat County are being reexamined, following the passage of a new Washington state law.

Here’s your First Look at Thursday’s news.

— Sukhjot Sal

Oregon settles lawsuit claiming it failed to properly police voter rolls

A years-old lawsuit accusing Oregon of failing to proactively remove people from the state’s voter rolls is over, after state elections officials signaled they would update their practices and agreed to regularly share information with a conservative activist group.

Under a settlement finalized last week, Secretary of State Tobias Read committed to send data annually for five years to the plaintiffs of the lawsuit: the national group Judicial Watch, the Constitution Party of Oregon and two individual plaintiffs. In exchange, the parties have dropped their suit.

“We go after low-hanging fruit, and Oregon was low-hanging fruit,” Robert Popper, an attorney with Judicial Watch, told OPB. “That being said, I applaud what Tobias Read has done.” (Dirk VanderHart)

Learn More

3 Things to Know

1. A new lawsuit, filed Tuesday by the nonprofit Rural Organizing Project, claims state police have long-violated Oregon’s decades-old sanctuary law, which prohibits state and local resources from being used toward immigration enforcement. (Conrad Wilson)
2. Oregon’s largest natural gas utility says a regulator’s decision to phase out a program that helps hook up new gas customers is discriminatory and needs a redo. (Monica Samayoa)
3. For more than a decade, a group of volunteers has helped support law enforcement in Klickitat County — sometimes while armed. Now the future responsibilities of that sheriff’s posse are in question. (Erik Neumann)

Northwest Headlines

• Former Oregon Duck Sabrina Ionescu will not play against the Portland Fire due to foot injury (Kyra Buckley)

• Growth, immigration are key factors in race for Washington County chair (Holly Bartholomew)

• Airports across Oregon to receive $3 million in federal funds for improvements (Mia Maldonado, Oregon Capital Chronicle)

• Asante plans hundreds of layoffs amid budget troubles (Justin Higginbottom, JPR)

Think Out Loud

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation.

Noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app.

Today’s planned topics:

Topics subject to change.

• Local group advocates for phone-free childhoods

• Oregon Contemporary Artists’ Biennial explores ‘The Price of the Ticket’ in 2026 art survey

One More Look

Beyond the city concert hall: On the road with classical pianist Jim-Isaac Chua

For award-winning classical musician Jim-Isaac Chua, playing the piano is not just about delivering a grand performance.

But rather, a two-way conversation layered with sensitivity and nuance.

“I try to communicate with every individual note,” he said. “How can I create that sound? How can I create that motion?”

The classical music industry is a complex terrain to navigate, with problems related to accessibility and inclusivity at the forefront.

However, Chua is on a mission to break down those walls, one show at a time. (Prakruti Bhatt)

Learn More

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