Budget Cuts

President Donald Trump's proposal would defund the 11-region Integrated Ocean Observing System — cutting off the buoys, drones and radar that feed Oregon, Washington state and other coasts the real-time wave, wind and current data vital for safe shipping, tsunami routes and storm forecasts.

Councilor Steve Novick has a renewed plan to solve Portland’s budget woes: tax the rich.

A group of legislators wants to gradually raise the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund payroll tax — or STIF — to keep buses running and expand service across the state. Another group of legislators wants to eliminate the transit funding entirely. Rural transit operators say they need it.

Multnomah County chair Jessica Vega Pederson released a proposed $4 billion budget plan this week. The budget includes cuts to several programs and over 100 staff to address a $77 million shortfall. Earlier this year the county asked local and state jurisdictions to help fill a shortfall of over $100 million in the county’s homeless services budget. Chair Vega Pederson joins us to explain her budget proposal.

Portland Public Schools’ top leader pointed to rising costs, limited revenue and declining enrollment as the biggest financial pressures contributing to the shortfall.

U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, said Wednesday that the nation’s spending on Medicaid programs is unsustainable, and he urged patience as Republicans in Congress formulate their plan to dramatically reduce spending on the health care program.

Oregon Republican Rep. Cliff Bentz told OPB's Dave Miller that he supports President Donald Trump's cost-cutting measures, and discussed potential cuts to federal health care benefits

Oregon’s largest district needs to save tens of millions of dollars going into the 2025-26 school year and could cut about 230 positions.

This year, Washington state faces a significant budget shortfall somewhere between $10 and $12 billion.

You’re going to hear a lot about school funding in 2025 – from the statehouse to your local schoolhouse.