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About Oregon news herald. (Drain OR) 2025-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2026)
Oregon News Herald ODOT & Funding Bill January 2026 Measure 110 Updates Continued from Page 4 Continued from Front Page fuel efficiency improvements, and the growing number of electric vehicles. While Oregon has experimented with a voluntary road usage charge, participation remains limited, leaving lawmakers dependent on a shrinking revenue base. The Legislature’s December fix was widely viewed as a temporary solution rather than a long-term overhaul. Some lawmakers have acknowledged that a broader funding rethink is inevitable, potentially involving mileage-based fees, congestion pricing, or expanded tolling. The referendum, however, may delay those conversations by freezing near-term action. Supporters of the referendum argue that voters should have the final say on any statewide tax increase. They contend that ODOT and lawmakers have not demonstrated sufficient cost control or transparency to justify higher fees, pointing to past project overruns and administrative expenses. Some have also questioned whether new revenues would be directed primarily toward maintenance or diverted to transit and climate-related initiatives. Backers of the funding package counter that postponing action worsens the problem. They argue that construction costs continue to rise regardless of political delays and that failing to invest now leads to higher costs later. They also note that safety improvements, including guardrails, intersection upgrades, and bridge seismic retrofits, are among the programs most at risk without additional funding. As signature verification continues into January, multiple timelines are now intersecting. The legislative calendar will bring renewed transportation discussions in the 2026 session. ODOT’s project schedule must adapt to financial uncertainty. And the electoral calendar looms, with a possible statewide vote that could overturn or reaffirm the Legislature’s decision. If the measure qualifies for the ballot, Oregon voters will be asked to calling a treatment hotline. At the same time, the state created Behavioral Health Resource Networks, or BHRNs, intended to expand treatment access, recovery housing, peer support, and harm-reduction services statewide. The promise was straightforward: reduce arrests, expand treatment, and save lives. The reality proved more complicated. As Measure 110 rolled out, Oregon was hit by a wave of fentanyl that changed the landscape of drug use nationwide. Overdose deaths climbed sharply in 2021 and 2022, fueling public concern about visible drug use, encampments, and safety in many communities. Law enforcement agencies argued that the loss of criminal penalties removed leverage that had previously pushed people into treatment, while cities and counties struggled with disorder and limited enforcement tools. By 2024, pressure for change had reached the Legislature. Lawmakers passed House Bill 4002, which restored misdemeanor penalties for drug possession beginning in September 2024. Under the new framework, possession is again a crime, but courts are encouraged to divert individuals into treatment when appropriate. Measure 110 was not repealed outright, but its most controversial element — full decriminalization without arrest — was partially reversed. That shift reflects the central tension surrounding the law: balancing public health goals with public safety concerns. Critics of Measure 110 say the original approach underestimated how many people would decline voluntary treatment. Without arrest as a motivator, they argue, many individuals continued using drugs openly, while communities bore the impact. Police agencies reported limited options for intervention, particularly when individuals cycled repeatedly through citations with no follow-through. Supporters counter that recriminalization risks returning Oregon to a cycle of arrest, release, and relapse that has failed for decades. They argue addiction rarely improves through jail stays and that Measure 110’s shortcomings stemmed from rushed implementation rather than flawed intent. Treatment capacity, workforce shortages, and housing constraints all limited what the system could deliver during its early years. Funding has been another flashpoint. Since 2021, approximately $800 million in cannabis tax revenue has flowed into Measure 110 programs. A January 2026 audit by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office concluded that the Oregon Health weigh competing priorities: infrastructure reliability versus tax restraint, long-term planning versus short-term affordability. The outcome could determine not only the fate of the December funding package, but the direction of transportation policy statewide. For now, Oregon’s transportation funding remains in a holding pattern. Roads will still be plowed, potholes patched, and bridges inspected. But beneath that day- to-day work lies a larger question the state has yet to resolve: how to pay for a transportation system built for the past while meeting the demands of the future. Oregon’s Invasive Pests Continued from Page 15 species arriving, while climate change can make environments more hospitable to pests that previously could not survive. Warmer winters, altered river flows, and drought stress all play a role in reshaping ecological boundaries. Oregon has faced invasive species challenges before, from nutria to invasive weeds, and responses have shown that early action and public cooperation can limit damage. Still, officials acknowledge that prevention is far less costly than long-term management. For now, agencies emphasize vigilance rather than panic. Neither the Mediterranean oak borer nor the Chinese mitten crab is expected to cause immediate, visible collapse of ecosystems. Their threat lies in gradual, cumulative damage that becomes harder to reverse over time. As monitoring continues into the new year, Oregon’s response will likely shape how these threats are managed moving forward. The outcome will depend not only on scientific tools and agency coordination, but on awareness and cooperation from communities that live closest to the forests and rivers at risk. Page 15 Authority could not determine whether the spending measurably increased access to treatment or improved outcomes. The audit cited inconsistent reporting, incomplete data, and the absence of baseline metrics before the program launched. One of the most visible failures was the Measure 110 hotline, designed as the entry point to treatment. Usage was extremely low. An audit found the hotline cost roughly $7,000 per call, and it was permanently shut down in June 2025. Critics pointed to the hotline as evidence that the system lacked practical engagement tools, while supporters argued it was never adequately promoted or integrated with services on the ground. The audit also found that BHRNs often operated parallel to Oregon’s existing healthcare and behavioral health systems rather than being fully integrated. That fragmentation led to inefficiencies and confusion for clients navigating care. Meanwhile, county-level deflection programs — which divert individuals from jail into treatment — now vary widely based on local resources, staffing, and prosecutorial philosophy. Overdose trends remain contested. Deaths rose sharply during Measure 110’s rollout, but state officials note fentanyl’s rapid spread makes it difficult to isolate the law’s impact. Some data suggest overdose deaths declined after recriminalization took effect in late 2024, though analysts caution that the drop mirrors a broader national trend and may not be directly tied to policy changes. Social equity remains part of the debate as well. Supporters of Measure 110 emphasize its potential to reduce racial disparities in arrests and incarceration. At the same time, polling has shown widespread concern across demographic groups — including communities of color — about public drug use, neighborhood safety, and quality of life. Five years in, Measure 110 stands as neither a clear success nor a simple failure. It represents a bold policy choice reshaped by real-world pressures, political compromise, and evolving public expectations. The question facing Oregon now is more focused than it was in 2020. The debate is no longer whether addiction should be treated as a health issue — there is broad agreement on that point. The unresolved challenge is whether the state can build a system that delivers effective treatment, meaningful accountability, and public safety at the same time. For now, Oregon continues to rewrite the rules, still searching for results that match the scale of the problem. In Memorium Naomi Hope Cox (Vian), age 94, of Yoncalla, Oregon went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on December 6th, 2025. Naomi was born on January 28th, 1931 in the area of Paradise Creek, west of Elkton, Oregon to Charles and Ruth Vian. She attended North Douglas High School for a couple years before getting married and choosing to start a family (she would later get her GED). She married Robert Perini in 1946 and moved to Curtin on the “Buck Creek Ranch” for several years. In 1967 she married Glen Cox and they bought the ranch on Eagle Valley Road, where she lived until she died. She worked at various local food markets/businesses, most notably, she was known as “the sweet lady behind the counter” at the Yoncalla Food Center for over 40 years. Naomi’s biggest passions in life were gardening, cooking dinner for her family, watching/feeding her birds, dressing up to “go out” with her “girls” (Edith, Jean, and Cheryl), watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, sewing blankets for her grandkids, and going to church and sharing in communion with her beloved church members. Naomi is survived by her brother Jim Vian of Montana, sister Joy Gordon of Cottage Grove, her daughter Cindy Bettencourt and her husband Joe Bettencourt of Yoncalla, 10 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister Patty Sondeno, husband Glen Cox, daughter Teresa Haley, sons Douglas and Dwayne Perini, and three grandchildren. In lieu of cards/flowers the family asks you to consider a donation to a local nonprofit or food bank in her memory. Arrangements are in the care of Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel and Crematorium.
