Cascade Policy Institute @CascadePolicy

When even sympathetic readers admit that IP28 would unleash “economic and social chaos,” it confirms what Cascade has warned all along: this measure isn’t animal welfare — it’s an extremist blueprint that would criminalize daily life in Oregon. From hunting and fishing to ranching, food production, and medical research, IP28 would dismantle entire industries overnight and rewrite Oregon’s way of life by force. bit.ly/4xXIyAy

New from Cascade: Portland‑area leaders spent millions on race‑based housing programs — and outcomes for homeless minorities got worse. Cascade has warned for years that when ideology replaces accountability and evidence‑based policy, taxpayers pay more while the people who need help get left behind. Read the full article: bit.ly/4uVitz5

New from Cascade: A ballot initiative now gathering signatures in Oregon would criminalize hunting, fishing, and ranching by redefining them as animal cruelty. Oregon would be the first state in the nation to do so — putting $4 billion in economic activity and 11,000 jobs at risk. Read the full article: bit.ly/4xQaNkx

The mission of public schools is simple: Help every student learn, grow, and succeed. When schools become more focused on managing outcome gaps than improving academic performance, students pay the price.

Wyden’s new housing bill pours in subsidies — but Oregon’s crisis is caused by regulation, not funding. If we want affordability, we need supply. Fix the barriers, not add more subsidies. bit.ly/3QIoEsh @RonWyden

The debate shouldn't be whether we need more electricity. We do. The debate should be whether Oregon's policies make it easier or harder to build the infrastructure needed to keep power reliable and affordable. As Emily Sanford Fisher explains, the biggest obstacles increasingly aren't technological. They're regulatory. bit.ly/4oBdvpE

A proposed Oregon ballot measure would ban many longstanding hunting, fishing, and livestock practices. Now it's making national headlines. IP28 isn't common sense conservation. It's an extreme proposal that puts rural communities, outdoor traditions, and science based wildlife management at risk. Oregon deserves better. bit.ly/4eTdEl5 @oregoncatalyst @TedNugent

Oregon has some of the most beautiful roads, parks, and destinations in America. So why did we rank near the bottom for road trips? Because every year it gets more expensive to be an Oregonian. Higher gas taxes. Higher vehicle fees. Higher camping costs. Higher parking costs. When families have to think twice about taking a weekend trip, something has gone wrong. bit.ly/43Qq1Z0 @oregoncatalyst

PPS asked for documentation of systemic bias to justify its Equity Funding Policy. What did they produce? Generic reports from national activist organizations. No local evidence. No outcome data. No evaluation. Over a decade of implementation — and a federal civil rights lawsuit to show for it.

Portland Public Schools was warned repeatedly. The Community Budget Review Committee asked for accountability. Parents asked for transparency. Student achievement kept falling. PPS stayed the course. Now the policy is facing scrutiny in federal court.

The warning signs were there for years. The Community Budget Review Committee repeatedly asked Portland Public Schools to evaluate its Equity Funding Policy. PPS refused. Now the policy is at the center of a federal civil rights lawsuit.

New from Cascade: Portland Public Schools has run its Equity Funding Policy for over a decade — without ever evaluating whether it works. Now facing a federal civil rights lawsuit, the district still can't produce evidence of systemic bias or show the policy improves student outcomes. Read the full article: bit.ly/4vEengh

New from Cascade: John Charles testified before Portland Public Schools on their Racial Educational Equity Policy — challenging unachievable goals, unsupported claims of systemic discrimination, and a policy that's been in place for over a decade without ever being evaluated for effectiveness. Read the full testimony: bit.ly/4fRbGmk

America’s renewed investment in advanced nuclear, uranium production, and next‑generation energy technologies shows what’s possible when policymakers prioritize abundant, reliable, affordable energy over restrictive mandates. These developments demonstrate a simple truth: energy prosperity comes from innovation and practicality — not ideology. bit.ly/4eGfhm0 @thehill

PGE’s delayed rate filing is another sign of how complicated — and costly — Oregon’s energy system has become. The POWER Act was supposed to ensure large users, like data centers, pay their share, but the nearly 200‑page tariff review shows how quickly new mandates and rapid load growth can drive up system costs. While PGE proposed a small 1.3% rate cut for households, even that relief is now on hold. For Oregonians already facing rising electricity bills, uncertainty and policy‑driven complexity only make affordability worse. At Cascade, we continue to push for clear, transparent, affordability‑focused energy policy that protects ratepayers — not a system where families absorb the fallout of regulatory delays and rapid demand growth. bit.ly/4eQkdVC @OPB

The Northwest is racing toward a massive spike in electricity demand. Hydropower could be the difference between stability and strain. Tomorrow at noon, Clark Mather joins us in the Cascade studio to unpack what Oregon needs to know now. Don’t wait — this one matters. This is a timely discussion you won’t want to miss. ⚡ Tomorrow — Wednesday, June 17 🕛 12 PM – 1 PM 📍 Portland, Oregon RSVP today bit.ly/4e8TZNT

Oregon is racing toward an energy reckoning. Power demand is soaring. Reliable generation is disappearing. Ratepayers are already feeling the consequences. Can hydropower help prevent blackouts, higher costs, and a less reliable grid? Join energy expert Clark Mather for a timely discussion on the future of Oregon's electricity system and the policy decisions putting it at risk. June 17 | Noon–1 p.m. Portland, Oregon Reserve your seat today. bit.ly/4e8TZNT

Are screens affecting educational outcomes? With the upsurge in using screens to teach, we're also seeing the decline in educational performance. On June 25, the FCC is deciding whether to open a formal review of technology in the classroom and is seeking the public's opinion. What do you think? bit.ly/4oiqbBS @nypost

When New York officials calculated the true cost of their decarbonization mandates, they hit the brakes. Estimates showed household costs could exceed $4,100 per year by 2031. Meanwhile, Oregon leaders continue pushing costly energy policies, Portland Public Schools continues pursuing all electric construction, and taxpayers are expected to absorb the bill. Good policy starts with honest cost estimates, practical realities, and a willingness to change course when the numbers don't work.

Portland Public Schools is spending $466 million on a new Jefferson High School promoted as "all electric." Yet district officials have already acknowledged that science labs and emergency backup systems may still require natural gas and diesel equipment. Public construction should be driven by performance, reliability, and cost effectiveness, not political branding. Taxpayers deserve transparency when ideology increases the price tag.