[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386635,"mediaKeyId","2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2","parentId",2117795,"title","Kotek touts faster hiring, lower vacancy rates and transfer of Public Defense Commission to executive branch","audioSeconds",116,"startMs",3677000,"endMs",3793000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2&start=3677&end=3793","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2/thumbnail_3677000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386635/Oregon/Kotek-touts-faster-hiring-lower-vacancy-rates-and-transfer-of-Public-Defense-Commission-to-executive-branch","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386635-6c161d8bbcbd76f6db225af51ea2d221/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056167&Signature=CJo6a~6Sms-bMKaqKbgeqKKI4vBgc9S1FRP8CqM4vYyefH8S336WWPOLr14E9Zyp1kNnUh6MOcNLe66B9ArWtnnlOwro~awaAB2DcQAsS2FzdULH4Sf0eQFD~Pv-eAVGLVHXSdUAio4-6YLYEojiiNywcCHkUl0eiUAbyfyjXj7p8OdevGf1QNVwq8iDB3Abx3-yfr1pRY9PhZiT3FV5A7as5naJk~a6MbDZIYgBYPgKZ2v2pvAqf2qOrloB70AUiqJIIPul8iApQrgEOkhM0w9Elzhj81oFVUVF79eXCVHOElONsrlL-~QOatqYd1PkyWE8YRRgIg4DEs~shypAZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-01-13T00:00:00Z","article","Gov. Tina Kotek said her administration has focused on improving state business operations and staffing and that the executive branch welcomed the Oregon Public Defense Commission into its agency ranks.

Kotek said she sent a letter of expectations to agency leaders in her first week in office and has appointed more than a dozen agency directors. She reported operational improvements, including moving two weeks faster on hiring, lowering staff vacancy rates by one-third and higher employee engagement. \"Staff vacancy rates have fallen by a third, and employees are more engaged,\" she said.

The governor said agencies have improved strategic planning for operations, emergency response, technology processes and equity work, and that dashboards now track audit recommendation implementation and other metrics. She said the current focus includes improving transparency and consistency in state agency rulemaking.

Kotek also thanked the Legislature for transferring the Oregon Public Defense Commission into the executive branch and said she looks forward to working with the commission and the public-defense community to meet constitutional obligations to provide counsel to defendants in a timely and cost-efficient manner.

Her statements described completed administrative actions (agency hires and operational changes) and cited a recent organizational change for the Public Defense Commission; she presented additional administrative improvements as ongoing priorities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Chamber Convenes 01/13/2025 ","oneSentenceSummary","Governor Tina Kotek said state agencies have reduced hiring times and vacancy rates after issuing management expectations, and she noted the Oregon Public Defense Commission now sits within the executive branch.","taxTitle","Senate, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",17189,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386645,"Kotek touts federal awards, urges wildfire reserves and recurring mitigation funding",228,3374000,3602000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2&start=3374&end=3602","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2/thumbnail_3374000.jpg","/articles/6386645/Oregon/Kotek-touts-federal-awards-urges-wildfire-reserves-and-recurring-mitigation-funding","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386645-c776f00455df89df46dc07c695c244d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056167&Signature=HPfs7dKO8Phyd-QIlfH0GEqInfGQn25VtmQpP7SFbJ5Ek4KLTrUoZF08pcmdnbAEw5I~jJLeC6tkGE4qPCT2A15iSxxEVxAn4pJwzW~CRypyTCoSh4Q-pKAmjvAAirpC0I-mE7ZAjUu0PHK-2b~biWWzUD37jSayCbLYcAWC5No3tun9J-mYVQOLkV9GRr6oDzhpbqrkGMKRfLwzo1Qr4Y6qLn62q8NWaoms9UQDngLAERO9TGyZSoQv995Ved9lc7yJg1SObl10U7AdhSz~sLVHRTpaAtpcPy5IzBGbvCP7lXJdd1r0MSkfnlwIMHJ4mB1QB6wlFGtvLPaSshML0w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gov. Tina Kotek highlighted federal grant awards for natural-resource projects and pushed for dedicated state reserves and recurring funding to prepare for future wildfire seasons.

Kotek said state agencies applied for federal programs and that Oregon received more than $43 million for habitat restoration, wildfire mitigation, water management and species conservation; nearly $90 million to expand solar access; approximately $200 million from the Environmental Protection Agency for resilient communities and grid modernization; and $52 million through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program for public fast chargers on major highway corridors.

She described the 2024 wildfire season as \"historic,\" saying the fires burned more than 1,900,000 acres and cost a record $350,000,000. In response, she recommended using $150,000,000 from the ending fund balance to build reserves for catastrophic wildfire suppression costs and asked the Legislature to provide at least $130,000,000 every two years to fund hazard reduction, prescribed fire, home hardening and firefighting readiness, following the Wildfire Programs Advisory Council guidance.

Kotek framed these proposals as necessary complements to federal funds and local work, and she said she looked forward to the wildfire funding work group's revenue recommendations.

The governor presented the funding recommendations as budget priorities requiring legislative approval; the federal awards mentioned are grants and program funds awarded to the state or state-supported projects and not direct state appropriations.","Governor Tina Kotek outlined federally funded resource wins for habitat restoration, solar expansion and resilient communities, and proposed state reserves and biennial funding to address rising wildfire costs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386651,"Kotek seeks school funding certainty, accountability and a statewide student data system",311,3168000,3479000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2&start=3168&end=3479","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2/thumbnail_3168000.jpg","/articles/6386651/Oregon/Kotek-seeks-school-funding-certainty-accountability-and-a-statewide-student-data-system","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386651-4b689f905f5e0c5267b6a4d50f5f3c9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056167&Signature=lpFX1A3AQ87Z1MlSv0h3AXPVgpO24AYPk5abebQydDSp8a-eDGvqBdErYrFPw01NU4MAZrSV11vfqFxbLlDq~N8GszlERxl07LsuCGa8FpDFRfE0BhvMbME1O3gaYmn7AmsztRmvs42AW7S3gnqi38ejozTZad8D89GBZlG6KISzPGXVcuy7nGlVo4uOIukoTW1u5sWwUmY~ZJzwfy6PIty6ZupaelXJIm3gdJ90upqctFwCtvMuIl7aXxV0~FCQjTE~InGMTZCGTr2RU3D7hc~bOU1OmfwXY7wTvru1GAlT6kPog2be2YBIAbBk~SbnUJXshkO2MAKIIk3mmcggxg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gov. Tina Kotek told lawmakers the state must pair increased investment in K-12 education with stronger accountability and operational reforms to improve student outcomes.

Kotek thanked the Legislature for partnering on early literacy and summer learning investments and said her recommended budget advances changes to how service-level funding in the state school fund is calculated. \"There will be a bill to codify some of that work, and my recommended budget takes a big leap forward to help school districts with their base funding,\" she said.

The governor said increased funding must come with \"deeper accountability,\" outlining plans to require direct assistance when districts' numbers show poor student outcomes. She also proposed administrative changes, including exploring a single statewide publicly accessible student information system and consolidating reporting processes to reduce administrative burden.

Kotek said her education proposal will run alongside administrative actions by the Oregon Department of Education to ensure the department upholds accountability commitments. She emphasized supports for a continuum of services from birth through graduation, including expanded behavioral-health services in and out of school and residential treatment options for youth with substance use disorders.

The governor presented these items as policy and budget proposals that will be carried by bills and administrative steps; legislative consideration and statutory changes will determine final form and funding.","Governor Tina Kotek urged additional investment in early literacy and summer learning, proposed changes to how state school fund service levels are calculated and said she will seek accountability measures tied to student outcomes.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386656,"Kotek pushes for more treatment beds, workforce funding and changes to civil-commitment practice",249,2742000,2991000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2&start=2742&end=2991","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2/thumbnail_2742000.jpg","/articles/6386656/Oregon/Kotek-pushes-for-more-treatment-beds-workforce-funding-and-changes-to-civil-commitment-practice","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386656-82c2f13484f7f5cdc5f5b2904f63daae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056167&Signature=QCMmOc-dUOyT3crHJys-inLeVOKzMEbfD5ZfnRKm8qZIiSGT4aswD9fxz4qy9hVBBn2VIHkX5pSXU3NGvBPB--RAlWdMnkQD4fcIH0Edkp7fSE3TRUFoTYvY47r8SvzUY5f3Md~92aInT5m2CLFjeQVsHZFtmag8Nq8VsehNpAbl-VXVqgbWAR3Zbcs-aGLuT9Lw-WumBgzCMAsycZ1dQT9zXtJar1KnV-mTXQbYgJjWxM~um3cn4XgY8dn8b~kwMI00D-YkHy2Uhq~nJ09pnfSWBD3yNiO9XwglNSfYXbdpqPz6p~XjaR2ztJSVbtkoAnUACmvc~eAk-xj33vdeug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gov. Tina Kotek told the Legislature that increasing treatment capacity and strengthening the behavioral health workforce are central priorities in the coming budget cycle.

Kotek said she set a target after a state-commissioned regional study to add 465 new treatment beds by the end of 2026 and that a public dashboard is available to track progress. \"To strengthen the workforce needed to help more people, I have focused on eliminating the backlog at Oregon's health licensing boards so qualified counselors and social workers can get to work,\" she said.

The governor proposed specific budget items to expand capacity and stabilize the workforce. She told lawmakers her recommended budget \"continues to deploy a dual strategy of increasing treatment capacity and strengthening the available workforce\" and identified $90,000,000 and $50,000,000 as targeted investments to expand bed capacity and bolster provider recruitment and retention, respectively.

Kotek described strains at the Oregon State Hospital tied to \"aid and assist\" patients who are there to receive competency-related treatment for pending criminal cases. She said nearly three out of four people at the hospital for aid-and-assist treatment were homeless or in shelters at arrest, and six out of 10 have a psychotic disorder. \"It's nearly impossible to get long-term psychiatric hospital level care through civil commitment or voluntary commitment because of the needs of the judicial system filling up Oregon State Hospital beds,\" she said.

The governor also asked for policy changes to create more community civil-commitment options and to dedicate permanent supportive housing with enhanced on-site services for people with serious mental illness. She directed her team to develop a model she called \"intensive permanent supportive housing\" intended to serve people who can live independently with enhanced supports.

Kotek presented these items as budget recommendations and administrative directions; the funding figures and statutory changes she proposed will require legislative approval and further administrative work before they take effect.","Governor Tina Kotek proposed targeted budget investments to add treatment capacity, bolster the behavioral health workforce and adjust civil-commitment criteria to reduce backlogs at the Oregon State Hospital.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386661,"Gov. Tina Kotek urges faster housing production, extends homelessness emergency",149,2383000,2532000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2&start=2383&end=2532","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117795-f0f3ebf5ca54387f99d4bc5c190aaec2/thumbnail_2383000.jpg","/articles/6386661/Oregon/Gov-Tina-Kotek-urges-faster-housing-production-extends-homelessness-emergency","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386661-bc0b367a0797012b273af11b4aaaea48/orig.mp4?Expires=1771056167&Signature=mL7fDe2EdroIPqYbKxm9wxWRw9p5O1373~bYxTNDpp8ovCJ-MWBwk9EvsS0UsSkOvWnlB-k8zwM9M-Q3oBSfxsSnXBaSad8pS9NaLuHNF268eyut5OsEzzsTHpA19nLdIjx9RvI7xm42VC5HK5lfVYysZrWMki1wnW2NXrTO4iXZibT6AAQHULTcmzhd-EE24~5TZXs6XXJBXwY8aLI1G6vHCeCgs8ucLfAGc2kmzJugGqKusLGpz0A7-C4KxaaxZYMuL--bBWVvuYN2YwRbAIFNvkBSw5ynjGGyKqX~x7sPPJp0nIrxOLKaPdW5KQZ4iEfW6jcBql3~rW4OBUSOUA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Gov. Tina Kotek, the 39th governor of Oregon, told a joint session of the Oregon Legislature that the state must accelerate housing production and continue emergency measures to address homelessness.

Kotek said she extended the homelessness state of emergency last week and credited coordinated local and state efforts with early gains but said more action is required. \"By this July, the actions related to the homelessness state of emergency initiated 2 years ago are projected to rehouse 3,300 households and prevent 24,000 households from experiencing homelessness in the first place,\" she said.

The governor reminded lawmakers that the state shelter program now supports more than 4,800 shelter beds and said the state will have financed 2,800 affordable housing units and provided infrastructure for more than 25,000 affordable and market-rate housing units by July. She said the Housing Accountability and Production Office is now operating to reduce barriers to housing production.

Kotek described local progress in Clatsop County and Astoria as an example of what coordinated investment can accomplish: tighter service coordination, motel conversions for interim shelter and plans for new affordable units. She highlighted the case of a single father staying at the Columbia Inn motel turned shelter as evidence of ongoing need and urgency.

The governor framed her budget and policy package as the vehicle to sustain and scale those local efforts, asking legislators to \"take my budget recommendations and policy proposals seriously\" and to keep \"our collective foot on the pedal of progress.\" Kotek asked for both funding and policy tools to speed land use and production timelines at the local level.

Although Kotek described specific program targets and program-scale numbers, she presented the budget proposals as recommendations that require legislative action before becoming law.

Kotek closed the homelessness section by urging urgency and continued partnership between state and local governments to produce more housing, prevent evictions and expand shelter capacity.

Kotek's remarks on homelessness occurred during her state of the state address and were presented as executive priorities and proposals; she cited outcomes already achieved and projections tied to actions taken under the state of emergency.","In her state of the state address, Gov. Tina Kotek renewed the homelessness state of emergency, outlined shelter and housing production milestones, and urged the Legislature to adopt her budget and policy proposals to speed construction of affordable housing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Kotek touts faster hiring, lower vacancy rates and transfer of Public Defense Commission to executive branch

Kotek touts federal awards, urges wildfire reserves and recurring mitigation funding

Kotek seeks school funding certainty, accountability and a statewide student data system

Kotek pushes for more treatment beds, workforce funding and changes to civil-commitment practice

Gov. Tina Kotek urges faster housing production, extends homelessness emergency