SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden, Jeff Merkley and Elizabeth Warren, alongside U.S. Reps. Val Hoyle, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Suhas Subramanyam, introduced legislation today aimed at banning corporate and private equity ownership of medical practices. The proposal, titled the Stop Corporate Takeovers of Physicians Act, seeks to eliminate legal loopholes that allow private
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Justice has launched an online resource called “Open Door to Government” to help residents navigate state government operations, in hopes of making government more transparent and accessible for all Oregonians. The new portal offers guidance on public records requests, public meeting laws, official legal opinions, board appointments
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CROOK COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crook County residents are being sought to serve on two regional public lands advisory committees in central and eastern Oregon. The citizen-based councils offer community members an opportunity to bring their experience and perspectives to federal land management discussions. The open positions involve the Deschutes/Ochoco Resource Advisory Committee and the
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(KTVZ) — U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and four other Democratic senators sent a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins questioning federal preparation and resource allocation during the 2026 wildfire season. The outreach comes as record-breaking wildfires burn across Western states. In Oregon alone, more than 2.5 million acres have burned
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon lawmakers approved millions of dollars in emergency funding during the September meeting of the Joint Legislative Emergency Board, with much of the money going toward wildfire suppression. The board approved 42 items totaling $139.6 million in General Fund support. Of that, $122.8 million was allocated to the Oregon Department of
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SALEM, Ore. — Oregon’s public defense crisis is showing signs of improvement, with the number of defendants waiting for an attorney dropping 66% over the past year, according to Governor Tina Kotek. When Kotek appointed Ken Sanchagrin to lead the Oregon Public Defense Commission in April 2025, more than 4,000 defendants statewide were without legal
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield is leading a bipartisan coalition of 49 attorneys general calling on the Federal Communications Commission to close regulatory loopholes and enforce stricter oversight of phone companies that route illegal robocalls. The coalition is pushing the FCC to require telecommunications providers to thoroughly vet business partners and
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(Update: adding video, comments from intern, fire chief) CROOKED RIVER RANCH, Ore. (KTVZ) — A grant is helping Crooked River Ranch Fire & Rescue complete work that Chief Sean Hartley says can be difficult for a small district to fit between emergency calls: maintaining a consistent connection with the community. The district received a $3,000
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SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Gov. Tina Kotek today directed all state agencies to immediately pause unapproved requests for state-owned property for data center projects. The order halts easements, rights-of-way, leases, rentals, land-use permits and sales or transfers of state property through July 1, 2027, unless directed otherwise by statewide action from the Governor’s Office or
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (CNN) — A former Labor Secretary with ties to Oregon is under fire from the Labor Department’s internal watchdog. A new 40-page report says Lori Chavez-Deremer spent public money on personal travel and tolerated harassment. It also found she had an inappropriate relationship with a member of her security detail. More than three
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read met with Central Oregon residents during an hourlong event hosted by the League of Women Voters of Deschutes County to discuss election security, voting options and ballot handling. The presentation took place as the upcoming election approaches, approximately 61 days away. The Bend gathering was
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Gov. Tina Kotek ordered flags at Oregon public institutions to be flown at half-staff today, Sept. 2, in honor of Paiute Chief Joseph Moses of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Moses passed away on Aug. 27. Moses served as Chief starting in July 2001 and continued to serve on the Confederated Tribes of Warm
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — KTVZ News is launching a series of debates and town halls for the 2026 midterm election as well as participating in multiple candidate forums with the League of Women Voters. The coverage will feature locally produced events giving voters direct access to candidates running for local, state and federal offices. KTVZ
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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The local candidate field is set, and preparations are underway in Deschutes County for the November general election.Deschutes County Clerk Steve Dennison says the slate of local candidates was finalized Tuesday afternoon, marking another step in the process of preparing ballots for voters this fall.“Everything as of Tuesday afternoon at 5
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(KTVZ) — The U.S. Department of Justice filed lawsuits Thursday against Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico, and Washington over state laws that grant in-state tuition and financial aid to undocumented students. The four new filings bring the department’s total number of legal challenges against state-level tuition policies for illegal aliens to 21. According to the complaints,
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PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz held a town hall meeting in Prineville, Ore., to speak with local residents about the Rowe Creek Complex fire and hear about its impacts. The meeting lasted for more than 2 hours. The gathering marked Bentz’s fifth fire-related town hall as he has traveled across his district.
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REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Redmond City Council has passed a total ban on the use and sale of fireworks following a second reading. The council voted 5-1 in favor of the measure. The city considered the ban this month following a public hearing where several residents raised complaints. First responders reported to the council
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DESCHUTES COUNTY, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners and County Administration welcomed the Deschutes County College Class of 2026 yesterday. The free, 10-week program provides local residents with an inside look at county government operations. Classes take place on Tuesday evenings from August through October. The curriculum covers a broad range of
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Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit in federal court today challenging a new U.S. Postal Service rule that restricts mail-in ballot delivery to voters on a federal list. Rayfield is joined in the legal action by a coalition of 23 states, the District of Columbia and the Governor of
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(Update: adding video) BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — For many American ranchers, higher beef prices at the grocery store haven’t necessarily translated to bigger profits. Central Oregon farmer Chris Casad, owner of Casad Family Farms, says what producers earn for their cattle has only recently started catching up with decades of low prices and the rising
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