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Good morning, Northwest.

Oregon lawmakers are set to return to Salem at the end of next week to concoct a new plan to pay for roads, bridges, transit and more.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is seeking $354 million more than its current budget or it plans to lay off 10% of its workforce. OPB political reporter Dirk VanderHart leads us off this morning with details on how legislators plan to get the job done.

We’re also looking into how Northwest politicians are responding to President Trump’s promise to end vote-by-mail.

A few weeks ago, we included in the newsletter an archival story on the search for Oregon’s tallest tree that featured the 450-year-old Doerner fir. The tree, long thought to hold the crown, caught fire on the coast this weekend. We have an update on efforts to save it in Things To Know.

Here’s your First Look at Tuesday’s news.

— Bradley W. Parks

With a special session looming in Oregon, specifics remain hazy

Oregon Democrats know where they want to end up later this month, when they’ll take up new transportation tax hikes.

When they might arrive is far less clear.

With an Aug. 29 special session fast approaching, Republican leaders are adamant they won’t make anything easy on the majority party. That includes, apparently, an insistence that Democrats’ transportation funding bill be read on three consecutive days in each chamber, a constitutional requirement that is often waived in special sessions.

“Oregonians would not want us to expedite tax increases and we won’t,” House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said last week.

The sentiment — if it prevails — could have implications for a session perched on the cusp of Labor Day weekend, when legislative leaders are already threading the needle of lawmakers’ summer vacation plans. (Dirk VanderHart)

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4 things to know this morning

• The Doerner fir, which may be the tallest tree in Oregon, is burning in a coastal forest between Coquille and Roseburg. Firefighters were able to douse the canopy, but there’s still a fire burning inside the 450-year-old giant’s trunk. (Riley Martinez)

• President Donald Trump said yesterday that he will lead a campaign to end mail-in voting, citing without evidence massive voter fraud. Oregon and Washington have used vote-by-mail for decades with no widespread evidence of fraud. (Bryce Dole)

• “Financial uncertainty” could be the phrase of the year for colleges and universities across the country, including in Oregon. Many of the state’s 24 public higher education institutions are entering the upcoming school year with dire financial outlooks. (Tiffany Camhi)

• In a lawsuit filed yesterday, Marion County leaders asked whether they must follow Oregon’s decades-old sanctuary law that prohibits local and state resources from being used to enforce federal immigration law. (Conrad Wilson)

Headlines from around the Northwest

• Oregon attorney general asks lawmakers to backfill millions for crime victims following Trump cuts (Holly Bartholomew)

• Oregon reboots electric vehicle fast-charging program, with federal funds restored (Monica Samayoa)

• Portland Center Stage reaches first fundraising milestone of long journey (Rob Manning)

• Federal judge rules Trump’s DEI ban in K-12 schools ‘unlawful’ in case that included Eugene district (Shauneen Miranda)

Listen in on OPB’s daily conversation

“Think Out Loud” airs at noon and 8 p.m. weekdays on OPB Radio, opb.org and the OPB News app. Today’s planned topics (subject to change):

• Oregon secretary of state opens investigation​​​​​​​ into Umpqua Public Transportation District

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Jumping worms are Oregon’s newest ecological threat

Jumping worms are quickly becoming one of Oregon’s most concerning invasive species.

These aren’t your typical garden earthworms — they literally jump and thrash when disturbed. They also eat voraciously, stripping vital nutrients from topsoil.

Jumping worms reproduce rapidly. Just a few can quickly become thousands.

“Oregon Field Guide” wants to hear from people who have encountered jumping worms where they live. Leave a comment on our Instagram post by clicking the button below. (Noah Thomas and Evan Rodriguez)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2025/08/19/transportation-tallest-tree-fire-newsletter-first-look/