Today’s Newsmakers at Noon covered several big Oregon stories, raising a common question: Are the systems we rely on actually working for the people they’re supposed to serve?
Gov. Tina Kotek’s latest move on data centers brought that question close to home. With the governor calling for a moratorium while Oregon develops broader policy, and questions swirling around tax incentives, electricity demands and state land, we looked at what communities like Salem actually receive in return for accommodating these massive developments.
That same question of accountability came up with Salem-Keizer Public Schools, where families now know that the proposed list of elementary schools targeted for closure is expected October 13. With enrollment down substantially and as many as eight elementary schools potentially closing beginning in 2027–28, we talked about whether parents should have access to the complete scorecard being used to make those decisions before the names are announced.
Oregon’s vote-by-mail system also gave us plenty to discuss. More than 7,300 ballots from the May primary weren’t counted after arriving during the seven-day grace period with postmarks after Election Day. That doesn’t establish voter fraud, but it highlights a very real delivery and postmark problem. If election officials increasingly advise voters to use drop boxes as Election Day approaches, what does that say about a system built around voting by mail?
Then we went well outside Oregon politics with the Lindsay Clancy jury interviews. The female jurors’ comments about the lone holdout – and particularly their frustration that he couldn’t get past the fact that Clancy killed her children – gave us a remarkable glimpse inside a deeply divided jury room. Needless to say, Denise and Hunter had some thoughts about those interviews.
And one quick programming note: tomorrow marks one year since Charlie Kirk’s assassination. KYKN will air “Faith Over Fear: The Charlie Kirk Story” Thursday at 8 PM, featuring Charlie’s own voice and archival audio from his life and career.
Links from Today’s Show
KATU — Oregon Data Center Discussion
Oregon Capital Chronicle — Kotek Pauses Data Centers on State Land
Salem-Keizer Public Schools — Closure & Consolidation Information
Oregon Capital Chronicle — Oregon Officials Address Vote-by-Mail Problems
Spencer Pratt — Clancy Jury Interview Reaction
Matt Van Swol — Clancy Jury Interview Reaction
Sean Davis — Clancy Jury Interview Reaction
