From her first day on the job, Tina has been focused on building a better future for Oregonians.
She’s tackling our biggest challenges head-on: making housing more affordable and reducing homelessness, expanding access to mental health and addiction treatment, and improving our schools. Tina is also working to lower the cost of living, protect our environment, stand up to extremists who want to ban abortion without exceptions, and defend the dignity and worth of every person.
Reducing Homelessness
- Tina declared a State of Emergency on homelessness to get Oregonians off the streets and into homes and dedicate resources for prevention. Within the first year of her administration, efforts across the state exceeded every goal and the State of Emergency was extended to sustain the momentum and have the flexibility to fight the crisis.
- Because of Tina’s focus, 1,700 new shelter beds and 2,800 new affordable housing units have been developed, and Oregon is on track to keep 24,000 households from losing their housing and help 3,300 families transition from shelters back into housing.
From KATU: “Since the initial declaration of a homelessness emergency two years ago, Oregon says it has exceeded its targets through newly established statewide infrastructures”
Lowering the Cost of Living
- Tina is working to bring down costs for Oregon families by calling for a three-year pause on new local taxes in the Portland area, canceling proposed freeway tolls, and cutting property taxes for Oregonians affected by wildfires.
- Tina signed into law a $376 million Emergency Housing Stabilization and Production Package to cut red tape, simplify the building process, and increase interest-free loans to local governments, leading to the immediate support of 71 projects for new housing.
From Statesman Journal: “Oregon governor wants tolling plan on 2 Portland-area freeways scrapped”
- She established the Housing Production Advisory Council to bring together experts across every field, from every corner of the state, to focus on building more housing that families can afford.
From OPB: “Lawmakers approve Gov. Tina Kotek’s top priority for the session; funding expected to ease Oregon housing crisis”
Increasing Access to Mental Health Care & Addiction Services
- Tina worked with Republicans and Democrats to come together to stop public drug use and increase the availability of mental health and addiction treatment so people can get the help they need.
- Tina delivered a $25 million privately funded partnership to expand mental health and addiction care for kids across Oregon, including in Multnomah, Douglas, Lane, and Morrow Counties.
From Oregon Capital Chronicle “Medicaid insurers have agreed to pay a total of $25 million from their profits to help fund behavioral health projects focused on youth.”
- Tina is fighting for a $50 million investment in mental health and addiction counselors on the front lines, including recruitment and worker retention to provide the benefits and support they deserve.
- Governor Kotek launched a plan to reach a statewide goal of 465 more mental health and addiction care treatment beds, along with a new treatment capacity dashboard to track progress and increase transparency.
Improving Public Safety
- Governor Kotek directed the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training to eliminate the police training backlog at the Oregon Police Academy and support community safety.
From KGW: “…Gov. Tina Kotek and DPSST Director Phil Castle proudly announced that the backlog had been eliminated…The story of how they beat the backlog is one of both innovation and determination”
- Tina signed a law banning undetectable ghost guns in Oregon to keep people safer, fighting back against guns made at home without a serial number.
- The Governor expanded the Fentanyl Strategic Enforcement and Disruption Initiative to bring more tools to fight the fentanyl crisis and hold drug dealers accountable.
Safeguarding Access to Reproductive Care
- Immediately following the 2024 national election, Governor Kotek secured a long-term supply of mifepristone, keeping abortion safe and accessible in Oregon.
From Central Oregon Daily: “I believe in reproductive freedom and am committed to being a fierce advocate for every person’s access to safe reproductive health care services, no matter the national landscape.” – Governor Kotek
- Tina signed a law creating stronger actions against individuals who block entrances to abortion clinics or interfere with clinic operations.
- She expanded protections for medical providers and patient privacy to ensure Oregon remains one of the states with the strongest reproductive health care protections in the nation.
Investing in Kids, Improving our Schools
- Governor Kotek secured funding for early literacy to improve how we teach kids to read and write, increased summer learning programs, and committed $50 million to increase the access to affordable childcare and help keep childcare providers in business.
- Tina expanded Oregon’s commitment to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to put books into the hands of kids in every county in Oregon.
- She hosted the first Summer and After School Learning Summit to develop programs that keep kids supported, safe, and engaged all year round.
Tackling Climate Change & Building Resilience for Extreme Weather
- Governor Kotek secured a $197 million Environmental Protection Agency federal grant, the largest award announced in the Pacific Northwest, to reduce greenhouse gas pollution under Oregon’s Priority Climate Action Plan.
- The Governor announced a historic federal partnership, in collaboration with the State of Washington and four Columbia River Tribal nations, to support salmon and steelhead recovery through the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.
- Tina convened a successful legislative special session to pay firefighters and other emergency response costs after the state’s historic and devastating wildfire season.
From KOIN 6: “This summer’s wildfire season called for sacrifice, courage, and cooperation from everyone involved. It was an all hands on deck effort to protect life, land, and property,” – Governor Kotek
- The Governor called on state lawmakers to do more to guarantee success for Oregon’s wildfire response programs as well as support community resilience and readiness in the face of climate change.
- Tina signed legislation setting a goal of lowering utility bills by installing 500,000 high-efficiency heat pumps in homes and commercial buildings.
Creating New Jobs & Strengthening Oregon’s Economy
- Governor Kotek signed the Oregon CHIPS Act, directing $200 million in state funds to leverage $36 billion in private investment and $2 billion in federal funding to boost semiconductor manufacturing.
- She convened business leaders and higher education partners to launch the Clean Tech Manufacturing Task Force to bring clean energy manufacturers and new jobs to Oregon.
From Hoodline: “Oregon is stepping up its game in clean technology with Governor Tina Kotek, Senator Ron Wyden, and leaders from both public and private sectors…”
- Governor Kotek signed an Executive Order to require Project Labor Agreements on large state-owned construction projects to create predictability and consistency on the job, keep costs down, and ensure safe and efficient work sites.
Ensuring Every Oregon Community is Heard
- In her first two years in office, Tina visited all 36 counties and all 9 federally-recognized Tribal nations in Oregon. Her travels across the state included stops in 83 towns where she heard from nearly 1,000 Oregonians.
- Tina signed over 600 bipartisan bills in her first year in office.
From Oregon Capital Insider: “In Eastern Oregon, Tina Kotek showed up and listened”
From La Grande Observer: “Our view: Kotek’s visit is step in right direction”
From East Oregonian: “Our view: The governor visits … and listens”