Oregon's signature climate program faces a new lawsuit challenging the state's authority to impose financial penalties on carbon emitters.

Why it matters: The case again puts the Climate Protection Program's legal footing at risk just a year after regulators reinstated it.

State of play: The lawsuit — brought last week by dozens of plaintiffs, including gas utilities, trade associations and labor unions — alleges the program will drastically increase energy costs for businesses and consumers.

• A number of the same plaintiffs sued over an administrative error when the program went into effect in 2022, and an appeals court ruled the program void.
• The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, which oversees the regulations, redid the administrative process and the program was reinstated in late 2024.

Context: Created by executive order under then-Gov. Kate Brown, the program aims to bring Oregon's emissions near net-zero by 2050 — a key threshold for limiting warming to 1.5°C.

• It sets a declining cap on greenhouse gas emissions — enforceable through fines and penalties — with goals of reducing emissions by 50% by 2035 and by 90% by 2050.
• The state distributes allowances, called "compliance instruments" — with each one allowing for one ton of carbon dioxide emissions and the total being equal to the tons allowed under that year's cap — that decline over time.
• The program also allows for businesses to purchase credits that will offset some emissions and the proceeds from which will go toward communities facing the worst impacts of climate change.

What they're saying: The plaintiffs argue the program's emissions fines and penalties are too stiff and will result in dramatic price spikes for energy across Oregon.

• "Those costs are already being felt through increased utility bills, higher fuel prices, and reduced business operations in the fragile economies of communities across the State, and the fallout will only get worse as the caps ratchet down," they wrote in the lawsuit.

The other side: "This is yet another example of big corporations refusing to follow the rules," Lindsey Scholten, executive director of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters, said in a statement.

• "Instead, these corporations want to continue polluting freely and padding their profits — at the expense of the health and prosperity of everyday Oregonians."

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Bridges are a big part of Portland's personality. From the postcard perfect towered arches of the St. Johns, to the daily grind of the Marquam and the pedestrian-forward design of Tilikum Crossing — every span has its fans (and frustrations).

We want to hear from you: Which bridges do you love, tolerate or avoid at all costs?

• Cast your vote across a few key categories: the bridge most likely to derail your day, the one that doesn't get enough credit, the one most likely to turn heads and the one that works for everyone — pedestrians, cyclists, drivers and transit riders alike.

Plus: Help us crown the Willamette's most beloved crossing once and for all by taking this two-minute poll.

• We'll publish the results in an upcoming edition of the newsletter.
• Got a strong opinion? Email us and tell us why your top choice feels the most Portland.

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🤝 Roughly 15,000 pieces of tribal artwork and artifacts were returned to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation after a deal was reached with a private collector for a massive collection of beadwork and other historical items. (OPB)

Former Oregon Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned from her position as U.S. Labor Secretary amid several misconduct scandals, including allegations of mishandling department funds and inappropriate relationships with staff. (Axios)

Volunteers of America abruptly closed its women's substance use treatment center in Northeast Portland last week, laying off more than a dozen staff and discharging nearly 50 patients. The organization is facing mounting financial issues. (Portland Mercury)

🐺 Oregons wolf population grew by 13% to roughly 230 last year, per a new state report.

• Yes, but: A record-high 42 of the canids were also killed in the state in 2025. (The Oregonian)

Portland is getting its own amateur baking competition à la "The Great British Bake Off."

State of play: Hosted by Pix Patisserie owner Cheryl Wakerhauser, "The Big Portland Bake Show" will take place across three weekends this summer (June through August) and is open to all amateur bakers 18 and up.

• Registration opens May 4, and participant interviews will take place later that month. Six bakers will be selected and will compete in three rounds each weekend: signature, technical and showstopper — a similar cadence to the popular TV show.
• Guest judges will include local culinary icons like Papa Haydn owner Michael Gibbons, among others.
• The winner will receive a 6-quart kitchen stand mixer.

Between the lines: You don't have to compete to join in on the action. The public is invited to watch it all go down in the tent at Pix's East Burnside location and to stick around for a happy hour after.

The bake off marks a new chapter for Pix, which shut down its traditional bakery operations in 2022 and pivoted to selling treats out of a vending machine.

• Wakerhauser told the Portland Business Journal that she's been workshopping the idea for years. "This is the year we're going to do it because we need some fun."

I always get a little sad when all the flowering trees drop their petals in the late spring, knowing that the heat of summer is just around the corner.

Yes, but: The colorful cherry, magnolia and dogwood trees leave us with a parting gift — delicate collections of pink petals that pile into small drifts on cars and against curbs all over town.

• Go out and have yourself a mini snow day, no jacket required.