Oregon lawmakers are expected to take yet another stab at tackling transportation funding next year after voters overwhelmingly rejected Measure 120.

Why it matters: Most of the structural problems behind Oregon's transportation funding shortfall remain unresolved.

• The proposal to hike gas and payroll taxes, as well as vehicle registration fees, was crushed last week, with 83% of voters saying "no thanks."

What they're saying: Democratic leaders, who pushed to get Measure 120 onto the May primary ballot, blamed Trump for the defeat.

• Gov. Tina Kotek said it was the war in Iran and the resulting spike in gas prices that made the measure "nearly impossible for voters to support," per OPB.
• Yes, but: Kotek and other supporters of the measure mounted little visible public campaigning in support of it.

The other side: House Republican Leader Lucetta Elmer of McMinnville told the Oregonian the vote boiled down to one thing: "People can't afford higher taxes."

Catch up quick: Oregon's transportation funding woes are the result of structural issues within the Oregon Department of Transportation.

• Unlike many other states, Oregon's gas tax isn't tied to inflation.
• ODOT has also struggled to replace declining gas tax revenue as more drivers switch to electric vehicles, despite higher EV registration fees.
• Those factors together put the agency in a $354 million hole for the two-year cycle heading into the 2025 legislative session.

What's next: Despite the measure failing, ODOT doesn't expect massive immediate implications.

• The agency has left more than 100 jobs vacant, cut spending and reshuffled funding internally "to preserve essential services," ODOT spokesperson Kacey Davey told Axios in an email.
• Davey said those measures would keep the agency solvent through the end of next year, but added they were "a short-term measure, not a long-term solution."
• Kotek in March convened a workgroup of transportation experts to come up with solutions to the state's funding problems for the 2027 legislative session.

The bottom line: The workgroup's recommendations and the November election results could shape whether lawmakers revisit similar proposals next year.

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🏡 Gov. Kotek announced she would steer nearly $100 million to help seniors find affordable housing through new home construction, home repairs and renovation. (OPB)

🗳️ Despite initially trailing in early returns, two progressive candidates in Washington County have won their races to represent Hillsboro and Beaverton in the Oregon House and Senate. (The Oregonian)

🏥 Providence will sunset most of its health plans next year, leaving hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to look for new insurance in an increasingly expensive marketplace. (KGW)

🍎 More than 6,000 people applied for spots in Multnomah County's Preschool for All program, but providers have roughly 7,100 seats.

• County officials are hoping a second application period will help match the supply with demand. (Willamette Week)

Empty nesters are sitting on Portland's family-size homes.

Why it matters: The people who have the space aren't necessarily the ones who need it — and that's making a tight housing market even tighter.

By the numbers: Compared to millennials with kids, boomer empty nesters in the Rose City own nearly twice the share of homes with three-plus bedrooms (27%).

• Millennial parents own 16% of large homes, according to a Redfin analysis of the latest census data, from 2024.

The big picture: Older homeowners have plenty of reasons to age in place.

• Many are mortgage-free or locked into low mortgage rates.
• Boomers may also want to stay put to remain near family, keep their routines or avoid packing up decades of belongings.

Meanwhile, millennial families run into both supply and affordability challenges when trying to move into larger homes, per Redfin.

• There aren't enough family-size homes on the market, while high home prices and mortgage rates have priced many younger buyers out.

Yes, but: Millennials have gained ground — from owning around 5% of large U.S. homes in 2014 to 16% in 2024 — partly by buying homes once owned by the Silent Generation, per Redfin.

• Boomer empty nesters who own large homes barely budged in that time.

What we're watching: Whether more large homes hit the market as more homeowners start to give up their low mortgage rates.

Go deeper

Wildflowers in the Gorge may have begun to fade, but peak bloom can still be found right here in town at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.

• The garden's namesake flowers are "fully bloomed or are about to open up," per their bloom tracker.

Grab a picnic lunch, snag a spot on a bench overlooking the lake, and have yourself a delightful break from the day.