Oregon Discussion
Oregon Discussion is a no-nonsense podcast that pulls back the curtain on Oregon’s government, policies, and spending. From the state budget crisis to agencies creating rules without oversight, Oregon Discussion takes a deep dive into the policies shaping Oregon’s future.
Episodes
- Public Safety Decline and Policy Failures in Oregon
In this episode of Oregon Discussion, legislators discuss the growing public safety challenges facing Oregon, including declining state police staffing, homelessness policy failures, and controversial legislation affecting law enforcement and gun rights. The conversation also ...
Listen - The $13 Billion Bridge Boondoggle
Oregon’s Interstate Bridge replacement has ballooned to $13.6 billion — without adding new lanes. In this episode, lawmakers and industry experts break down the real costs, political dysfunction, and what decades of delay mean for ...
Listen - Top 10 in Spending, Bottom in Results: How Oregon’s Education System Failed Parents and Kids
Oregon spends more per student than nearly any state in the nation — yet ranks near the bottom in student outcomes. In this episode, Senator Mike McLane and Representative Shelly Boshart Davis are joined by ...
Listen - Medicaid Fraud, Gang Ties, and Stonewalling: What Oregon Isn’t Telling You
In this episode, Senator Mike McLane and Representative Shelly Boshart Davis are joined by investigative journalist Jeff Eager of the Oregon Roundup to expose alarming Medicaid fraud allegations tied to Oregon Health Plan reimbursements, criminal ...
Listen - The Forecast They Don’t Want You to See: Job Losses, Budget Games, and Oregon’s Real Crisis
In this episode, Senator Mike McLane, Representative Shelly Boshart Davis, and Alex Lopez break down Oregon’s fourth-quarter revenue forecast — and what it reveals about job losses, population decline, manufacturing collapse, agency budget tantrums, and ...
Listen - Cost of Living Collapse: Why Oregon Is Becoming Unaffordable — and How Voters Can Take the State Back
Representative Shelly Boshart Davis hosts Senator Christine Drazan and Representative Lucetta Elmer for a deep dive into Oregon’s affordability crisis. From the lowest housing production in decades to skyrocketing taxes, failed regulation, and collapsing business ...
Listen - Oregon’s War on Agriculture: IP 28, Farm Losses, and the Fight to Save Rural Oregon
Senator Mike McLane and Representative Shelly Boshart Davis sit down with Greg Addington, Executive Director of the Oregon Farm Bureau, to discuss the growing threats to Oregon agriculture — from the ag overtime crisis and ...
Listen - Broken Roads: Oregon’s $4.3 Billion Tax Hike and the Death of Bipartisanship
Senator Mike McLane is joined by Representative Shelly Boshart Davis and Senator Bruce Starr to break down the failed transportation process under Governor Tina Kotek, the $4.3 billion “band-aid” tax bill, and how Oregonians are ...
Listen - Gen Z, Free Speech, and the Future of Oregon: Honoring Charlie Kirk
In this episode, Senator Mike McLane sits down with three members of Generation Z to discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the lasting impact of cancel culture, and the challenges facing young conservatives in Oregon. ...
Listen - Oregon’s One-Party Rule: Taxes, Gerrymanders & Culture Wars
Senators Mike McLane and Daniel Bonham expose the fallout of Oregon’s 2025 session—gerrymandered maps, DEI bloat at ODOT, partisan climate mandates in schools, and money for illegal immigrants while rural towns are left behind. ...
Listen - The Ugly Truth: Oregon’s Budget Gimmicks, Taxes & Union Power
Senators Mike McLane and Daniel Bonham expose the ugly side of Oregon’s 2025 session—from fake “cuts budgets” and skyrocketing spending to tax hikes, DEI bloat, and new perks for striking unions. ...
Listen - Oregon’s Budget Battle: Taxes, Wolves & Wildfire Fallout
Senators Mike McLane and Leader Daniel Bonham break down Oregon’s 2025 legislative session—from billion-dollar tax battles and secretive budget deals to the fight over wildfire policies and wolf compensation. ...
Listen - Oregon’s $11.7 Billion Tax Bomb: No Debate, No Vote, No Breaks
Oregon legislators break down the largest tax increase in state history—passed without negotiation. From gas taxes to universal healthcare creep, this episode exposes how the state is bleeding taxpayers dry while ignoring its core responsibilities. ...
Listen - Timber, Taxes & the Truth: Who’s Killing Oregon’s Forest Economy?
Oregon legislators and legal expert John DiLorenzo expose how mismanaged forestry policy and secretive deals are stripping rural Oregon of revenue, jobs, and vital services — all in the name of environmentalism. ...
Listen - Oregon’s Failing Schools: What the Bureaucrats Won’t Tell You
Oregon legislators and education leaders expose the truth behind our state’s failing schools, mismanaged budgets, and misguided priorities. From declining graduation rates to bloated bureaucracy, this is the education conversation Oregon parents need to hear. ...
Listen - Oregon’s Dirty Laundry: Billions Wasted, No One Fired
From ballooning construction budgets to questionable agency spending, this episode of Oregon Discussion exposes Oregon’s “dirty laundry.” Senators Daniel Bonham, Mike McLane, Bruce Starr, and Senate Staff Tanner Elliott break down staggering government inefficiencies—and why ...
Listen - The True Cost of Oregon’s Immigration Policies
Oregon legislators dive into the state's controversial spending on undocumented immigrants, raising critical questions about budget priorities, public services, and voter expectations. ...
Listen - Portland’s Doom Loop: Can Oregon’s Engine Be Restarted?
In this episode of Oregon Discussion, Senator Daniel Bonham and Mike McLane break down the alarming economic data behind Portland’s decline, discuss the city’s so-called “doom loop,” and debate whether Oregon’s largest city can recover. ...
Listen - Oregon’s Crisis of Compassion: Addiction, Homelessness, and Government Failure
Senator Mike McLane and Representative Darcy Edwards dive into Oregon’s spiraling homelessness and addiction crisis. From fentanyl’s deadly grip to the state’s ineffective spending, this candid conversation uncovers where Oregon is falling short—and what needs ...
Listen - Sanctuary Chaos: Crime, Cartels & Oregon’s Public Safety Crisis
Oregon ranks near the bottom in law enforcement per capita and near the top in violent crime and trafficking — yet leaders double down on sanctuary policies and soft-on-crime laws. This episode exposes the full ...
Listen - The Budget Game: How Oregon Grows Government — Then Cries Broke
Oregon’s revenue has doubled in 10 years, but now state leaders claim the sky is falling. In this episode, legislators expose the truth behind the May budget forecast — and what it means for your ...
Listen - The Swamp in Salem: How Oregon’s Government Avoids Accountability
From secret meetings to placeholder bills and nonprofit kickbacks, this episode reveals how Oregon’s legislative majority uses power behind closed doors — and what it’s costing taxpayers. ...
Listen - Oregon’s Housing Crisis: What the State Isn’t Telling You
Oregon ranks #1 in family homelessness and near last in affordability. In this episode, legislators dig into why billions in housing funds aren’t solving the crisis — and what real solutions look like. ...
Listen - ODFW Under Fire: Wolves, Cougars, and the Cost of Mismanagement
Senator Todd Nash and Representative Jeff Helfrich join Senator Mike McLane to dissect the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife’s exploding budget, predator policy failures, and how rural Oregonians are paying the price. ...
Listen - Dorchester 2025 Day 2: Parents, Patriots & the Blueprint to Reclaim Oregon
From grassroots moms to future leaders, Day 2 of the Dorchester Conference dives into how everyday Oregonians are stepping up, speaking out, and creating a roadmap for change. Hear stories of courage, organizing, and the ...
Listen - Dorchester 2025: Uniting Oregon's Conservatives for Change
From grassroots organizing to national GOP strategy, this special episode from the 2025 Dorchester Conference brings together Oregon's conservative leaders to discuss the challenges — and opportunities — facing the state. Hear directly from senators, ...
Listen - The Beginning of the End of Ag? Farmers Push Back Against Oregon Policy Overreach
Oregon legislators and ag leaders expose the growing burden on Oregon's farming communities, from costly regulations to land loss and labor pressure. Is state policy killing Oregon agriculture? ...
Listen - Oregon Youth Authority: $550M, Scandals, and Zero Accountability?
This episode uncovers deep dysfunction inside the Oregon Youth Authority—where uninvestigated abuse claims, political hiring, and systemic failure raise urgent questions about oversight, reform, and responsibility. ...
Listen - $22 Billion, 11,000 Employees… Still Ranked Last in Mental Health?
This episode unpacks the Department of Human Services’ $22 billion budget, controversial policies, federal funding risks, and a system so bloated it’s failing the very people it claims to serve. ...
Listen - What Is DEQ Actually Doing? Rules, Lawsuits, and the Climate Cash Grab
Oregon legislators break down the DEQ’s ballooning budget, thousands of unvetted regulations, and a federal lawsuit over alleged workplace discrimination. If you've ever wondered why housing, energy, and goods cost more in Oregon—this is a ...
Listen - Meet the Senators: Real Talk, Real Lives, and the Fight for Oregon's Future
In this episode, host Sen. Daniel Bonham sits down with Republican colleagues from across the state for a candid, behind-the-scenes look at who they are, what brought them to the legislature, and why they believe ...
Listen - Is OHA Out of Control? Budget Surges, Mismanagement & Healthcare Consequences
This episode breaks down the Oregon Health Authority’s exploding budget, stalled care access, and regulatory overreach—from misused mental health funds to a $1B taxpayer-funded program for undocumented care. Can Oregon afford this trajectory? ...
Listen - Is BOLI Doing Its Job? Budget Hikes, Backlogs & Bureaucracy in Oregon
A deep dive into Oregon’s labor agency, BOLI—its ballooning budget, mounting backlog, and the growing disconnect between government expansion and on-the-ground results. Plus, housing costs, wage laws, and whether Oregon’s priorities are aligned with its ...
Listen - ODOT's Budget Crisis: Roads Are Failing, But the Spending Keeps Growing
Oregon lawmakers dig into ODOT’s broken budget and transportation failures. From ADA ramp overspending to missing snowplow funds, this episode is a wake-up call for anyone wondering why the roads aren’t getting fixed. ...
Listen - Oregon's Charity Care Law: Is It Actually Working?
In this episode, Oregon lawmakers sit down with the founder of Dollar For to ask whether Oregon’s charity care laws are working. Learn how new legislation is helping reduce medical debt, how hospitals are reacting, ...
Listen - Oregon's $140 Billion Budget: Where Your Money Really Goes
In this episode, Oregon Discussion hosts explore Oregon’s $140 billion budget—what it funds, how fast it’s growing, and whether it matches the priorities of everyday Oregonians. From runaway spending in health agencies to rising fees ...
Listen - Oregon's Tax Avalanche: Hidden Fees, Income Tax & Why the Kicker Matters
This episode of Oregon Discussion breaks down Oregon’s overwhelming tax system—from income and estate taxes to hidden fees like paddleboard permits and the corporate activity tax. Senators Daniel Bonham and Mike McLane join Representative Greg ...
Listen - The Hidden Power of Oregon's Administrative State
In this episode, the discussion shifts to Oregon’s administrative state—the unelected agencies that create 40,000+ rules, outnumbering state laws and imposing costly regulations on businesses and residents. The hosts expose how agencies often ignore legislative ...
Listen - Oregon's Budget Reckoning
In the debut episode of Oregon Discussion, Senator Mike McLane, Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, and House Republican Leader Christine Drazan break down Oregon’s budget crisis. They discuss the $36 trillion national debt, Oregon’s heavy ...
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