Month: September 2026

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, introduced legislation today to double the federal matching contribution for workers saving in tax-preferred retirement accounts. The Savers Match Enhancement Act would increase the maximum federal match from 50% to 100% on eligible contributions made to Individual Retirement Accounts and 401(k) plans, raising the maximum annual match to $2,000 per saver.

The proposal builds on the federal saver’s match program created under the bipartisan SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which established the first direct federal matching contributions for working Americans’ retirement plans. Under existing law scheduled to take effect in 2027, the federal government provides a matching credit of up to 50% on the first $2,000 contributed annually, capping the maximum federal contribution at $1,000 per year.

In addition to doubling the match rate, the proposed legislation would index the $2,000 matching cap to inflation to adjust for future cost-of-living increases. The bill would also expand eligibility by raising the income phaseout range for single taxpayers, moving it from $20,500 to $35,500 under current law up to $42,500 to $57,500.

The measure would also change the saver’s match from a pre-tax contribution into an after-tax Roth contribution. Wyden, who led the enactment of the original program in 2022, emphasized the financial challenges facing workers. “As the cost of living and inflation continue to increase, Americans need more options to help them save for retirement so they can live with dignity in their later years,” Wyden said. “This bill would alleviate some of the financial burdens that working Americans face when planning for their retirement and ensure the earnings they are able to set aside for retirement savings will have the largest impact possible.”

The proposal specifically targets workers who do not receive traditional employer retirement benefits. Wyden noted the growing number of Americans working outside traditional employment structures who lack access to matching funds. “While many Americans have jobs that provide 401(k) plans with employer-provided matching, more and more hardworking Americans are self-employed, entrepreneurs or contract-based and do not have access to employer matching contributions,” Wyden said. “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans, regardless of how they are employed, have access to a sufficient and reliable source of income once they retire.”

If enacted by Congress, the proposed modifications to the saver’s match program would take effect beginning in 2027.

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced today that it is seeking applicants to fill an ocean and inland recreational fishing position on the Restoration and Enhancement Program Board. Interested individuals must apply by Oct. 16, 2026.

Created by the Oregon Legislature in 1989, the Restoration and Enhancement Program helps fund fish restoration and enhancement projects throughout the state. The program is funded through surcharges on sport and commercial fishing licenses, as well as commercial poundage fees.

The program is overseen by a seven-member citizen board appointed to four-year terms by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. The panel consists of three ocean and inland recreational sport fishing representatives, three representatives from the commercial salmon industry representing troll, gillnet and seafood processing sectors and one public-at-large member.

Board members meet two to four times each year in communities throughout Oregon to review grant proposals and project funding applications. During these meetings, members listen to public testimony, serve as liaisons between the public and the program and make funding recommendations.

The department is searching for an Oregon resident capable of effectively representing sport anglers. Desirable qualifications include involvement with local fishing groups or fish management, prior experience serving on boards or commissions and knowledge of diverse sport fisheries across the state.

Application forms and details can be obtained through the Restoration and Enhancement Program website. Applicants can also reach ODFW contact Marty Olson by phone at (503) 947-6232 or by email.

Applications for the board position must be submitted by Oct. 16, 2026.

Bend, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Oregon Arts Commission awarded $150,000 in Arts Learning grants to 15 organizations across the state today. Each recipient will receive a $10,000 grant to strengthen K-12 arts education for the 2026-2027 academic year.

The Arts Learning grant program supports hands-on arts experiences for students while encouraging collaboration between local artists and school educators. Funding for the grants comes from the state of Oregon general fund along with a federal grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. A community review panel evaluated the applications before the commission approved the final grant allocations.

Tiff Harker, arts education and grants coordinator for the Oregon Arts Commission, described the statewide impact of the awards on classrooms. “Through this grant program, thousands of students will have an opportunity to engage with the arts in the classroom,” Harker said. “Arts organizations partner with schools and students greatly benefit from the enhancement of cognitive skills, creative problem-solving and self-empowerment.”

Several grants were awarded to organizations serving Eastern Oregon. The Pendleton Arts Center will receive funding for a four-month paper and book arts project reaching more than 250 kindergarteners at Pendleton Early Learning Center. The Oregon East Symphony in Pendleton will provide 45 hours of after-school classical strings instruction for fourth and fifth grade students. In Wallowa County, the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture will fund three interconnected initiatives, including after-school classes, a charter art program and a Youth Arts Festival.

In Union County, Art Center East in La Grande will bring eight residency weeks of its improv program to four Title I elementary schools. The Native Performing Arts Network in Hillsboro will expand arts education at the Native American Youth and Family Center’s Many Nations Academy and the McDermitt Combined School, which serves members of the McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe.

Coastal communities will also see new programming funded by the grants. Future Prairie in Portland will co-develop a six-month vocal arts project with Fire Mountain School in Arch Cape and Neah-Kah-Nie High School in Rockaway Beach, featuring monthly workshops led by Portland Opera tenor Emmanuel Onry Henreid. The Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis will run a photography outreach initiative for K-8 students. The Oregon Coast Council for the Arts will bring ceramics, painting, printmaking and fiber arts instruction to Newport Middle School to replace art programming lost to budget cuts.

In Central and Southern Oregon, The Open Arts Center in Bend will partner with Bear Creek Elementary, a bilingual Title I school, to offer three six-week artist residencies for 75 to 90 students. In Jacksonville, Sticks and Stones Studio will convert an existing classroom at Ruch Outdoor Community School into a studio space for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Grants awarded to Willamette Valley and Portland area groups will fund a variety of specialized workshops. Eugene-based #instaballet will conduct dance workshops in Life Skills classrooms across Springfield and Eugene public schools. Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre Northwest in Portland will provide creative movement classes for students from Pre-K through seventh grade. Parrott Creek Child & Family Services Inc. in Oregon City will expand its photography program for at-risk youth at its residential facility. SCRAP Creative Reuse in Portland will expand its mending and textile arts program. In Salem, Theatre 33 at Willamette University will offer free art, design and animation workshops to high school students in economically distressed areas.