2023 in Oregon

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Decades:	2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	History of Oregon Historical outline of Oregon List of years in Oregon 2023 in the United States

The year 2023 in Oregon involved several major events.

Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, the federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 ended,^[1] and Oregonians continued to return to in-person work and social gatherings while adjusting to lingering impacts.^[2][3] In November, Portland teachers went on strike for more than three weeks, bringing attention to school funding and education in the post-lockdown era.^[4][5]

The state made national news when Oregon Senate Republicans staged a six-week walkout.^[6]

Amid the 2020s anti-LGBTQ movement in the United States, LGBTQ people fled from other states to Oregon for its relatively strong legal protections,^[7] although LGBTQ events in the state saw an uptick in vocal opposition, and some were cancelled as a result of harassment and threats.^[8]

Natural disasters continued to impact people across the Pacific Northwest. The wildfire season lasted from July to October, aggravated by a heat wave and long-term drought conditions.^[9][10][11] In December, an atmospheric river caused heavy rainfall and flooding, which knocked out power and resulted in at least two deaths.^[12]

Politics and government

Incumbents

• Governor: Kate Brown (Jan 1–9) Tina Kotek (Jan 9–Dec 31) (Both D)
• Secretary of State: Shemia Fagan (Jan 1–May 8) Cheryl Myers (May 8–June 30) LaVonne Griffin-Valade (June 30–Dec 31) (All D)

Events

• 2023 Oregon wildfires^[13]

January

• January 9 – The 82nd Oregon Legislative Assembly convenes.^[14]

March

• March 20 – A wolverine is sighted near the Columbia River in Portland; this is the first confirmed report of a wolverine outside of the Wallowa Mountains in 30 years.^[15]

April

• April 13 – OHSU researchers publish the largest-ever atlas of human gene mutations.^[16]

May

• May 3 – Oregon Senate Republicans stage a walkout to break quorum, marking the first day of a protest that will last for several weeks. The Republicans say they are protesting bills for not following readability laws, while Democratic House members say the walkout is actually about the contents of the bills.^[17][18]
• May 12 – 2023 Western North America heat wave: The National Weather Service issues a health advisory for Western Oregon and Washington a day before the heat wave sets in.^[19]

June

• June 2 – 2023 Portland 112
• June 3 – 2023 Pacific Office Automation 147^[20]
• June 15
  • The Oregon DMV announces that about 3.5 million Oregonians' license, ID, and permit-related data was accessed by an unidentified hacker during a breach of the state's MOVEit data transfer tool.^[21]
  • Democrats and Republicans of the Oregon Legislature make an agreement to end the walkout that started in May.^[6]
• June 24 – Oregon City holds their first-ever LGBTQ pride parade.^[22]

July

• July 1 – The Oregon State Fire Marshal becomes a state agency, headquartered in Salem.^[10]
• July 2 – Tunnel Five Fire^[23]
• July 6 – Alder Creek Fire^[24]
• July 10–12 – Drag-a-thon^[25]
• July 15 – Flat Fire^[26]
• July 15–16 – Portland Pride Waterfront Festival^[27]
• July 22 – Golden Fire^[28]

August

• August 4 – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife adopts a Memorandum of Agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon. Under the Memorandum, Grand Ronde can issue tribal members licenses for hunting, fishing, shellfishing, and trapping, with annual limits set by mutual agreement between OFW and the Confederated Tribes.^[29]
• August 21 – OHSU researchers publish a study that names a type of iron toxicity-induced cell death as a cause of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.^[30]
• August 24–27 – 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open^[31]

September

• September 3 – 2023 BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland^[32]
• September 12 – Restore Oregon announces that the Jantzen Beach Carousel will be moved out of storage and into the Neon Sign Museum in The Dalles.^[33]

October

• October 14 – A solar eclipse is visible in parts of Oregon; the visibility path starts at Dunes City and passes over Newport, Crater Lake National Park, Eugene, and Medford.^[34]
• October 22 – Alaska Airlines Flight 2059^[35]

November

• November 1–26 – 2023 Portland Association of Teachers strike^[36][4]
• November 12 – Retired oceanographer Don Walsh dies at his home in Myrtle Point, at the age of 92.^[37]
• November 30 – A team at OHSU successfully performs the first awake spine surgery using local anaesthesia.^[38]

December

• 2023 Pacific Northwest floods^[39]
• December 8 – A minor earthquake swarm begins at Mt. Hood.^[40]

See also

• 2023 in California
• 2023 in Idaho
• 2023 in Washington (state)

References

1. "Division of Financial Regulation : End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency frequently asked questions : Health insurance : State of Oregon". dfr.oregon.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
2. "Aligned with federal directive, Oregon prepares to curb COVID measures". opb. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
3. "Oregon Shakespeare Festival returns for first full season since pandemic". opb. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
4. "Portland Teachers' Strike Ends After More Than Three Weeks". 2023-11-27. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
5. "Here's what striking Portland teachers achieved in their deal with the district". kgw.com. 2023-12-01. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
6. "Oregon lawmakers make deal to end Senate walkout. Here's how key bills were changed". opb. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
7. "More LGBTQ+ people are coming to Oregon as other states pass restrictive laws, service providers say". opb. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
8. "Oregon and Portland-Area Pride Celebrations See Protests, Threats, and Allyship". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
9. Prakke, Jessica (2023-10-30). "Oregon Department of Forestry Announces the End of 2023 Fire Season and Describes Agency Successes". My Oregon News. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
10. 2023 Annual Report (PDF) (Report). Oregon State Fire Marshal. June 2024.
11. "Analysis | Item 21: Department of Forestry | 2023 Fire Season". Oregon Legislature. October 2023. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
12. McKay, Rich; O'Brien, Brendan (2024-11-21). "Atmospheric river pounds Northwest US, killing 2 and knocking out power across three states". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
13. "ODF Wildfire News". odffire.com. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
14. "State of Oregon: Blue Book - Chronology of Regular Legislative Sessions in Oregon". sos.oregon.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-22.
15. Oberholtz, Chris (2023-03-24). "First wolverine sighting in over 30 years reported along Oregon river near Portland". FOX Weather. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
16. Robinson, Erik. "OHSU researchers assemble comprehensive atlas of human gene mutations". OHSU News. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
17. "Oregon Senate Republicans stage walkout". kgw.com. 2023-05-03. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
18. Komenda, Ed (2023-05-05). "Oregon GOP stages bill boycott, citing obscure law about reading level". PBS News. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
19. "Early Heat Wave in Pacific Northwest Could Break Records". US News & World Report. 2023-05-12. Archived from the original on 2023-05-21. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
20. Skala, Chris (2023-06-03). "Cole Custer Steals Xfinity Win at Portland After Leaders Clash". Frontstretch. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
21. "MOVEit Data Breach". Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle Services. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
22. Jones, Joelle (2023-06-24). "'Love will always win': Oregon City hosts Pride Night". KOIN. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
23. KATU Staff (2023-07-11). "Tunnel Five Fire 100% contained". KATU. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
24. "NWCC :: Home". gacc.nifc.gov. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
25. "Drag-a-Thon at Darcelle XV Showplace Is Officially the World's Longest Drag Show". Willamette Week. 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
26. "| InciWeb". inciweb.nwcg.gov. 2024-01-28. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
27. "Over a hundred floats participated in the 2023 Portland Pride Parade, an annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. The parade marched to the downtown waterfront beginning at 11a.m. on July 16, 2023". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
28. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/golden-fire-southern-oregon-burns-dozens-homes-cuts-101653661
29. "Commission adopts MOU with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde". www.dfw.state.or.us. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
30. Robinson, Erik. "OHSU scientists discover new cause of Alzheimer's, vascular dementia". OHSU News. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
31. https://championships.usga.org/usseniorwomensopen/2023/articles/fast-facts-for-2023-u-s--senior-women-s-open.html
32. "Palou Clinches Championship with Decisive Portland Victory". IndyCar.com. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
33. "After years in storage, the historic Jantzen Beach Carousel has found an equally bright and colorful new home". kgw.com. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
34. "NASA - Annular Solar Eclipse of 2023 Oct 14". eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
35. "Incident: Horizon E175 near Portland on Oct 22nd 2023, credible security threat by jumpseater, tried to shut both engines down". avherald.com. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
36. "Portland Teachers Are on Strike, Closing Schools in Oregon's Largest District". 2023-11-01. Archived from the original on 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
37. "Explorer Don Walsh, among first to reach deepest point of ocean before retiring in Oregon, dies at 92". oregonlive. 2023-11-21. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
38. Robinson, Erik. "Team conducts first awake spine surgery at OHSU". OHSU News. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
39. Gilbert, Elizabeth Wolfe, Robert Shackelford, Mary (2023-12-05). "2 people are dead as an atmospheric river pummels the Northwest with more than 9 inches of rain. And the danger isn't over". CNN. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
40. "Monitoring stations detect small magnitude earthquakes at Mount Hood (December 8-13, 2023)". www.usgs.gov. 2017-06-22. Retrieved 2025-08-25.

External links

• Media related to 2023 in Oregon at Wikimedia Commons

• Oregon Elections, 2023 at Ballotpedia
• 2023 Oregon Vineyard and Winery Report from the Oregon Wine Board