It’s not often you see the word “bankrupt” used in relation to Oregon state government, especially when the word comes from somebody as measured as Gov. Tina Kotek.
But the fund that insures the state of Oregon’s legal settlements and pays out claims—from routine workers’ compensation payments to state employees, to huge legal settlements—is teetering on insolvency, according to Kotek.
Here’s how the governor described the situation in the 2025–27 budget recommendations she unveiled in December: “A major increase in risk charges from the 2023–25 level is needed to prevent the assets declining to zero, bankrupting the fund.”…