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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2026

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Salem Lawmakers Weigh Plan to Shift Climate Disaster Costs to Oil Giants By John Oliver The rising price tag of wildfire seasons, washed-out roads, smoke-choked summers and emergency response budgets has become a defining feature of Oregon’s modern climate reality. Now, a Southern Oregon lawmaker wants to change who pays for it. State Sen. Jeff Golden of Ashland has introduced legislation that would require major fossil fuel companies to contribute to a state-managed fund intended to offset the growing public cost of climate-related disasters. The proposal, Senate Bill 1541, lays out a framework for calculating Oregon’s climate damages and seeking financial recovery from corporations whose historic greenhouse gas emissions exceed a defined threshold. At its core, the bill directs state agencies to quantify the economic burden climate change has imposed on Oregon. That includes wildfire suppression and recovery, flood control, infrastructure repairs, public health impacts and long-term resilience planning. The Department of Land Conservation and Development would coordinate the analysis, working alongside other agencies to establish a formal cost assessment. Once that determination is made, the Department of Environmental Quality would issue demand notices to companies meeting the bill’s emissions criteria. The threshold written into the legislation focuses on large-scale producers responsible for more than one billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during a covered period

stretching from 1995 through late 2024. The intent is to target multinational oil and gas corporations rather than smaller regional businesses or consumers. Money recovered under the proposal would be deposited into a dedicated Climate Superfund account. The bill outlines how those funds could be distributed, including a portion directed to wildfire mitigation and response efforts through the State Fire Marshal’s office. Additional funding would support resilience projects and infrastructure improvements, with emphasis on communities identified as particularly vulnerable to environmental and climate-related impacts.

Supporters argue that Oregon taxpayers are already paying the bill for climate damage through rising insurance premiums, emergency spending and infrastructure costs. They view the legislation as a mechanism to shift some of that financial responsibility to companies whose products contributed significantly to global emissions. In their view, the approach parallels long-standing environmental cleanup policies that hold polluters financially accountable for remediation. Opposition voices, including business associations and industry representatives, see the proposal differently. Critics question whether the state can impose financial lia-

bility tied to decades of lawful activity. They also warn that corporations subject to assessments may pass costs down the supply chain, potentially affecting fuel prices and transportation expenses. Legal challenges are widely anticipated if the measure advances. The debate unfolding in Salem reflects a broader national movement. Several states have explored similar climate cost-recovery models, with varying degrees of legislative success and courtroom resistance. The concept borrows from the structure of environmental superfund laws but applies it to greenhouse gas emissions and climate impacts rather than toxic waste sites. In Oregon, the proposal arrives against the backdrop of repeated wildfire emergencies that have strained local budgets, particularly in Southern Oregon. Jackson and Josephine counties have endured evacuation orders, smoke events and property damage in recent years. Statewide, suppression costs have climbed into the hundreds of millions during severe fire seasons. Insurance markets have tightened, and some homeowners face non-renewals or steep premium increases in high-risk areas. Senate Bill 1541 has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire and is expected to face extensive scrutiny before any floor vote. If it advances, the legislation would also require review by

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see CLIMATE, page 3

FBI Releases Images of Masked Individual in Search for Missing Nancy Guthrie By Ellen Ward Federal authorities have released surveillance images of a masked individual seen outside the Arizona home of 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie, marking a significant development in the ongoing disappearance that has drawn national attention. The images were made public by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as investigators continue efforts to determine what happened in the early morning hours of January 31, when Guthrie vanished from her residence in the Catalina Foothills area north of Tucson. Nancy Guthrie is the mother of Savannah Guthrie, co-anchor of NBC’s Today. While her daughter’s public profile has brought heightened media scrutiny, law enforcement officials have emphasized that the case is being handled as a serious missing persons and potential criminal investigation, independent of media attention. According to authorities, security footage captured an individual wearing a mask, gloves, and a backpack approaching Nancy Guthrie’s home shortly before her disappear-

the masked individual as a suspect but have described the person as someone they urgently want to identify and question. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly named. Nancy Guthrie was last seen at her home in Catalina Foothills. Family members reported her missing after she failed to attend church services and could not be reached. Investigators have stated that personal belongings, including her phone and medications, were left behind inside the residence. The presence of those items has contributed to law enforcement’s belief that she did not leave voluntarily.

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ance. The person appears to have tampered with or disabled the home’s doorbell camera system. Investigators believe the individual may have been armed, although specific details about the weapon have not been publicly confirmed. The footage, recovered through backend data after the camera was

disrupted, shows the individual lingering on the porch and near the front entrance before moving out of frame. The Pima County Sheriff's Office is working in coordination with federal agents in what has become a multi-agency investigation. Authorities have not formally identified

see SEARCH, page 3