SALEM — Accountability regarding state spending on education and transportation were two key themes for Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek during a press conference Monday, Feb. 24.

The governor addressed a wide range of subjects during the news conference including issues regarding Multnomah County’s budget problems, the homeless, federal job cuts and immigration.

She also described her recent trip to Washington, D.C., to participate in the National Governor’s Association meeting where she said there was “good collaboration with cabinet secretaries in the White House.”

Kotek said she pointed out to federal officials the need “for civility and clarity on the things the federal administration is doing.”

Yet the meeting soured for Kotek during a session with President Donald Trump. Trump and Maine Gov. Janet Mills clashed regarding Trump’s move to block federal funding to the state regarding transgender athletes. Kotek said she was “extremely disappointed” by the exchange.

“I support where Gov. Mills is,” she said.

The flurry of executive orders issued by the president since he entered the White House potentially impacted a broad swath of government, raising questions about the funding sustainability of long-held federal programs and the future of sanctuary cities and states. Oregon is one of 13 states with sanctuary laws. That means the state places a threshold on the amount of cooperation its agencies will furnish to federal immigration authorities.

She noted federal workers play key roles in Oregon because the state has so much federal land within its boundaries. She said she’s been “very clear with the federal administration that we need to get them to restore some of the things they’ve paused and reassess some of their staffing cuts.”

She specifically mentioned staffing at the Bonneville Power Administration — federal agency that sells power to Pacific Northwest states — as key for the future.

“We need to make sure we have trained people to maintain the grid,” she said.

Asked what action she would take if the Trump administration pulled federal funds if Oregon did not reverse its immigration sanctuary laws, Kotek said there is a “clear delineation” of the role of local and state law enforcement and federal immigration officials

“We have very clear communication with our federal partners about what they can do and what we can do. If we do receive something specific from the Trump administration, we will analyze it and I will have a conversation with the attorney general,” she said.

Kotek said she believes it will be “quite a while before we understand the full impact of any potential restrictions on federal funding.”

She said, though, the attention of lawmakers and voters should rest on fiscal issues closer to home.

“Right now, we need to focus on passing a budget that meets the state’s needs,” she said.

She also talked about the need to get “a transportation package done.”

She said responsibility will be key in the future for the Oregon Department of Transportation, which now faces a $345 million budget shortfall.

She said there “has been a lot of good conversations about accountability with ODOT.”

“I totally embrace accountability in any area of state government and certainly in the area of transportation. We have to make sure the agencies are doing everything to be transparent,” she said.

Kotek said the state transportation department needs to be funded to “do their job.”

“So, we can have maintenance and safe roads, and finish projects Oregonians are depending on,” she said.

Kotek also talked about accountability in education, noting the state is “about the middle of the pack in terms of funding but at the bottom of the pack in terms of outcomes.”

“Of the resources that are going into our (school) districts, we need to produce better outcomes. I don’t think it’s just about the money. We need to have adequate resources,” she said.