By Salem Reporter
AGENDA: Cherriots to decide on lowering fare for youth riders
A Cherriots bus at the Downtown Transit Center. (Courtesy of Cherriots) Salem Area Mass Transit District Board of Directors will give the second reading of its proposed ordinance change, which would include a revised fee structure. The board will also take…
Attorney general, legislators look to protect student loan borrowers from predatory lenders
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum holds a press conference at the Capitol on Monday for her proposal to protect student loan borrowers from predatory lenders. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) A movement to stop predatory lenders from bilking Oregon students for tens of…
Vaccine bills prove controversial amid measles outbreak
Rep. Greenlick, D-Portland, introduced a bill Friday that would remove nonmedical exemptions for vaccines for public school children. (Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune) Introducing vaccine-related legislation is the political equivalent of swatting a hornets’ nest. Regardless of what the legislation does, it’s…
AGENDA: Salem-Keizer School Board to consider St. Edward land sale, apartment tax exemption
Members of the Salem-Keizer School board during a meeting. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) The Salem-Keizer School Board will consider putting the finishing touches on a land sale agreement with St. Edward Catholic Church at a Tuesday meeting. District attorneys last week…
ON THE BEAT: For a reporter, honestly listening to Salem readers is part of the job
Aubrey Wieber, a reporter for Salem Reporter. I’ve always found it puzzling that we journalists get to dive head first into peoples’ indiscretions yet we ourselves remain guarded. We can challenge the factual accuracy of an elected official’s statements yet…
Lawmakers stripped of committees amid workplace culture change
Rep. Mitch Greenlick, D-Portland. (Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune) SALEM – Growing political tensions at the Legislature boiled over Thursday as House Speaker Tina Kotek stripped a powerful Portland Democrat of two committee chairmanships because of his behavior. Kotek at the same…
Sen. Fagan pushes reform to lower voting age to 16
Christine Bynum, daughter of state Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Happy Valley, urged lawmakers to lower the voting age to 16 during a press conference Monday. (Photo courtesy of Bus Project) SALEM — Christine Bynum, 17, can be charged and sentenced as…
Oregon joins 15 other states in suing Trump over national emergency declaration
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said Tuesday that she joined other states in suing President Donald Trump to safeguard federal money for flood protection in Oregon. The 16 states sued in U.S. District Court in California Monday…
Capitol interns, staff slam harassment, hostile environment in lawsuits
SALEM — Two women who interned at the state Capitol are suing a former state senator who they say sexually harassed them. They are also suing lawmakers and legislative leadership for creating a hostile work environment that they claim allowed…
AGENDA: Polk County Commission to consider appointments to several positions
The Polk County Courthouse. (Courtesy of Janet Guzman/Polk County Itemizer-Observer) At it’s weekly meeting, the Polk County Commission will vote on appointing several candidates to positions within the county. Commissioners will consider Kevin Chambers for the West Valley Housing Authority…