Category Legislature

Oregon State Capitol (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) SALEM — While many Democrats are eager to tackle big-ticket issues like climate change in the approaching legislative session, legislators also have other ideas they want to push. During short sessions, which take place every even-numbered year…

Demonstrators advocate for cap and trade legislation outside the Oregon Capitol Tuesday, June 25, 2019 (Claire Withycombe/Salem Reporter) Oregon Democratic Senators said Tuesday they’d keep fighting for a cap and trade plan after Democratic leaders said they didn’t have enough votes to pass the proposal.…

(Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) SALEM — A controversial climate bill that caused a standoff between Democrats and Republicans, prompting Republicans to flee the state, could maybe have been resolved with a simple floor vote. House Bill 2020 doesn’t have enough support among Democrats to pass, Senate…

SALEM — There was still no sign Monday that Republican senators boycotting the Capitol are ready to return. Republicans have avoided the Senate since Thursday, preventing a vote on legislation to cap the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and blocking scores of pending bills. Several Republican…

SALEM — The stalemate between Republicans and Democrats in the Oregon Senate continued Monday morning. No resolution was publicly apparent, as Republicans continue their protest of House Bill 2020, which would establish a market system to cap the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. They contend the…

SALEM — Single-family homes have long dominated the housing market in Oregon. But could a legislative proposal from one of Oregon’s most powerful lawmakers, which took a critical step forward Thursday, change that? House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, presided over the passage of one of…

SALEM — These bills might not make headlines, but they may make a difference to Oregonians all the same. Each of these bills passed their last hurdle this week and now head to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature. KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON: In a…

Senate President Peter Courtney goes through motions of convening the Senate on Thursday, June 20, after Republican senators made good on their plan to abandon the Capitol. (Claire Withycombe/Oregon Capital Bureau) SALEM — Thursday’s political standoff over a plan to cap carbon emissions in Oregon…

SALEM — Oregon took a step closer Thursday to taxing e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. On a 39-21 vote, the House approved increasing the cigarette tax to $2 per pack, part of a change to the law that would also slap new taxes on cigars…