Category Government
Director of Oregon prisons selected to lead federal prisons system
Colette Peters (center), director of the Oregon Department of Corrections director, talks with workers in the Norway prison system during a 2017 research trip to transform Oregon prisons. (Oregon Department of Corrections) Colette Peters, director of Oregon’s prison system, was appointed Tuesday by U.S. Attorney…
New poll shows reasons for Republican optimism in Oregon legislative races
The floor of the Oregon House, which has been controlled by Democrats since 2013 (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Republicans haven’t controlled any branch of Oregon government since Barack Obama’s first campaign for president – but they’re bullish this year about their legislative chances. An internal poll…
Center of Capitol closes for earthquake upgrades until 2025
The iconic Oregon Capitol Rotunda is among the sections of the building closed through 2025 for seismic renovations. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Salem’s most iconic landmark is now largely closed to the public. The central section of the Oregon State Capitol building is off limits as…
Oregon gun safety measure poised to appear on November ballot
Oregonians will consider a ballot initiative in 2022 that would require completed background checks for gun purchases and ban large-capacity magazines (M&R Glasgow/Flickr) Supporters of a gun safety ballot initiative say they have gathered more than enough signatures to guarantee a statewide vote on a…
Oregon’s new Treasury office is ready for the next disaster
When the Beachie Creek wildfire blanketed Salem in ash in the fall of 2020, the state’s financial servers felt the pain. At the Oregon State Treasury – then housed in one of the marble buildings on the Capitol Mall with an aging air filtration system…
After Supreme Court overturned Roe, LGBTQ advocates worry about what’s next
Demonstrators in support of transgender students outside the Salem-Keizer School District Student Services Support Center on Monday, April 11, 2022 (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) The U.S. Supreme Court’s Friday ruling overturning Roe v. Wade doesn’t immediately affect access to reproductive health care in Oregon, but LGBTQ…
Keizer-area Senate nominee’s sudden step down raises eyebrows
Rep. Teresa Alonso Leon, left, lost her congressional race but may have a chance of returning to the Legislature after Senate nominee Eric Swenson dropped out. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle) A state representative who couldn’t win her primary for Congress could get a second chance…
Oregon Rep. Kurt Schrader one of two Democrats to vote against Congressional gun control package
U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon’s Rep. Kurt Schrader was one of only two congressional Democrats to vote against a sweeping gun package Wednesday. The “Protecting Our Kids Act,” which passed the U.S. House on a largely party-line vote on Wednesday, would raise…
Oregon groups appeal to president over concerns of white supremacist threats
President Joe Biden speaks to a small crowd of Oregon officials, union workers and reporters in Portland on Thursday, April 21. (Julia Shumway/Oregon Capital Chronicle) After a white supremacist recently killed 10 Black shoppers at a grocery store in New York, Reyna Lopez started to…