Category Government
Oregon state senator’s ‘heightened rhetoric’ will get another federal court review
Sen. Brian Boquist at his Dallas farm. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) For nearly three years, state Sen. Brian Boquist has technically been under orders to alert legislative officials when he would be arriving in the Capitol. The unusual order was put in place in July 2019…
Salem council candidate Deanna Gwyn has rarely voted, records show
Deanna Gwyn, 2022 Salem City Council candidate for Ward 4 (Campaign photo) A Salem real estate broker seeking election to the Salem City Council has voted just twice in local elections the past decade, records show. Deanna Gwyn, who’s running for council seat representing south…
Oregon man facing charges for Jan. 6 ends campaign for governor
A man the FBI identified as Reed Christensen pushes a police officer outside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. (Body camera still included in a federal affidavit) A Hillsboro man facing federal criminal charges for his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the…
Oregon officials strive to rebuild trust in elections as 1 in 5 don’t believe 2020 results
A stack of counted and signed ballot envelopes at the Marion County Elections Office (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) About one in five Oregon voters, including about half of Republicans, believe voter fraud changed the results of the 2020 election. That’s one result of a February survey…
Republicans running for Oregon governor defended the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. One was there
A screenshot of police body camera footage from the Jan. 6 Capitol attack allegedly shows Reed Christensen pushing past a police barricade, according to federal court documents. A panel of Oregon Republican candidates for governor, including one currently facing federal criminal charges for assaulting police…
Two state representatives create PAC to back working women running for office
Two legislators retiring from state service are focused on influencing voters to put more working women in the Legislature. State Reps. Rachel Prusak of Tualatin and Anna Williams of Hood River, Democrats and each chairing a House committee, announced on Tuesday that they’ve formed a…
House Democrats’ PAC buys ads for Carrick Flynn in CD6, irks other candidates
Carrick Flynn (campaign photo) A political action committee affiliated with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is spending close to $1 million on TV ads for a Democratic candidate in Oregon’s new congressional district. The other candidates aren’t pleased. The race for the Democratic nomination in the…
Years in the making, new trans student policies for Salem schools draw backlash
Three years ago, a transgender high school student approached leaders at the Salem-Keizer School District and told them they needed to do better. Julian, a nonbinary student who is now a senior, said the lack of consistent school or district policies led to teachers incorrectly…
Thousands of low-income residents seeking state aid wait longer than they should
State programs to help people buying food are lagging in processing applications (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A state online enrollment system that was launched a year ago continues to make thousands of people wait longer than they should for state help buying food, caring for children…