Category Government
Eight so far vie to replace Sally Cook on Salem City Council
Salem city hall (Salem Reporter) The Salem City Council will get to pick from a litter of at least eight people to replace Sally Cook later this month and give a new face about 12 months to help the city craft its policies. Warren Bednarz,…
For former Oregon Legislature exec, it was 8 months at home, $96,000 in pay
SALEM — The former human resources director for the Oregon Legislature was paid nearly $100,000 to work from home for the first eight months of 2019 after she agreed to a quiet exit last fall amid intense public scrutiny over workplace harassment in the Capitol.…
Marion County leaders sidestep complaint over transgender discrimination
Offices for Willamette Valley Community Health, where Behavioral Care Network holds its meetings. Both entities oversee healthcare for low-income residents in Marion and Polk counties. (Jessica Floum/The Lund Report) A political game of chicken has hit a regional healthcare bureaucracy that’s leaving the transgender community…
Council carves out greater independence for Oregon’s records advocate
SALEM — A state council formed to improve Oregonians’ access to government records has endorsed a slate of reforms to make the state’s public records advocate more independent from political influence. The council met Tuesday to hash out the proposed changes after the sudden resignation…
Salem considers hopping aboard e-scooter trend
A row of Lime-branded e-scooters at a recent safety event hosted by the Portland Bureau of Transportation in September 2018. (Courtesy/Portland Bureau of Transportation) E-scooters may soon zip around the streets of Salem, but city staffers must first figure out how they’re going to regulate…
For Oregon universities, threat of strike evaporates with union deal
SALEM — A looming strike by thousands of workers at Oregon’s seven public universities has been avoided after the workers settled with management early Saturday morning. The two-year contract was settled during talks at the Oregon Institute of Technology campus in Wilsonville. Workers and the…
Salem officials seeking your insights into housing
Salem city hall (Salem Reporter) The federal government wants to know: How do you feel about your access to housing in Salem, and the laws in place to protect that access? A pair of surveys announced by city officials Friday morning ask residents how they…
As crisis looms, Oregon officials propose vaping ban
Oregon State Capitol, governor’s office (Salem Reporter/file) SALEM — The Oregon Health Authority is recommending that Gov. Kate Brown ban for six months the display and sale of all vaping products, both nicotine and cannabis based. The recommendation is one of six related to curtailing…
Wildfire council tells governor: update firefighting tools
The Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response met Thursday for its final meeting. (Sam Stites/ Oregon Capitol Bureau) The Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response said Thursday, Sept. 26, that the state needs to update its firefighting priorities and techniques to deal with future conflagrations. At its…