Category Government
For Oregon, it’s the last straw – plastic, that is
SALEM — When you get takeout food from your favorite restaurant, you might be handed a thin plastic bag, with foam containers inside containing your meal, plus a plastic straw or two if you ordered a drink. Those straws? Gone. The bag? History. The foam…
Thousands of Oregonians soon to be eligible to clear old marijuana convictions
The Oregon Legislature on Tuesday saw both chambers work to destigmatize marijuana. Once criminal, the substance is becoming part of the state’s identity — and a cash crop. The Senate gave the nod to a proposal that would help tens of thousands of Oregonians with…
Salem commuters expected to stick with cars, skipping bikes and their own feet
Hersch Sangster teaches a bike safety class at Harritt Elementary School last Friday. A former state worker who bike commuted to work for three decades, he said he wasn’t surprised by a study saying the city won’t add more cyclists in the next 15 years.…
Late amendments being discussed on cap and trade, as the massive proposal hits turbulence
Rep. Karin Power, Milwaukie, and Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, talk during a rally supporting cap and trade. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) SALEM — For months, lawmakers pushing a major environmental plan that would put a price on carbon emissions, spent a remarkable amount of time crafting policy…
Lawmakers reconsidering suspending licenses for drivers with unpaid tickets
SALEM — Oregon lawmakers are considering putting a stop to license suspensions for drivers who don’t pay fines for certain traffic tickets. Every year, thousands of Oregon drivers get tickets for non-criminal traffic offenses. Suspending licenses for unpaid fines unfairly punishes poor people who can’t…
DOME DIGEST: Straw ban, revenge porn and DNA testing
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 next to Gov. Kate Brown for her signature. TOW TIME: Senate Bill 396…
Democrats face angry union members after tough vote to cut pensions
SALEM — Last week, 31 Democrats voted to cut into benefits promised to public employees in what was likely their toughest vote of the 2019 legislative session, if not their career. It prompted 17 to file public explanations for why they voted. In a political…
Salem, you’re close to leaving your clocks alone
SALEM — A proposal to put Oregon on year-round Daylight Saving Time passed the House Thursday, and now the only hurdles to the change are outside the state. Senate Bill 320, which passed 37-20, now goes to Gov. Kate Brown. But the shift away from…
Marion County’s chief administrator resigns
Marion County’s top employee is retiring after more than a decade on the job to spend more time with his family, he said. Chief Administrative Officer John Lattimer has led the county’s 15 departments and approximately 1,700 total employees for the past 16 years. He…