Category Government
Fight to hike Oregon’s tobacco tax resurfaces
Smokers paying higher taxes would help buy health insurance for low-income Oregonians under a plan being advanced by Gov. Kate Brown. Brown is proposing tax increase of $2 a pack of cigarettes, currently taxed at $1.33. Backers say the increase would price thousands out of…
Oregon voters with no political party could finally get role in primary elections
SALEM — The growing bloc of Oregonians who don’t belong to any political party could have more say in elections under a new proposal from Secretary of State Dennis Richardson. Richardson got the idea from a former rival: Alan Zundel, the Pacific Green Party’s candidate…
Salem library used flawed data when preparing for controversial book review
A man at Salem Public Library in December. Officials with the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library System said Monday that the Salem library and many others it works with have been miscounting their print materials. (Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) Data used by Salem Public Library…
Secretary of State Dennis Richardson further reduces workload amid cancer battle
A screenshot from Richardson’s latest health update video, posted to Facebook Dec. 13. Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson announced Monday he is further scaling back his workload to focus on treatment of his brain cancer. Richardson didn’t provide details about his new schedule. “I…
Oregon’s largest prison shifting away from using ‘the hole’
The state’s largest prison began a new policy on segregated housing a year ago and since then inmate-to-inmate assaults are down. (The Enterprise/Pat Caldwell). ONTARIO – A year ago, the cell on the upper tier of Snake River Correctional Institution’s privileged housing unit was stark.…
Transportation agencies still unsure about budget impacts if third bridge denied
The Marion and Center Street bridges pictured Summer 2018. (Salem Reporter files) Area transportation officials remain unsure how their budgets would be impacted if the Salem City Council decides against finishing early work on the Salem River Crossing. After a lengthy work session by councilors…
Long-awaited carbon cap bill is released
SALEM — After nearly a year of work by a legislative committee, a bill released Thursday afternoon outlines how Oregon would drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions and become the second state to implement a cap and trade system. The anticipated legislation – criticized before…
Salem to offer less federal money for social services, housing projects in 2019
Lobby of Salem City Hall (Salem Reporter files) The city of Salem expects to give less federal money this year to support new social services and housing projects. Every year, Salem receives an allotment from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that can…
For a measure of cap and trade success, look to the northeast
SALEM — As Oregon considers limiting carbon emissions to spare the environment, experience in Canada with a similar effort yields clues to what might happen. The province of Quebec’s cap and trade program, started in 2013, has proven a boon to the economy and technological…