Category Government

Buehler, Brown weigh in on Kavanaugh hearing
Gov. Kate Brown and House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson stand in solidarity with victims of sexual assault on the Capitol steps on Monday, Sept. 24. (Salem Reporter/Aubrey Wieber) State Rep. Knute Buehler joined Gov. Kate Brown Thursday in calling for a halt to the U.S. Supreme…

New Oregon report finds narrowed disparity in drug prosecutions
SALEM — A disparity in the rate of drug possession convictions between blacks and whites in the state has declined dramatically as a result of an anti-racial profiling law that took effect over a year ago, according to a report by the Oregon Criminal Justice…

Oregon prepares to take another run at cap and trade
The Oregon State Capitol building (Salem Reporter file photo) In what was a contentious hearing by Oregon standards, state lawmakers grilled a right-wing think tank statistician who testified that the climate changed the day the earth was “born” and media and government are generating hysterics…

Poll shows Oregon governor’s race essentially tied
Republican Knute Buehler, running for Oregon governor. (FILE Portland Tribune/Jaime Valdez) The governor’s race between Democratic incumbent Kate Brown and GOP candidate Rep. Knute Buehler remains hair-raisingly close, according to a new poll by Clout Research. The phone poll of 679 likely voters between Sept.…

Opponents claim grocer employees illegally pressing ballot measure support
Fred Meyer store in Astoria (File/Daily Astorian) SALEM — Opponents of a ballot measure to ban taxes on groceries contend that some grocers have illegally used their employees to distribute political material supporting the ban. The “Vote No on 103” campaign claims in a letter…

Governor, lawmakers stage walkout at Capitol steps, supporting Kavanaugh accusers
Gov. Kate Brown and House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson stand in solidarity with victims of sexual assault on the Capitol steps on Monday, Sept. 24. (Salem Reporter/Aubrey Wieber) Gov. Kate Brown and House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson took to the Capitol steps Monday morning to…

Department of Corrections partners with local Bible college to offer inmates a four-year degree
Former Judge Tom Kohl talking with a prisoner at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in 2014. (Photo courtesy of Tom Kohl) As Tom Kohl was leaving, the prison warden called him back to sit and pray. “Dear lord, don’t let these men rest until there is…

Secretary of State uses Facebook to target inactive voters
Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson is leaning on technology to reach the 447,000 Oregonians with inactive voter registration. Richardson’s office gave the state’s list of inactive voters to Facebook, which cross-referenced the names with its social media profiles. On Tuesday, a video from Richardson…

DHS seeks more than 1,000 new employees to support child welfare in proposed budget
Oregon’s largest state agency is asking for more than $1 billion to add 1,664 new employees. But the proposed salaries won’t fill Oregon Department of Human Services’ cubicles with high-paid lawyers or bolster a public relations team. It will go toward protecting the most vulnerable…
