Category State
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…
Lack of oversight has led to legal marijuana seeping into the black market, audit finds
SALEM — Oregon’s system for regulating legal cannabis likely fails to prevent spillover to the black market, state auditors said Wednesday. That increases the risk that the state could be subject to more federal scrutiny, said Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, whose audits division released…
Oregon lawmaker pushes stronger job protections for pregnant and nursing workers
Rep. Karin Power (Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune) By Claire Withycombe – Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Most people who testify at the Capitol bring slide presentations, graphs or official letterhead to make their point. State Rep. Karin Power, D-Milwaukie, brought a breast pump as she talked…
Republicans say consideration from Democrats has eroded in first week of legislature over carbon reduction
(Photo by Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) SALEM – Just a week into the 2019 Legislature, unrest between Democratic and Republican legislators has surfaced over landmark legislation to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. Legislators have been anticipating the environmental push as a major issue in…
Legislature looks to bolster education funding – with strings attached
Sen. Lew Frederick talks with Portland students during a tour of the state by the Joint Committee on School Success. (Pamplin file) A small group of legislators spent a year compiling their wish list of improvements to Oregon’s failing education system. Now they have five…
Repaving to slow I-5 traffic from Salem to Woodburn in summer months
The Oregon Department of Transportation will use new pilot programs to increase worker safety during its summer repaving project on Interstate 5. (Oregon Department of Transportation Flickr) The Oregon Department of Transportation has received more money to repave a 12.5-mile stretch of Interstate 5 between…
Business group analysis finds Oregon state employees contribute less to health care than in neighboring states
(Photo by Caleb Wolf/Special to Salem Reporter) SALEM — Oregon’s public employees typically pay less for health insurance than their peers in neighboring states, a new study finds. The study by the actuarial firm Milliman was commissioned by The Oregon Business Council, an association of…
State transportation director Garrett to retire after 13 years
Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett speaks at a distracted driving awareness event in 2017. (ODOT Flickr) SALEM —Matt Garrett, the longtime director of the state Transportation Department, announced Friday that he intends to retire by June. 30. During his 13-year tenure, Garrett oversaw…
Outreach and organization can help regular citizens have a voice in the Capitol
SALEM — When Oregon legislators convene on Tuesday, they could raise or lower your taxes, cut or boost government services and decide how much your landlord can hike the rent. Interest groups, from the pharmaceutical industry to labor unions, spend millions of dollars lobbying legislators…