Category State
Legislator blasts Avakian for including unsubstantiated rumor in salacious report
Rep. Diego Hernandez, D-East Portland, sits at his desk on the floor of the Oregon House of Representatives Feb. 5, 2018. (Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune) When state Rep. Diego Hernandez heard a rumor in May 2017 accusing him of keeping a list ranking women lobbyists at…
Oregon Youth Authority tries to find the balance between safety and child welfare as it transitions from isolation
John, a youth mentor at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility, helps 18-year-old Zack understand the various personalities of staff at the facility. John regularly works in the STEPS program, an alternative to isolation, which Zack uses several times each week. (Courtesy of Oregon Youth Authority) WOODBURN…
Speaker Kotek vows to act following report detailing poor response to sexual abuse, but says report was rushed
In compiling a damning report airing the Oregon Capitol’s dirty laundry, investigators failed to do their due-diligence and interview key witnesses, House Speaker Tina Kotek said Friday. The report detailed years of sexual harassment and claimed leadership failed repeatedly in addressing it. Bureau of Labor…
State investigation determines legislative leadership ignored sexual harassment claims
SALEM — A five-month state investigation found that Democratic leaders in the Oregon Legislature knew legislative employees in the Capitol worked in a “hostile” environment amid pervasive sexual harassment but did little about it. A 52-page report released Thursday by the state Bureau of Labor…
Officials say Oregon insulated from federal shutdown for now
The Oregon State Capitol in Salem. Federal dollars that flow to state agencies are frozen in the midst of a federal government shutdown. State officials say they are not yet impacted. (Salem Reporter files) Oregon is not yet expected to feel the impacts of a…
He once wrote the laws. Now, he helps decide their meaning
The Oregon Court of Appeals judge who authored the opinion upholding the state law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation has been appointed to the Oregon Supreme Court. Chris Garrett, a former Lake Oswego lawmaker, was appointed Christmas Eve by Gov. Kate Brown to succeed…
How much wiggle room will polluters get if Oregon taxes carbon emissions?
A graph from a presentation Gov. Kate Brown’s staff made to the legislative committee overseeing cap and trade shows how the policy is projected to impact pollution levels. In two generations, Oregonians might drive along freeways and not see a single industrial smokestack. They might…
Legislators push to get guns locked up but some worry safety would be compromised
A few days after Liam Mankins was born in September 2016, his father posted a photo on Facebook of his son wearing oversized sunglasses. “Future’s so bright gotta wear sunglasses,” a friend commented. “Yes, yes, it is,” Liam’s father replied. “He’s going to … make…
As wildfires get larger and more expensive, Gov. Brown looks to a new advisory council
A plane drops retardant over the Canyon Fire in 2015. (Oregon Department of Forestry Flickr) SALEM — Oregonians saw $62 million in private grazing and timberland go up in flames this fire season. Such seasons continue to grow worse, longer and more expensive in the…