Category State
Auditors hope opioid findings will light fire under Oregon legislators
SALEM — Oregon is collecting valuable information about opioid prescribers and their patients but state law hamstrings using the system to confront drug abuse, state auditors said Tuesday. Oregon, like all other states, collects information on prescriptions for controlled substances like Oxycodone and Percocet. But…
Oregon labor commissioner rushes employers to digest new pay rules
Workers across Oregon could receive pay raises under the state’s unique pay equity law that goes into force Jan. 1, but state officials have been late directing employers how to obey. Oregon lawmakers in May 2017 passed one of the most comprehensive pay equity laws…
Audit finds Oregon keeps vital opioid information under wraps
SALEM — Oregon is collecting valuable information about opioid prescribers and their patients but state law hamstrings using the system to confront drug abuse, state auditors said Tuesday. Oregon, like all other states, collects information on prescriptions for controlled substances like Oxycodone and Percocet. But…
Rural interests get funding in proposed Oregon budget
SALEM — On the campaign trail, Gov. Kate Brown was eager to tell voters she would represent all regions of the state. “I’m the only candidate in this race with a track record of bringing Republicans and Democrats together, urban and rural Oregonians together, to…
State police poised for more troopers, filling gaps around Oregon
Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton flips through charts and graphs showing the impacts of OSP’s short staffing. In 2017, the agency was unable to respond to 11,880 calls for service due to staffing levels. (Aubrey Wieber/Salem Reporter) For 26 years, Travis Hampton worked out…
Oregon may reach deeper into wallets to fund government expansion
SALEM — Thousands of Oregonians could see more money taken out of their paychecks and companies would be writing bigger checks to fund Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget and revamp the state’s education system. Brown needs to find $2.6 billion more than is already being…
State public records advocate finds a litany of flaws in Oregon’s public records laws
Governments in Oregon unreasonably delay handing over public documents or charge too much for that access, and put records of elected officials sometimes nearly beyond reach of citizens, according to a new state report. Those are the findings of Ginger McCall, Oregon’s public records advocate…
Gov. Brown looks to financially back Oregon’s fight against Trump
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum SALEM – Oregon’s government has been at legal war with President Donald Trump and his administration for two years. This week, it moved to arm itself for more fights. Gov. Kate Brown carved out $2 million in her proposed 2019-21…
Oregon leaders react to Gov. Brown’s ambitious budget
Reaction was swift Wednesday to Gov. Kate Brown’s ambitious and expensive proposal for state operations in the next budget cycle. Key leaders such as Senate President Peter Courtney and House Speaker Tina Kotek couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. Here is a sampling of…