Category OREGON NEWS
Bentz presses agencies to act on wildfire commission – after voting against legislation
Charred chairs are about all that is standing after a building in Santiam Canyon was destroyed by wildfire in September 2020. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, joined in a recent call for federal agencies to activate a Congressionally mandated committee to address…
No suspension of state gas taxes for now in Oregon
A gas station in Portland, where a gallon of regular inched towards $5. In several states, legislators are trying to suspend gas taxes to lower prices. (Alex Baumhardt/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon won’t join other states in considering a pause to state gas taxes, for now,…
Bentz compares Ukraine war to Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962
U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon, spoke at the Ontario Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday, March 14. (The Enterprise/PAT CALDWELL) ONTARIO – The Russian invasion of the Ukraine is an emergency on par with the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Oregon,…
State agencies in Oregon begin to grapple with hidden costs of high fuel prices
State agencies are planning for unexpectedly high fuel prices. Asphalt costs are expected to climb. (Oregon Department of Transportation) Gasoline is both the hand that gives and the hand that takes at the Oregon Department of Transportation. For its funding, the agency relies on taxes…
Pandemic reaches ‘watershed’ moment, with end of mask mandate
While the mask mandate is lifted in Oregon, testing for Covid will continue.(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon is shifting its strategy to deal with the coronavirus, with the lifting of most mask mandates. At midnight on Friday, masks will no longer be required in schools and…
Oregon primary elections for governor, Congress, other races are set
Candidates watch on the Oregon House floor as Secretary of State Shemia Fagan prepares to announce the end of filing for the 2022 primary election on Tuesday, March 8. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle) As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, 390 candidates filed to get on primary…
Largest solar energy facility in Oregon gets final approval after legal battles
Plans for a massive solar installation in Oregon’s desert has cleared another hurdle. The $500 million project would be built near Christmas Valley. The largest solar energy facility planned in Oregon got its final greenlight for construction last week. The approval follows years of legal…
Oregon Legislature ends 2022 session with big spending, policy changes, little political rancor
SALEM – With a final flurry of votes and speeches, Oregon legislators ended their 2022 session just before noon on Friday. Depending on whether Gov. Kate Brown signs all of the bills sent her way — she told reporters Friday she’s reviewing everything carefully but…
STATUS CHECK: Where key legislative bills are on week 4
Legislators are pushing what bills remain as they head into the last week of the 2022 regular session. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The five-week session of the Oregon Legislature kicked off with lawmakers filing more than 200 bills. Those have been whittled down by House…