Preschool students play in a Salem-Keizer classroom (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As Portland resident Jasmine Casanova-Dean spoke to legislators at a hearing about child care last week, her 67-year-old grandmother watched her 2-year-old daughter in another room. Casanova-Dean can only afford professional child care two days a week, so every other[Read More…]
POLITICS
Push to pay overtime to Oregon’s farmworkers up against strong industry opposition
(Yadira Lopez/Malheur Enterprise) A fight is brewing in the Oregon Legislature over a proposal to give farmworkers overtime pay after 40 hours a week. Democratic supporters say the change is long overdue and that extending overtime pay to a group of essential workers who toil long hours, do difficult work[Read More…]
What Salem’s legislators want from the 2022 session
Oregon Capitol Rotunda (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Salem, you may have some new faces representing you in the state legislature this year. With several retirements and resignations over the past year, and the expulsion of Rep. Mike Nearman, Marion and Polk counties have three newly appointed state representatives, including Salem City[Read More…]
PHOTOS: How Oregon representatives decorate their desks
A desk in the Oregon House of Representatives ahead of the 2022 Legislative session (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) A flying pig, a gnome, baby Yoda, and a large bottle of pain medication are among the items found on desks in the Oregon House of Representatives. The sixty representatives all have the exact same[Read More…]
Casey Kulla drops out of governor’s race to run for labor commissioner
Casey Kulla, a Yamhill County farmer, dropped his gubernatorial bid on Wednesday to run for labor commissioner. (Casey Kulla photo) Casey Kulla decided to run for governor of Oregon a year ago, motivated by the Jan. 6 insurrection against the U.S. Capitol. He believed that as a Yamhill County commissioner[Read More…]
Rep. Christine Drazan will resign from Oregon House to run for governor
State Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, speaks during a legislative special session on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Canby Republican Christine Drazan announced Friday that she will resign from the state House, becoming the latest candidate for governor to leave the Legislature to campaign. Drazan’s last day will[Read More…]
Kristof appeals residency decision to Oregon Supreme Court
Nick Kristof (Kristof campaign photo) Gubernatorial hopeful Nick Kristof on Friday asked the Oregon Supreme Court to force Secretary of State Shemia Fagan to return his name to the May ballot, just one day after Fagan’s office announced the former New York Times columnist wasn’t qualified to run. The state[Read More…]
House Speaker Tina Kotek to step down, focus on bid for governor
Sen. Peter Courtney, D-Salem and House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland listen during a joint-committee work session at the Oregon State Capitol on Monday, August 10, 2020. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, announced Thursday that she is stepping down from the Legislature and ending her tenure as[Read More…]
Oregon elections officials: Kristof ineligible to run for governor
Nick Kristof (Kristof campaign photo) Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said Thursday that deciding former New York Times columnist Nick Kristof didn’t qualify to run for governor “wasn’t even a close call.” Fagan’s staff notified Kristof’s campaign on Thursday morning that he didn’t meet a constitutional requirement to be[Read More…]
Commissioners choose St. Paul resident Jessica George to fill House District 25 vacancy
Jessica George (left) and Scott Guptill respond to questions from county commissioners on Friday, Dec. 10 (Joey Cappelletti/Keizertimes) County commissioners from Marion, Yamhill and Washington counties voted Friday afternoon to appoint Jessica George as the next state representative for House District 25. George will replace Bill Post, who resigned in October after seven[Read More…]