The two prime candidates for Oregon governor are releasing multiple television and social media ads in the final days of the campaign. Some make misleading and sometimes inaccurate claims. Gov. Kate Brown, the Democratic incumbent, and state Rep. Knute Buehler, her Republican challenger, are funneling millions into advertising in the[Read More…]
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Labor commissioner files motion asking to hold legislative leadership in contempt of court
SALEM — Outgoing Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian is again taking the Legislature to task over sexual harassment, this time in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Avakian wants a state judge to find legislators and staff in contempt for failing to comply with subpoenas in the administrative case he’s brought against[Read More…]
Spurning big cities, tech workers opting for Salem
Scott Wolf, a process technician, repairs a station at Garmin’s offices near McNary Field. Garmin has added more than 100 workers since 2013, General Manager Steve VanArsdale said. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) The math was easy for Brian Sheridan. In spring 2014 in Alaska, the database engineer knew what was coming:[Read More…]
Measure 104: Will it force bipartisanship or create gridlock?
SALEM — If you drive, hunt, or run a business in Oregon, you pay a fee to the state for that privilege. A measure on the statewide ballot next month could make it harder for the Legislature to increase those fees. Oregon imposes thousands of fees on everything from wastewater[Read More…]
Buehler lands $2 million from Knight, Republican governors group in surge of fund raising.
Nike co-founder Phil Knight and the Republican Governors Association poured another $2 million into the campaign of state Rep. Knute Buehler in the past week for his challenge of Democratic incumbent Gov. Kate Brown. The $1 million check from Knight brings his overall contributions to Buehler $2.5 million, about 26[Read More…]
Bonds and increasing property values raise local property taxes
Average property taxes in Salem and Keizer rose 11 percent this year due to new school and library bonds, and increasing property values across the region. Salem residents who live in Marion County will pay $19.87 per $1,000 of assessed property value this year, up from $18.47 last year. On[Read More…]
Audit finds Oregon pension system vulnerable to attacks, natural disasters
The Oregon State Capitol (Salem Reporter file) SALEM — The state’s public pension agency isn’t prepared for a major disaster like an earthquake or flood, and Oregonians’ personal information could be at risk if the agency doesn’t do more to protect its systems from attacks, state auditors say. More than[Read More…]
National political analyst: Oregon’s governor race a ‘tossup’
Oregon’s close gubernatorial race between Democratic Gov. Kate Brown and GOP candidate Oregon Rep. Knute Buehler has captured the attention of national political pundits. On Tuesday, the race made the front page of the Cook Political Report’s website, with analyst Jennifer E. Duffy upgraded the race to a “tossup” –[Read More…]
After lemonade stand success, Salem elementary student continues push to help homeless
Abel Najera-Banuelos, center, poses with his parents holding a certificate he received from the City of Salem for raising $100 for the city’s homeless rental assistance program. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) As city officials work to house some of its most vulnerable homeless people, they’ve found an unlikely ally: 8-year-old Abel[Read More…]
Analysts say the close Oregon governor’s race to be settled in Washington, Clackamas counties
Rep. Knute Buehler and Gov. Kate Brown face off in the first of three gubernatorial debates in Portland on Oct. 2 (Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune) Gov. Kate Brown and Rep. Knute Buehler have traversed the state in search of swing voters to court. They have debated public pension reform, health care,[Read More…]