Colette Peters (center), director of the Oregon Department of Corrections director, talks with workers in the Norway prison system during a 2017 research trip to transform Oregon prisons. (Oregon Department of Corrections) Colette Peters, director of Oregon’s prison system, was appointed Tuesday by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to lead[Read More…]
Tag: OREGON GOVERNMENT
Thousands of low-income residents seeking state aid wait longer than they should
State programs to help people buying food are lagging in processing applications (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) A state online enrollment system that was launched a year ago continues to make thousands of people wait longer than they should for state help buying food, caring for children and paying for medical care.[Read More…]
Audit: Mortgage tax break costs Oregon $500 million annually, mostly helps wealthy white homeowners
Secretary of State Shemia Fagan on Tuesday, March 8. (Ron Cooper/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon government loses more than $500 million each year to a housing tax break that mostly helps wealthy white homeowners in urban areas, state auditors said Wednesday. The mortgage interest deduction is the state’s largest housing subsidy,[Read More…]
Oregon Capitol beefs up security, expects to spend $500K on security guards
The dome of the Oregon State Capitol on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. (Amanda Loman/Oregon Capital Chronicle) The Oregon Legislature is stepping up security at the Capitol, to the tune of more than half a million dollars per year. Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and House Speaker Tina Kotek, a Portland[Read More…]
Uncategorized With thin staff and others working double shifts, state hospital calls for National Guard help
The Oregon State Hospital this week took the unprecedented step of calling for the National Guard to help care for hundreds of Oregon’s most severely mentally ill people. It’s the final step in a five-stage plan the hospital created to deal with a worsening staffing crisis that has deepened in[Read More…]
Oregon sees cyber ID theft rise along with unemployment claims
Oregon Employment Department. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The Oregon Employment Department experienced a tenfold increase in identity theft issues in 2020 as new jobless claims poured in during the pandemic, mirroring a spike in claims that took place across the country. Cyberthieves capitalized on the huge volume of unemployment claims filed[Read More…]
Clarno tries again to retire after stint as Oregon secretary of state
Bev Clarno retired in January 2021 after serving as Oregon secretary of state. She is the last Republican to hold statewide office. (Oregon Secretary of State’s Office photo) SALEM – Bev Clarno, the last Republican to hold statewide office in Oregon as the new year dawned, said the imbalance in[Read More…]
AROUND OREGON: Small businesses vow lawsuit unless Oregon compensates pandemic losses
The Wilsonville Family Fun Center is one of 32 businesses who have decided to take part in a possible class-action lawsuit stemming from revenue lost due to the governor’s executive order to shut down some businesses during the COVID pandemic. (Portland Tribune photo) PORTLAND – A Portland lawyer has put[Read More…]
Uncategorized Legislature throws another lifeline to those struggling to pay rent
The sign at The ARCHES Project. (Anthony McGuire/Special to Salem Reporter) Renters and homeowners impacted by job loss or illness during the coronavirus pandemic will soon get another infusion of cash to help pay for living expenses. On Friday, state lawmakers approved an additional $75 million for rental assistance across[Read More…]
Uncategorized Legislative emergency board allocates $24.2 million in emergency spending for coronavirus, flood relief
Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, (left) asks his colleagues whether $5 million is truly enough to fund the state’s response to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. (Sam Stites/Oregon Capital Bureau) SALEM – The legislative Emergency Board Monday approved emergency allocations, including $11.5 million for flood relief in the Pendleton area, $5[Read More…]
