Sen. Kim Thatcher and Keizer attorney Richard Walsh are seeking the seat representing north Salem and Keizer.
Tag: STATE GOVERNMENT
Marion and Polk voters will see psilocybin bans on the 2022 ballot
These measures come in response to Oregon’s approval of Measure 109 in 2020, which made it the first state to authorize the use of psilocybin, the psychoactive substance found in magic mushrooms.
Millions earmarked for cooling, heating, clean air yet to benefit Oregonians
A Meals on Wheels volunteers distributed electric fans in Salem ahead of the June 2021 heat wave. State efforts to expand air conditioning following the event are running slowly. (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) The Legislature allocated millions of dollars this February and in 2021 toward protecting thousands of Oregonians from extreme[Read More…]
Oregon’s new Treasury office is ready for the next disaster
When the Beachie Creek wildfire blanketed Salem in ash in the fall of 2020, the state’s financial servers felt the pain. At the Oregon State Treasury – then housed in one of the marble buildings on the Capitol Mall with an aging air filtration system – employees had to wipe[Read More…]
Oregon still collecting more tax revenue than economists anticipated
(Amanda Loman/Oregon Capital Chronicle) Oregon tax collections continue to surge, with Oregonians paying $1.2 billion more in income taxes this spring than last year. The increasing state revenues aren’t due to higher taxes. Instead, according to Oregon’s quarterly economic forecast, many people cashed in assets in late 2021, causing a short-term[Read More…]
Man convicted in 1994 murder of foster teen granted early release to Salem
The Oregon State Penitentiary (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A man convicted of killing a teen in 1995 was released from prison into Salem earlier this month after Gov. Kate Brown granted him clemency April 15. Kyle Hedquist, 45, pleaded guilty when he was 18 to aggravated murder, court records show. He[Read More…]
Years in the making, new trans student policies for Salem schools draw backlash
Three years ago, a transgender high school student approached leaders at the Salem-Keizer School District and told them they needed to do better. Julian, a nonbinary student who is now a senior, said the lack of consistent school or district policies led to teachers incorrectly referring to them as a[Read More…]
Judge bars parole board from reconsidering sentences for youth offenders under governor’s plan
(Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) A Marion County Circuit Court judge Tuesday ordered the state’s parole board not to hold hearings to consider early release of dozens of Oregonians for crimes they committed as minors. The ruling is a setback for a plan Gov. Kate Brown announced in October as part of[Read More…]
Challenges persist for rural Marion, Polk county residents lacking broadband as state plans for federal funds still uncertain
Santiam Canyon (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Thousands of Marion and Polk county residents lacking high-speed internet continue to face barriers to education and their ability to earn a living, and whether a federal bill intended to expand broadband access will help remains unclear. Oregonians will see at least $100 million in[Read More…]
Oregon attorney general leads call to end Trump exemptions for religious schools
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and 18 other state attorney generals are seeking to eliminate Trump-era measures that relaxed anti-discrimination rules for religious schools. Three Oregon students are among the plaintiffs and one private university in Salem is intervening to defend the Trump rules. The attorney generals filed a brief[Read More…]
