Protestors gathered at the Oregon State Capitol and marched to the site of the new Salem Police Department during the third night of demonstrations against police violence on Monday, June 1. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) The Oregon Legislature is moving forward with a package of bills that will limit the use[Read More…]
Tag: STATE GOVERNMENT
Oregon will get a massive infusion of federal cash. Here’s how local lawmakers want it spent
Oregon State Capitol, rotunda (Salem Reporter/file) Salem-area legislators are hoping a one-time influx of federal cash could pay for local water upgrades, veteran housing and a new domestic violence shelter. Last month, legislative leaders found themselves in an unusual position: they had millions in additional funds on the way that[Read More…]
Salem ahead of legislation that would make it easier to site emergency shelters
Tents line the boulevard next to The ARCHES Project in downtown, where homeless residents have congregated in recent weeks. (Troy Brynelson/Salem Reporter) The Oregon House earlier this week passed a bill that’s intended to make it easier for cities to set up shelters for homeless people. But officials with the[Read More…]
Oregon Legislature considers bill creating right to repair electronics
Brant Walsh, the owner of Salem-based repair shop The Mac Guy, opens up an older MacBook Pro to replace its battery. (Jake Thomas/Salem Reporter) Brant Walsh’s business, The Mac Guy, was typically booked a week and a half out for appointments. But with Salem residents increasingly relying on the[Read More…]
Salem professionals support legislation to make telemedicine a more routine part of health care
The Oregon State Capitol. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) Annaliese Ellsworth, a Salem-based therapist, recalled how it used to be like “rolling the dice” whenever a patient requested a video appointment. She followed up these requests with phone calls to insurance companies to see if they’d cover the cost of the visit.[Read More…]
Oregon lawmakers consider bills aimed at helping Marion County rebuild from last year’s wildfires
The Oregon State Fairgrounds in September 2020 as hundreds of families gathered after wildfire evacuations in the Santiam Canyon area. (Rachel Alexander/Salem Reporter) Santiam Canyon residents will have an easier time rebuilding from last fall’s historic wildfires under legislation moving through the Oregon Legislature. On Wednesday the Oregon Senate passed[Read More…]
Oregon Legislature debates extending overtime pay to farmworkers
An irrigation system in an agricultural field off of 76th Avenue Northeast. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Much of the work at Blue Heron Farm happens in bursts. Willy Dinsdale, co-owner of the farm located just outside Salem, described how on days when the spring rains let up, crews will venture into[Read More…]
As camping season approaches, Oregon state parks hope for a return to “normal”
Visitors make s’mores during a July 2019 camping trip at Silver Falls State Park (Courtesy/Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation) The campground at Detroit Lake State Park could reopen this summer following extensive repairs as Oregon’s state parks system hopes to return to a more normal season in 2021. Numbers[Read More…]
Marion DA challenges release of prisoners who fought last year’s wildfires
Smoke creeps over Silverton on Tuesday, Sept. 8. Winds pushed smoke from wildfires in the Cascades into the Willamette Valley, creating a sense closer to dusk that daylight. (Leslie Harvey/Special to Salem Reporter) Prisoners who helped fight last year’s historic wildfires could have up to 12 months of their sentences[Read More…]
With Oregon Capitol closed, lobbyists struggle to lobby without a lobby
A sign informs visitors of the Oregon State Capitol’s closure to the public on Wednesday, Feb. 24. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) An impromptu five-minute conversation can be politically effective in the halls of the Oregon Capitol. Such encounters have long been crucial for the army of Oregon lobbyists hoping to get[Read More…]
