State Library eClips
* Kate Brown, Senate work to pressure House on road-funding deal
* Environmental groups blast deal to repeal clean fuels program
* By the numbers: Past week’s Oregon wildfire activity considered moderate
* Who’s in the Oregon Legislature’s ‘Gang of Eight’?
* Effort to limit chemicals in kids’ products finds better luck in Oregon Legislature
* New drug report: Meth still Oregon’s No. 1 problem, run mostly by Mexican drug traffickers
* A better way to control campaign spending — Guest Opinion
* Housing supply and affordability are connected — Guest Opinion
* Time to throw out the high school classroom — Guest Opinion
* Oregon can be a national model for cannabis regulation — Guest Opinion
* Intel layoffs shouldn’t slow Oregon economy — Opinion
* Higher minimum wage won’t help if cost of living increases — Opinion
* State historic-renovation subsidy makes sense — Guest Opinion
* State seeks input on Elliott State Forest at series of upcoming meetings
* Oregon’s job-training programs get $6.8 million federal boost
* Damascus disincorporation, de-annexation bills pass Senate
* State, federal and private but not local funding preserves Oregon’s largest affordable senior housing project
* Driver who plunged 50 feet off I-84 sues state for $7.25 million, charges bad freeway design
* House Democrats tell Kate Brown they won’t repeal clean fuels bill
* Oregon State Bar finds no wrongdoing in how UO lawyers handled student’s records
* Fish and Wildlife compensation bill clears house
* Early June heat wave to reduce Oregon wheat yields
* $700M plan to help salmon habitat faces new challenge
* Over half of Oregon’s counties now in drought
* Sheridan man fined for dumping waste, endangering drinking water
* Oregon individual health insurance rates will go up in 2016
* Drought already is upon Lane and Linn counties
* Lane County seeks more time to review BLM forest management options
* Farming water demands studied
* An ambitious pot law overhaul — Opinion
* Standardized testing isnt supported by research — Guest Opinion
* Participation in student testing essential in measuring achievement — Guest Opinion
* BLM plan slights counties — Opinion
* Bill provides a path to restore, revitalize historic downtowns — Guest Opinion
* Eugene-based HIV Alliance creating system to reach remote, rural HIV patients
* Crossing borders: African delegation visits MacLaren
* Legislators keep punching Amtrak’s ticket — for now
* Jeff Merkley and Maria Cantwell visit Bob’s Red Mill to promote export agency
* Northwest wheat growers eye early harvest
* Farmers in the Northwest need access to affordable crop insurance — Opinion
* Seasonal firefighters train for busy season
* State struggles to replicate Eastern Promise
* Rural Oregon an afterthought in Salem — Opinion
* Saying no to marijuana, yes to leeching off taxpayers — Opinion
* Buckskin fire up to 3,552 acres
* Take it easy on marijuana restrictions — Opinion
* Minimum wage compromise a good start — Opinion
* Mercy Flights wants air ambulance protocol rule eliminated
* Troops expected home from Afghanistan
* Merkley fits increased fire funding into U.S. Senate bill
* $700M plan to help restore habitat faces new challenge
* Oregon needs prompt campaign finance disclosure — Opinion
* State board suspends Tumalo Pharmacys license
* Ethics bills are a good start — Opinion
* High schools arent doing enough for students — Opinion
* Worker training and education should be the priority — Opinion
* OReGO attempts to answer long-term infrastructure woe questions
* DHS amends Baycrest Memory Care license conditions
* Has collapse of Port of Portland container terminal created traffic issues?
* Apartment Mania
* Oregon inches toward nonprescription birth control
* The Honeymoon’s Over: Environmental Groups Slam Gov. Kate Brown For Bargaining Away Their Legislative Victory — Blog
* Secret talks to repeal low carbon fuel law
* Hazelnut boom underway in Oregon
* Pros, cons of earlier Oregon retail pot sales
* Recreational marijuana legal soon — but not for sale yet
* Young bear found begging for food headed for ZooAmerica
* Fireworks to go on sale Tuesday; caution urged
* Oregon Is Latest State to Tackle Retirement Savings Crisis — Blog
* Senate Gives Unanimous Approval to Nurse Staffing Law Changes
* Insurance Rate Increases Could Disrupt Marketplace
* Children’s Toxic-Free Bill Headed Toward Senate Vote
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KATE BROWN, SENATE WORK TO PRESSURE HOUSE ON ROAD-FUNDING DEAL (Portland Oregonian)
Days after bipartisan talks stalled on a $200 million transportation package, Gov. Kate Brown’s office and Senate leaders have taken over the high-wire negotiations, hoping to pressure House Democrats into an eleventh-hour deal.
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS BLAST DEAL TO REPEAL CLEAN FUELS PROGRAM (Portland Oregonian)
Three of the state’s largest environmental groups are urging lawmakers to torpedo a transportation funding deal that includes a repeal of Oregon’s clean fuels program.
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BY THE NUMBERS: PAST WEEK’S OREGON WILDFIRE ACTIVITY CONSIDERED MODERATE (Portland Oregonian)
State and federal wildfire officials say the first week of fire season saw only moderate wildfires break out across Oregon, despite extremely dry conditions.
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WHO’S IN THE OREGON LEGISLATURE’S ‘GANG OF EIGHT’? (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown dubbed the lawmakers who held secret meetings to craft a transportation funding deal the “Gang of Eight.”
The four Democrats and four Republicans, evenly split between the House and Senate, met with state agency officials, legislative leaders’ chiefs of staff, and advisers to the Democratic governor.
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EFFORT TO LIMIT CHEMICALS IN KIDS’ PRODUCTS FINDS BETTER LUCK IN OREGON LEGISLATURE (Portland Oregonian)
Some Oregon legislators and lobbyists hope the third time’s the charm for a bill aimed at keeping potentially dangerous chemicals out of children’s products.
Senate Bill 478, which originates from failed 2013 legislation, would require manufacturers and importers of children’s products to report any that contain “high priority chemicals of concern,” such as formaldehyde, arsenic and mercury.
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NEW DRUG REPORT: METH STILL OREGON’S NO. 1 PROBLEM, RUN MOSTLY BY MEXICAN DRUG TRAFFICKERS (Portland Oregonian)
Methamphetamine use and trafficking is up in Oregon, but authorities are developing strategies to break up the distribution chain, according to a new state report.
“Methamphetamine use and trafficking has increased … and reflects the area’s greatest drug threat, followed by heroin, marijuana, controlled prescription drugs, cocaine and designer drugs,” the report says.
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A BETTER WAY TO CONTROL CAMPAIGN SPENDING — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Over 20 years ago, I began my long relationship with campaign finance reform in Oregon by leading the coalition that passed the last successful effort. This experience, which included organizations like League of Women Voters, Common Cause, and the Oregon State Public Interest Research Group OSPIRG, should be a cautionary tale for campaign finance reform efforts in the Legislature today.
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HOUSING SUPPLY AND AFFORDABILITY ARE CONNECTED — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Housing affordability is increasingly a problem in the Portland metropolitan area. Lack of inventory for both owner-occupied and rental housing, along with renewed household formation, continue to push up prices and rents.
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TIME TO THROW OUT THE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Recently we participated in a discussion at St. Mary’s Academy the Catholic, all-women’s college prep school in Portland about the future of high school education.
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OREGON CAN BE A NATIONAL MODEL FOR CANNABIS REGULATION — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
I commend The Oregonian/OregonLive and reporter Noelle Crombie for the series “A Tainted High,” which found that multiple samples of medical marijuana purchased in Oregon, intended for patients who are often immunocompromised, tested positive for harmful pesticides.
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INTEL LAYOFFS SHOULDN’T SLOW OREGON ECONOMY — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Layoff announcements at Intel tend to attract a lot of attention in Oregon, and rightly so. Intel is the state’s largest private employer and the anchor of the high-tech industry that drives the Portland-area economy. Plus, Intel has benefited from property tax waivers, which raises taxpayers’ expectations of the company.
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HIGHER MINIMUM WAGE WON’T HELP IF COST OF LIVING INCREASES — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
The push for a higher minimum wage enjoyed a high profile for the past two years, fueled by marches, rallies, presidential support and success in some cities and states. But whatever level you think is right for the minimum wage, it addresses only half of the equation that makes many families struggle to pay for the essentials of life.
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STATE HISTORIC-RENOVATION SUBSIDY MAKES SENSE — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
The Oregonian’s dismissal of the Revitalize Main Street Act SB565 reflects a short-sighted view of the state’s role in the economic health and physical safety of communities both urban and rural, stating that any investment in the restoration of historic infrastructure robs money for schools.
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STATE SEEKS INPUT ON ELLIOTT STATE FOREST AT SERIES OF UPCOMING MEETINGS (Portland Oregonian)
After a State Land Board meeting last week to discuss ways to stop the Elliott State Forest money suck yielded no final solutions, the Department of State Lands is turning to outside parties for ideas.
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OREGON’S JOB-TRAINING PROGRAMS GET $6.8 MILLION FEDERAL BOOST (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon has snagged nearly $6.8 million in federal funds to expand job-training programs for unemployed workers with a goal of connecting them to jobs in health care, manufacturing and high tech.
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DAMASCUS DISINCORPORATION, DE-ANNEXATION BILLS PASS SENATE (Portland Oregonian)
The trio of house bills aiming to see the city of Damascus disincorporated by the end of 2016, and make it easier for residents to individually de-annex in the meantime, passed the Senate Wednesday.
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STATE, FEDERAL AND PRIVATE BUT NOT LOCAL FUNDING PRESERVES OREGON’S LARGEST AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT (Portland Oregonian)
A combination of federal, state and private funds will preserve Oregon’s largest affordable housing project for low-income seniors.
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DRIVER WHO PLUNGED 50 FEET OFF I-84 SUES STATE FOR $7.25 MILLION, CHARGES BAD FREEWAY DESIGN (Portland Oregonian)
An 18-wheel commercial truck driver who plummeted 50 feet off an Interstate 84 exit ramp — and dangled upside down in his wrecked truck for an hour before he was rescued — has filed a $7.25 million lawsuit against the Oregon Department of Transportation.
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HOUSE DEMOCRATS TELL KATE BROWN THEY WON’T REPEAL CLEAN FUELS BILL (Portland Oregonian)
Democrats in the Oregon House are threatening to torpedo a deal over transportation funding this session if it includes a repeal of Oregon’s newly enshrined clean fuels program.
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OREGON STATE BAR FINDS NO WRONGDOING IN HOW UO LAWYERS HANDLED STUDENT’S RECORDS (Portland Oregonian)
An Oregon State Bar division has cleared two University of Oregon lawyers of professional-misconduct allegations in the handling of a student’s mental health records.
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FISH AND WILDLIFE COMPENSATION BILL CLEARS HOUSE (Salem Statesman Journal)
The bill House Bill 3315 B has cleared another hurdle in the Oregon Legislature with the House voting 50-8 on Wednesday to approve the amended legislation.
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EARLY JUNE HEAT WAVE TO REDUCE OREGON WHEAT YIELDS (Salem Statesman Journal)
Wheat yields are projected to take such a hit this summer that some Eastern Oregon growers may not even harvest their crop, a senior grain merchandiser said.
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$700M PLAN TO HELP SALMON HABITAT FACES NEW CHALLENGE (Salem Statesman Journal)
A massive federal habitat restoration effort in the Columbia River Basin has spent more than $700 million on breaching levies, restoring tidal channels, reconnecting floodplains and other actions meant to boost salmon and steelhead populations imperiled by hydroelectric dams.
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OVER HALF OF OREGON’S COUNTIES NOW IN DROUGHT (Salem Statesman Journal)
Gov. Kate Brown has declared drought emergencies in four more Oregon counties, bringing the total to 19.
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SHERIDAN MAN FINED FOR DUMPING WASTE, ENDANGERING DRINKING WATER (Salem Statesman Journal)
Oregon environmental regulators have fined a Sheridan man $9,600 for twice dumping waste into the municipal storm sewer system, where it could eventually enter the South Yamhill River and contaminate the city’s drinking water.
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OREGON INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE RATES WILL GO UP IN 2016 (Salem Statesman Journal)
Health insurance premiums are poised to go up for 220,000 Oregonians who buy their own coverage, according to the state’s proposed rates unveiled Thursday.
In some cases, insurance companies proposed rates that were similar to or better than the current rates, but they were told by the state that they must be raised.
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DROUGHT ALREADY IS UPON LANE AND LINN COUNTIES (Eugene Register-Guard)
For months, officials warned a water shortage was likely after states has lowest recorded snowpack in 35 years.
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LANE COUNTY SEEKS MORE TIME TO REVIEW BLM FOREST MANAGEMENT OPTIONS (Eugene Register-Guard)
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management wants to change the logging and forest conservation policies that have guided it for two decades, hoping to increase protections for threatened species while also trying to boost timber harvests.
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FARMING WATER DEMANDS STUDIED (Eugene Register-Guard)
-State officials want to find out how much irrigators need from the Willamette River-
With drought and changing precipitation patterns on the minds of farmers and ranchers, an ongoing study of the Willamette River Basins dams and reservoirs is taking on a new urgency.
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AN AMBITIOUS POT LAW OVERHAUL — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Legislative panel makes big changes in voter-approved measure, and thats OK-
Nine days from now, marijuana possession will be legal in Oregon. Voters primary objective in approving Measure 91 last November ending pot prohibition will be achieved.
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STANDARDIZED TESTING ISNT SUPPORTED BY RESEARCH — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Advocates for the Common Core and the Smarter Balanced educational initiatives are right to be concerned that the parent opt-out movement could influence the policies chances for success.
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PARTICIPATION IN STUDENT TESTING ESSENTIAL IN MEASURING ACHIEVEMENT — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
We are Eugene parents whose children participated in the Smarter Balanced Assessments, the annual tests that replaced the old Oregon Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test this year.
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BLM PLAN SLIGHTS COUNTIES — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Alternatives for O&C forest lands too narrow-
The O&C Act of 1937 is still on the books, but youd never know it from a review of the Bureau of Land Managements draft plan for managing forests in Western Oregon including more than 2 million acres of land that once belonged to the Oregon & California Railroad.
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BILL PROVIDES A PATH TO RESTORE, REVITALIZE HISTORIC DOWNTOWNS — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
As the legislative session enters its final weeks, we urge our senators and representatives to make a modest investment in the long-term economic health and physical safety of communities, both urban and rural, by passing the Revitalize Main Street Act, Senate Bill 565.
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EUGENE-BASED HIV ALLIANCE CREATING SYSTEM TO REACH REMOTE, RURAL HIV PATIENTS (Eugene Register-Guard)
The Eugene-based HIV Alliance is using a state grant to establish an innovative telehealth care giving system for HIV-positive patients in remote rural areas of Oregon.
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CROSSING BORDERS: AFRICAN DELEGATION VISITS MACLAREN (Portland Tribune)
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn regularly hosts visitors and even tours of its campus and its nationally recognized programs, like Project POOCH.
However, its not often that a group travels 10,000 miles for its tour.
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LEGISLATORS KEEP PUNCHING AMTRAK’S TICKET — FOR NOW (Portland Tribune)
-Without schedule changes, state subsidies could get a rough ride-
Oregon will continue to foot an increased bill for state-subsidized passenger rail service between Portland and Eugene.
But the reprieve for Amtrak, which operates the service that extends to Seattle and beyond, may last just two more years.
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JEFF MERKLEY AND MARIA CANTWELL VISIT BOB’S RED MILL TO PROMOTE EXPORT AGENCY (Portland Tribune)
U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley D-Oregon and Maria Cantwell D-Washington toured Bobs Red Mill in Milwaukie on Friday to call on Congress to reauthorize the Export-Import Bank before it expires at the end of the month.
Bobs Red Mill has been able to expand into new markets and grow their company with the support of Export-Import Bank investments.
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NORTHWEST WHEAT GROWERS EYE EARLY HARVEST (Capital Press)
-Pacific Northwest wheat farmers are eyeing an early harvest due to dry conditions.-
Lonnie Green could be harvesting his wheat two weeks early this year.
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FARMERS IN THE NORTHWEST NEED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE CROP INSURANCE — OPINION (Capital Press)
-From here forward, farmers who want risk protection will receive a bill, not a check, when they sign on the dotted line every year.-
When the 2014 Farm Bill became law, it marked a pivotal moment in the history of U.S. farm policy. The new Farm Bill eliminated direct payments and reduced some of the price support policies of the past in favor of expanding crop insurance,which allows farmers to purchase varying levels of protection for their crops.
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SEASONAL FIREFIGHTERS TRAIN FOR BUSY SEASON (East Oregonian)
-Seasonal firefighters trained on a live blaze Friday during the last day of interagency fire school in the Blue Mountains.-
A cloud of white smoke rose from the woods Friday morning in the Blue Mountains between Pendleton and La Grande. In response, seasonal firefighters quickly moved to a nearby hillside along Summit Road.
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STATE STRUGGLES TO REPLICATE EASTERN PROMISE (East Oregonian)
The state has spent nearly $2 million to replicate Eastern Promise, a collaboration between Eastern Oregon K-12 schools and higher education to get more students to college or into career training.
The idea is to bring together universities, colleges and K-12 schools to do three things, according to Hilda Rosselli of the Oregon Education Investment Board: To increase access for students to college credits, and to help create college-going cultures, and to align curriculum between high schools and colleges.
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RURAL OREGON AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN SALEM — OPINION (East Oregonian)
Umatilla County Elections Supervisor Kim Lindell and County Clerk Dan Lonai collectively worry about the countys low voter turnout 33 percent of registered voters in the May election.
In the last general election, 61 percent of the countys registered voters cast their ballots. Governor Kate Brown, who as secretary of state championed the motor/voter bill that automatically adds to the rolls many of those who have not previously registered, believes adding yet more voters will enhance participation.
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SAYING NO TO MARIJUANA, YES TO LEECHING OFF TAXPAYERS — OPINION (East Oregonian)
Back in November, citizens of Umatilla and Morrow counties voted resoundingly against Measure 91, which legalized recreational marijuana in Oregon. In Umatilla County, 12,122 people opposed the measure while just 7,181 were in favor.
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BUCKSKIN FIRE UP TO 3,552 ACRES (Medford Mail Tribune)
The Buckskin fire burning 10 miles southwest of Cave Junction grew to about 3,552 acres overnight, but most of that growth came from burnout operations initiated by fire personnel in an attempt to secure containment lines around the fire.
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TAKE IT EASY ON MARIJUANA RESTRICTIONS — OPINION (Medford Mail Tribune)
Not sure what to expect when recreational marijuana becomes legal July 1? You’re not alone. A four-day series of stories starting in today’s paper is an attempt to clear some of the haze from the subject. We would add this piece of advice to those who are apprehensive: Relax.
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MINIMUM WAGE COMPROMISE A GOOD START — OPINION (Medford Mail Tribune)
Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek’s minimum wage proposal attempts to strike a balance on the issue by raising the minimum by less than advocates want but lifting a state ban on cities setting their own higher minimums. She’s on the right track, although the issue is unlikely to gain much traction this late in the session.
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MERCY FLIGHTS WANTS AIR AMBULANCE PROTOCOL RULE ELIMINATED (Medford Mail Tribune)
Mercy Flights is suing to overturn a controversial local rule mandating which air ambulance service will be summoned in an emergency.
The directive, issued in February by Dr. Martin Hill, the Josephine County emergency services medical director, upset the old order by calling for the closest air ambulance in the area to be summoned in an emergency.
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TROOPS EXPECTED HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN (Ashland Daily Tidings)
About 300 soldiers from the Southern Oregon, including some based in Ashland, are expected tor return in the coming week from a tour in Afghanistan that began last year. They left the area in July.
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MERKLEY FITS INCREASED FIRE FUNDING INTO U.S. SENATE BILL (Bend Bulletin)
The federal government would fund disastrous wildfires at all costs instead of taking money from the funds designated to prevent them under a proposal that cleared a hurdle in Washington on Thursday.
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$700M PLAN TO HELP RESTORE HABITAT FACES NEW CHALLENGE (Bend Bulletin)
A massive federal habitat restoration effort in the Columbia River Basin has spent more than $700 million on breaching levies, restoring tidal channels, reconnecting floodplains and other actions meant to boost salmon and steelhead populations imperiled by hydroelectric dams.
Experts say its likely the largest, most intensive, and most expensive habitat restoration program in the nation.
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OREGON NEEDS PROMPT CAMPAIGN FINANCE DISCLOSURE — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
In the week before the November 2014 election, Gov. John Kitzhaber received some $392,500 in campaign contributions that were not made public until Nov. 5, the day after the election. That will change if the amended version of House Bill 2178 becomes law.
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STATE BOARD SUSPENDS TUMALO PHARMACYS LICENSE (Bend Bulletin)
-Board says pharmacy gave controlled substances without prescriptions-
A state licensing board this week ordered the closure of a Tumalo pharmacy it says manufactured marijuana products, dispensed controlled substances without prescriptions and filled clients prescriptions at other pharmacies without their knowledge, among other things.
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ETHICS BILLS ARE A GOOD START — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
She may not get everything she wants from the 2015 Legislature, but Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is doing well where ethics bills are concerned.
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HIGH SCHOOLS ARENT DOING ENOUGH FOR STUDENTS — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
More than 20 years ago this newspaper published an editorial decrying the number of students requiring remedial coursework in math and English when they first enter college. Since then, apparently, little has changed.
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WORKER TRAINING AND EDUCATION SHOULD BE THE PRIORITY — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
State Rep. Tina Kotek, D-Portland, is a couple of things. Shes the Oregon Legislatures Speaker of the House of Representatives, and as such, she wields considerable power. Shes also proven herself dogged in her effort to reshape the way Oregonians do business.
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OREGO ATTEMPTS TO ANSWER LONG-TERM INFRASTRUCTURE WOE QUESTIONS (The World)
With the growing need for more infrastructure projects and highway funding drying up, Oregon is taking the next step in determining whether a vehicle mileage tax is a viable option.
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DHS AMENDS BAYCREST MEMORY CARE LICENSE CONDITIONS (The World)
The state Department of Human Services has sent Baycrest Memory Care an amended license condition order after findings from its re-licensure survey and first revisit revealed the facility to be in substantial noncompliance.
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HAS COLLAPSE OF PORT OF PORTLAND CONTAINER TERMINAL CREATED TRAFFIC ISSUES? (OregonBusiness)
More trucks are using I-5 since Terminal 6 lost much of its business.
But can Hanjin and Hapang Lloyd’s departure be blamed for the slow-moving commute in Portland?
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APARTMENT MANIA (OregonBusiness)
-While most categories of commercial real estate have performed well, one of the most robust has been apartment buildings-
Demand for commercial real estate from investors has been robust for the past few years. In a world of low interest rates, the relative yield advantage of owning commercial real estate is attractive to investors.
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OREGON INCHES TOWARD NONPRESCRIPTION BIRTH CONTROL (Oregon Business Journal)
Oregon women soon may be able to purchase birth control directly from a pharmacist without a doctor’s note, under a bill now headed to the Senate floor for a full vote.
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THE HONEYMOON’S OVER: ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SLAM GOV. KATE BROWN FOR BARGAINING AWAY THEIR LEGISLATIVE VICTORY — BLOG (Willamette Week)
-Backers of low-carbon fuel law fighting “backroom deal” for a higher gas tax.-
Gov. Kate Brown is facing the first major political challenge in her brief tenure in office, and it’s a problem of her own making.
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SECRET TALKS TO REPEAL LOW CARBON FUEL LAW (KGW)
The low carbon fuel standard law that Gov. Kate Brown signed in March may be short-lived.
The low carbon fuel standard would reduce carbon intensity of transportation fuels by ten percent over a decade.
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HAZELNUT BOOM UNDERWAY IN OREGON (KGW)
A hazelnut boom is underway in Oregon.
Young hazelnut trees are growing all over the Willamette valley as wholesale prices for Oregon hazelnuts have tripled in the past few years. And this year, the blooms came early.
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PROS, CONS OF EARLIER OREGON RETAIL POT SALES (KOIN)
-Will it help or hurt the nationwide drive to legalize?-
On July 1, itll be legal to possess marijuana in Oregon. But the retail sales arent set to begin until around October 2016, the OLCC said.
Lawmakers are looking at implementing earlier-than-expected retail sales through medical marijuana dispensaries. Supporters think its a great idea, but others wonder if it will hurt the entire legalize-marijuana movement nationwide.
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RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGAL SOON — BUT NOT FOR SALE YET (KTVZ Bend)
-Retail sales to begin next year – unless lawmakers change plans-
The countdown is on. In 12 days, marijuana can be smoked legally in Oregon — but still cannot be legally purchased. A proposal in the Oregon Legislature could change that.
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YOUNG BEAR FOUND BEGGING FOR FOOD HEADED FOR ZOOAMERICA (KTVZ Bend)
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says a malnourished, underweight yearling bear found begging for food near a Willamette Valley reservoir on Memorial Day weekend has been sent to ZooAmerica in Pennsylvania.
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FIREWORKS TO GO ON SALE TUESDAY; CAUTION URGED (KTVZ Bend)
-‘Keep it Safe, Keep it Legal’ – and ER docs prefer you leave them to pros-
Next Tuesday opens the season for fireworks sales in Oregon, and Jefferson County officials are among the first to plead that purchasers and users “Keep it Safe, Keep it Legal.”
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OREGON IS LATEST STATE TO TACKLE RETIREMENT SAVINGS CRISIS — BLOG (Wall Street Journal)
First there was Illinois. Then Washington. Now, Oregon is close to becoming the third state in the nation to authorize a state-run retirement-savings program for a broad spectrum of the population.
The goal: to get small businesses, many of which dont currently offer retirement plans, to deduct contributions from employees paychecks and funnel them into individual retirement accounts, where money can grow tax-deferred until retirement.
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SENATE GIVES UNANIMOUS APPROVAL TO NURSE STAFFING LAW CHANGES (The Lund Report)
The legislation backed by the Oregon Nurses Association gives teeth to the states hospital nurse staffing committees, which were set up 10 years ago to set hospital support staff levels based on patient need, but have not always been taken
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INSURANCE RATE INCREASES COULD DISRUPT MARKETPLACE (The Lund Report)
-OSPIRG, which represents consumers, will attempt to dissuade the Oregon Insurance Division from the high rate increases during public hearings in Salem next week.-
Despite the preliminary decision by the Oregon Insurance Division to raise insurance premiums even higher than requested, consumer activists arent giving up hope.
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CHILDREN’S TOXIC-FREE BILL HEADED TOWARD SENATE VOTE (The Lund Report)
The chief Senate supporter of SB 478 tells The Lund Report that despite the late session hour and onslaught of lobbying against the bill by special interests from corporate America, the Democratic supermajority in the Senate will hold, and a bill requiring manufacturers to report their use of toxic chemicals in childrens products, and begin a process to get rid of them, is expected to pass.
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