State Library eClips
* How do I rat on someone using studded tires out of season? Commuting Q&A
* Hourly wage needed for Oregon 2-bedroom apartments rose $3 in a year: study
* Oregon marijuana edibles makers launch public campaign: ‘Try 5’
* Committee republicans call for special prosecutor to investigate Cover Oregon
* State bar dismisses complaint from Clatsop County DA against Ammon Bundy’s lawyers
* Kitzhaber, Oracle respond to report critical of Cover Oregon
* Oregon hires nation’s first advocate for LGBT veterans
* Senate OK’s state’s first resilience officer
* Oregon senator got away with breaking state law for years — Opinion
* Emergency expense of $400 too costly for many households
* A mess at Lake Shasta — Opinion
* Oregon should be first trauma-informed state — Guest Opinion
* Oregon renews wildfire insurance policy
* State’s first resiliency officer confirmed, ready to tackle quake preparedness
* Who’s moving to Oregon? Everyone, and it’s driving up housing costs, panel says
* Oregon Legislature approves $7.5 million for Oregon Manufacturing and Innovation Center
* Clackamas County moves toward marijuana tax
* Tourism numbers surge in Central Oregon, rest of state
* Pot-tax collections expected to be higher
* Deschutes County jail passes inspection
* All my teachers were white diversity affects education
* Senate confirms governors new earthquake safety officer
* State parks camping, parking free June 4
* Editorial: Highway 97 gets important improvement — Opinion
* Editorial: Sheriffs Office should get the money it is owed — Opinion
* Traffic Fatalities In The Northwest Rising At Fastest Rate In Country
* Alarm sounded over white top infestation in Malheur County
* Oregon berries come on strong with favorable weather
* Backers, opponents argue pros, cons of coal export facility
* As spending on lobbying increases, transparency remains murky
* Fireworks, exploding targets illegal on federal lands
* Our view: The moon shot — Opinion
* Other views: Obama’s new overtime pay rules change the overall mission — Guest Opinion
* Goodbye, empty nest: Millennials staying longer with parents — Opinion
* Future of dam, bridge in doubt
* Foster parents open hearts and homes to children
* Grant County residents raise concerns at Merkley town hall
* Online program recognized
* School districts keep wary eye on federal order
* WCCF inmates plant to make wildlife impact
* Outback Observation: Graduate Debt — Opinion
* Housing Does Filter– Blog
* Health Insurers Post Financial Losses as Oregon’s Commercial Plans Report Losing Thousands of Members
* Oregon Will Stick with Healthcare.Gov Despite New Charges for Website Use
* CCO’s and Insurers Not Properly Funding Child Abuse Centers Despite Law
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HOW DO I RAT ON SOMEONE USING STUDDED TIRES OUT OF SEASON? COMMUTING Q&A (Portland Oregonian)
Is there a number to call to report people with studded tires still on? It’s 80 degrees out.
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HOURLY WAGE NEEDED FOR OREGON 2-BEDROOM APARTMENTS ROSE $3 IN A YEAR: STUDY (Portland Oregonian)
The amount of money a renter would have to make to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Oregon rose by nearly $3 an hour in a single year, from a $16.61 hourly wage in 2015 to $19.38 now, according to a study published Wednesday.
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OREGON MARIJUANA EDIBLES MAKERS LAUNCH PUBLIC CAMPAIGN: ‘TRY 5’ (Portland Oregonian)
Dave McNicoll has a few words of advice for those planning to try marijuana-infused edibles for the first time: Take a bite, not too much, and wait.
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COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS CALL FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE COVER OREGON (Portland Oregonian)
The Republican majority of a Congressional Committee has found that former Gov. John Kitzhaber and a federal agency bungled development of the Cover Oregon health care website.
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STATE BAR DISMISSES COMPLAINT FROM CLATSOP COUNTY DA AGAINST AMMON BUNDY’S LAWYERS (Portland Oregonian)
The Oregon State Bar has decided not to pursue a complaint from Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis against Ammon Bundy’s lawyers.
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KITZHABER, ORACLE RESPOND TO REPORT CRITICAL OF COVER OREGON (Salem Statesman Journal)
Republicans on a U.S. House committee have found former Gov. John Kitzhaber and a federal agency mishandled the creation of Oregon’s health insurance enrollment website, with the Democratic governor’s political advisers making decisions based on his re-election campaign.
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OREGON HIRES NATION’S FIRST ADVOCATE FOR LGBT VETERANS (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs has hired a coordinator for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender veterans a position it says is the first of its kind nationwide.
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SENATE OK’S STATE’S FIRST RESILIENCE OFFICER (Salem Statesman Journal)
Michael Harryman, director of emergency operations for the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division for the past four years, was confirmed Wednesday by the state Senate as Oregon’s first State Resilience Officer.
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OREGON SENATOR GOT AWAY WITH BREAKING STATE LAW FOR YEARS — OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
An Oregon state senator regularly broke state law with impunity.
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EMERGENCY EXPENSE OF $400 TOO COSTLY FOR MANY HOUSEHOLDS (Eugene Register-Guard)
Shedding light on the precarious economic state of many American families, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday that nearly half of U.S. households reported they would have trouble meeting emergency expenses of just $400.
In addition, the Fed found that 22 percent of workers were juggling two or more jobs last year, higher than what government jobs data would suggest. And nearly 1 out of 3 Americans said that they have no retirement savings or pension.
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A MESS AT LAKE SHASTA — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Weekend partiers who trashed an island shoreline in Lake Shasta in Northern California, leaving behind belongings emblazoned with the name and logo of the University of Oregon, have drawn national attention to the UO and, by extension, Eugene and the entire state.
Its the kind of attention we could do without.
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OREGON SHOULD BE FIRST TRAUMA-INFORMED STATE — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Oregon needs a positive vision to guide efforts to restructure the economy and communities so we can thrive while restoring the climate. Our vision of success must also address people. A centerpiece of my vision is that Oregon will become the first trauma-informed state in the nation.
This is not a far-fetched idea.
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OREGON RENEWS WILDFIRE INSURANCE POLICY (Portland Tribune)
Oregon officials and forestland owners have renewed the states wildfire insurance despite failing to reach the policy’s $50 million deductible last year.
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STATE’S FIRST RESILIENCY OFFICER CONFIRMED, READY TO TACKLE QUAKE PREPAREDNESS (Portland Tribune)
The Oregon Senate on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Gov. Kate Browns nominee for the states first resiliency officer to develop plans for responding to a major earthquake.
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WHO’S MOVING TO OREGON? EVERYONE, AND IT’S DRIVING UP HOUSING COSTS, PANEL SAYS (Portland Tribune)
A confluence of factors including low supply, high demand, obstructive regulations and lacking infrastructure is driving up housing prices in the state, a panel of state economists and housing experts told a legislative committee Tuesday, May 24.
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OREGON LEGISLATURE APPROVES $7.5 MILLION FOR OREGON MANUFACTURING AND INNOVATION CENTER (Portland Tribune)
The Oregon Legislature announced Wednesday the approval and release of $7.5 million toward the creation of the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center OMIC, a co-located research and development R&D center and training center in Columbia County.
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CLACKAMAS COUNTY MOVES TOWARD MARIJUANA TAX (Portland Tribune)
Clackamas County voters will be asked to approve a 3 percent local tax on retail sales of marijuana for recreational use.
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TOURISM NUMBERS SURGE IN CENTRAL OREGON, REST OF STATE (Bend Bulletin)
-Oregon sees $10.8 billion in tourism spending in 2015-
Tourists spent more money in Oregon in 2015 than in any year prior, and Central Oregons tourism economy has continued to grow along with the states.
The 2015 Oregon Travel Impacts study, the latest annual study commissioned by Travel Oregon, the states tourism agency, showed that visitors to the state generated $10.8 billion last year, up $500 million, or 4.8 percent, from 2014.
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POT-TAX COLLECTIONS EXPECTED TO BE HIGHER (Bend Bulletin)
Sales of recreational marijuana in Oregon yielded $10.5 million in tax revenue in the first three months of the year, according to the Oregon Department of Revenue.
The amount comes close to projections in a recently released report from the Legislative Revenue Office.
The report anticipates the state will collect about $3.7 million in taxes per month on average from recreational marijuana sales, or about $43 million total after expenses in the current two-year budget cycle.
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DESCHUTES COUNTY JAIL PASSES INSPECTION (Bend Bulletin)
-But standards used for inspection are unavailable to the public-
The Deschutes County Sheriffs Office announced Wednesday that it passed the biennial jail inspection conducted by the Oregon State Sheriffs Association with a perfect score.
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ALL MY TEACHERS WERE WHITE DIVERSITY AFFECTS EDUCATION (Bend Bulletin)
-Report shines light on reasons for chronic absenteeism in Oregon schools-
A state report released Wednesday offered a series of recommendations for school districts to combat chronic absenteeism, from increasing teacher diversity to eliminating disciplinary policies that disproportionately affect minority students.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year.
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SENATE CONFIRMS GOVERNORS NEW EARTHQUAKE SAFETY OFFICER (Bend Bulletin)
-The position was created in the 2015 legislative session, will report to Brown-
The state Senate approved Oregons first officer tasked with helping state agencies prepare for an anticipated major earthquake.
Michael Harryman, an Army veteran and former director of emergency operations at the Oregon Health Authority, was confirmed Wednesday after being recommended by Gov. Kate Brown.
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STATE PARKS CAMPING, PARKING FREE JUNE 4 (Bend Bulletin)
Oregon State Parks will be open to the public for free June 4 in honor of State Parks Day, according to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
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EDITORIAL: HIGHWAY 97 GETS IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENT — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
If you drove to Bend from Sunriver or other points south this morning, you likely noticed traffic heading toward you had been reduced to one lane. That’s actually good news: When the Oregon Department of Transportation is done, in September, the barrier dividing U.S. Highway 97 will extend all the way to Romaine Village Way on the south end of Bend.
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EDITORIAL: SHERIFFS OFFICE SHOULD GET THE MONEY IT IS OWED — OPINION (Bend Bulletin)
The federal government owes the Deschutes County Sheriffs Office over $160,000.
That’s money the office spent helping keep the peace in Harney County when militants took over the Interior Department-run wildlife refuge there, and the federal government should pay it back.
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TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN THE NORTHWEST RISING AT FASTEST RATE IN COUNTRY (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Traffic accident fatalities are rising at a faster rate in Northwest states than anywhere else in the country according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. Drug-impaired drivers and distracted drivers appear to be factors involved in the increase.
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ALARM SOUNDED OVER WHITE TOP INFESTATION IN MALHEUR COUNTY (Capital Press)
White top, an invasive weed, has exploded to alarming levels in Malheur County this year.
This is the worst its ever been, said Oregon State University Cropping Systems Extension Agent Bill Buhrig, who has lived in the county for 40 years. Its all over the place.
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OREGON BERRIES COME ON STRONG WITH FAVORABLE WEATHER (Capital Press)
return to moderate weather has blessed Oregon’s early strawberry crop with good size and flavor, growers report, and bodes well for states other signature berries as the summer unfolds.
The quality is really good now, said Matt Unger of Unger Farms west of Portland.
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BACKERS, OPPONENTS ARGUE PROS, CONS OF COAL EXPORT FACILITY (Capital Press)
The Washington Department of Ecology should rethink how much carbon a coal export dock on the Columbia River would add to the worlds emissions, Millennium Bulk Terminals President and CEO Bill Chapman says.
On Tuesday DOE held the first of three public hearings on the potential environmental impacts of exporting coal mined in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado from a former aluminum plant on Longviews industrialized riverfront.
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AS SPENDING ON LOBBYING INCREASES, TRANSPARENCY REMAINS MURKY (East Oregonian)
Businesses, special interest groups and governments have increasingly invested in lobbying Oregon lawmakers and other state officials over the last nine years. And based on spending data from the state, those groups appear to have concluded lobbying is a good investment: reported annual spending on lobbying increased 15 percent from 2007 to 2015, when adjusted for inflation.
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FIREWORKS, EXPLODING TARGETS ILLEGAL ON FEDERAL LANDS (East Oregonian)
The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service are reminding forest users that fireworks and exploding targets are prohibited on all BLM-managed public lands and U.S. national forests in Oregon and Washington.
This year there have already been 288 fires that have burned over 1,500 acres.
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OUR VIEW: THE MOON SHOT — OPINION (East Oregonian)
Although many are already arguing about Clinton v. Trump: The Reckoning, another November vote may have an even bigger impact on our lives in Oregon.
Now that enough signatures have been gathered, it looks certain that a significant initiative will come before all Oregonians.
How big could this thing be? It alone would increase the entire state budget by about 25 percent by bringing in about $3 billion per year. Yes, thats billion with a B.
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OTHER VIEWS: OBAMA’S NEW OVERTIME PAY RULES CHANGE THE OVERALL MISSION — GUEST OPINION (East Oregonian)
The Obama administrations new plan to require overtime pay for salaried workers earning up to $47,000 is an understandable but unrealistic reaction to the problem of stagnating wages and a diminishing American middle class. People are working longer hours for comparatively less pay, and something needs to happen to jostle the system back into alignment.
But the tight deadlines to implement the new rules dont match the reality of the American workplace.
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GOODBYE, EMPTY NEST: MILLENNIALS STAYING LONGER WITH PARENTS — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
Many of Americas young adults appear to be in no hurry to move out of their old bedrooms.
For the first time on record, living with parents is now the most common arrangement for people ages 18 to 34, an analysis of census data by the Pew Research Center has found.
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FUTURE OF DAM, BRIDGE IN DOUBT (Daily Astorian)
The Warrenton City Commission backed away Tuesday night from a $1.2 million deal to remove the Eighth Street Dam but preserve an emergency access bridge over the Skipanon River.
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FOSTER PARENTS OPEN HEARTS AND HOMES TO CHILDREN (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-Its no secret that parenting is one tough job.-
Most parents would agree that while the intrinsic rewards run high, so do the day in and day out challenges.
Foster parents respond to the calling at an even higher level, willingly and even eagerly opening their hearts and homes to children in need on a temporary basis.
May is National Foster Care Month, launched in 1988 to give recognition and increase awareness.
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GRANT COUNTY RESIDENTS RAISE CONCERNS AT MERKLEY TOWN HALL (Blue Mountain Eagle)
The proposed creation of an Owyhee Canyonlands national monument was a concern shared by many audience members at Sen. Jeff Merkleys town hall meeting Saturday in John Day.
When Merkley asked the 50 or so Grant County residents in attendance if they were concerned about the issue, and more than half the hands shot up.
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ONLINE PROGRAM RECOGNIZED (LaGrande Observer)
For students wishing to complete college degrees online, turning to Eastern Oregon University could be a wise move.
Three independent ranking sources have named the college to their best of lists for the year, according to a EOU press release.
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SCHOOL DISTRICTS KEEP WARY EYE ON FEDERAL ORDER (LaGrande Observer)
-No big changes anticipated at local schools-
The Obama administrations directive mandating that public schools create supportive environments for transgender students will not spur immediate large-scale changes among local school districts.
La Grande School District Superintendent Larry Glaze noted there are many unknowns regarding how the government expects school districts to address transgender-related issues. Glaze said he is waiting to see how things unfold and then respond.
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WCCF INMATES PLANT TO MAKE WILDLIFE IMPACT (Lake County Examiner)
Warner Creek Correctional Facility WCCF inmates were hard at work filling cone-tainers with a mixture of soil and sagebrush seeds, which will help contribute to western wildlife habitat. The project started on Thursday, April 28 near the facilitys greenhouse with a handful of participants putting in work to fill 30,000 units.
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OUTBACK OBSERVATION: GRADUATE DEBT — OPINION (Lake County Examiner)
This week marked a momentous occasion for me. After attentively paying college loans for literally half of my life, my last payment was submitted ending a seemingly endless pile of debt incurred as soon as I left my childhood home. It has been 18 years of living under the shadow of debt for my education, necessitating at times choosing to miss out on life experiences and endure hardships in an effort to stretch every dollar for loan payments.
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HOUSING DOES FILTER— BLOG (Oregon Office of Economic Analysis)
Most new construction in recent years has been at the top end of the market. This is partially due to that’s where the numbers pencil out best for developers but also because that’s where the strongest growth in households has been, in the $100,000 per year and over groups. The majority of the population cannot afford new construction today, but this has largely been the case historically as well.
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HEALTH INSURERS POST FINANCIAL LOSSES AS OREGON’S COMMERCIAL PLANS REPORT LOSING THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS (The Lund Report)
Please contact the State Library for access to this premium story from the Lund Report. library.help@state.or.us , 503-378-8800
Though some plans gained membership, overall 91,658 people left the commercial health insurance market in the first three months of 2016 _________________________________________
OREGON WILL STICK WITH HEALTHCARE.GOV DESPITE NEW CHARGES FOR WEBSITE USE (The Lund Report)
An analysis of three proposals from technology vendors who have successfully operated eligibility and enrollment websites for other states showed that these options will cost slightly more than the federal governments website. Meanwhile, the SHOP exchange for small businesses may be put off until 2019.
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CCO’S AND INSURERS NOT PROPERLY FUNDING CHILD ABUSE CENTERS DESPITE LAW (The Lund Report)
Some CCO health plans, including FamilyCare and CareOregon, have set up a global payment for child abuse services similar to the global package for pregnancy.
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