State Library eClips
* Expansion of Oregon film subsidy appears dead in Legislature
* Lawmakers haven’t adjourned, but new laws on tuition equity, vaccines, pensions already in effect
* Index funds prove a wise college savings option
* Key wildlife refuge hit hard in Klamath Basin’s water wars
* Texting, talking on phone while driving in Oregon could reap $500 fine
* Water squeeze in Oregon’s Klamath Basin pits ranchers against tribes, both with strong ties to the land
* Oregon Senate rejects ‘clean fuels’ bill, a top priority for environmental lobby
* Medical marijuana, global warming and animal neglect: Oregon Legislature today 7.6.13
* Baby’s death in Coos County helps lead to review of Oregon midwife regulations
* Oregon hospitals’ post-recession recovery comes with charity care drop: report
* Oregon lawmakers cut proposed manufacturing tax credit
* Medical marijuana bill passes Oregon house, now goes to governor
* Sturgeon retention gets one maybe two more short seasons on lower Willamette River
* Without the CRC, get used to being stuck on this bridge — Opinion
* Zombie bills, cellphone tickets and Prius taxes: Oregon Legislature today 7.7.13
* Animals, film industry get attention as Oregon lawmakers press to adjourn
* Zombie legislation: Expansion of Oregon video tax credit comes back to life
* Clackamas County teaming up with state to retain, expand agriculture jobs
* Midyear economic reports call for patience: Agenda 2013 — Opinion
* On higher education, Legislature gets an incomplete — Opinion
* CRC was blocked by two contradictory objections — Opinion
* Without the CRC, get used to being stuck on this bridge — Opinion
* TriMet’s audit, a ‘full-body X-ray’ of finances and operations, will help set things straight — Opinion
* Animal abuse bill heads to governor
* Officials eye different road usage charge plan
* Longtime educator is interim schools leader
* UO, OSU make top colleges list
* House OKs sex-offender registry plan
* Oregon GED changing; people pushed to finish soon
* Oregon State Penitentiary finds green solutions that pay off
* Some politicians get cranky toward the end of Legislature — Opinion
* Student loan defaults can beat college grad rates
* Legislative subcommittee rolls through seven bills
* Judge finds SEIU in violation of nonprofit laws, orders meeting
* OSP hosts viewing of seized property
* Go coastal with parks and rec photo contest
* Oregon schools update policies on bullying
* Oregon Legislature clears all agency budgets
* Lawmakers pick up the pace
* Learn now, pay later? Oregon studies college costs idea
* Lost Creek Lake advisory over blue-green algae lifted
* End in sight for 2013 Legislature; lawmakers to work over weekend
* Governor should let mascot bill stand — Opinion
* On death penalty, Kitzhaber walks a narrow line — Opinion
* Firefighters Gaining The Upper Hand On Eastern Oregon Wildfires
* Fruit Flies Infesting Crops
* Harvest Of Uncertainty
* Film Industry Joins Funding Scramble
* Animal Abuse Bill Heads To Governor
* Oregon carbon tax measure set for next step if there is one
* Movement on clean fuels could happen by Sunday
* ‘Aggie bonds’ bill goes to governor
* Amended water fee bill advances
* $175 million spent on I-5 bridge plan might not be total loss
* Legislators right to leave Gain Share alone — Opinion
* Oregon Lawmakers Pioneer Tuition-Free ‘Pay it Forward, Pay it Back’ College Plan
* Mixed Review For Public Safety Changes
* Plan would give free tuition at Ore. colleges
* Gov. Kitzhaber should sign mascot bill — Opinion
* Gorge Commissions Air Study Upheld In Oregon Court Ruling
* Oregons New Tuition Plan: Pay It Forward or Just an Accounting Gimmick? — Blog
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EXPANSION OF OREGON FILM SUBSIDY APPEARS DEAD IN LEGISLATURE (Portland Oregonian)
Backers of a proposal to expand the subsidy Oregon pays film and video productions say their plan appears dead. It’s collateral damage, they say, of lawmakers’ failure to reach a “grand bargain” on increasing tax revenue and cutting pension costs.
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LAWMAKERS HAVEN’T ADJOURNED, BUT NEW LAWS ON TUITION EQUITY, VACCINES, PENSIONS ALREADY IN EFFECT (Portland Oregonian)
The Oregon Legislature remains in session, but some bills lawmakers passed this spring went into effect July 1. Other high-profile legislation, such as restrictions on teen tanning, takes effect Jan. 1, 2014.
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INDEX FUNDS PROVE A WISE COLLEGE SAVINGS OPTION (Portland Oregonian)
Any good finance researcher will tell you that roughly two-thirds of the time, low-cost index funds churn out better returns for investors than actively managed mutual funds.
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KEY WILDLIFE REFUGE HIT HARD IN KLAMATH BASIN’S WATER WARS (Portland Oregonian)
Normally, the honks and calls of thousands of ducks, grebes and egrets clustering at the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge make it hard to talk over the racket.
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TEXTING, TALKING ON PHONE WHILE DRIVING IN OREGON COULD REAP $500 FINE (Portland Oregonian)
Ccall or tapping out a text while driving could soon cost a serious chunk of change.
Under a bill that has suddenly picked up steam at the Oregon Legislature, the fine for using a cell phone from behind the wheel would double to a maximum of $500 instead of the current $250 maximum.
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WATER SQUEEZE IN OREGON’S KLAMATH BASIN PITS RANCHERS AGAINST TRIBES, BOTH WITH STRONG TIES TO THE LAND (Portland Oregonian)
A summer evening on Jim and Caren Goold’s front porch. The river meanders through their cow pasture, a curly blue ribbon framed by foothills dotted with ponderosa pine. And, yes, the cattle are lowing.
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OREGON SENATE REJECTS ‘CLEAN FUELS’ BILL, A TOP PRIORITY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LOBBY (Portland Oregonian)
The Senate on Saturday rejected a “clean fuels” bill that was the environmental lobby’s top priority to combat global warming.
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MEDICAL MARIJUANA, GLOBAL WARMING AND ANIMAL NEGLECT: OREGON LEGISLATURE TODAY 7.6.13 (Portland Oregonian)
Could this be the penultimate day of the 2013 Oregon Legislature? The antepenultimate?
In any case, lawmakers and their loyal aides are this close to freedom from the Capitol for the summer.
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BABY’S DEATH IN COOS COUNTY HELPS LEAD TO REVIEW OF OREGON MIDWIFE REGULATIONS (Portland Oregonian)
After 60 hours of labor, Bethany Reed’s baby girl finally made her debut.
Aside from the long, exhausting hours preceding delivery, the birth was just as Reed had hoped.
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OREGON HOSPITALS’ POST-RECESSION RECOVERY COMES WITH CHARITY CARE DROP: REPORT (Portland Oregonian)
A new state report shows the average Oregon hospital more than doubled its margin, or profit, between 2009 and 2011, even as its provision of charity care went down.
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OREGON LAWMAKERS CUT PROPOSED MANUFACTURING TAX CREDIT (Portland Oregonian)
Oregon lawmakers have drained a proposed $150 million pool of incentives for the state’s manufacturing sector.
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MEDICAL MARIJUANA BILL PASSES OREGON HOUSE, NOW GOES TO GOVERNOR (Portland Oregonian)
The Oregon House on Saturday passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana retail establishments, moving what has been a booming but legally hazy industry squarely into the mainstream and handing medical marijuana advocates a major victory.
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STURGEON RETENTION GETS ONE MAYBE TWO MORE SHORT SEASONS ON LOWER WILLAMETTE RIVER (Portland Oregonian)
Most of Oregon’s sturgeon anglers will get just one or two more chances to take a fish home before retention fishing for these soon-to-be-relic fish closes for the foreseeable future.
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WITHOUT THE CRC, GET USED TO BEING STUCK ON THIS BRIDGE — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
While I much prefer singing the lyrics to Queen’s “We Are The Champions” than Beck’s “Loser,” I can’t this week.
I thought building the however imperfectly designed Interstate 5 replacement bridge — brainstormed in an entirely subpar process by the Columbia River Crossing operation — was a better alternative than making this region give up more than a billion dollars in federal grants and low-interest loans that could have put a new bridge at least on a distant horizon.
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ZOMBIE BILLS, CELLPHONE TICKETS AND PRIUS TAXES: OREGON LEGISLATURE TODAY 7.7.13 (Portland Oregonian)
Lawmakers will continue their lurch toward the close of the 2013 legislative session today, though its still unclear what path will lead to the end.
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ANIMALS, FILM INDUSTRY GET ATTENTION AS OREGON LAWMAKERS PRESS TO ADJOURN (Portland Oregonian)
Lawmakers moved a few steps closer to adjournment Saturday, moving forward on bills that would toughen criminal penalties for animal abusers and give millions more in incentives to TV and movie companies that shoot in Oregon.
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ZOMBIE LEGISLATION: EXPANSION OF OREGON VIDEO TAX CREDIT COMES BACK TO LIFE (Portland Oregonian)
How Hollywood. A day after a bill to expand tax credits for movie and TV production in Oregon was declared dead, it came back to life.
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CLACKAMAS COUNTY TEAMING UP WITH STATE TO RETAIN, EXPAND AGRICULTURE JOBS (Portland Oregonian)
A new program aims to help Clackamas County’s agricultural industry by connecting businesses, nonprofits and government agencies that work with food producers, processors and distributors.
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MIDYEAR ECONOMIC REPORTS CALL FOR PATIENCE: AGENDA 2013 — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
At the halfway mark of 2013, two things are clear about the economy: It’s improving. And despite the improvement, the number of people either unemployed or underemployed remains unacceptably high.
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ON HIGHER EDUCATION, LEGISLATURE GETS AN INCOMPLETE — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Next year is the first year of the rest of the University of Oregon’s life.
Also Portland State’s. And maybe Oregon State’s, and possibly some of the smaller regional universities.
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CRC WAS BLOCKED BY TWO CONTRADICTORY OBJECTIONS — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
For two decades, we had an Oregon-Washington disagreement about a bridge to replace the 1917-era Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver.
Oregon wanted light rail on the bridge. Washington demanded better car access.
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WITHOUT THE CRC, GET USED TO BEING STUCK ON THIS BRIDGE — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
While I much prefer singing the lyrics to Queen’s “We Are The Champions” than Beck’s “Loser,” I can’t this week.
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TRIMET’S AUDIT, A ‘FULL-BODY X-RAY’ OF FINANCES AND OPERATIONS, WILL HELP SET THINGS STRAIGHT — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
The first-term Troutdale lawmaker Chris Gorsek can feel he’s performed a mighty public service with the Legislature’s passage of his bill requiring a performance audit of the mass transit agency TriMet.
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ANIMAL ABUSE BILL HEADS TO GOVERNOR (Salem Statesman Journal)
The House on Saturday sent to the governor a bill that would increase the penalties for people who repeatedly neglect and abuse animals, and create new licensing and regulation requirements for animal rescue groups.
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OFFICIALS EYE DIFFERENT ROAD USAGE CHARGE PLAN (Salem Statesman Journal)
Oregon lawmakers are veering toward a different approach for implementing a per-mile road usage charge for highly fuel efficient vehicles.
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LONGTIME EDUCATOR IS INTERIM SCHOOLS LEADER (Salem Statesman Journal)
Retired Springfield School District Superintendent Nancy Golden will lead Oregon education reforms as the interim Chief Education Officer.
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UO, OSU MAKE TOP COLLEGES LIST (Salem Statesman Journal)
Two Oregon universities are among the top 21 best buys for public colleges, according to the 2014 Fiske Guide to Colleges.
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HOUSE OKS SEX-OFFENDER REGISTRY PLAN (Salem Statesman Journal)
Lawmakers are poised to overhaul how Oregon classifies thousands of sex offenders and how they get on and off a state registry.
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OREGON GED CHANGING; PEOPLE PUSHED TO FINISH SOON (Salem Statesman Journal)
GED exams for people who want an alternative way to earn a high school diploma is about to change.
Community organizations in Portland are encouraging people to finish their studies this year before the tests gets harder.
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OREGON STATE PENITENTIARY FINDS GREEN SOLUTIONS THAT PAY OFF (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Oregon State Penitentiary has found unique ways to save energy, recycle and reuse materials and become more self-sufficient all while saving money. Not an easy task at a facility with more than 2,500 people, strict security measures and challenges unlike any other business.
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SOME POLITICIANS GET CRANKY TOWARD THE END OF LEGISLATURE — OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)
Amid all the nuts-and-bolts reporting on bills and budgets, hearings and debates, there are unreported moments unless you are one of those who listens to or watches livestreaming of the proceedings that tell you something more about the stresses on Oregon lawmakers as their 2013 session comes to a close.
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STUDENT LOAN DEFAULTS CAN BEAT COLLEGE GRAD RATES (Salem Statesman Journal)
-Schools with this issue ‘should set off a red flag,’ researcher says-
Tens of thousands of Oregon students attend colleges where borrowers are more likely to default on a loan than full-time freshmen are to earn a degree, an analysis of federal data shows.
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LEGISLATIVE SUBCOMMITTEE ROLLS THROUGH SEVEN BILLS (Salem Statesman Journal)
Only one legislative committee met on Friday in what was otherwise a very quiet Capitol.
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JUDGE FINDS SEIU IN VIOLATION OF NONPROFIT LAWS, ORDERS MEETING (Salem Statesman Journal)
-Groups like unions least regulated-
A Marion County Circuit Court judge has found the states largest public sector union in violation of Oregon nonprofit laws and ordered a meeting of members, tentatively set for August.
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OSP HOSTS VIEWING OF SEIZED PROPERTY (Salem Statesman Journal)
Oregon State Police hosted a public viewing of seized property that they believe was stolen from victims in Marion and Polk County before Jan. 15 after a multi-agency investigation into a Salem-area burglary ring.
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GO COASTAL WITH PARKS AND REC PHOTO CONTEST (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has come up with a great excuse to visit the coast.
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OREGON SCHOOLS UPDATE POLICIES ON BULLYING (Salem Statesman Journal)
A growing number of Oregon schools now comply with state laws on bullying, harassment and intimidation, according to a statewide report.
Nearly two-thirds of Oregons school districts overhauled their bullying policies to reflect changes in state law in 2009 and 2012.
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OREGON LEGISLATURE CLEARS ALL AGENCY BUDGETS (Salem Statesman Journal)
All state agencies now have approved budgets as a result of action today by the Oregon Legislature.
The House gave final approval of the budget for the Department of Human Services, which has the largest workforce, on a 38-21 vote. Both House and Senate met during the weekend as lawmakers worked toward adjournment of the 2013 session this weekend
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LAWMAKERS PICK UP THE PACE (Eugene Register-Guard)
-Legislators act on 70-plus measures, but a proposal to expand a popular tax credit appears to be in trouble-
State lawmakers used a packed Saturday schedule to whittle down the issues left for them to address this session, displaying atypical decisiveness in tweaking, approving and killing bills.
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LEARN NOW, PAY LATER? OREGON STUDIES COLLEGE COSTS IDEA (Medford Mail Tribune)
-‘Pay It Forward’ pilot project authorized to determine plan’s economic feasibility-
On college campuses across the United States, the eternal optimism of youth has been throttled out by a fear of crushing student debt.
That’s certainly the case in Oregon, where the cost of tuition has soared as public funding for higher education has declined.
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LOST CREEK LAKE ADVISORY OVER BLUE-GREEN ALGAE LIFTED (Medford Mail Tribune)
A health advisory for Lost Creek Lake was lifted Friday by the Oregon Health Authority. The advisory was issued June 20, because of high levels of blue-green algae in the lake.
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END IN SIGHT FOR 2013 LEGISLATURE; LAWMAKERS TO WORK OVER WEEKEND (Medford Mail Tribune)
-Nearly 80 policy bills and a few budget bills still before chambers-
After a day off to celebrate America’s birthday, Oregon lawmakers returned to Salem on Friday for what they hope marks the beginning of the end of the 2013 legislative session.
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GOVERNOR SHOULD LET MASCOT BILL STAND — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
Gov. John Kitzhaber is expected to veto a bill that allows schools to retain Native American mascots, in spite of a statewide ban, if the schools get the permission of a nearby tribe.
The bill, Senate Bill 215, passed the House last week in a 41-19 vote. Earlier this week, it passed the Senate in a 25-5 vote.
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ON DEATH PENALTY, KITZHABER WALKS A NARROW LINE — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
The narrow line that Gov. John Kitzhaber is walking on the death penalty is even narrower now that the Legislature has shown little interest in putting a ballot measure on the issue before Oregon voters in 2014.
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FIREFIGHTERS GAINING THE UPPER HAND ON EASTERN OREGON WILDFIRES (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Firefighters appear to be gaining the upper hand on a number large wildfires burning in Eastern Oregon.
Fire managers say the largest of those, known as the Owhyee Fire is 85 percent contained as of Friday morning.
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FRUIT FLIES INFESTING CROPS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
A pesky foreign fruit fly has been wreaking havoc for local berry and cherry farmers in the past few years. And this year may be worse than last, which was the worst on record, according to the Oregon State University Extension Service.
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HARVEST OF UNCERTAINTY (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
With harvest starting, wheat farmer Jim Williams has more questions than answers.
He typically begins harvest around July 10-12. Just like every other year, Williams is watching his fields and the markets, pondering the potential yield and price hell receive for his crop.
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FILM INDUSTRY JOINS FUNDING SCRAMBLE (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Members of Oregon’s film industry were among those scrambling for attention from the legislature today.
About 17 film and video workers and labor leaders spoke at a hearing in support of an incentive program aimed at luring lucrative film projects to Oregon.
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ANIMAL ABUSE BILL HEADS TO GOVERNOR (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
The House on Saturday sent to the governor a bill that would increase the penalties for people who repeatedly neglect and abuse animals, and create new licensing and regulation requirements for animal rescue groups.
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OREGON CARBON TAX MEASURE SET FOR NEXT STEP IF THERE IS ONE (Sustainable Business Oregon)
A “gut-and-stuff” strategy designed to keep a key sustainability measure alive in Oregon’s legislative chambers has apparently worked.
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MOVEMENT ON CLEAN FUELS COULD HAPPEN BY SUNDAY (Sustainable Business Oregon)
Oregons legislature may only be in session through the weekend, but a lawmaker whos served a key role on energy issues is confident that the chambers will consider a measure that would help impose more low carbon fuel standards.
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‘AGGIE BONDS’ BILL GOES TO GOVERNOR (Capital Press)
Oregon lawmakers have sent a bill to Gov. John Kitzhaber’s desk that could assist small and beginning farmers in land and equipment aquisition.
Known as the “aggie bonds” bill after a federal program by the same name, House Bill 2700 allows private lenders to earn federal tax exempt interest on loans to eligible farmers.
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AMENDED WATER FEE BILL ADVANCES (Capital Press)
By a 3-2 vote, a Senate committee has moved a bill to the floor that provides the Oregon Water Resources Commission authority to impose a one-time 13 precent increase in water-right transaction fees.
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$175 MILLION SPENT ON I-5 BRIDGE PLAN MIGHT NOT BE TOTAL LOSS (The Daily News-Kelso Longview)
Consultants say some of the $175 million spent to plan a replacement Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River might not have been wasted if another bridge is planned and if it has the same alignment as the bridge plan that has now been abandoned.
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IN OREGON, A DEMAND FOR SAFETY, BUT NOT ON THEIR DIME (New York Times)
It might be well established by now that money cannot buy happiness. But can it buy public safety?
If you ask Sgt. Todd Moran of the Grants Pass police, the answer is unquestionably yes. Burglaries were up almost 70 percent last year in his city of 35,000 about an hour north of the California border. Theft cases, up almost 80 percent. And at least part of the reason, he said, is an awareness by criminals that their actions are increasingly without consequences in cash-starved Josephine County, where the jail the city depends on is mostly closed for lack of money.
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LEGISLATORS RIGHT TO LEAVE GAIN SHARE ALONE — OPINION (Portland Tribune)
As appealing as it was to think Washington County schools could get a needed funding boost from an unexpected source, there was good reason to be cautious about now-defunct efforts to have the Oregon Legislature direct Gain Share dollars to schools.
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OREGON LAWMAKERS PIONEER TUITION-FREE ‘PAY IT FORWARD, PAY IT BACK’ COLLEGE PLAN (ABC News)
The Oregon state legislature unanimously approved a plan to provide free tuition to students while they attend community college and public university. In return, they’ll pay back the state with a percentage of their incomes after graduation.
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MIXED REVIEW FOR PUBLIC SAFETY CHANGES (The Dalles Chronicle)
Gov. John Kitzhaber has promised to sign House Bill 3194, which cleared its final legislative hurdle this week when it passed the Senate 19-11; local reactions on the bill, which is designed to put the brakes on costs in the state public safety budget, were mixed.
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PLAN WOULD GIVE FREE TUITION AT ORE. COLLEGES (Herald and News)
On college campuses across the United States, the eternal optimism of youth has been throttled out by a fear of crushing student debt. Thats certainly the case in Oregon, where the cost of tuition has soared as public funding for higher education has declined.
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GOV. KITZHABER SHOULD SIGN MASCOT BILL — OPINION (Herald and News)
Both houses of the Oregon Legislature have voted by large margins to relax a ban on Native American-themed mascots in high schools.
Margins of 41-19 in the House and 25-5 in the Senate, however, apparently arent enough for Gov. John Kitzhaber, who has said he will veto the measure.
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GORGE COMMISSIONS AIR STUDY UPHELD IN OREGON COURT RULING (Hood River News)
The Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed the Columbia River Gorge Commissions Regional Air Quality Strategy for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area on June 19, rejecting a Friends of the Columbia Gorge challenge that claimed it neither provided enough remedies, nor even constituted a strategy.
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OREGONS NEW TUITION PLAN: PAY IT FORWARD OR JUST AN ACCOUNTING GIMMICK? — BLOG (Washington Monthly)
Oregons new Pay it Forward tuition plan, which would enable students to attend state schools in Oregon with no money down by paying 3% of their salaries into a special fund annually for 24 years, has been pretty well received among progressives.
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