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Congress passes proposal to make it easier to research benefits, effects of marijuana
Although marijuana is legalized in several dozen states and easily obtainable even in areas where it’s illegal, scientists have faced big bureaucratic barriers to conduct research on the drug. A new, bipartisan bill just passed by Congress aims to snip away some of that red tape. The Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act does […]
Gov. Brown pardons marijuana possession convictions for about 45,000 people
With just over a month left in her term, Gov. Kate Brown has issued a sweeping pardon for Oregonians convicted of possessing a small amount of marijuana. The pardons, announced Monday, will benefit an estimated 45,000 people, according to a statement from her office. The pardons include the forgiveness of about $14 million in associated […]
Oregon poised to continue drug decriminalization, treatment measure
Oregon’s decriminalization of drugs and addiction treatment programs are likely to forge ahead now that the election is over, giving Democrats key victories. Both Republican gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan and nonaffiliated candidate Betsy Johnson said they wanted Measure 110 repealed. Approved in 2020, it decriminalized possession of a small amount of illegal drugs with a […]
Free program allows Oregonians to obtain COVID medication at home
Oregonians at risk for a severe COVID infection now have access to free online health care visits thanks to a new state program. The Oregon Health Authority announced Tuesday that a California-based health care company, Color Health, will offer telehealth sessions online or on the phone to Oregonians who at risk of developing a severe […]
Lori Chavez-DeRemer wins Oregon’s 5th Congressional District seat
Lori Chavez-DeRemer has won Oregon’s 5th Congressional District, becoming the state’s second Republican in Congress and its first Latina. On Sunday, the Associated Press announced that the former mayor of Happy Valley had won the race against Democrat Jamie-McLeod-Skinner, an attorney and regional emergency manager from central Oregon. The call followed a Saturday night drop […]
Republican Christine Drazan concedes the governor’s race to Democrat Tina Kotek
Christine Drazan, who had hoped to become the first Republican governor in Oregon in more than three decades, conceded the governor’s race. In a statement posted on YouTube on Friday, she acknowledged her loss to Democrat Tina Kotek, who declared victory in Portland on Thursday. “I wish her and our state only the best. We […]
Two statewide measures on slavery and legislative walkouts have passed in Oregon
UPDATED: Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022 at 6:18 p.m. Oregon voters passed ballot measures to remove references to slavery from the state constitution and punish lawmakers for skipping work. Supporters of a third proposal that would tighten Oregon’s gun laws have also declared victory, though the battle is tight and thousands of ballots remain to be […]
Fate of 4 statewide measures mostly unclear in early returns
Early returns released Tuesday showed support for four statewide measures, though the results were mostly tight. Only one, Measure 113 that aims to ban legislative walkouts, appeared headed towards victory. With 1.2 million ballots counted out of nearly 3 million by 11 p.m., nearly 68% voted in favor and 32% were against. The vote for […]
Live coverage: Oregon 2022 general election
Oregon voters will decide Tuesday who wins key races that could change the balance of power in the state and nationally. They will pick a new governor, decide who will be in Oregon’s congressional delegation and cast ballots on several ballot measures, including two that would alter the state’s constitution. Some results may not […]
Lower-income Oregon veterans can sign up for free dental
The Oregon Health Authority is gearing up to launch a no-cost dental program for lower-income veterans. This month it opened the application process, and on Jan. 1 the program will launch. No one knows how many will sign up and qualify among Oregon’s 300,000 veterans but it could be thousands. To qualify, vets can earn […]
A week to Election Day, about 20% of registered voters have cast ballots
With just over a week before the election, Oregon officials received their first big dump of ballots on Monday. Elections offices statewide received nearly 160,000 ballots, the biggest daily total since Oct. 21 when the Secretary of State’s Office started tracking ballots. As of Monday, elections officials had received about 570,000 ballots, or just under […]
Multnomah County vote-counting system runs without a hitch
County elections offices are whirring into action across the state, testing and verifying the ballot counting process before the Nov. 8 election. Elections officials are required to hold three public tests of their vote-counting systems for an election: two before any ballots are scanned and one afterwards before votes are certified. Multnomah County, the state’s […]