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Disability group accuses Marion County of thwarting federal court order over mental health patients
A long-running case involving patients accused of crimes who need treatment in Oregon’s psychiatric hospital appeared to have been resolved through negotiations and court orders over the past year and a half. But now Marion County courts are thwarting an agreement designed to ease overcrowding at the Oregon State Hospital, threatening to undermine months of […]
Secretary of state will disqualify legislators with 10 unexcused absences from running in 2024
The Oregon secretary of state said Tuesday that Republican state senators who had at least 10 unexcused absences during this year’s session will not be eligible to run in 2024. LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who was recently appointed secretary, said in a statement she has directed her office to implement an administrative rule making it clear to […]
Former state legislator announces run for Republican primary for Oregon’s 6th District
Former state legislator Denyc Boles announced Monday she’s running for the Republican nomination in Oregon’s 6th Congressional District. Boles said safety, education and the economy are her top concerns. “Oregon families deserve better than the bickering and partisan gridlock we are getting from Washington, D.C.,” Boles said. “We deserve real solutions to combat inflation, bringing […]
New data breach affects 1.7 million Oregonians
Hackers have gained access to the personal information of 1.7 million current and former Medicaid members in Oregon. The breach dates to May 30. Hackers exploited a vulnerability in a file transfer program, MOVEit, to obtain the personal and medical information of members of the Oregon Health Plan, the state’s Medicaid system. The breach happened […]
Kotek faced pressure from recovery advocates to fire Oregon liquor commission head
Gov. Tina Kotek faced pressure from recovery advocates to fire the head of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission for its support of the alcohol industry. Mike Marshall, executive director of Portland-based Oregon Recovers, told the Capital Chronicle on Tuesday that he asked Kotek last October and repeated the request in December after Kotek was […]
Columbia River Gorge charter school wins nearly $1 million for energy improvements
When Brent Foster entered Mosier Community School last September for a meeting, he realized that something needed to be done about the 100-year-old building. Everyone inside was sweating. “It may not have been 100 degrees, but it was darn close if it wasn’t,” Foster told the Capital Chronicle. High heat is not good for meetings […]
Nonprofit awards $5 million to widen abortion access in Oregon
Oregon is one of the few states nationwide with few restrictions on abortion access. But that doesn’t mean that abortions are widely available. Three-quarters of Oregon’s 36 counties have no abortion providers, according to a release Tuesday from Seeding Justice, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps underserved communities. More than 20% of Oregon women live in […]
Nearly 50 congressional Democrats urge tighter regulations protecting medical records
Nearly 50 Democratic and independent members of Congress are appealing to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to tighten regulations protecting the privacy of health information. In a letter Tuesday to Secretary Xavier Becerra, they asked that the department enact more precautions to ensure that law officers obtain a warrant before seeking the […]
Oregon’s 988 suicide prevention hotline sees jump in demand
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or a mental health crisis, call or text 988 for free, immediate support 24/7. The new 988 suicide prevention hotline marked its first year in Oregon with a 33% increase in calls from people in crisis. The Oregon Health Authority said Thursday residents […]
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland prosecutes another Oregonian for fraud of pandemic funds
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland has won another case involving fraud of pandemic loans, with a Beaverton man convicted of defrauding banks and the federal government. The U.S. District Court in Portland last week sentenced 62-year-old Theodore Johnson to serve 15 months in federal prison for one count of bank fraud. He also has to […]
DMV camera breakdown prevents issuing of IDs, driver’s licenses
Oregon’s Department of Motor Vehicles has suffered another breakdown: Its cameras stopped working for a few days, preventing the agency from issuing IDs and driver’s licenses. The system was down from midday last Wednesday to midday Friday and then stopped working for a time on Monday, said spokeswoman Michelle Godfrey. “The outage prevented us from […]
Oregon expands free health insurance for low-income residents – regardless of immigration status
UPDATED at 6:05 p.m. with more information from the Oregon Health Authority. Oregon has expanded free health insurance that mirrors Medicaid to all residents who qualify, regardless of their immigration status. The move took effect July 1. It marks an expansion of a Medicaid-type program for immigrants last year for residents who don’t qualify for […]