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STATUS CHECK: Where key legislative bills are on week 3
The five-week session of the Oregon Legislature kicked off with lawmakers filing more than 200 bills. Those have been whittled down by House and Senate committees. Bills that didn’t pass out of committee by the end of the day on Feb. 14 died. Those that require the use of state funds must be considered by […]
Hospitalizations from omicron decline faster than expected, OHSU forecast says
UPDATED: Thursday at 6:57 p.m. Hospitalizations of patients with Covid-19 are declining faster than originally predicted, according to the latest forecast by Oregon Health & Science University. Peter Graven, OHSU’s Covid forecaster, said Thursday that he expects hospitalizations to return to the level they were before omicron hit by March 20, about 10 days earlier […]
Trust gives $500,000 to Sustainable Northwest for regenerative ranching
One of the largest charities in the Northwest has awarded nearly $500,000 for a ranching project to protect the environment and help ranchers earn more money. M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust, based in Vancouver, said Wednesday it is giving nearly $489,000 to Portland-based Sustainable Northwest for a regenerative ranching program. Regenerative ranching involves using certain grazing […]
As nursing shortage in Oregon continues, legislators plan a remedy
A proposal in the Legislature aims to address the nursing shortage in Oregon, which has put quality care at risk, advocates say. As many as 350,000 people are hospitalized in Oregon every year, 1.3 million seek emergency room treatment and 13 million are treated as outpatients. Nurses are also critical to providing care in medical […]
Proposal to pay farmworkers overtime overcomes first hurdle in Legislature
A controversial plan to require overtime pay that would affect the 86,000 farmworkers in Oregon advanced on Tuesday along partisan lines. All seven Democrats on the House Committee on Business and Labor voted for House Bill 4002, which would require owners to pay farmworkers time and a half for hours over a 40 hour workweek, […]
House plan would give mental health facilities nearly $200 million for staffing
Oregon lawmakers are proposing nearly $200 million to help treat more Oregonians struggling with mental health issues and addiction problems. Hundreds of thousands of people rely on outpatient and residential programs for treatment for addiction, severe depression and other disabling mental disorders but during the pandemic they’ve often had to wait months for help. House […]
Peak of omicron hospitalizations and cases in Oregon is over, forecast says
The surge of people hospitalized or infected with omicron is over, according to the latest forecast from Oregon Health & Science University. The forecast, which influences the policy of the Oregon Health Authority, indicates that Oregon reached its peak is over, and the number of Oregonians infected or hospitalized has started to decline. The downward […]
Lawmakers propose plan to expand access to primary health care, including visits to therapists
Oregon lawmakers are considering a proposal that aims to expand access to primary health care for thousands of Oregonians. House Bill 4083 would require insurers selling individual and group plans on the federal health insurance marketplace by 2024 to offer three free primary health care visits to patients each year, with both behavioral health and […]
Oregon’s low-income vets could get dental treatment under legislation
Under a plan before the Legislature, thousands of veterans would gain access to dental care. There are about 300,000 veterans in Oregon but few have dental benefits through the Veterans Administration, which essentially restricts coverage to those who have been disabled by service injuries. House Bill 4095 would provide care for the poorest who make […]
Farmworkers plead for overtime pay as ag industry warns of harmful impacts
Emotional and passionate testimony stretched into the night Tuesday during a legislative hearing on a proposal to require overtime pay for Oregon’s farmworkers. Legislation put forward by two Democratic lawmakers would pay farmworkers time and a half after working 40 hours a week and would include tax credits for companies to help them adjust. Overtime […]
Health insurance coverage in Oregon increases slightly during pandemic
About 4 million people in Oregon are covered by health insurance, marking an increase of nearly 60,000 people in two years. That’s according to the Oregon Health Authority. It said the percentage of Oregonians with health insurance increased from 94% in 2019 to 95.4% last year. The increase was mainly due to more people getting […]
Push to pay overtime to Oregon’s farmworkers up against strong industry opposition
A fight is brewing in the Oregon Legislature over a proposal to give farmworkers overtime pay after 40 hours a week. Democratic supporters say the change is long overdue and that extending overtime pay to a group of essential workers who toil long hours, do difficult work and earn low wages is a matter of […]