Briefs
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown brushes off criticism of maskless photos
Gov. Kate Brown’s political adviser on Monday brushed off criticism that she attended a seemingly maskless D.C. gala as Oregon continues to live with some of the nation’s strictest mask mandates. On Saturday, the LGBTQ Victory Institute inducted Brown into its hall of fame to honor her as the nation’s first openly LGBTQ governor during […]
Oregonians can bid for lower taxes while funding scholarships through state auction
An upcoming auction for tax credits could save winners anywhere from $50 to $1.12 million on state taxes, all while funding Oregon’s largest needs-based scholarship program. The online auction is in its fourth year, and offers bidders the opportunity to shave their tax bill and direct a portion of what they would pay in taxes […]
State officials step up testing for Omicron variant
State officials said they’re stepping up variant testing to identify Omicron when it arrives in Oregon. The new strain, which was first detected last month in Botswana and then South Africa, turned up in California on Wednesday, and on Thursday three new cases emerged in New York, Minnesota and Colorado. It might only be days […]
Education Department wants public help mapping the future of special education
The Oregon Education Department is writing a six-year plan to improve school results for students with disabilities, and it wants the public’s help. Agency officials want to know how well public schools are preparing students with disabilities for life after high school, whether students with disabilities are being included in the same spaces as their […]
Federal government awards Oregon health providers nearly $120 million
The Biden administration has started to distribute $7.5 billion in American Rescue Plan funds to more than 40,000 health care providers in each state and in Washington D.C. and six U.S. territories who’ve been hurt by the pandemic. Nearly $120 million was earmarked for about 480 providers in Oregon. The grants are mostly for hospitals, […]
Oregon House Republicans pick Vikki Breese-Iverson as new caucus leader
Oregon House Republicans on Tuesday selected Prineville Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson as their new caucus leader after Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, stepped down from the post to focus on her campaign for governor. In a statement, Breese-Iverson said she was proud of the work the caucus has done over the past few years to stand up […]
Oregon health officials work on voluntary digital vaccine card
The Oregon Health Authority plans to offer a digital vaccine card to Oregonians next spring. It is not a passport: The technology is designed as a convenience for people who need to show proof of vaccination on their phone to get into a concert or restaurant, for example. Alarmist rumors circulating on social media about […]
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum won’t run for governor
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Monday that she will not run for governor, putting an end to months of rumors. Rosenblum, a Democrat elected to the post in 2012, said in a video posted to her campaign Twitter account that Oregon needs both a strong governor and a strong attorney general – and she knows […]
Portland Democrat Akasha Lawrence Spence tapped as new Oregon state senator
Portland real estate developer Akasha Lawrence Spence will soon be able to list a rare accomplishment on her résumé: serving in both Oregon legislative chambers without ever winning election. County commissioners in Multnomah and Washington counties voted unanimously on Monday to appoint Lawrence Spence to the state Senate vacated last month when Sen. Ginny Burdick, […]
A year after state, tribes receive funds to test for lead in drinking water at schools, childcare facilities
Tribal-run child care facilities and schools in Oregon will be tested for lead in the drinking water under a grant announced by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board will receive $445,000 to test water in at least 90 facilities in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Testing will begin next spring […]
Rosenblum names new Oregon deputy attorney general
Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum on Wednesday named the head of her civil litigation division to a new post as her deputy. Lisa Udland, who has worked for the state Justice Department since 2002, will take the reins as deputy attorney general on Dec. 1. She’ll be responsible for day-to-day operations, overseeing an agency with nine […]
Tribal elders lose their appeal over land on Mount Hood they consider sacred
Two tribal elders lost their latest attempt to regain a patch of land on Mount Hood they consider sacred. In a five-page decision, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals dismissed the case on Wednesday. It has been pending on appeal since May. The two sides argued their case before the court last week. The […]