Kotek targets behavioral health system crisis – and plans ahead

Gov. Tina Kotek is asking lawmakers to put $74.2 million into behavioral health programs in one bill as she begins crafting a five-year plan to address the state’s crisis. Kotek and the state’s new behavioral health director, Ebony Clarke, spoke Monday to lawmakers on the Senate Health Care Committee about the need to expand mental […]
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Oregon Gov. Kotek seeks legislation to fight opioid overdoses

Patients with a history of opioid use would get increased access to overdose reversal medications under a bill backed by Gov. Tina Kotek and top legislative leaders. Senate Bill 1043, would require hospitals and types of providers to give patients two doses of opioid overdose reversal medication when they leave the facility if they have […]
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Oregon lawmakers hear testimony on abortion, gender-affirming care

A sweeping bill intended to guarantee access to abortion and gender-affirming care in Oregon as other states limit rights received its first hearing in the state House Monday, with hours of often-emotional testimony. House Bill 2002 would protect doctors and other health care providers from losing their licenses or facing other repercussions for providing abortions […]
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Oregon insiders: Who’s who in and around state government

Barry Pack, whose departure as Oregon Lottery director coincided with Gov. Tina Kotek’s inauguration, is now working for Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler as a senior adviser. He will represent the Mayor’s Office in implementing Measure 26-288, which voters approved last year to restructure city government. Nate Stice has rejoined the Oregon governor’s Regional Solutions team, […]
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The Liftoff: Who got a $200,000 bonus?

PLUS: Kotek’s approval rating; UO’s new president; Oregon’s connection to the “trillion dollar coin” idea; the devastation of fentanyl; high profile bills in the state legislature; and more! Mental health and addiction are front and center in Oregon politics The legislature’s $200 million gamble and big bills this week A $200,000 bonus, Kotek’s polling, and […]
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House passes bill to allow Oregonians to pump their own gas

Oregon drivers who for decades have been banned from touching gas pumps could soon have the right to fuel their own cars, under a bill the state House overwhelmingly approved Monday. Only Oregon and New Jersey ban self-service gas, though Oregon in recent years allowed people to pump their own gas in some rural counties […]
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Hate-crime victims could break leases without penalty to move away from attackers, Oregon bill proposes

Victims of hate crimes often suffer deep psychological distress, but their suffering can be so much worse when the people who targeted them know exactly where they live. A bill before the Oregon Legislature aims to lessen that distress. House Bill 3443 would allow victims of hate crimes in the state to break their rental […]
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Lawmakers considering bill to require fentanyl education by fall 2024. Advocates say schools shouldn’t wait.

A bill in the Legislature that takes direct aim at fentanyl prevention is up for a likely vote Tuesday in the Senate Education Committee. But Senate Bill 238 sidesteps the Beaverton school district’s ready to use curriculum. Source: Lawmakers considering bill to require fentanyl education by fall 2024. Advocates say schools shouldn’t wait.

Marion County judges reject public defenders’ effort to ease caseloads

Marion County judges and the chief public defense contractor in Salem are engaged in a new tussle over public defense services in the state. Shannon Wilson, executive director of Public Defenders of Marion County, Inc., filed four motions Wednesday requesting that public defenders in the county be permitted to withdraw from pending cases and decline […]
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Spring Whale Watch Week is returning to the Oregon coast

Spring is a perfect time to visit the Oregon coast – just ask the whales. Thousands of gray whales will once again make their spring migration up the Pacific coastline, passing Oregon on their way from Baja, Mexico, to the shores off Alaska. This year, they’ll be joined by people in boats, on beaches and […]
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