Author Archives: Jerry Curry

Annual report spotlights child welfare in Oregon

Deschutes County graduation ranking improved, child abuse ranking dropped. The annual Oregon County Data Book, which offers detailed statistics on issues facing children and families across the state, was released last week and shows mixed results. The book is produced each year by the state child advocacy organization, Children First for Oregon. It compiles data […]
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Editorial: Lawmakers should end elected officials’ sweet deal

Elected officials in Oregon have, by and large, a sweet deal when it comes to Oregon’s public records law. It’s time the Legislature closed the loophole that comes close to guaranteeing elected officials have nothing to fear from the law. Ginger McCall, the state’s former Public Records Advocate, made the case for the change in […]
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Oregon Flavored Vape Ban Aimed At Young Users, But (Surprise) Discouraging Teens Not Easy

A big reason Oregon approved a ban on flavored vaping products is to stop one particular group of people from getting hooked on nicotine: teenagers. That ban is now suspended, after the Oregon Court of Appeals granted a temporary stay Thursday. But momentum against vaping is continuing, as one of the largest producers has vowed […]
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Editorial: Ballot security will be the issue

More than 400 Oregonians, all of them living overseas, will have the opportunity to take part in a voting experiment this November. They’re legal residents of Jackson and Umatilla counties, and they’ll be able to use their smartphones to vote back home. Source: Editorial: Ballot security will be the issue;

Oregon brings up the rear on Real ID

What is it with Oregon state government and technology? First there was Cover Oregon, the website that was supposed to let Oregonians sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. That was an unmitigated disaster that never went live. Now, the state is poised to start issuing new driver’s licenses that comply with […]
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Oregon’s Daylight Saving Legislation Is Law, But Is It Living On Borrowed Time?

November 3rd is when Oregonians move the clock back an hour. But what’s that? Didn’t the legislature and governor nix Daylight Saving Time this year? As KLCC’s Brian Bull explains, yes…and no. Senate Bill 320 was signed into law this year.  It keeps most of Oregon in year-round Daylight Saving Time, meaning no switching hours. […]
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Cap-and-trade bill was a missed opportunity

During Oregon’s last legislative session we had a climate bill that was good for our rural citizens: HB 2020. This was a cap, trade and invest bill. The cap is necessary to limit the amount of pollution. The trade is to create markets that provide incentives for reduction, and the investment is to create structure […]
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Great Oregon Shakeout Tests Kids, Hotels, Local Governments

The Great Oregon ShakeOut is a way to ensure people around the state are prepared in case of an earthquake and know where to go and how to recover. More than 720,000 people signed up online to participate in the drill that lasted about a minute. People in schools, hotels, local government and even law […]
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Oregon Health Authority lowers hammer on Health Share for transportation problems

Medicaid enrollees have complained of late or canceled rides, and drivers have said they haven’t been paid by Health Share’s vendor. After Medicaid enrollees in the Portland area complained of problems with Health Share of Oregon’s nonemergency transportation program, the Oregon Health Authority issued a corrective action plan this week. The plan requires Health Share, […]
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Health Share Of Oregon Told To Improve Its Transportation Service

The Oregon Health Authority has told one of the state’s largest care providers for low-income people, to improve its transportation services. Health Share of Oregon serves more than 300,000 people across Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties, as one of the state’s coordinated care organizations, or CCOs. Source: Health Share Of Oregon Told To Improve Its Transportation Service […]
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