Author Archives: Jerry Curry

Legislators prepping to tackle guns, wildfires, homelessness in upcoming session

Legislators will roll up their sleeves for some speedy politicking in February, tackling some of Oregon’s thorniest problems. When they gather for the monthlong legislative session, legislators want to improve the state’s care for people with mental illness and its ability to fight increasingly destructive wildfires. State Library Ed. Note:  Oregon Capital Bureau story also […]
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Oregon public records council focuses on plan to ensure independence

League of Oregon Cities’ amendments could curtail some of the council’s and public records advocates’ authority to seek legislation. Oregon’s Public Records Advisory Council met Wednesday to discuss a legislative proposal to carve out its place as an independent agency and office under the governor. A lobbyist for the League of Oregon Cities has proposed […]
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Editorial: Homeless focus overlooks important piece of the puzzle

Oregon Speaker of the House Tina Kotek hopes to persuade the state Legislature to commit at least $40 million to help finance new shelters for the homeless this year. If she’s successful, the money will be a good step in efforts to provide relief for Oregon’s least fortunate residents, though it’s a long way from […]
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California’s Vaccine Exemption Ban Shows Results

Oregon’s legislature spent part of last year working on a bill that would end non-medical exemptions from vaccines for children. In the end, the House passed the bill, but it was withdrawn in the Senate, part of the deal to bring the Republicans back from a walkout. Source: California’s Vaccine Exemption Ban Shows Results | […]
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Don’t wait for campaign finance reform

Gov. Kate Brown says there’s no hurry to pass campaign finance limits during the 2020 legislative session, preferring to wait for voters to decide in November whether to amend the Oregon Constitution to allow it. In remarks to reporters during a session preview last week, Brown said she has “really strong thoughts” about the issue […]
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Jeremy Christian Trial | Census 2020 | Native American Businesses – OPB’s Think Out Loud

The 2020 census is still a few months away from arriving at households across the country, but efforts to get the word out about the census is underway in many states. Oregon has spent nearly $8 million on outreach efforts to historically undercounted communities. We Count Oregon is working to ensure that those communities are […]
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Editorial: Reporters Committee bringing needed help to Oregon

Oregon media organizations are going to get some much needed help in getting public records. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press announced Tuesday Oregon was one of five states selected to have an attorney to help journalists gain access to public records and hold government accountable. Oregon’s public records law is a farce […]
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Pendleton, Hermiston lag behind graduation milestone

A rising tide doesn’t always lift all boats. The Oregon Department of Education announced Thursday that the state’s 80% graduation rate for the 2018-19 school year was the highest ever, and although most local schools grew along with the state, the region’s two largest school districts — Pendleton and Hermiston — continued to lag behind. […]
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Local high schools have mixed graduation rate results in a historic year for Oregon

Oregon had its highest overall high school graduation rate in a decade in 2019, a year in which Central Oregon’s 10 high schools saw varied results. Only half of the region’s high schools posted a higher graduation rate for the class of 2019 than the year before. Still, all but two local high schools surpassed […]
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The coronavirus outbreak is a true test of our trust in government.

State Library Ed. Note: If you cannot access this story via the link below, state employees can access this Washington Post story HERE via the State Library’s subscription to the US Newstream database. Alternatively, state employees can contact us for access: library.help@state.or.us or 503-378-8800. For any response to a virus outbreak to be effective, people need to heed government officials’ […]
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