Category Archives: Jefferson Public Radio

What Broke PERS, And What Might Fix It

The name is only four letters long, but the issues with it can take volumes to explain.  PERS, Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System, has billions of dollars on hand to pay to retired public workers. The trouble is that there’s a gap between what it will need to pay workers in the future, and the […]
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SOU Tuition Will Go Up Next Fall. How Much, Depends On Lawmakers

Southern Oregon University will join other public universities in the state in raising tuition starting with the fall term. Exactly how much, will hinge on decisions made in the state legislature over the next month or so. Rising costs led the SOU Board of Trustees Thursday to approve a tuition increase for state residents that […]
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Southern Oregon Parents Rally Against Vaccine Bill | Jefferson Public Radio

Children who have not been fully vaccinated would be excluded from attending schools and daycare centers under a bill that passed the Oregon House on May 6. Parents who oppose the measure held protests in Southern Oregon on Friday. About 200 people, many of them parents with small children, crowded into the Plaza in downtown […]
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Oregon Senate Boycott Hits Day 3, With No End Apparent

The Republican boycott of the Oregon Senate continued for a third straight day Thursday, with little sign of progress from either side. Source: Oregon Senate Boycott Hits Day 3, With No End Apparent | Jefferson Public Radio

Oregon Could Crack Down On Out-Of-State Bottle Returns

Could you make a profit by collecting empties outside of Oregon and bringing them back for a ten-cent deposit? They tried something like that on Seinfeld. Source: Oregon Could Crack Down On Out-Of-State Bottle Returns

Oregon Ban on Dredging Critical Salmon Streams Remains Intact Following Court Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court has closed the book on a years-long battle to overturn a ban on suction dredge mining in Oregon’s salmon-bearing streams. Source: Oregon Ban on Dredging Critical Salmon Streams Remains Intact Following Court Decision | Jefferson Public Radio

Oregon Lawmakers, Family Gather To Celebrate The Life Of Norma Paulus

Family, friends and Oregon lawmakers gathered at Willamette University in Salem on Saturday for Norma Paulus’ memorial service. Paulus was Oregon’s first female secretary of state. She died Feb. 28 at the age of 85 in a Portland care facility. Source: Oregon Lawmakers, Family Gather To Celebrate The Life Of Norma Paulus | Jefferson Public […]
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Oregon Sent Foster Children With Disabilities Out Of State, Hearing Reveals

When news broke that Oregon was sending foster care children to out-of-state facilities at an increasing rate, Child Welfare director Marilyn Jones responded by writing an opinion piece assuring members of the public: “We know where they are every day, we know how they are doing.” Source: Oregon Sent Foster Children With Disabilities Out Of […]
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Oregon Legislature Considers Drug Price Bills

Congress has been reluctant to take action on high prescription drug prices, so the states have made some moves on their own. A flock of bills in front of the Oregon legislature addresses drug price information and could set up systems for Oregonians to receive cheaper drugs from Canada. Source: Mon 8:30 | Oregon Legislature […]
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Gov. Kate Brown Issues Executive Order Aimed At Improving Child Welfare System

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued an executive order Thursday establishing a Child Welfare Oversight Board charged with improving the state’s beleaguered child welfare system. Source: Gov. Kate Brown Issues Executive Order Aimed At Improving Child Welfare System