Category Archives: Willamette Week

Portland Lagging Behind Other West Coast Cities in Implementing Earthquake Detection System, New Report Says

The Trump administration is fast-tracking earthquake detection system implementation on the West Coast. But the Pacific Northwest is holding up the process. It’s been well-reported that an any given moment a massive Cascadian subduction zone earthquake—aka The Big One—could decimate the West Coast. Source: Portland Lagging Behind Other West Coast Cities in Implementing Earthquake Detection […]
Read More »

An Oregon Ban on Grocery Taxes Could Hamstring Local Control of E-Cigarettes

Vaping and e-cigarettes are increasingly popular with young consumers. One of the debates raging around Measure 103, which would ban taxes on groceries, is what the measure would mean for e-cigarettes. Unlike conventional cigarettes, e-cigarettes are not taxed in Oregon. But given the large and rapidly growing market they command—and concerns on the part of public health […]
Read More »

Oregon Tax Measures Are Raising Big—and Lopsided—Money

The “yes” campaigns on two measures to block new taxes are drawing big corporate spending. Oregon and Portland-area ballots are crowded this November with measures that will decide big policy issues, from whether to prohibit a sales tax on groceries to whether to subsidize affordable housing in the Portland metro region. Source: Oregon Tax Measures […]
Read More »

Current and Former Oregon Lawmakers File Ballot Initiative to Block Further PERS Debt

A ballot initiative proposed for 2020 would prohibit the Oregon governments from borrowing to pay pension obligations. Source: Current and Former Oregon Lawmakers File Ballot Initiative to Block Further PERS Debt

Oregon Lawmakers Plan Reforms to Stop Crushing People With Court Fees and Driver’s License Suspensions for Parking and Traffic Tickets

“We’re catching poor people in a spiral they can’t get out of,” Rep. Jeff Barker says. Source: Oregon Lawmakers Plan Reforms to Stop Crushing People With Court Fees and Driver’s License Suspensions for Parking and Traffic Tickets

Oregon Women’s Prison Adopts New Vaccination Practices For Upcoming Flu Season

The prison has a new message: “Health Services cares about you staying healthy and recommends getting the flu vaccine annually.” The Oregon women’s prison has adopted substantial reforms to its vaccination practices after a flu outbreak last year killed an inmate and revealed deficiencies in the institution’s medical practices. Source: Oregon Women’s Prison Adopts New […]
Read More »

Oregon Lawmakers Will Take Another Crack at Auto Thefts

Oregon legislators will try again in 2019 to make motor vehicle theft easier to prosecute in hopes of slowing car thefts. A previous bill in the 2018 short session died without a vote. Source: Murmurs: Oregon Lawmakers Will Take Another Crack at Auto Thefts

Oregon Department of Corrections Will No Longer Share Inmates’ Family Information With ICE Officials

“We will immediately cease this type of information exchange,” the agency says in a memo. After a review ordered by the governor’s office, the Oregon Department of Corrections has decided to no longer provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials the contact information for inmates’ next-of-kin. WW first reported that a prison official had provided […]
Read More »

What It’s Like to Be Pepper Sprayed in Prison

Twenty lawsuits allege Oregon prison guards refused to allow inmates to shower for hours or even days after spraying them with pepper spray. Source: What It’s Like to Be Pepper Sprayed in Prison – Willamette Week

Lawsuit Against City of Portland Challenges the High Cost of Public Records

Housing activist Alan Kessler challenged the city’s $150 minimum cost for an email search in a lawsuit that seeks records on a Portland Historic Landmarks Commissioner. Source: Lawsuit Against City of Portland Challenges the High Cost of Public Records