Category Archives: Willamette Week

House Speaker Tina Kotek Demotes Two Oregon Lawmakers for Their Rude Remarks

-Kotek explained her decisions as part of an effort to change Salem’s culture following a sexual harassment scandal.- Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek this morning demoted two lawmakers for their public remarks, as she tries to contain the fallout from a sexual harassment scandal that has paralyzed the Capitol. Source: House Speaker Tina Kotek Demotes […]
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Bill Would Make It Legal to Hail a Lyft and Uber Anywhere in Oregon, While Taking Regulations Out of Portland’s Hands

-Law would not allow Portland regulations, but would adopt key Portland safety regulations statewide.- Legislation to make it legal for Lyft and Uber to operate everywhere in the state of Oregon was introduced in the Legislature yesterday, again with provisions that would strip away Portland’s ability to regulate the ride-hailing companies. Source: Bill Would Make It Legal […]
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 Legislative Harassment Leads to Two Lawsuits

The fallout from a blistering investigative report released in January by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries into sexual harassment at the Legislature continued this week with two new lawsuits. Source: Murmurs: Legislative Harassment Leads to Two Lawsuits

After Public Fiasco, Oregon Lawmakers Want to Make Sexual Harassment Complaints Confidential

The Legislature’s attempt to fix its sexual harassment reporting process is off to a rough start. Source: After Public Fiasco, Oregon Lawmakers Want to Make Sexual Harassment Complaints Confidential

Portland-Area Snowpack Levels Have Risen by Nearly 30 Percent Since the Start of February

The snow and heavy rain that blanketed the Pacific Northwest over the past two weeks brought area snowpack levels up nearly 30 percent. Since the start of February, data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service of Oregon show, snowpack in the Willamette basin region has increased from 51 percent of normal to 83 percent of normal. Source: […]
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Former Legislative Lawyer Files Whistleblower Lawsuit Against Sen. President Peter Courtney, House Speaker Tina Kotek 

Gail Stevens says legislative leaders failed to protect her after she reported sexual harassment and gender discrimination. Gail Stevens, a former lawyer for the Oregon Legislature, today filed a whistleblower lawsuit in Marion County Circuit Court against Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland). Stevens worked as a deputy legislative counsel from late […]
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Thousands Still Stuck on Columbia River Gorge Highway in a 20-Mile-Long Ice Jam

Some have gone without food, water, or bathroom breaks since the jam started on Interstate 84 some 16 hours ago. Source: Thousands Still Stuck on Columbia River Gorge Highway in a 20-Mile-Long Ice Jam

Oregon Is Gradually Getting More Diverse

There’s good news for one of the most homogenous states in the nation: Immigration from Asia, particularly China, is booming. Source: Oregon Is Gradually Getting More Diverse

New Index Ranks Oregon Among States With Most Comprehensive Legal Protections For LGBTQ Residents

Oregon was one of 17 states to get the SEI’s highest ranking of “Working Toward Innovative Equality.” Source: New Index Ranks Oregon Among States With Most Comprehensive Legal Protections For LGBTQ Residents

Multnomah County Prosecutors Violated an Oregon Law for Decades. Then They Got Caught.

Multnomah County prosecutors have been breaking an Oregon law for decades. After questions raised by a public defender and WW, they pledged to abandon the illegal practice. District attorneys are required by state law to file a record with the court whenever a grand jury dismisses a felony charge. Before such a case can go to trial, […]
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