Editorial

Oregon’s short legislative session is traditionally reserved for budget tweaks and other fixes, but this February, expect another big issue to dominate: Measure 110. Oregonians in 2020 voted in favor of decriminalizing user amounts of drugs and funneling more marijuana taxes into the state’s treatment programs, but three years in, most people—Democrats and Republicans, both—agree […]

Look on NextDoor or another lively community forum and you’re likely to see plenty of talk about the Bend City Council and what it is or is not doing at the present time. People tend to have a lot to say about the running of our local city government, and sometimes those opinions are downright […]

In addition to a presidential election that promises to test the borders of American democracy — again — the year 2024 will go down as the year that the U.S. Supreme Court could decide to place its own judgement of medical concerns above the decisions of the agency tasked with ensuring that the drugs on […]

Ever since Gov. Tom McCall in 1971 encouraged people to come to visit Oregon, “but for heaven’s sake, don’t come here to live,” the state has had a reputation for attempting to control growth and discourage newcomers. The problem with that reputation is that it empowered the anti-development sentiment that left us in the housing […]

The end of a year is typically a good time to take stock, review what’s working and what still needs to change. In this week’s Opinion, we’re doing just that — taking a look at some of the issues we, and our readers, care about. To spare you some precious time, let’s do this in […]

Earlier this month, county commissioners in Josephine County in southern Oregon voted to allow a couple to opt out of paying taxes to the Josephine Community Library District, after the couple alleged they do not benefit from library services. Since that decision, four more people in that county have requested to be removed from the […]

Ask the average person about Bend’s biggest challenges and near the top of the list will almost always be housing. The combo of a sprawl-limiting Urban Growth Boundary, high labor costs and a desirable place to live mean that housing prices are at a premium in Bend. That combo also means that when developers find […]

Per state tradition, the Oregon State Legislative Assembly only meets for a “short session” during even-numbered years – giving state legislators just one month for legislative fixes and other stuff that didn’t get done the previous year. But in 2024, that short session is shaping up to be on the long side. Not only do […]

Imagine a world where Bend’s Summit High School gets so much money for its sportsing programs that one day, in hopes of getting even more exposure and money coming in for sportsing, the school proclaims that it will no longer play its cross-town rival, Bend Senior High School. Two publicly funded schools of about the […]