Last month, the Oregon Working Families Party announced that Amanda La Bell would be running on the party’s ballot line in the House 54 race. Some have mistakenly asserted that it was the Democrats who made the effort to get La Bell, the founder and executive director of the Rebecca Foundation, on the ballot, in […]
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A new Candidate for House District 54
Amanda La Bell is running on the Oregon Working Families ballot line
Amanda La Bell just threw her hat into the ring for State Representative in House District 54—running on the Oregon Working Families Party ballot line. La Bell filed her candidacy on Friday, Aug. 24. Despite her late entry, La Bell joins the race with some big Democratic names behind her. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Gov. […]
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Drudge Report
New cannabis report is getting a lot of attention—but maybe not for being entirely accurate
A new report is out, examining how Oregon is doing with our recreational cannabis program. Much like Thomas Kinkade, it paints an ugly picture. Oregon Attorney General Billy Williams says Oregon’s cannabis is “out of control.” The “Insight Report: An Initial Assessment of Cannabis Production, Distribution, and Consumption in Oregon 2018,” was prepared by a group […]
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Buehler Gets the Repub Gov Nomination; Baney Loses to Adair
Results of the May 2018 primary
Less than 30 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the May 15 primary—yet despite that low voter turnout, some won; some lost. Here are the results of interest to people in Central Oregon, according to unofficial results from the Oregon Secretary of State: 9-115 City of Bend Five-Year Operating Levy for Fire and Emergency […]
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Governor Signs Boyfriend Loophole Law
Law bars convicted stalkers and domestic violence offenders from buying or keeping guns
While not directly addressing the issue of gun violence in schools, students and gun safety advocates were among those on hand at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem today to witness Gov. Kate Brown signing HB 4145, Oregon’s “boyfriend loophole” bill, into law. Around 300 students attended the event today, according to a release from […]
Posted inOpinion
Prediction: In this short legislative session, all the shortcomings of a short session will be compounded by politics.
Governor Brown touts increasing graduation rates, avoids PERS
Opening day at the state legislature is akin to the first day of school. You hear a rousing speech, followed by sessions that briefly touch on what you’ll tackle throughout the year. There might even be treats—and there will certainly be some playground squabbling. And so it was at the opening day of the 2018 […]
Posted inOpinion
What’s Next, Legislature?
Governor’s budget works to protect seniors and students, but it can only go so far
Early this month, Gov. Kate Brown released her recommended budget for the 2017-19 biennium. The budget’s title: “Strategic Investments for Challenging Times.” “Sustaining hard fought gains is nearly impossible with a tax system that is unstable, inadequate to meet our essential needs, and fundamentally out of balance,” said Gov. Brown. In November, voters approved Measure […]
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Hate Rash
As Gov. Brown issues a statement against hate, Central Oregon is not immune to racial incidents
On Monday, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown issued a statement calling for an end to hate in the wake of the election. “Hate has no place in the Oregon we love,” said Gov. Brown. “I refuse to let hate and discrimination divide our state and our people. We must work together as Oregonians and as Americans […]
Posted inOpinion
Democratic Primary Endorsement for Governor
Kate Brown
“We will protect what makes Oregon great,” said Gov. Kate Brown in her 2016 State of the State Address. That promise is gaining momentum. This year, she signed into law Oregon’s historic clean energy bill, the first of its kind in the nation. She also proposed sweeping minimum wage increases, tiered regionally, passed by the […]
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Sidenotes
Whether you’re a professional snoop or you’re just looking for some light reading, the first batch of former Gov. John Kitzhaber’s emails should be of interest. Released Tuesday by Gov. Kate Brown’s office in response to public records requests, the emails are from the Gmail account Kitzhaber used to conduct official business in lieu of […]