June 10, 2015 eClips (2024)

Foster children: Oregon officials keep key data on safety from public
Lightning strikes, dozens of blazes signal early start to fire season
Grant funds new trail bridges in the Tillamook State Forest
Gain Share ‘donnybrook’ resolved, sources say: $32 million cap on payments to Washington County
Trail Blazers license plates? Lawmakers take a shot
‘Pay It Forward’ tuition program needs more planning, House panel says
Lawmakers should allow indoor sampling of ‘vaping’ products — Opinion
Marijuana tax deal helps everyone, including reluctant towns — Opinion
Insurance bill would hamstring car-sharing services — Guest Opinion
Portland tech jobs: We’re No. 14, between Atlanta and Detroit
Northern spotted owl numbers rapidly decreasing despite efforts, scientists say
Oregon Senate backs self-service gasoline bill
Oregon may regulate toxic chemicals in toys
Bill to keep guns from abusers clears Oregon House
Values in conflict over Oregon’s death penalty — Opinion
McNary students share opinions, experience on SBAC
Childrens personal information should not be for sale — Guest Opinion
U.S. officials warn of dire wildfire season
Dont bury GOP reforms — Opinion
Pot businesses need banks — Opinion
Abolish time limits on sexual assault prosecutions in Oregon — Guest Opinion
Minimum wage increase helps children thrive — Guest Opinion
Doctors worry about failure of most University of Oregon students to get meningococcal vaccine
Hundreds of University of Oregon students participating in CDC outbreak study
Eugenes Sen. Prozanski targeted in recall
Oregon considers 20 percent tax on retail pot
Scientists say theyve solved mystery of milky rain that fell in parts of Oregon
Northwest could see catastrophic fires
Committee vote puts Damascus closer to disincorporation
Lawsuit puts pot tracking in legal bulls eye
Bill extending records transparency to Legislature dies
Counties urge lawmakers to boost transportation funds
State Medicaid Money To Fortune 500?
Drought Allows A Salmon-Killing Parasite To Thrive In The Klamath
Tech Companies Want Access To More Student Data In Oregon
Land Board Opinion Favors OSU-Cascades And City Of Bend
How Land Board’s Ruling Affects Planned OSU Campus
Vilsack, Jewell make pitch for more fire funds
Former Pendleton City Council member joins state pot committee
New wolf shows up in Southern Oregon
Forestry officials: Keep your drones away from wildfires
Portland-only tax break is a bad idea — Opinion
Oregon still trying for campaign finance reform
Deschutes courts update records system
State board sides with OSU-Cascades on campus appeal
EPA to hold 2nd community meeting in John Day
Feds to Oregon lawmakers: Don’t make it easy to skip Common Core
Tech Talent Concentrations– Blog
Will the Family Preservation Project Get a New Life?– Blog
Lightning Detection Leads to Fire Prevention
Crews Respond to Several Local Lightning-Caused Fires
Tough Fire Season Already Underway In Douglas County
Oregon has worst allergies in the country, website says

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FOSTER CHILDREN: OREGON OFFICIALS KEEP KEY DATA ON SAFETY FROM PUBLIC

(Portland Oregonian)Despite years of warnings, Oregon officials are struggling with two of the most basic ways to keep foster children safe and healthy: monthly visits from caseworkers and prompt investigations of abuse.
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LIGHTNING STRIKES, DOZENS OF BLAZES SIGNAL EARLY START TO FIRE SEASON

(Portland Oregonian) Hundreds of lightning strikes have sparked dozens of wildfires on state and federal land in southern Oregon since Monday, and continued thunderstorms and high winds have prompted a “red flag” fire warning for Hood River, Curry, Josephine, Jackson, and Klamath counties.
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GRANT FUNDS NEW TRAIL BRIDGES IN THE TILLAMOOK STATE FOREST

(Portland Oregonian) The Oregon Department of Forestry ODF recently announced in a news release the completion of two new off-highway vehicle OHV trail bridges on Julies Trail in the Tillamook State Forest.
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GAIN SHARE ‘DONNYBROOK’ RESOLVED, SOURCES SAY: $32 MILLION CAP ON PAYMENTS TO WASHINGTON COUNTY

(Portland Oregonian) The issue that Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney described as a “donnybrook” between “big players” who were “going at it” appears to be resolved.

Legislative leaders have agreed on a Gain Share deal that would cap at $32 million per biennium the revenue distributed to Hillsboro and Washington County under the program, according to sources familiar with the terms.
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TRAIL BLAZERS LICENSE PLATES? LAWMAKERS TAKE A SHOT

(Portland Oregonian) The list of obvious cultural icons allowed on Oregon’s “specialty” license plates isn’t very long: Crater Lake, bicycles, salmon, a handful of university logos and some vineyards filled, presumably, with plump pinot noir grapes.
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‘PAY IT FORWARD’ TUITION PROGRAM NEEDS MORE PLANNING, HOUSE PANEL SAYS

(Portland Oregonian)Oregon’s much-discussed “Pay It Forward” tuition repayment program still isn’t ready to launch, a House panel said this week.
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LAWMAKERS SHOULD ALLOW INDOOR SAMPLING OF ‘VAPING’ PRODUCTS — OPINION

(Portland Oregonian) When she signed House Bill 2546 last month, Gov. Kate Brown gave her blessing to a well-intended overreach. The new law appropriately bars the sale of “vaping” devices and liquids to people under the age of 18, and if the legislation had stopped there no one would have had cause for complaint.
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MARIJUANA TAX DEAL HELPS EVERYONE, INCLUDING RELUCTANT TOWNS — OPINION

(Portland Oregonian) Anticipating the legalization of recreational pot and fearing high costs associated with siting and policing stores, dozens of Oregon towns and cities passed ordinances before last November’s vote calling for local taxes on all retail sales.
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INSURANCE BILL WOULD HAMSTRING CAR-SHARING SERVICES — GUEST OPINION

(Portland Oregonian) Facing pressure from the taxicab industry, Oregon legislators are currently considering a ridesharing insurance bill that would hamstring nascent businesses like Uber and Lyft throughout the state. Political pressure aside, however, the proposed bill underscores just how hard it is for lawmakers to understand the sharing economy at all.
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PORTLAND TECH JOBS: WE’RE NO. 14, BETWEEN ATLANTA AND DETROIT

(Portland Oregonian) With a surge of startups in downtown Portland and a rush of tech outposts racing in, it feels like the city must be, finally, among the top tier of technology hubs in the nation.
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NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL NUMBERS RAPIDLY DECREASING DESPITE EFFORTS, SCIENTISTS SAY

(Portland Oregonian) After two decades of attempts to save the species, northern spotted owl numbers in the Northwest are still on the decline and at a faster rate, scientists reported Tuesday.

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OREGON SENATE BACKS SELF-SERVICE GASOLINE BILL

(Salem Statesman Journal) The Oregon Senate has signed off on a plan to allow self-service gas pumping but only in rural areas and only at night.

Oregon and New Jersey are the only states that don’t let drivers fill up their tanks by themselves.
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OREGON MAY REGULATE TOXIC CHEMICALS IN TOYS

(Salem Statesman Journal) A bill that would regulate toxic chemicals in children’s products is back before the Oregon Legislature.

Many of these chemicals in children’s products and toys can lead to serious health effects, Sheri Malstrom, a public health nurse, said at a brief hearing in a Joint Ways and Means subcommittee Tuesday. The hearing was continued to Wednesday.
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BILL TO KEEP GUNS FROM ABUSERS CLEARS OREGON HOUSE

(Salem Statesman Journal) A gun bill making it easier for local law enforcement officials to confiscate firearms from convicted domestic abusers and people under restraining orders cleared the Legislature on Tuesday with bipartisan support.
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VALUES IN CONFLICT OVER OREGON’S DEATH PENALTY — OPINION

(Salem Statesman Journal) The death penalty debate is an unpredictable seesaw, teetering from one side to the other. Take the headlines from the past two months, for example.
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MCNARY STUDENTS SHARE OPINIONS, EXPERIENCE ON SBAC

(Salem Statesman Journal) As part of an initiative to improve Oregon’s standardized assessment system, a group of McNary High School students shared their honest opinions about the Smarter Balanced test with the Chief Education Officer and the president of the
Oregon Education Association Tuesday.

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CHILDRENS PERSONAL INFORMATION SHOULD NOT BE FOR SALE — GUEST OPINION

(Salem Statesman Journal) Did you know your school-aged child’s home address and other personal information are being sold to marketing and advertising companies?

And did you know these companies can exploit this information to cash in on a marketing profile based on your child’s data?

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U.S. OFFICIALS WARN OF DIRE WILDFIRE SEASON

(Salem Statesman Journal) While recent rainfall has provided a delay in the wildfire season, federal officials said Tuesday they still expect a historically damaging and costly year.

At the same time, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, whose agency includes the Forest Service, harshly criticized Congress for failing to adopt bipartisan reforms that would treat the most severe fires as disasters and retain funds to pay for wildfire prevention.

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DON’T BURY GOP REFORMS — OPINION

(Eugene Register-Guard) -Democrats should consider Republican ethics fixes-

The first of Gov. Kate Browns three ethics reform bills reached her desk last week. With her fellow Democrats in control of both chambers of the Legislature, its a safe bet that the other two will soon follow.
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POT BUSINESSES NEED BANKS — OPINION

(Eugene Register-Guard) -Wheeler asks U.S. Treasury to help ensure access-

Oregon’s banks, big and small, want no part of one of the states newest lines of business legalized marijuana.
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ABOLISH TIME LIMITS ON SEXUAL ASSAULT PROSECUTIONS IN OREGON — GUEST OPINION

(Eugene Register-Guard) The Oregon House and Senate have unanimously passed a bill extending the statute of limitations on sexual assault yet Gov. Kate Brown should veto the legislation, and it should be immediately rewritten.
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MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE HELPS CHILDREN THRIVE — GUEST OPINION

(Eugene Register-Guard) Robert Samuelson’s May 29 column was helpful in summarizing empirical evidence about the effects of the minimum wage on job growth. But contrary to the predictions of invisible hand theory, raising the minimum wage does not lead to layoffs or declines in job growth.
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DOCTORS WORRY ABOUT FAILURE OF MOST UNIVERSITY OF OREGON STUDENTS TO GET MENINGOCOCCAL VACCINE

(Eugene Register-Guard) -Meningococcal disease is a killer, and still fewer than half of undergrads get shots-

In the face of a ferocious disease that can kill a healthy college student seemingly overnight, fewer that half of University of Oregon students are getting preventive vaccinations.

Meningococcal disease has killed one UO student and sickened five others since January.

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HUNDREDS OF UNIVERSITY OF OREGON STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN CDC OUTBREAK STUDY

(Eugene Register-Guard) The University of Oregon is participating in a federal study examining whether two vaccines now being administered to thousands of students can reduce the population carrying the contagious bacteria at the center of the campus outbreak of meningococcal disease.
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EUGENE’S SEN. PROZANSKI TARGETED IN RECALL

(Eugene Register-Guard) A Cottage Grove woman has filed a recall petition against state Sen. Floyd Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat, over his sponsorship of a controversial expansion of gun background checks that was signed into law this year.
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OREGON CONSIDERS 20 PERCENT TAX ON RETAIL POT

(Eugene Register-Guard) The Oregon Legislature is considering imposing up to a 20 percent sales tax on retail sales of marijuana once it becomes available to consumers.

Proposed amendments to House Bill 2041 allowing localities to prohibit marijuana facilities within 1,000 feet of schools would impose a 17 percent state tax on retail sales of marijuana products, from buds to candies.

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SCIENTISTS SAY THEY’VE SOLVED MYSTERY OF MILKY RAIN THAT FELL IN PARTS OF OREGON

(Eugene Register-Guard) -WSU researchers determine what caused a strange storm in February-

Scientists at Washington State University on Tuesday said they have solved the mystery of dirty rain that fell on portions of the Pacific Northwest in February.

The milky rain on Feb. 6 was the result of a rare weather pattern that began nearly 500 miles away near a dry Oregon lake bed, meteorologist Nic Loyd said.

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NORTHWEST COULD SEE CATASTROPHIC FIRES

(Eugene Register-Guard) -A federal forecast predicts a costly year here and in the Southwest-

Despite a wet spring over much of the nation, the Obama administration warned Tuesday of potentially catastrophic wildfires this summer, especially in the Southwest and Northwest.
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COMMITTEE VOTE PUTS DAMASCUS CLOSER TO DISINCORPORATION

(Portland Tribune) Senate committee has cleared the way for a trio of bills to allow for another popular vote to end the city of Damascus and make it easier for property owners to leave the city.

LAWSUIT PUTS POT TRACKING IN LEGAL BULLS EYE

(Portland Tribune) A legal challenge could slow down Oregon’s launch of a seed-to-sale tracking system for the states new recreational marijuana market.

The company BioTrackTHC filed a lawsuit last month, after the state selected a different company to provide the tracking system.
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BILL EXTENDING RECORDS TRANSPARENCY TO LEGISLATURE DIES

(Portland Tribune) -Measure would have ended ability to delay public records requests-

Lawmakers in Salem love to repeat the quote attributed to Otto von Bismarck, that bill writing is akin to sausage making.
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COUNTIES URGE LAWMAKERS TO BOOST TRANSPORTATION FUNDS

(Portland Tribune) An organization representing all 36 Oregon counties urged Salem lawmakers to pass a transportation funding package Tuesday.

The Association of Oregon Counties sent a letter to all members of the 2015 Oregon Legislature on June 8 urging them to overcome partisan differences and approve additional funds for the state’s roads.
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STATE MEDICAID MONEY TO FORTUNE 500?

(Oregon Public Broadcasting) The Oregon Health Plan provides low-income Oregonians with healthcare services. As part of this Medicaid program, the state gives money to Coordinated Care Organizations, private companies or non-profits that aim to offer a streamlined network of medical services to their patients.
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DROUGHT ALLOWS A SALMON-KILLING PARASITE TO THRIVE IN THE KLAMATH

(Oregon Public Broadcasting) Two technicians balance on a floating fish trap about the size of a double bed. They dip nets into the water and scoop out small fish and mats of vegetation. The fish are carefully placed in five-gallon buckets and the weed is casually tossed back into to river.
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TECH COMPANIES WANT ACCESS TO MORE STUDENT DATA IN OREGON

(Oregon Public Broadcasting) Oregon lawmakers are poised to approve a bill tightening online privacy protections for students. The bill easily sailed through the Oregon Senate, but ran into opposition in the House after lobbying by technology companies like Facebook and Amazon.
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LAND BOARD OPINION FAVORS OSU-CASCADES AND CITY OF BEND

(Oregon Public Broadcasting) Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals has released a decision in favor of the plan for Oregon State University’s four-year campus in Bend. The plan had been approved by the City of Bend.
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HOW LAND BOARD’S RULING AFFECTS PLANNED OSU CAMPUS

(Oregon Public Broadcasting) Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals has released a decision in favor of the plan for Oregon State University’s four-year campus in Bend. A local group called Truth in Site challenged the city’s approval of the OSU-Cascades plan for an initial 10-acre campus.
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VILSACK, JEWELL MAKE PITCH FOR MORE FIRE FUNDS

(Capital Press) -The administration wants to use FEMA funds to fight those wildfires that soak up 30 percent of its suppression budget.-

The U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday that it need access to new funds to combat the 1 percent of wildfires that are the most dangerousand expensiveto fight

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FORMER PENDLETON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER JOINS STATE POT COMMITTEE

(East Oregonian) -Taylor is only Eastern Oregon representative on panel.-

A former Pendleton City Council member will serve on the rules committee for the hottest hot-button issue in Oregon.

Steve Taylor is one of 16 members on the Oregon Liquor Control Commissions Recreational Marijuana Rules Advisory Committee.

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NEW WOLF SHOWS UP IN SOUTHERN OREGON

(Medford Mail Tribune) -Two-year-old male believed to have come from Imnaha pack-

A second wolf known to have disbursed from the Imnaha Pack in Northeastern Oregon has made his way to Southern Oregon.

The 2-year-old male gray wolf, designated OR-25, has been in the Klamath County for about a week, according to wildlife officials. OR-25 left the Imnaha pack the same pack OR-7, Oregon’s famed wandering wolf, disbursed from in early April.
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FORESTRY OFFICIALS: KEEP YOUR DRONES AWAY FROM WILDFIRES

(Medford Mail Tribune) -Firefighters asking for five-mile buffer around smoke plumes-

State forestry officials are asking people to keep their remote-controlled drones well clear of fires this season, over fears the tiny aircraft could accidentally bring down firefighting planes and helicopters.

Brian Ballou, a fire prevention specialist with the Oregon Department of Forestry, said the agency is asking drone pilots not to launch their aircraft within five miles of a visible smoke plume.
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PORTLAND-ONLY TAX BREAK IS A BAD IDEA — OPINION

(Bend Bulletin) Wouldn’t it be nice to get a property tax break for making energy improvements on your home?

It might save some money.

It could increase energy efficiency.

It might even reduce greenhouse gases.

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OREGON STILL TRYING FOR CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM

(Bend Bulletin) -Campaign finance bills still have a pulse in Legislature after months of silence-

Oregon may join 44 other states that place some kind of campaign finance limits on corporations, unions, individuals and political parties if lawmakers pass a bill backed by Gov. Kate Brown and voters later agree in 2016.
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DESCHUTES COURTS UPDATE RECORDS SYSTEM

(Bend Bulletin) -Out with ancient OJIN, in with eCourts-

The Oregon Judicial Information Network, a case management system that provided the public and law enforcement access to court case information and histories, went gently into that good night in Deschutes County last week.
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STATE BOARD SIDES WITH OSU-CASCADES ON CAMPUS APPEAL

(Bend Bulletin) -Opponents say they take case to Oregon Court of Appeals-

A state board has cleared the way for Oregon State University-Cascades to move forward with construction of a 10-acre campus on the west side of Bend.
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EPA TO HOLD 2ND COMMUNITY MEETING IN JOHN DAY

(Blue Mountain Eagle) The EPA Emergency Response Team working on the vapor mystery in Southwest John Day will hold a community information meeting Thursday, June 11.
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FEDS TO OREGON LAWMAKERS: DON’T MAKE IT EASY TO SKIP COMMON CORE

(Oregon Business) Oregon schools could lose $140 million in federal funding if the Oregon Legislature passes a bill making it easier for students to opt out of Common Core testing.

Assistant U.S. Secretary of Education Deborah Delisle wrote in an email sent May 27 to Oregon schools chief Rob Saxton that the state shouldn’t support House Bill 2655, which could be passed by the Senate as early as Wednesday.
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TECH TALENT CONCENTRATIONS– BLOG

(Oregon Office of Economic Analysis) Recently the Austin Technology Council released a new report on tech talent PDF. It focuses on the sectors expected strong growth, a potentially emerging skills gap between what employers say they need and the skills potential job candidates have, and also whether the supply of such workers can keep up with demand.
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