State Library eClips
* Oregon limits amount of bass people should eat, due to high mercury levels in water
* Intel will lay off 784 in Oregon this week
* Kasich campaign fails to get him included in Oregon’s voters pamphlet
* Gov. Brown urges new transportation package for 2017
* Engineered timber could be a boon to the Oregon wood products industry
* Portland payroll tax would give PSU a boost — Guest Opinion
* Business quiet on minimum wage rules
* Low supply creates housing gridlock
* Primary election registration deadline is midnight Tuesday
* Wildfire rehab effort going well so far
* State education leaders visit Redmond
* Critics question Eastern Promise program
* Why Is The State Of Oregon Conducting Intelligence Work?
* Environmental groups sue over bull trout recovery plan
* Study: Fewer farmworkers migrate, aggravating labor shortage
* Little interest from energy companies in state land
* Speaker series highlights Oregon’s Chinese history
* Most new voters wont have say in presidential primary
* Medford may look for ways to curb nuisance wild turkeys
* Since You Asked: New Oregon drivers get a free pass to vote
* Group alleges county violated election laws
* Oregon no longer an environmental leader
* Dire tsunami risk prompts Wyden stopover
* Clatsop Care Center to relocate some residents
* Housing shortage tied to vacation rentals
* Editorial: Good news, bad news on fish stocks — Opinion
* Editorial: Cash-only pot business is worrisome — Opinion
* Four consequences of a $15 minimum wage
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OREGON LIMITS AMOUNT OF BASS PEOPLE SHOULD EAT, DUE TO HIGH MERCURY LEVELS IN WATER (Portland Oregonian)
Bass lovers in Oregon should be limiting how many fish they eat, due to high levels of mercury found in many state waterways.
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INTEL WILL LAY OFF 784 IN OREGON THIS WEEK (Portland Oregonian)
Intel put a number to its Oregon layoffs Tuesday, notifying the state that it will issue layoff notices to 784 employees in Hillsboro and Aloha by Friday.
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KASICH CAMPAIGN FAILS TO GET HIM INCLUDED IN OREGON’S VOTERS PAMPHLET (Eugene Register-Guard)
John Kasich, one of only three still-standing GOP presidential candidates, isnt featured in Oregons voters pamphlet for the May primary election an embarrassing blunder for any major campaign.
The state said the Kasich campaign failed to submit information by the March 10 deadline.
Its up to candidates to get their photos and statements into the pamphlet, which is one of the most cost-effective political advertising tools in the state. Each Oregon household roughly 1.5 million in total gets a free copy of the pamphlet. Presidential candidates pay $3,500 to put their half-page statement in the pamphlet, or else submit 500 supporters signatures and get their statement included for free.
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GOV. BROWN URGES NEW TRANSPORTATION PACKAGE FOR 2017 (Eugene Register-Guard)
Gov. Kate Brown reiterated her call for state lawmakers to pass a major transportation funding package in 2017 during a visit to Eugene and Springfield Monday morning.
The package would likely be paid for by a combination of higher gas taxes and vehicle registration and driver license fees.
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ENGINEERED TIMBER COULD BE A BOON TO THE OREGON WOOD PRODUCTS INDUSTRY (Eugene Register-Guard)
Solid as steel. Sturdy as concrete.
Cross-laminated timber carries these claims and hopes for boosting Oregon’s wood products industry.
The engineered wood product is made by gluing together layers of boards, such as 2-by-4s, 2-by-6s and 2-by-8s. The resulting panels can be used in place of steel or concrete in the construction of buildings.
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PORTLAND PAYROLL TAX WOULD GIVE PSU A BOOST — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Oregon’s public universities attract eager minds who want top-notch educations and access to our states fantastic natural surroundings. Whether you’re drawn to Portland, Eugene or elsewhere, there’s a fit for everyone.
But as attractive as Oregon’s institutions of higher learning are, they are increasingly difficult to afford. They are being squeezed by our state Legislature. For the past 20 years, lawmakers have been chipping away at financial support for the states seven public universities. The state once funded 80 percent of universities budgets; now it funds 25 percent. Among the 50 states, Oregon ranks an embarrassing 46th in funding for higher education.
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BUSINESS QUIET ON MINIMUM WAGE RULES (Portland Tribune)
-Labor activists expressed support for draft rules during hearing Monday-
The business community was nearly absent from a public hearing Monday on draft rules for how itinerant employees will be paid under Oregons new regional minimum wage law.
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LOW SUPPLY CREATES HOUSING GRIDLOCK (Portland Tribune)
The Portland area is experiencing a gridlock of homebuyers because of rapidly rising housing prices, according to some local real estate agents.
We are virtually sold out of inventory, and theres a pipeline of stalled buyers, said Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate.
According to Scott, the competition for available housing is so intense that existing homeowners who want to move are hesitant to put their homes up for sale. They are afraid their homes will sell before they can find and buy their next one a Catch-22 that is keeping more and more homes off the market.
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PRIMARY ELECTION REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS MIDNIGHT TUESDAY (Portland Tribune)
Oregonians who are legally eligible to vote have until midnight Tuesday to register or change their registration to participate in the May 17 primary election.
Oregonians have just a few hours left to ensure that they will be able to cast a ballot in this historic primary, says Oregon Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins. Every day we hear from voters who are eager to make their voices heard this May. I hope they take the time to review their registration and make updates if necessary.
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WILDFIRE REHAB EFFORT GOING WELL SO FAR (Bend Bulletin)
-$14M has been spent repairing land scorched by fire in Oregon and Idaho-
Scientists say a $67 million rehabilitation effort following a wildfire in southwest Idaho and southeast Oregon is starting off well thanks to good precipitation over the winter.
About $14 million has been spent since October as part of a five-year restoration plan to develop new strategies to combat increasingly destructive rangeland wildfires in the West.
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STATE EDUCATION LEADERS VISIT REDMOND (Bend Bulletin)
-ODE seeking input on new federal education law-
State education leaders took their listening tour to Redmond on Monday to hear what should be the priority in Oregon under a new federal education law.
The Every Student Succeeds Act was signed into law in December, replacing No Child Left Behind and giving states more control. They will still be required to test students regularly and identify low-performing schools, but now states will come up with their own plans for issues such as accountability, school improvement and teacher evaluation, rather than taking orders from the federal government.
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CRITICS QUESTION EASTERN PROMISE PROGRAM (Bend Bulletin)
Critics are questioning the effectiveness of programs that allow high school students to gain college credit while attending high school but supporters of the program say those fears are unfounded.
The Oregon Educational Associations Community College Council recently wrote in a paper that programs like Eastern Promise are just a way for colleges to make extra money and that high school students often dont do as well in subsequent classes as traditional college students.
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WHY IS THE STATE OF OREGON CONDUCTING INTELLIGENCE WORK? (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
The Oregon Department of Justice recently commissioned a review into why state investigators were scrutinizing Oregonians who used the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media, including tweets by the head of the agencys own Civil Rights Division.
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE OVER BULL TROUT RECOVERY PLAN (Capital Press)
Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the federal government over the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services plan to recover threatened bull trout.
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STUDY: FEWER FARMWORKERS MIGRATE, AGGRAVATING LABOR SHORTAGE (Capital Press)
The agricultural labor shortage has less to do with the shrinking population of farmworkers than with its changing work habits, a new economic study found.
Since the late 1990s, the proportion of farmworkers who regularly migrate from place to place has decreased from about 50 percent to less than 20 percent, said Maoyong Fan, an economist at Ball State University and the studys lead author.
The key problem is not that we have an absolute smaller number of farmworkers, the key problem is theyre not willing to move to take multiple jobs, Fan said.
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LITTLE INTEREST FROM ENERGY COMPANIES IN STATE LAND (East Oregonian)
Democratic secretary of state candidate Brad Avakian wants to lease out public rangelands in Central and Eastern Oregon for renewable energy development.
Avakian, the states labor commissioner, said he would use the secretary of states position on the three-member State Land Board to push for wind, solar and geothermal leases on lands that belong to the Common School Fund.
The land board, whose other members are the governor and state treasurer, carries out a mandate in the Oregon Constitution to manage the lands to raise money for public schools.
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SPEAKER SERIES HIGHLIGHTS OREGON’S CHINESE HISTORY (East Oregonian)
The Oregon Historical Society is sponsoring programs across the state highlighting the impact of the Chinese American immigration in the mid-19th century.
From building infrastructure through the railroad and mining industries, establishing restaurants and laundry businesses to initiating advancements in pharmaceutical care, the stories of Chinese Americans reach across the state.
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MOST NEW VOTERS WONT HAVE SAY IN PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY (East Oregonian)
With the presidential races still competitive in both major parties, Oregon voters have a rare chance to make a difference late in the primary season.
There’s one catch: out of the 2,243,077 registered voters in Oregon, only 69 percent of them will be able to cast a ballot for the Republican or Democratic presidential races in the May 17 primary.
Thats because Oregon has a closed primary, which means that voters who are unaffiliated or registered with a third party cant participate in the major party primaries.
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MEDFORD MAY LOOK FOR WAYS TO CURB NUISANCE WILD TURKEYS (Medford Mail Tribune)
-City may look for ways to curb nuisance wildlife-
At first a single wild turkey showing up in an east Medford yard could be seen as a cute addition to urban life, then someone breaks out the bread crumbs and now you have an entire neighborhood grousing over gobblers.
That lone turkey invites 24 of his family and friends that start digging up flowerbeds, laying landmines on sidewalks and tearing up shingles with their sharp talons as they roost on roofs to the delight of a few but the chagrin of the majority.
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SINCE YOU ASKED: NEW OREGON DRIVERS GET A FREE PASS TO VOTE (Medford Mail Tribune)
Q: My son will be 18 in early October, and is excited to be able to vote for our next president. Will he have to register to vote? Or will he be automatically registered because he is a licensed driver?
A: The short answer to your question, Ann, is yes, your son and anyone with U.S. citizenship and Oregon residency turning 18 by election day are eligible to vote in November’s general election. And that will happen automatically, although he can weigh in on his party preference.
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GROUP ALLEGES COUNTY VIOLATED ELECTION LAWS (Medford Mail Tribune)
A local property rights group has filed a complaint with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office claiming two Jackson County officials violated election laws by taking steps interfering with Commissioner Doug Breidenthals re-election bid.
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OREGON NO LONGER AN ENVIRONMENTAL LEADER (The World)
In 1973, Gov. Tom McCall proudly referenced “Oregon’s status as the environmental model of this nation.”
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DIRE TSUNAMI RISK PROMPTS WYDEN STOPOVER (Daily Astorian)
Help is the message from Seaside School Superintendent Doug Dougherty, and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden responded to the SOS Sunday.
Dougherty and Seaside Mayor Don Larson served as guides on a tour of the citys tsunami zone, from Seaside High School to Broadway Middle School before going east to Seaside Heights Elementary School.
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CLATSOP CARE CENTER TO RELOCATE SOME RESIDENTS (Daily Astorian)
A shortage of certified nursing assistants is forcing Clatsop Care Center, the only nursing home in Clatsop County, to downsize its long-term resident population over the next two months.
By July, the center in Astoria plans to help relocate a dozen residents to other care providers adult foster homes, assisted-living facilities or, if the residents prefer, a nursing home outside the county decreasing the number of long-term care residents from 24 to 12.
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HOUSING SHORTAGE TIED TO VACATION RENTALS (Daily Astorian)
Cannon Beachs approach to vacation rentals has been held out as a model for other cities, including Gearhart, which is wrestling over new rules.
But problems surfacing in Cannon Beach indicate flaws to the short-term rental system, which includes a lottery, limitation on short-term rental properties, infrequent inspections and limited enforcement. In addition, too many vacation rentals could be inhibiting the citys long-term housing stock and even further diminishing workforce and affordable housing.
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EDITORIAL: GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS ON FISH STOCKS — OPINION (Daily Astorian)
There is good news and bad news in NOAA Fisheries latest Status of Stocks report. It notes the rebuilding of two local groundfish species and marks new complications for salmon fisheries.
Longtime residents well remember the economic stresses created by stringent controls on groundfish harvests starting after the turn of the millennium.
For communities like ours at the mouth of the Columbia, loss of any major fishery is like removing one leg of a table our entire economy becomes less stable.
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EDITORIAL: CASH-ONLY POT BUSINESS IS WORRISOME — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
Lets say that you run a business that sells recreational marijuana. These businesses, as you know, are legal in many parts of Oregon, but not so much in Linn County, at least not until the November elections.
But we already digress. Judging by the unexpectedly high level of taxes paid to the state from the sales of recreational pot in January and February nearly $7 million, some 10 times more than state economists originally guessed, chances are decent that your recreational marijuana business is doing reasonably well.
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FOUR CONSEQUENCES OF A $15 MINIMUM WAGE (Los Angeles Times)
Exhaustive research over the past few decades suggests raising the minimum wage has little negative impact on overall employment.
Problem is, most past wage hikes have been relatively modest, and there’s no data to confidently predict what might happen following the kinds of increases now planned in California and New York.
Going to $15 an hour represents a 50% rise from California’s current minimum pay of $10, and a 67% jump for New York.
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