Inmate release program criticized
SALEM - Anti-crime activists and some prosecutors are taking aim at the Oregon Legislature s move to reduce many state prison inmate sentences as a way to save money. Oregon Anti-Crime Alliance spokeswoman Tara Lawrence said Friday that courts and di...
 3.1K - Nov. 7, 2009; scored 228.0 Hang up and drive law comes Jan. 1
SALEM As of Jan. 1, you can get slapped with a $90 fine if you use a hand-held cell phone while driving in Oregon. Will that be enough to encourage motorists to keep their full attention on the road? And how well can the law be enforced? Orego...
6.2K - Nov. 2, 2009; scored 251.0 Tax breaks cost state more than predicted
PORTLAND (AP) State officials deliberately underestimated the cost of Gov. Ted Kulongoski s plan to lure green energy companies to Oregon with big taxpayer subsidies, resulting in a program that cost 40 times more than unsuspecting lawmakers were t...
11.0K - Nov. 2, 2009; scored 317.0 Ballot titles draw fire
SALEM A business-backed group that opposes the Legislature s $733 million tax increase is pursuing legal action to block what it says are biased ballot titles for two referendum measures. Oregonians will vote Jan. 26 on whether to uphold the t...
2.7K - Oct. 25, 2009; scored 201.0 Ballot titles draw fire
SALEM A business-backed group that opposes the Legislature s $733 million tax increase is pursuing legal action to block what it says are biased ballot titles for two referendum measures. Oregonians will vote Jan. 26 on whether to uphold the t...
2.7K - Oct. 24, 2009; scored 201.0 Superheroes arose from a dark time in American history
Eugene (AP) Superhero stories arose in a country wracked by economic disaster and headed into a world war. University of Oregon Englishg professor Ben Saunders was involved with the new Faster Than a Speeding Bullet: The Art of the Superhero show...
3.5K - Oct. 6, 2009; scored 132.0 'On the hot seat'
WASHINGTON Forget mission accomplished. Try mission seemingly impossible. With the Senate Finance Committee on the verge of approving a sweeping health overhaul bill Tuesday, the path might appear open for action by the full Senate. But first the ...
4.4K - Oct. 5, 2009; scored 201.0 Two old chums vie in race for governor
SALEM John Kitzhaber and Bill Bradbury go back quite a ways. When Kitzhaber was governor, he appointed Bradbury as Oregon secretary of state when the office became vacant in 1999. They are close friends, so close that Kitzhaber jokingly dubbed the ...
5.7K - Oct. 5, 2009; scored 336.0 Obama-backed health care bill gains ground
WASHINGTON Health care legislation backed by President Barack Obama all but cleared a major hurdle in the Senate early today as Democratic liberals and moderates on a key committee closed ranks behind the most sweeping set of changes in a half-cent...
5.7K - Oct. 2, 2009; scored 290.0 Anti-tax group turns in signatures
SALEM Opponents of the Oregon Legislature s $733 million tax hike said Friday they turned in more than twice as many signatures as needed to force a Jan. 26 referendum on a plan to raise taxes on corporations and upper-income individuals....
3.2K - Sep. 26, 2009; scored 201.0 Bill puts gov't in charge of student loans
WASHINGTON The House is poised to vote to push private lenders out of the federal college loan business and massively expand the government s own lending program. Lawmakers debated a student aid bill Wednesday that has widespread support, including...
4.0K - Sep. 17, 2009; scored 201.0 Roblan joins 3 panels
State Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, is taking part in an effort to improve Oregon s schools. Democratic House Speaker Dave Hunt named his Coos Bay colleague to the Educator Professional Development Commission, which the Oregon Legislature created th...
1.0K - Sep. 16, 2009; scored 174.0 Kitzhaber backs tax increases
SALEM - Democratic gubernatorial hopeful John Kitzhaber says he supports the Oregon Legislature s $733 million tax increase. But Kitzhaber said he also would be open to a discussion of modifying those taxes in a future legislative session. I...
3.3K - Sep. 16, 2009; scored 201.0 DeFazio weighs run for governor
SALEM Congressman Peter DeFazio and former Gov. John Kitzhaber met privately Friday to discuss the 2010 gubernatorial race, but DeFazio wouldn t say whether he will take on Kitzhaber for the Democratic nomination. Last week Kitzhaber announced he w...
2.5K - Sep. 12, 2009; scored 259.0 Kitzhaber's return shakes up 2010 race field
SALEM (AP) Former governor John Kitzhaber s pursuit of a record third term puts pressure on fellow Democrats who might want the job, and it could complicate the job of Republican leaders lining up prospective candidates. A former emergency room phy...
4.4K - Sep. 3, 2009; scored 334.0 Clem won't run against Kitzhaber
The field of candidates for Oregon s 2010 governor s race is expanding by the day, but the pool won t include Coos Bay native Brian Clem. The Salem state representative announced in Portland today that he will serve as campaign director for John Kitz...
2.2K - Sep. 3, 2009; scored 182.0 Governor's office helped Ore. lawmaker get new job
PORTLAND (AP) State Rep. Larry Galizio says he did not switch his vote on the Metolius Basin issue in exchange for a job with the Oregon University System. The House initially defeated the measure aimed at banning large-scale destination resort dev...
1.0K - Aug. 14, 2009; scored 157.0 Oregon lawmaker slams Palin on 'death panel' comment
WASHINGTON For more than decade in Congress, Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer has been known for his ever-present bow-tie and tireless advocacy of bikes. So it is something of a surprise to the Portland Democrat that he has earned a new measure of fame...
4.9K - Aug. 13, 2009; scored 201.0 DeFazio expects no disruptions
Rep. Peter DeFazio is coming to the coast this week and he's expecting a lot of questions about health care reform. Some of the Springfield Democrat's colleagues have faced rude receptions at similar events in the past week over the subject. The 12-t...
6.1K - Aug. 11, 2009; scored 219.0 Do we know what we want?
What Oregonians should do, but won t, is decide what we really want from state government. Do we want good schools, lots of social services, long prison sentences? Or do we want low taxes? We want it all, and our conflicting sentiments will drive ano...
2.1K - Jul. 30, 2009; scored 211.0 | 
