Oregonians would pay more at the pump, higher fees when they buy a car or bike and see more money deducted from their paychecks to pay for transit under a wide-ranging plan released Thursday by Democratic lawmakers for filling a transportation deficit.
Lawmakers have moved forward with a highly controversial logging bill that would allow counties and the timber industry to sue the state forester if Oregon logs less than what the Department of Forestry forecasts in its estimates that occur once a decade.
Thousands of Oregonians submitted letters opposing a Republican senator’s attempt to ask voters whether to repeal the state’s decades-old mail voting law. The bill would ask voters to approve switching from mail voting to in-person voting on Election Day beginning in 2028.
Two Oregon lawmakers are calling on major insurance companies to stop using their own internal wildfire risk maps to drop homeowners’ policies — at least until next year. In a Friday press release, Sens. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend, and Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, said they sent a joint letter to major insurance providers — including State Farm, All State and Liberty Mutual — calling them to pause this practice until January 2026.
A coalition of businesses and environmental groups interested in the Bottle Bill today urged lawmakers to abandon a proposal that would add a 5-cent surcharge to the existing 10-cent deposit collected on beverage containers. HB 3940 is scheduled for a hearing at 8 .m. Tuesday, April 1, in front of the House Committee on Climate, Energy and Environment.
If passed, Senate Joint Resolution 28 would refer a ballot measure to Oregon voters in November to amend the state constitution so that it guarantees the “inherent, fundamental right to a clean, safe and healthy environment, including but not limited to clean air, clean water, thriving ecosystems and a stable climate system.”
Citing plans to move out of the school district area for family reasons in the future, incumbent Ashland School Board member Jill Franko withdrew Friday from the race for her seat in the upcoming special election on May 20. Ann M. Gaffney also withdrew from the race for position No. 3 school board race, but filed the same day for Position 1 — Franko’s current seat — and will face Jordan Rooklyn in the upcoming election.
Rep. Pam Marsh: The legislation “would give Oregonians buying tickets for concerts, sporting events and other entertainment events protections in an industry that has seen increasing unfair and unscrupulous activities that drive up the cost of tickets and/or falsely sell tickets that are unavailable.”
Striking workers in Oregon are a step closer to being eligible for weekly unemployment checks, after a tight vote in the state Senate on Thursday. Senate Bill 916 passed by the bare minimum 16 votes in the 30-member chamber, with two Democrats bucking the rest of their party over concerns the policy could harm cash-strapped cities and counties
Oregon lawmakers on Tuesday tweaked a bill intended to increase fire mitigation to ensure it does not also offer utilities immunity from liability in lawsuits for wildfires ignited by power lines. The change to a single sentence in House Bill 3666 comes as a relief to some critics, who feared that giving utilities wildfire safety certificates that establish they’ve “acted reasonably” by state standards would in effect offer them absolute immunity from liability in lawsuits if their equipment causes a wildfire.
“Tombstone Tales,” which took place last week in Ashland Cemetery, was all about history, not Halloween.
A Southern Oregon University graduate and executive of a company developing renewable energy projects said the state is making significant strides towards a 100% clean electricity goal by 2040.
Talent City Council will host its regular monthly meeting at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, at the Talent Community Center 104 E. Main St., in the dining room, according to an agenda from city officials.
Nadia McGrady proposed ideas such as a “screen-free week” and a citywide talent show By Holly Dillemuth, Ashland.news If Bellview Elementary 5th-grader Nadia McGrady was mayor of Ashland, she knows
A wealth of tips to help protect Ashland homes and yards from wildfire risk was the hot topic during the latest Better Prepared Wildfire Series installment on Wednesday.
Ashland City Council will consider and be asked to vote on a $5-per-meter monthly charge for electricity to support Ashland Parks & Recreation programs during its Tuesday business meeting.
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