Despite millions in state investments, all but two counties in Oregon are childcare deserts for infants and toddlers. In rural parts of the state licensed infant care is nonexistent, leaving parents to rely on friends, family or go without.
The state’s $100 billion public pension fund is under fire for selling $4.5 billion in private equity holdings without disclosing details.
Oregonians can now get the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost and without liability concerns for healthcare providers.
Gov. Tina Kotek on Thursday said she’s trying her best to ensure affordable access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Oregonians, pushing back on criticism that other Democrat-led states across the nation have been more efficient at providing quick inoculations and support for providers before an expected annual spike in respiratory illnesses.
The former president of the consulting firm ECOnorthwest said a survey of the state’s current condition is “sobering.” Five critical issues were most troubling — housing, education, wildfires, taxation, and attitudes toward growth, including land use laws and permitting processes.
One of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical chains has walked back its offering of the COVID-19 vaccine to Oregonians without a prescription as pharmacies and the state government await clarity from a federal public health agency in the midst of political upheaval.
Most new state-owned buildings will need to be earthquake-proof and, by 2060, all buildings owned or leased by the state for executive branch agencies will need to make earthquake-safety upgrades or be replaced under an executive order Gov. Tina Kotek signed Monday.
Lawmakers are considering passing House Bill 3991, a transportation package that would raise $4.3 billion over the next 10 years by raising the gas tax by 6 cents, increasing vehicle title and registration fees and temporarily raising a statewide payroll tax for transit from 0.1% to 0.2%.
The House narrowly passed the 10-year transportation package; with a key Democratic senator recovering from surgery, the Oregon Senate will delay their planned vote on the transportation tax package for two weeks. The vote is scheduled Sept. 17 when Sen. Chris Gorsek will be available.
Oregon will see a two-year budget with a positive $472 million balance evaporate and turn into a $373 million deficit under the Trump administration’s tax and spending policies, economists told state lawmakers. This comes after the Republican tax and spending cut law called the “One Big Beautiful Bill” was signed into law.
People in Ashland can now take difficult-to-recycle items, including packaging materials, plastics, and shredded paper, to the Ashland Recycling Center on Water Street as part of the state’s recycling mandate.
The Ashland City Council and Parks & Recreation Commission will hold a joint business meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 21, to discuss the city’s parks and open spaces plan, staffing changes and financial outlook.
Thousands in Portland and across the Pacific Northwest are expected to take part in the national “No Kings 2.0” protests Saturday. This is the third national protest against President Donald Trump this year.
Editor’s note: We regret to report that Ashland.news city reporter Morgan Rothborne has resigned from the staff after a bit more than two years with us, as she continues to work on recovery from a head injury in June, as detailed in this first-person report.
Frances Oyung: Because Bear Creek is the most urbanized watershed in the Rogue basin, many people are unaware that running through their towns and along the interstate we still have important habitat for native fish.
Herbert Rothschild: In 2024, Democrats had the same problem with Hispanic voters that they did with other moderate-to-low income voters. There’s a general perception out there that the Democratic Party abandoned its traditional championing of the working class.
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