Inside, Oregon lawmakers and special interests wrestle with homelessness. Outside, on the streets of Salem, people experience it. As Oregon legislators grapple with homelessness, a woman living on the streets outside the state Capitol in Salem grapples wi ...
31 Mar 2021 - Tom Henderson
Hearings on a criminal justice reform bill draw testimony about mandatory minimums, parole restrictions and more Kenneth McGee ran into an old acquaintance online Feb. 25 during a public hearing on House Bill 2002 on criminal justice reform. It was former ...
10 Mar 2021 - Tom Henderson
The Aloha representative, who brings lived experience with poverty to her leadership role on a housing committee, speaks for young people who demand action on the housing and climate crises they’ve inherited W hen Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, 7 ...
3 Mar 2021 - Tom Henderson
A roundup of legislation in the House Committee on Housing The House Committee on Housing is grappling with housing for Oregon’s farmworkers — an estimated 178,758 workers and their family members, according to Oregon State University. House Bill 2096, wh ...
3 Mar 2021 - Tom Henderson
Testimony before a legislative panel turned emotional — and for many, it was personal A slew of bills before the Oregon Legislature this year come under the heading of “equitable policing.” Angela Foster of Milwaukie told lawmakers Jan. 27 she would fin ...
17 Feb 2021 - Tom Henderson
Legislative housing committees begin the 2021 session with an overview of the state’s crisis M ore than 4,000 Oregonians lost their homes in last summer’s wildfires. One of them was the aunt of state Rep. Lily Morgan (R-Grants Pass). Morgan’s aunt lived i ...
27 Jan 2021 - Tom Henderson
A slate of new bills could change the future of housing in Oregon I n the distant past, 12 months ago to be precise, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) called for declaring a state of emergency on homelessness and beseeched legislators to approv ...
20 Jan 2021 - Tom Henderson
Housing advocates plan to push for further renter protections when the Legislature’s regular session begins next month The Oregon State Legislature met in a special session Dec. 21 and extended the state’s eviction moratorium to June 30, despite concerns ...
30 Dec 2020 - Tom Henderson
Housing advocates say the legislation fails to prevent housing instability for thousands of Oregonians. Property owners say they won’t get adequate protection. Oregon lawmakers say they want renters to stay in their homes, but advocates on both sides of t ...
2 Dec 2020 - Tom Henderson
Progress on the governor’s emissions targets is stymied by lobbyists and construction loopholes T he homebuilding industry, through its outsized influence in Salem, may prevent the state from meeting important greenhouse gas reduction goals. According to ...
11 Nov 2020 - Chris May