April 4, 2019 Daily Clips

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Clarno takes ceremonial oath of office

Salem Reporter

Scores of family, friends, lawmakers and journalists packed into the Governor’s ceremonial office to watch Oregon’s newest Secretary of State, Bev Clarno, take the oath of office. The event was largely symbolic. Clarno was officially sworn in Sunday night, and got to work Monday morning. Clarno, an 83-year-old Redmond Republican, was appointed by Gov. Kate Brown to fill the remainder of Dennis Richardson’s term. Richardson died in office in February. Clarno previously served in the legislature as Speaker of the house in the 1990s and Senate Republican Leader in 2003, when there was an even 15-15 split in the chamber.

Oregon reaches female power milestone with new office holder

Albany Democrat Herald

A glass ceiling was broken in Oregon Wednesday when a former lawmaker and hog farmer was sworn in as secretary of state, marking the first time in state history that women have held four of five statewide offices. Bev Clarno is also the oldest person to have ever held the office, according to Kerry Tymchuk, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society. Clarno turned 83 on Friday and was on vacation when Gov. Kate Brown left her a voicemail, saying she was being tapped to serve in the state’s second-highest office.

Oregon leaders want to remove college degree requirement for child welfare workers

Oregonlive

Gov. Kate Brown and Oregon child welfare leaders want to remove college degree requirements for caseworkers to increase workforce diversity and the candidate pool for openings the agency has struggled to fill. Under Oregon law, employees who investigate reports of child abuse and make decisions about whether to remove children from their families much have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Lawmakers consider measure that would allow lawsuits over frivolous calls for police

Oregonlive

A person who has the police called on them for the “crime” of being a person of color could sue the person who summoned law enforcement, under a bill introduced by three African American state lawmakers. One of the sponsors, Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, experienced such a call when she was canvassing for votes in her suburban Portland district last summer. The summoning of police on a lawmaker “campaigning while black” drew national attention.”

Hasta la vista, greenhouse gas: Arnold Schwarzenegger weighs in on Oregon’s carbon emission reduction bill

Oregonlive

In a video shared on Twitter Wednesday, the Terminator voiced his support for HB 2020, which would work to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions. Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t just an action star with an instantly recognizable accent. Don’t forget, he was governor of California from 2003 to 2011. And it is that experience, not his comfort with a catchphrase, that he brought to Wednesday’s video.

Oregon Warns Medical Cannabis Growers: Report Or Face Fines

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon is warning medical cannabis growers that if they don’t report their inventories, they could face stiff fines. Since 2016, small scale growers in Oregon have needed to report how much marijuana they produce to the medical marijuana online system. But the state says only about 15% are in compliance. That means only about 300 of the state’s 1,900 registered growers have been telling officials how much cannabis they have on hand. Anthony Taylor with Compassionate Oregon said he thinks mos

Copy. Paste. Legislate: Model bills work their way into Oregon statehouse

Statesman Journal

The bill Oregon lawmakers are considering that supports using the popular vote to determine the outcome of national presidential elections instead of the electoral college is essentially a copycat bill. Senate Bill 870 has model language from the non-profit National Popular Vote, Inc., which backs the popular vote. Fourteen other states and the District of Columbia already have adopted it into law. A USA TODAY-Statesman Journal analysis of legislative language in Oregon found 85 proposals dating back to 2011 with wording that largely matches what’s found in bill models that national groups draft and advance.

LOCAL

Will ‘opportunity zones’ help or hurt low-income neighborhoods? The jury’s out

Oregonlive

In Portland, the federal opportunity zone program has made headlines for being applied across much of downtown, the Pearl District and the Central Eastside —already crowded with construction cranes. But areas that have historically suffered from a lack of interest from private developers and investors are hoping they, too, can benefit from a program that’s ostensibly meant for them. Ketch, founder of the nonprofit Rockwood Community Development Corp., is hoping to raise money for community benefit projects. The first project on the docket is an 84-unit apartment complex for moderate-income earners, with some of the units set for low-income households.

Climate change advocacy workshop happening Saturday in Eugene

The Register-Guard

A climate change advocacy workshop is set for Saturday in Eugene. Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a California-based nonprofit advocating for laws to address climate change, will host the event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Emmaus Lutheran Church, 1250 W. 18th Ave. The group has a Eugene chapter. Cost for the workshop is $25 in advance, $30 the day of the workshop and $10 for students.

Salem apartment rents continue to rise, but Oregon housing crunch shows signs of easing

Statesman Journal

Salem apartment rents climbed slightly in early 2019 but Oregon’s housing crunch showed signs of easing amid a healthy economy and a better balance between the supply of units and renters’ needs. It’s too early to measure the effects of rent control legislation passed in February, but Salem apartment rents edged up 1.3% — or about $14 for a two-bedroom apartment — over the last month, according to rental marketing service Apartment List. Salem’s median rents were $840 for a one-bedroom apartment and $1,100 for a two-bedroom apartment, according to Apartment List. The marketer pegged Salem’s year-over-year rent growth rate at 1.4%, far below this year’s 10.3% cap instituted under the rent control law.

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