HOUSE REPUBLICAN OFFICE
JULY 31, 2017 DAILY CLIPS
Video: ORP Chair discusses immigrant deported 20 times accused of kidnap, assault
Fox News
MARIJUANA
Legal pot dealers find home: Oregon’s Cannabis Coast
Statesman Journal
The state has licensed pot dealers in every Oregon county bordering the Pacific Ocean, with the highest number near the beach here in Lincoln County, state data show. But there’s little so far to suggest marijuana is changing the coastal economy, which is already largely fueled by tourism.
OREGON WILDFIRES
Wildfires scattered around Oregon
The Oregonian
Firefighters are battling six fires, mainly in rugged, wilderness areas. They range from the Whitewater Fire in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness area to the Indian Creek fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Here’s a rundown:
Growing Whitewater Fire near Detroit closes Jefferson Park, Pacific Crest Trail
Statesman Journal
The Whitewater Fire burning east of Detroit has continued to grow, reaching 167 acres during the weekend in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness. Officials responded by shutting down access to Jefferson Park, a popular hiking and backpacking destination, and an 11-mile segment of the Pacific Crest Trail, along with four other pathways that were already closed. “We understand it is inconvenient but our priority is to protect public safety,” Detroit District Ranger Grady McMahan said in a news release.
MYRA SAVINGS PROGRAM
Oregon treasurer upset by Trump administration move
KTVZ
Oregon Treasurer Tobias Read reacted with frustration Friday at the decision of the U.S. Treasury to torpedo the MyRA savings program, a low-cost tool designed to help low-income and underserved Americans to start saving for more secure financial futures.“Memo to the Trump administration: You don’t make America great if more Americans are retiring into poverty,” said Read, chair of the Oregon Retirement Savings Board.
OPINION
Editorial: Gutting Wilderness Act
Register-Guard
For the second time in as many years, mountain biking proponents are going after America’s wilderness. After a 2016 congressional bill to allow bikes in the back country went nowhere, they’re back with HR 1349. New sponsor, same bad idea: convince the world that bicycles aren’t really the “mechanical transport” banned by the 1964 Wilderness Act.
Editorial: An exercise in doing right
Register-Guard
There was much talk on Capitol Hill of others in the Senate who were equally opposed to the bill but were afraid to stand against it for fear of repercussions. Hopefully, these people will remember what Collins, McCain and Murkowski did, and be emboldened to do likewise in the future.Many Americans are weary of the vitriol and trench warfare that has taken over politics of late. They would like to see the day come when senators, or representatives, aren’t afraid to vote against a bad bill, even if it means crossing party lines.
Guest: I’m Still A Less Government Legislator
Representative Bill Post, R-Keizer
During the regular 2017 session I ended up introducing more bills than I did in my freshman year. I still tried to keep that number low however, as I am still a firm believer in “less government.” All of my bills were centered on freedom and cutting red tape in state government. Sadly, the one that meant the most to me, my “Sudafed bill” (which would have sent Sudafed-related drugs back to “behind the counter”) did not go anywhere. In fact, most of my bills didn’t even get hearings in committees. Here are some of the bills I found success with and a couple that I wasn’t happy with from the 2017 session:
NATIONAL NEWS
Google’s shopper tracking program prompts privacy rights group to file complaint with FTC
The Washington Post
The legal complaint from the Electronic Privacy Information Center, to be filed with the FTC on Monday, alleges that Google is newly gaining access to a trove of highly-sensitive information — the credit and debit card purchases records of the majority of US consumers — without revealing how they got the information or giving consumers’ meaningful ways to opt-out. Moreover, the group claims that the search giant is relying on a secretive technical method to protect the data – a method that should be audited by outsiders and is likely vulnerable to hacks or other data breaches. “Google is seeking to extend its dominance from the online world to the real, offline world, and the FTC really needs to look at that,” said Marc Rotenberg, the organization’s executive director.