Oregon Union Leaders Say They Will File Initiative Aimed At Stopping Legislative Walkouts
OPB
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Democratic legislative leaders have played down the idea of trying to amend the Constitution to prevent future walkouts of the kind staged by Republicans during last year’s legislative session.
The Oregonian
Now, Democrats and their environmentalist allies are poised to revive the greenhouse gas cap-and-trade bill in the 35-day session that begins in a week. And in a bid to appease rural opposition, they are proposing a cap-and-trade bill that would phase in carbon fees on gas and diesel on a geographic basis, giving Republican-dominated rural areas a multi-year or even permanent reprieve.
Parties at odds over intent of short session
Oregon Capital Bureau
In the 10 years since voters approved the change, the short session has provided something else for Democrats and Republicans to quibble over. GOP lawmakers complain that the even-year sessions have become unruly with consequential new laws pushed through with inadequate time for the public to have its say.
Oregon Senate Scraps Campaign Finance Committee Months Ahead Of Major Vote
OPB
In a further sign that Senate leaders are in no rush to move to limit campaign contributions, Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, is not bringing back the chamber’s Campaign Finance Committee for the 2020 legislative session.
Unity proposed a financial ‘solution’ to its crisis. The math doesn’t seem to add up.
The Oregonian
The taxpayer bailout that the beleaguered Unity Center for Behavioral Health has called for may do little to solve the staggering financial losses reported by the three-year-old psychiatric facility, according to calculations by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
Oregon bill would help disadvantaged launch start-ups
Portland Tribune
The topic was timely because newly proposed Oregon legislation seeks to make it easier for entrepreneurs to get startup support — especially if they don’t have access to wealthy friends and family or the vast resources of investors that California and Washington enjoy.
Sticker Shock: The Grid Is At Capacity For Solar Power In Parts Of Oregon
The Oregonian
Under current rules, Corson said, the costs of upgrading the grid often fall to whoever needs the upgrade to accommodate their project. PGE provides estimates of the costs and the capacity limitations to commercial solar developers during the application process. Some developers agree to pay for the upgrade costs required to install their projects, while others take a different approach.