A slow recovery for Oregon
State lawmakers heard a new economic and revenue forecast Tuesday, which projects the next two-year budget cycle will start with $100 million less than the previous budget.
$200 million for Milwaukie rail
The federal budget calls for $200 million to support the proposed Portland-Milwaukie light rail line.
Powell’s employees question justification for layoffs
Last week, Powell’s Books laid off 31 workers, about 7% of the independent bookseller’s workforce.
Debate intensifies over the Oregon roots of pinot noir
The new slogan “Forest Grove: Where Oregon pinot was born” is stirring up controversy, with some winemakers claiming it misrepresents Oregon wine history.
Facebook backs open source in Corvallis
Oregon State University’s Open Source Lab was formed as a nonprofit in 2005, and it receives support from the likes of IBM and Google. The latest tech giant to contribute is Facebook.
Opponents to sue over Monsanto alfalfa crop
A national food safety group is gearing up to sue the federal government over the controversial practice of planting genetically modified alfalfa seeds. Farmers are following the issue with great interest in Oregon, where alfalfa is a $175 million crop.
On The Scene: The Oregon Zoo
The director of the Oregon Zoo, Kimberly Smith, spoke to City Club members last Friday, unveiling a variety of new initiatives for the state’s most popular paid tourist attraction.
Bills target initiatives, campaign finance
The house rules committee will hold a hearing next Monday on two bills that seek to improve Oregon’s initiative process and provide more transparency to political contributions.
University reform gains momentum
The latest stop on the campaign trail for higher education reform happened last night at Portland State University, where education officials repeated many of their same proposals: less state regulation and line item budgets, more university control of tuition. More efficient and independent universities able to save on costs while expanding the reach and quality of education.
Legislators call for tobacco tax hikes
Anti-tobacco advocates are backing three bills slated to appear before the Oregon Legislature in the coming weeks.