Latest news with #OregonSenate
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon Senate overrides Gov. Kotek's veto of foster children bill in rare legislative move
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The Oregon Senate has overridden a veto by Governor Tina Kotek in a maneuver not seen in the Oregon Legislature in more than a decade. Governor Kotek had vetoed Senate Bill 875, which codifies the rights of foster children into law. The bill was championed with bipartisan support from both chambers of the legislature, said Senator Cedric Hayden (R-Fall Creek). Portland boba shop vandalism suspect arrested The Senate overrode Kotek's veto of the bill, which is the first time this has happened in the Oregon Legislature since 2011. The override passed with a 21-6 vote. SB 875 will now move to the House of Representatives for veto consideration. The bill was championed by both Sen. Hayden and Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin (D-Corvallis). SB 875 would expand the Oregon Foster Children's Bill of Rights and the Siblings Bill of Rights, providing added protections for children in foster care, according to proponents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oregon House approves Public Defense Commission budget: Here's what's in it
The budget for the Oregon Public Defense Commission is set to include $2.2 million for attorneys to take increased caseloads and $3.4 million for law schools to train students to take on public defense for misdemeanor cases. The Oregon Senate on June 23 passed House Bill 5031, OPDC's 2025-27 budget after it was passed by the House June 18. The budget includes funds for several measures that aim to reduce the unrepresented crisis in Oregon. It now heads to Gov. Tina Kotek for her signature. OPDC Director Ken Sanchagrin on June 2 delivered a plan to Kotek on how the commission will work to resolve the state's unrepresented crisis. Kotek ordered the commission to deliver the plan and a timeline for when the crisis would be resolved in the six counties most impacted when she fired former OPDC Director Jessica Kampfe in April. The budget will include investments to compensate attorneys who take on increased caseloads, support law schools and ensure the public is informed about progress in resolving the crisis. As of June 25, there were about 3,762 unrepresented defendants across the state, according to the Oregon Judicial Department's dashboard. In Marion County, there were about 426 unrepresented defendants in criminal cases. Polk County had none. Lawmakers have been struggling to fix the system for years. A 2018 report found the state's system was causing it to fail its constitutional obligation of providing counsel to indigent defendants. The report found the compensation plan for contracted lawyers pitted their financial self-interest against the rights of their clients. In 2023, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 337, which approved more than $90 million to overhaul the system. The bill renamed the public defense commission the Oregon Public Defense Commission and moved it from the judicial to the executive branch. It also directed OPDC to develop a six-year plan to address the crisis. The commission's plan, released in October 2024, determined Oregon needs to almost double its number of public defenders from 506 to 980 by 2031 to meet the needs of the state. The budget includes $707.7 million in funds, 180 positions and about a 9.6% increase in service level, according to the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety's recommendation. The agency previously had a budget of about $616.7 million. About $329.6 million will go toward providing trial-level public defense to financially eligible adults in criminal cases and $45.4 million will go toward the juvenile trial division. Other funds will go toward case-related costs, compliance and auditing, appellate court defense and administrative services. The budget will include $2.2 million for an Enhanced Provider Capacity Pilot Program, one of the changes identified in Sanchagrin's plan. The program will commit resources to compensating increased attorney caseloads in the six counties where the crisis is most extreme — Multnomah, Washington, Marion, Jackson, Douglas and Coos counties. Attorneys under contract with OPDC are restricted by maximum attorney caseload limits. These set a certain number of types of cases attorneys can take per month, with the goal that attorneys on average are at 100% capacity. The bill will also commit $3.4 million to Oregon law schools to provide training and supervision of law students to take on misdemeanor cases. An additional $492,865 would fund a position in the trial division for expedited resolution of case dockets in Multnomah, Washington and Marion counties. OPDC will be required to submit reports in January and September 2026 on agency restructuring and implementation of Sanchagrin's plan. It will also be required to submit a report in 2027 on the investment in law schools. Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@ or on X at @isabeldfunk This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon Legislature approves Public Defense Commission budget
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Oregon bill shielding utility rate increases from Big Tech passes Senate
PORTLAND, Ore. () – A bill passed the Oregon Senate on Tuesday that would shield Oregonians from paying higher utility costs to cover electricity usage by Big Tech facilities in the state. House Bill 3546, known as the Protecting Oregonians with Energy Responsibility (POWER) Act, would hold companies behind facilities such as data centers or cryptocurrency operations, responsible for their own utility bills, the Democratic Majority Office announced in a press release. The bill would establish a separate pricing system for electricity users that use more than 20 megawatts – which is roughly the same amount used to power a small city, the lawmakers explained. Neighbors, PBOT fed up with NW 13th outdoor plaza 'Data centers play an important role in our growing technology needs in the United States, and they need to pay their fair share for infrastructure required to meet their energy needs, rather than passing the costs on to residential ratepayers,' said Senator Janeen Sollman (D – Hillsboro, Forest Grove & Rock Creek), a chief sponsor of the measure in the Senate. 'Large energy users have the potential to place significant strain on the grid, especially in regions where energy capacity is already stretched thin.' Since 2021, electric rates from some power companies have risen by nearly 50% and thousands of families have had their power shut off because they could not afford the bill, the Democratic office said, noting large industrial users pay about two cents per kilowatt hour, while households are charged more than triple that rate. 'The cost to serve certain large energy users is spilling on to other ratepayers,' said Rep. Pam Marsh (D – Southern Jackson County), a chief sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. 'This bill will help state regulators assign these high costs to the data centers and crypto mining entities that are consuming the energy.' Oregon hurdler somersaults over finish line to win state title 'Traditionally, growth in energy demand was relatively balanced across all users, justifying roughly equal distribution of costs. But the explosion of huge technology facilities has upended that traditional metric,' Marsh explained in a for the bill. 'Without intervention, the costs created by the disproportionate demand of big energy users will be borne by residential consumers who are already struggling.' 'The bill helps protect everyday users, like families and small businesses, from paying the costs that big businesses are running up,' Sen. Deb Patterson (D – Salem), a cosponsor of HB 3546, added in a statement after the bill's passage. 'Household budgets are stretched far enough as they are. They shouldn't be covering corporate costs, too.' The POWER Act passed the Senate in an 18-12 vote, moving the bill back to the Oregon House of Representatives for final passage. ICE used 'deceptive' practices to detain asylum seeker at Portland courthouse, attorneys say In written testimony against the bill, Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) raised concerns that the bill would discourage tech companies from growing their presence in Oregon. In his letter – which was supported by industry advocates such as the Data Center Coalition along with unions IBEW 48, IBEW 280 and UA 290 – Brock Smith said, 'data centers strengthen grid reliability through infrastructure investments and help stabilize residential electricity rates by providing consistent demand. The current proposed legislation, with its misaligned regulations, threatened these widespread community benefits and could discourage future development that supports our digital economy.' The bill comes as large technology companies are facing two growing demands to raise their energy supply for artificial intelligence and data centers, while meeting long-term goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the Associated Press. AI uses 'vast amounts of energy,' said, noting a 2024 report from the United States Department of Energy estimated that the electricity needed for data centers in the U.S. tripled in the last decade and is anticipated to double or triple again in 2028, when tech companies could consumer 12% of the nation's energy. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bend man who threatened mass shooting was armed with AR-15, police say
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Bend man is in custody after he threatened to carry out a mass shooting over the weekend, police say. Authorities say 36-year-old Nathaniel Benjamin Wright told a family member he was planning to execute a mass shooting following a family argument. The threat was reported to Bend police on Friday afternoon. Union Gospel Mission victim count jumps to 12, stabbing suspect ID'd When law enforcement responded to Wright's home near 3000 NE Waller Ave., officers said they saw him walk from his home to a white truck parked in the driveway, 'carrying an AR-15-style rifle and a duffel bag and wearing a ballistic vest.' Police stopped Wright at gunpoint, took him into custody, and took him to St. Charles Bend. Oregon Senate passes bump stock ban, allows expansion of gun-free zones 'Officers searched Wright's vehicle and home, and applied for and were granted an Extreme Risk Protection Order, which is a court order preventing a person at risk of hurting themselves or another person from having or getting access to deadly weapons like firearms,' according to Bend authorities. Investigators say Wright was known to own multiple firearms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Oregon Senate passes bump stock ban, allows expansion of gun-free zones
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A gun safety bill is making its way through the Oregon legislature, which would ban bump stocks and allow local governments to decide whether to allow firearms in public meeting spaces. The Oregon Senate passed — the Community Safety Firearms Act — on Thursday, which would create new crimes for possessing bump stocks — or devices that turn semi-automatic guns fully automatic. Under the bill, local governments would also have the authority to limit concealed handgun license holders from bringing firearms in public buildings where official meetings are held, such as city halls. 'Something was not right': Oregon Coast safari park received complaints for nearly a decade Following the bill's passage, Oregon Senate Democrats said the legislation marks 'action for community safety.' 'Being elected to serve means guarding the people who put their trust in us: protecting their safety, defending their rights, and leading with humility and common sense,' said Senator Anthony Broadman (D –Bend). 'As a father, a hunter, a responsible gun owner, and an Oregon Senator, I know Senate Bill 243 honors that responsibility.' 'Rapid-fire activators are simply tools of mass destruction and do not belong in our communities,' added Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D –Eugene & Springfield), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee and chief sponsor of the bill. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'It's time to call these devices what they are. They give legal firearms the same dangerous abilities as machine guns,' said Senator Lisa Reynolds (D –Portland). 'If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a machine gun.' The bill passed the Senate in a 17-12 vote along party lines, with the Oregon Senate Republican Caucus calling the legislation 'deeply flawed.' 'The people who follow the law deserve policies that respect them. The people who break the law deserve consequences,' said Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). 'Senate Bill 243 targets responsible Oregonians, not criminals. That's a mistake we've made before. We should learn from it, not double down on it.' Candlelight vigil marks 15th anniversary of Kyron Horman's disappearance According to the Senate Republican Caucus, 'there is no credible evidence' that banning bump stocks will reduce gun violence. 'This bill does not address the core issues driving gun violence in our communities,' said Senator Bruce Starr (R-Dundee). 'It doesn't target criminals. It doesn't invest in mental health or illegal gun trafficking enforcement. Instead, it creates new penalties for responsible gun owners who already follow the law, store their firearms safely, and have undergone background checks.' The Republican caucus noted they offered their own proposals in a minority report, which was rejected by Democrats. Kohr Explores: Salmon fishing season arrives in Oregon The proposals from Republicans included repealing , a bill from 2021 that allows school districts and local governments to decide whether to allow concealed handgun license holders to bring firearms into public buildings. Other proposals from the Republican caucus included preventing people who have been charged with drug-related misdemeanors from owning guns along with another provision requiring participants in deflection programs to transfer their firearms to a law enforcement agency, a gun dealer or a third party until their deflection program is completed. After passing the Senate on Thursday, the bill moves to the Oregon House of Representatives, where the bill will have its first reading on June 2. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
