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Tina Kotek wants to scrap a plan to implement tolls on large sections of two Portland-area interstates, she said Monday. Kotek sent a letter to the Oregon Transportation Commission on Monday saying the Regional Mobility Pricing Project for Interstate 5 and Interstate 205 should be halted, KGW-TV reported. Kotek’s letter came a few weeks after a survey found a majority of Oregon voters opposed the Regional Mobility Pricing Project tolls, KOIN-TV reported. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe move also came after the Oregon Department of Transportation produced a report on the equity impacts of tolling and the agency’s plan to mitigate the impacts on low-income Portlanders. Beyer said “metro leadership views on tolling have changed” and “local and regional opposition to tolling makes clear that Oregon is not ready for regional tolling."

Persons: Tina Kotek, Kotek, ”, Julie Brown, Lee Beyer, Kris Strickler, Beyer, Strickler, ” Brown, ” Kotek, Washington that’s Organizations: —, Oregon Transportation, Oregon Department of Transportation, ” Oregon Transportation, Washington Locations: PORTLAND, — Oregon, Portland, Oregon, ” Oregon

Tina Kotek urged lawmakers to concentrate on the most state's most pressing issues. “My number-one focus for the legislative session is to put as much as possible into the effort to improve housing production in the state,” Kotek said. Kotek's roughly $500 million housing package this session also would include $20 million in grants she described as “climate-friendly” incentives. Wagner said he spent the interim period between sessions traveling across the state to visit Republican senators in their home districts and described having “good and open conversations” with Knopp. “Let’s focus on housing, let’s focus on behavioral health, let’s focus on summer learning,” Kotek said.

Persons: Tina Kotek, ” Kotek, Kotek, decriminalizing, “, ”, Jeff Helfrich, Tim Knopp, Rob Wagner, Wagner Organizations: Republican, Democratic Gov, Republicans, GOP, Democratic, Oregon Supreme Locations: SALEM, Ore, Oregon, Knopp

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State promoted defensive coordinator Trent Bray to head coach on Tuesday night, quickly replacing Jonathan Smith after he left for Michigan State. Bray, who also played at Oregon State, had served as the Beavers' defensive coordinator since midway through the 2021 season. “The connection and trust he has built with our student-athletes is unmatched,” Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement. Political Cartoons View All 1270 ImagesBray has had two stints as an assistant at Oregon State, the first from 2012-14. After working as the linebackers coach at Nebraska Bray from 2015-17, he returned to Oregon State in 2018 as linebackers coach and was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2021.

Persons: Trent Bray, Jonathan Smith, Scott Barnes, Bray, Smith Organizations: —, — Oregon State, Michigan State, Oregon State, Beavers, ” Oregon State, Washington State, Nebraska Bray, AP Locations: CORVALLIS, Ore, — Oregon

Portland Public Schools students missed 11 days of school before the district began its weeklong Thanksgiving break. “This contract is a watershed moment for Portland students, families, and educators” said Portland Teachers Association President Angela Bonilla. The Portland Association of Teachers, which represents more than 4,000 educators, said it was the first teachers strike in the school district. Portland Public Schools repeatedly said it didn’t have the money to meet the union’s demands. Oregon lawmakers approved in June a record $10.2 billion K-12 budget for the next two years, but school district representatives said that wasn’t enough.

Persons: —, Guadalupe Guerrero, ”, Angela Bonilla, ABC's, “, haven't Organizations: —, Portland Public Schools, Portland, Portland Teachers, “, Educators, Oregon Public Broadcasting, “ Abbott, Facebook, Portland Association of Teachers Locations: PORTLAND, Oregon

Possession of under a gram of heroin, for example, is only subject to a ticket and a maximum fine of $100. Some lawmakers have suggested focusing on criminalizing public drug use rather than possession. Backers of Oregon’s approach say decriminalization isn’t necessarily to blame, as many other states with stricter drug laws have also reported increases in fentanyl deaths. Despite public perception, the law has made some progress by directing $265 million dollars of cannabis tax revenue toward standing up the state’s new addiction treatment infrastructure. Horvick, the pollster, said public support for expanding treatment remains high despite pushback against the law.

Persons: — Oregon's, ”, John Horvick, Sen, Kate Lieber, Tina Kotek, Kotek, Jason Edmiston, Alex Kreit, Lily Morgan, Heather Jefferis, ” Lieber, “, Geoff Mulvihill, ___ Claire Rush Organizations: DHM Research, Democratic, Democratic Gov, Republican, Survey, Northern Kentucky University, Addiction Law, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Health, Networks, Oregon Council, Behavioral Health, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: PORTLAND, Oregon, Portland, Hermiston, California, Washington, U.S, Portugal, Philadelphia

☆ An Oregon State University bomb threat involving food delivery robots had some students feeling sympathy — for the machines
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Oregon State University issued a safety bulletin telling students to "avoid all robots" on campus. The company who makes the robots told Insider that the chaos was the result of a student prank. The person who made the bomb threat was apprehended, an OSU spokesperson told Insider. AdvertisementAdvertisementOregon State University students and faculty got a taste of what a robot revolution would feel like on Tuesday after panic ensued over a fake bomb threat involving tiny autonomous food delivery vehicles. Urgent OSU Alert: Bomb Threat in Starship food delivery robots.

Persons: —, James Cameron Organizations: Oregon State University, OSU, Service, State University, — Oregon State University, school's Department of Public Safety, Starship Technologies

“The North Umpqua River’s diverse fish populations are unique within Oregon and are of considerable social, cultural, and economic importance locally and regionally,” the fish and wildlife department said in a news release. Environmental groups have long criticized the dam, describing it as an old, disintegrating structure that kills or prevents fish including lamprey and salmon from swimming upstream. Jim McCarthy, Southern Oregon Program Director of WaterWatch of Oregon, said he hoped the damages claim would mark a turning point for lamprey conservation. To carry out the repairs, the district received authorization from the fish and wildlife department to temporarily drain part of the reservoir behind the dam and close the fish ladder. Two days later, the fish and wildlife department determined that an emergency salvage operation was necessary and recruited employees from across the western side of the state to assist.

Persons: they've, Ryan Beckley, Jim McCarthy, ”, Salem . State Sen, Jeff Golden, ___ Claire Rush Organizations: —, Oregon Department of Fish, Wildlife, Winchester Water Control, Jim McCarthy , Southern Oregon, Water Resources, Associated Press, America Statehouse News Initiative, America Locations: PORTLAND, — Oregon, Douglas County, Winchester, Oregon, Umpqua, Jim McCarthy ,, Salem . State, Fish

Tina Kotek said Tuesday she has directed state police to launch new strategies aimed at disrupting the fentanyl supply chain and holding sellers of the frequently deadly drug accountable. Kotek said in a statement that she made the announcement at a Tuesday meeting of her task force created to revitalize downtown Portland. “I want all Oregonians to know that the state is moving forward with several new fentanyl strategic enforcement and disruption strategies,” Kotek's statement said. So far this year, the Oregon State Patrol has seized nearly 233,000 fentanyl pills and 62 pounds of powder, the statement said. Illegally made fentanyl is often added to other drugs, including heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine, to increase its potency.

Persons: Tina Kotek, Kotek, General Merrick Garland Organizations: —, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Patrol, Washington , D.C, U.S . Justice Locations: SALEM, Ore, — Oregon, Portland, “, U.S, Washington ,

Epic Healing Eugene — Oregon’s first licensed psilocybin service center — opened in June, marking the state’s unprecedented step in offering the mind-bending drug to the public. The clients can't buy mushrooms to go, and they must stay at the service center until the drug wears off. Oregon Psilocybin Services spent two years establishing regulations and began accepting license applications in January. She expects Oregon’s psilocybin program, currently receiving millions in taxpayer dollars, to be fully supported by licensing fees by mid-2025. Little, brown psychedelic mushrooms can be found growing in fields or in the woods, but they can closely resemble poisonous varieties.

Persons: Eugene — Oregon’s, Angela Allbee, ”, ” Allbee, It’s, Eugene, Brian Lindley, Jeanette Small, Allbee, Cathy Jonas, Jonas, “, Gared Hansen, Hansen, " Hansen, that’s Organizations: Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Oregon Psychiatric Physicians Association, Services, Ashland, Service Locations: EUGENE, Eugene, Colorado, Oregon, United States, Bend, San Francisco, Springfield , Oregon, Pink Buffalo

☆ As state-run retirement programs become more popular, participants are expected to have $1 billion in savings this year
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Sarah O'Brien | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Within the last decade, 16 state legislatures have adopted retirement-savings programs targeting workers whose employers don't offer a 401(k) plan or similar option. Contributions to Roth accounts are not tax-deductible, as they are with 401(k) plans or similar workplace options. "We've seen a growth of new 401(k) plans in those states that have adopted auto-IRAs," said John Scott, director of Pew's retirement savings project. Limitations to the state programsThere are limitations to the state programs. For example, they do not provide a matching contribution as many 401(k) plans do.

☆ Live Results: The House of Representatives is up for grabs, follow the latest vote counts and results here
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Each of the 435 seats in the US House of Representatives is up for grabs this Election Day. Democrats currently hold a narrow majority in the chamber — 220 seats compared to the Republicans' 212 seats. Apportionment led to six states — Oregon, Montana, Texas, Colorado, Florida, and North Carolina— gaining additional districts. Republicans need to flip just five seats to gain control of the House. If they gain control of the chamber, House Republicans have pledged to impeach President Joe Biden and launch an investigation into his son, Hunter Biden, along with an investigation into the US military's withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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