Electric-powered boats not coming to paddle-only lakes anytime soon

Law lifting ban will take time to implement on affected lakes, including nine in Deschutes County

Published June 12, 2019 at 10:01PM / Updated June 12, 2019 at 10:49PM

SALEM — Electric-powered boats won’t start appearing soon on 21 state lakes, rivers and waterways where they were previously banned, … Read more

Gary A. Warner, The Bulletin

Bend legislation in limbo as session nears finish

Approaching end of 2019 session increases odds against some bills

Published June 11, 2019 at 08:43PM / Updated June 11, 2019 at 10:22PM

SALEM — The Capitol acted like a giant lawmaking percolator on Tuesday, pouring out bills … Read more

Capitol roundup: Electric motors could be OK’d on Devils, Todd and other lakes

School restraints, a squabble over campaign reform and Bigfoot also items in Salem

Published June 10, 2019 at 07:59PM / Updated June 11, 2019 at 10:45AM

SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown has been busily signing new laws, a clear sign that … Read more

Key bills on the move as deadline approaches

Bills on marijuana, outdoor recreation and OSU-Cascades among those pending

Published June 9, 2019 at 04:01PM / Updated June 9, 2019 at 10:10PM

SALEM —The Legislature took a rare breather Friday, with neither the House nor Senate in … Read more

Governor signs bill killing county marijuana charge

Deschutes County alone in requiring cannabis growers pay for impact on roads

Published June 7, 2019 at 05:27PM / Updated June 7, 2019 at 07:34PM

SALEM — Deschutes County’s one-of-a-kind charge on the marijuana industry was effectively killed under a … Read more

Trio of bills to curb campaign spending advance

Advocates say bills start reforms, while opponents see just more confusion

Published June 6, 2019 at 06:23PM / Updated June 6, 2019 at 09:29PM

SALEM — A trio of bills advocates say were inspired, in part, by Nike founder … Read more

Scramble on for Central Oregon House seat

McLane’s surprise move to state bench sets off race to replace him

Published June 4, 2019 at 07:59PM / Updated June 4, 2019 at 11:40PM

SALEM — Republicans are starting to jockey for the House seat soon to be vacated … Read more

Capitol roundup: Marijuana bills on the move

With logjam cleared, Legislature is on fast track to try to wrap-up by June 21

Published June 3, 2019 at 07:03PM / Updated June 3, 2019 at 07:20PM

SALEM — The Legislature is plowing through a backlog of bills as it moves toward … Read more

Oregon gets a head start on summer wildfires

Officials plan to work with neighboring states for firefighting response

Published June 1, 2019 at 06:13PM / Updated June 1, 2019 at 10:10PM

SALEM — Fire has no respect for boundaries created by humans. It doesn’t care if … Read more

Gov. Brown names Mike McLane to state judgeship

The former House GOP leader has been a frequent critic of the governor

Published May 31, 2019 at 07:01PM / Updated May 31, 2019 at 08:05PM

SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown on Friday named a top Republican lawmaker and frequent critic … Read more

Oregon politics gearing up for 2020 election

GOP faces tough task of beating Democratic statewide incumbent

Published May 25, 2019 at 04:41PM / Updated May 26, 2019 at 04:06PM

SALEM — The November general election was a little over six months ago. Flip the … Read more

Gov. Brown signs ‘Kaylee’s Law’

Law named for Bend woman murdered by COCC campus security officer

Published May 24, 2019 at 01:41PM / Updated May 24, 2019 at 10:04PM

SALEM— Gov. Kate Brown on Friday signed into law a bill meant to avert incidents … Read more

Bend backs state law to allow lower residential speed limits

An amendment would expand the number of streets were traffic could be slowed

Published May 22, 2019 at 08:01PM / Updated May 23, 2019 at 05:10AM

SALEM — The city of Bend is backing legislation that would allow it to lower … Read more

State committee holds future pace of OSU-Cascades build-out

Panel is revising its priority list, but Bend projects unlikely to rise

Published May 20, 2019 at 06:27PM / Updated May 20, 2019 at 09:23PM

SALEM — Oregon State University-Cascades’ place near the bottom of the state’s university construction priority … Read more

Capitol Roundup: Deals and deadlines hit the Legislature

“Kaylee’s Law,” wildfires, saluting a Bend hero and recalling lawmaker walkouts

Published May 15, 2019 at 07:37PM / Updated May 15, 2019 at 08:56PM

SALEM — The two chambers of the Oregon Legislature have flip-flopped on the speed of … Read more

Vaccination bill is dead, but controversy lives on

Both sides say they are prepared to carry on the fight into 2020

Published May 14, 2019 at 07:01PM / Updated May 14, 2019 at 11:32PM

SALEM — Despite a Senate deal to kill a bill to end all but medical … Read more

Redmond’s Clarno charting her course as Secretary of State

First weeks were sometimes bumpy, but Gov. Brown appointee pushes on

Published May 11, 2019 at 06:03PM / Updated May 11, 2019 at 09:15PM

SALEM — Five weeks into her new job as Oregon secretary of state, Bev Clarno … Read more

House panel hears intense testimony on ‘Kaylee’s Law’

Bill named for murdered Bend woman gets final hearing in Legislature

Published May 7, 2019 at 06:53PM / Updated May 7, 2019 at 09:47PM

SALEM — Family, law enforcement, lawmakers and students testified Tuesday at a House hearing on … Read more

Oregon House OKs tough vaccine rules over vocal opposition

Bend’s Helt is co-sponsor of bill to end nonmedical exemptions

Published May 6, 2019 at 04:21PM / Updated May 6, 2019 at 07:59PM

SALEM — The Oregon House voted Monday to tighten the state’s mandatory vaccine laws and … Read more

Cheri Helt is a lawmaker on the hot seat

Vaccination bill issue where Republican from Bend straddles a partisan fence

Published May 4, 2019 at 04:03PM / Updated May 4, 2019 at 08:32PM

SALEM — Cheri Helt is on the hot seat. On Monday, the Republican representative from … Read more

Round-up: House vote on taxes for education

Guns, vaccinations, and marijuana also on Legislature’s agenda

Published April 30, 2019 at 06:39PM / Updated April 30, 2019 at 08:23PM

SALEM — Taxes top the agenda this week in the state Capitol as a controversial … Read more

Oregon judge halts Trump’s nationwide rule on abortion referrals

Published April 29, 2019 at 04:01PM / Updated April 29, 2019 at 08:43PM

U.S. District Judge Michael McShane on Monday granted the second nationwide preliminary injunction against new … Read more

Trio of bills aim to reduce Oregon’s plastic waste

Bags, straws and Styrofoam are legislative targets

Published April 24, 2019 at 08:25PM / Updated April 24, 2019 at 10:50PM

SALEM — Three anti-plastic bills are moving through the House and Senate, hoping to avoid … Read more

Senate passes ‘Kaylee’s Law’ in emotional session

Bill named for murdered COCC student receives unanimous vote

Published April 23, 2019 at 08:01PM / Updated April 23, 2019 at 10:46PM

SALEM — In an extraordinary and personal show of unanimity, the Senate on Tuesday approved … Read more

Capitol round-up: Hot-button issues top agenda

Vaccination and gun bills face key tests, while “Kaylee’s Law” is up for a vote

April 22, 2019 at 10:21PM

SALEM — Hot-button issues are taking center stage this week in the Capitol as lawmakers … Read more

La Bell settles Rebecca Foundation allegations

Former House candidate and state agree to nonprofit ban, possible fine

Published April 19, 2019 at 05:49PM / Updated April 19, 2019 at 10:11PM

SALEM — Former House candidate Amanda La Bell will be barred from running a nonprofit … Read more

Capitol round-up: Helt named to state school board

Voting, housing and roadkill also in the news

April 15, 2019 at 11:10PM

SALEM — State Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, has been chosen by Secretary of State Bev … Read more

Lawmakers scramble to move bills before they expire

Bills by Bend-area lawmakers among the casualties of Tuesday deadline

Published April 9, 2019 at 07:47PM / Updated April 10, 2019 at 05:27AM

SALEM — Scores of bills died on Tuesday, the second key deadline for the Legislature … Read more

PERS plan likely won’t fix problem

Methods of gathering funds not enough to protect schools from rising pension costs

April 9, 2019 at 11:04PM

Much of the intrigue in this year’s legislative session centers around lawmakers’ push to raise … Read more

Capitol roundup: Cascade of bills as Legislature faces deadline

Redmond housing bill goes to governor; Kaylee’s law moves forward as lawmakers face Tuesday deadline

Published April 8, 2019 at 04:46PM / Updated April 8, 2019 at 09:14PM

SALEM — With one day to go before a key deadline that will kill off … Read more

Bev Clarno rides again

Redmond rancher-politician is new Secretary of State

April 6, 2019 at 10:01PM

SALEM — Bev Clarno just published her memoir. But she’s going to have to add … Read more

Oregon Democrats want to bring back double health insurance for state, school workers

Published April 5, 2019 at 02:59PM / Updated April 5, 2019 at 06:53PM

SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown and Democrats in the Oregon Legislature are looking at undoing … Read more

Two PERS reform ballot initiatives aim to rein in costs

2 possible ballot initiatives seek to rein in costs

Published April 4, 2019 at 04:45PM / Updated April 4, 2019 at 07:01PM

Members of the business community filed two prospective ballot measures Thursday that would aim to … Read more

Democrats vote to cut 2020 ‘kicker’ tax rebate by $108M

April 2, 2019 at 08:04PM

SALEM — Oregon’s projected “kicker” tax rebate will decrease by $108 million under a bill … Read more

Key Bend-area bills live or die as Legislature hits halfway mark

Affordable housing moves on, while marijuana bill dies

Published April 1, 2019 at 11:25PM / Updated April 2, 2019 at 03:57PM

SALEM — A key affordable housing bill for Redmond moved forward on Monday, while a … Read more

This image is copyrighted.

Click to buy

World news in photos