The Aloha representative, who brings lived experience with poverty to her leadership role on a housing committee, speaks for young people who demand action on the housing and climate crises they’ve inherited W hen Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, 7 ...
3 Mar 2021 - Tom Henderson
A roundup of legislation in the House Committee on Housing The House Committee on Housing is grappling with housing for Oregon’s farmworkers — an estimated 178,758 workers and their family members, according to Oregon State University. House Bill 2096, wh ...
3 Mar 2021 - Tom Henderson
Testimony before a legislative panel turned emotional — and for many, it was personal A slew of bills before the Oregon Legislature this year come under the heading of “equitable policing.” Angela Foster of Milwaukie told lawmakers Jan. 27 she would fin ...
17 Feb 2021 - Tom Henderson
Legislative housing committees begin the 2021 session with an overview of the state’s crisis M ore than 4,000 Oregonians lost their homes in last summer’s wildfires. One of them was the aunt of state Rep. Lily Morgan (R-Grants Pass). Morgan’s aunt lived i ...
27 Jan 2021 - Tom Henderson
A slate of new bills could change the future of housing in Oregon I n the distant past, 12 months ago to be precise, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) called for declaring a state of emergency on homelessness and beseeched legislators to approv ...
20 Jan 2021 - Tom Henderson
Housing advocates plan to push for further renter protections when the Legislature’s regular session begins next month The Oregon State Legislature met in a special session Dec. 21 and extended the state’s eviction moratorium to June 30, despite concerns ...
30 Dec 2020 - Tom Henderson
Housing advocates say the legislation fails to prevent housing instability for thousands of Oregonians. Property owners say they won’t get adequate protection. Oregon lawmakers say they want renters to stay in their homes, but advocates on both sides of t ...
2 Dec 2020 - Tom Henderson
We continue to break record temperatures and hurtle toward disaster, but there have been some notable victories, too The water that runs through the canals of Venice is clear, clearer than it has been in decades. It apparently just needed a vacation from ...
17 Sep 2020 - Tom Henderson
Is the state poised to abandon Tom McCall’s environmental legacy? Oregon schoolchildren once regularly saw a documentary about the growing climate crisis in their state. “Clean water and clear air are imperatives of life itself,” narrator Richard Ross beg ...
15 Sep 2020 - Tom Henderson
Top Oregon Democrats refused to send the recommendation to the floor for a vote. The governor may still have executive authority to move forward with closures. Many prison reform activists wonder if Oregon lawmakers care more about preserving jobs than sa ...
14 Aug 2020 - Tom Henderson