BY JACOB SZETO
PORTLAND - In an Oregon Politico effort to obtain city records, a city staffer revealed that the highest paid staff is usually the one fulfilling the low-level records requests.
Public records requests are requests made by citizens to their government for information. In Oregon, the citizen is charged for the staff time to make [...]

BY SARAH ROSS
SALEM- The legislature ended their 25 day special session Thursday, passing a controversial constitutional amendment calling for annual legislative sessions.
The bill, SJR 41, created heavy controversy in the past few days which were filled with clear divides not only among parties but also among the two legislative bodies. House leaders were arguing for [...]

BY SARAH ROSS
PORTLAND- With the passage of tax Measures 66 and 67 on Tuesday, a concern for business migration and job loss has begun brewing.
One study headed by Oregon Politico’s parent organization, Cascade Policy Institute, found that with the passage of both measures, 8,000 additional taxpayers per year are expected to migrate out-of-state due to [...]

BY SARAH ROSS
SALEM- Since the enforcement of Oregon smoking ban took place in January, business in the state’s previously smoker-friendly locations has dropped.
There is no question that the smoking ban has taken a toll on the state’s businesses but to the degree that the ban or the recession is responsible is still uncertain. Many businesses [...]

By SARAH ROSS
SALEM- Governor Ted Kulongoski announced on Thursday that he and Attorney General John Kroger intend to oppose the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authorization of the Jordan Cove Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facility and pipeline near Coos Bay.
The facility would deliver up to 1 billion cubic feet of gas to consumers throughout the region [...]