Local/Regional News
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Senate Passes Bill To Stiffen Pain Medication Rules
Washington medical boards may draw up new
limits on prescribing pain medicine, like OxyContin. That’s the
result of a bill that has won approval from Washington state
lawmakers.
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Ocean Acidification Lawsuit Settled Before Trial
Marine scientists from Oregon and Washington
have documented rising acidity levels in offshore ocean waters. It
poses a threat to shellfish and other sea life.
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Potato Growers Say Down Economy Means Down Prices For Spuds
Northwest potato farmers are bracing for what
could be a tough year. Correspondent Anna King
caught up with a potato farmer near Eltopia, Washington.
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Oregon Worker’s Comp Provider Pays Dividends
Some businesses and non-profits that hold policies with SAIF Corporation will be getting dividend checks next month. The public corporation announced today it will pay out $100 million to customers, including the state of Oregon, who held policies in 2008.
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Grays Harbor Biodiesel Refinery Restarts
The biggest biodiesel refinery in the West will ease back in production this week. Workers at the Grays Harbor, Washington plant have repaired the damage from an explosion in December.
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WA Legislature Expected To Go Into Special Session
Democratic leaders in the Washington
legislature now say a special session will be necessary to finish
work on a budget and tax plan.
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NW Residents Have Adjusted Their Personal Spending For Good
64 percent of people in the Northwest say they feel they’re worse off financially than they were a year and a half ago. And many say the economy has permanently changed their spending habits. Anna King reports.
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Four Vie for Oregon State Treasurer
The unexpected race for Oregon’s next state Treasurer has turned out to be a competitive one. Chris Lehman reports.
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Oregon Republicans Hope This Is Their Year
Republicans are predicting big wins in the Oregon Legislature in part due to what some are predicting to be a big year for Republicans nationwide. Chris Lehman reports.
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Washington Legislature Approves Bills That Regulate Mental Health Outings
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire is expected to sign
two bills that are responses to last fall's escape by a Spokane
mental patient. Both bills will tighten restrictions on supervised
field trips.
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Washington Legislature Approves Dam Compensation Bill
A rural county in northeast Washington is getting a bit of
relief, courtesy of the Washington legislature and Seattle City
Light.
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Washington Governor Responds To Idaho Governor’s “Love Letter”
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire has fired back at her counterpart in Idaho. Governor Butch Otter wrote a new economic recruiting letter to Oregon and Washington businesses this week.
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Personal Indicators Color Perception Of Economic Turnaround
Professional economists tend to judge the state of things with big numbers. Think of the unemployment rate, gross domestic product, and stuff like that. But often we can see the state of the economy with our own eyes.
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The Race To Replace Westlund Shapes Up
The unexpected race for Oregon’s next state Treasurer is turning out to be a competitive one. Governor Ted Kulongoski today selected Multnomah County Board Chair and former bank manager Ted Wheeler to be the state’s fiscal manager.
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Gregoire Talks Special Session, Reiterates Opposition To Sales Tax Hike
It’s one-party Democratic rule in Olympia, but
that doesn’t mean consensus is easy. Washington Governor Chris
Gregoire is not ruling out a special session of the legislature.
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Government Reform Proves A Slog In Olympia
Two years ago, Governor Chris Gregoire called on her fellow Democrats in the legislature to “reboot” state government. But lawmakers from both parties say those efforts have largely been thwarted by special interests. Austin Jenkins reports.
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Public Radio Poll Shows Many Confused About Health Care Mandate
According to a new poll many people in the Northwest say they’re confused about one key point of President Obama’s health care plan. Doug Nadvornick reports.
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WA Legislature Enters Final Week , But Overtime Session Possible
The House and Senate still have to reconcile many differences and that could send the Democratic-led legislature into overtime. Austin Jenkins has this update.
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Oregon: Republican Gubernatorial Hopefuls Debate
Three Oregon Republican gubernatorial hopefuls duked it out at a debate last Friday night. The showdown took place at the annual Dorchester gathering of Republicans in Seaside. Chris Lehman reports.
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Washington's Death With Dignity Law is One Year Old
Washington’s department of health reports that 63 lethal prescriptions were dispensed during the first 9 months of the state's Death with Dignity Act. Forty seven of those patients used it to end their life. The law turns is now one year old. Correspondent Patricia Murphy reports.
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Iraqis Travel to Canada to Vote
Decades of violence have scattered Iraqis. The Electoral Commission set up polling centers in sixteen different countries. As Amelia Templeton reports, Iraqis traveled from Portland to Canada to vote.
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WA “Race To The Top” Bill Stalls In Senate
The Obama administration last week
announced the first round of grants to states under the federal
“Race to the Top” education reform program. Washington state
didn’t apply, but Governor Chris Gregoire wants a chance to
qualify for the second round of grants later this spring.
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Westlund’s Death Creates Open Treasurer’s Race
The death of Oregon state Treasurer Ben Westlund from lung cancer Sunday morning came at an especially awkward time. Because of a filing deadline, major party candidates who want to replace Westlund have until just 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon to enter the race.
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Idaho Uses Bad Economy To Lure Oregon Businesses
Idaho Governor Butch Otter has written what he terms “A
Love Letter to Our Neighbors.” He’s trying to actively recruit
businesses fed up with increasing taxes in Oregon and, potentially,
Washington.
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Former Pit to be Transformed into Community Garden
A coalition of government, businesses and non-profit groups is transforming the vacant lot next to Eugene's Federal Courthouse into a community garden. correspondent Jes Burns reports.
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Ranchers, Energy Developers Dodge A Bullet On Sage Grouse Status
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today said the sage grouse
warrants listing as an endangered species, but won’t get it. He
explained that other critters closer to the brink of extinction take
priority.
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Regional Landfill To Convert Garbage To Mileage
Starting next year, some of the trash you toss out may end up in
gas tanks instead of buried at a large regional landfill in eastern
Oregon.
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Audits Finds Security Concerns At Oregon State Data Center
A new audit released today finds ongoing security
problems at Oregon’s State Data Center. The Salem facility serves
as the central hub for most state government computing needs.
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Public Radio Poll: 41% Oppose Mandated Health Insurance
People in the Northwest are split over President Obama’s plan
to require Americans to buy health insurance.
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Some NW Wineries Take Issue With Being Reviewed
Some big names in the Northwest wine industry have been quarrelling publicly -- online. The cause of the spat? Wine scores. Anna King reports.
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Charging Ahead: Electric Vehicle Rollout On Track In NW
The West Coast is about to take part in the biggest rollout of electric cars and charging stations in the world. The first mass-market electric cars go on sale in greater Seattle and Oregon’s Willamette Valley at the end of this year. Tom Banse reports.
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Idaho Medicaid to be Cut by 3.5%
More than 150,000 children in Idaho rely on Medicaid for their health care needs. Lawmakers Thursday hammered out a budget, and medicaid will be cut by 3.5 percent. Correspondent Samantha Wright finds out how this will impact children in Idaho.
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Students Nationwide Protest Higher Education Cuts
In
Washington state nearly a hundred students skipped class to
protest budget cuts at the Capitol in Olympia.
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Senator Patty Murray Questions Energy Secretary Steven Chu Yucca Mt.
Democratic Senator Patty Murray had tough words today Thursday
for federal Secretary of Energy Steven Chu. She’s angry over the
decision by the Obama Administration to take Nevada’s Yucca
Mountain off the table as a possible nuclear waste storage site.
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Idaho Lawmakers Concerned for Future of Schools
The public schools budget passed this week by the Idaho State
Legislature’s Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee has
some lawmakers concerned about the future of those schools.
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Income Tax Roars Back To Life In Wash. Senate
Lawmakers in Olympia are feeling
emboldened by tax hikes approved by Oregon voters in January.
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WA Senate Passes Constitutional Amendment To Withhold Bail In WA
The Washington state Senate has unanimously
approved a constitutional amendment on bail. It would allow
judges to withhold bail in more than just capital murder cases.
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NW Discontent with State Government at 30 Year High
State governments in the Northwest are on the “wrong-track” and spending too much money on non-priority services. Those are the key findings of a new public radio poll of 1,200 residents in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Austin Jenkens reports.
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Why Sexual Assault is Underreported on College Campuses
University experts say many sexual assaults go unreported because students don’t want to come forward. Last year, more than 60 students sought help from a campus rape crisis center while only 3 rapes were officially reported.
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Global Water Stress in NW Says Journalist Martha Mendoza
Award- winning journalist Martha Mendoza says global water stress is here, in the United States and the Pacific Northwest. Glenn Mosley reports.
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Public Radio Poll Shows Oregonians Wary Of Kicker Reform
Oregon lawmakers were correct to question whether
voters would pass kicker reform this year. That’s according to a
new public radio survey released today.
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Public Radio Poll: 64% Oppose Democrats’ Suspension Of I-960
Majority Democrats in the Washington legislature appear to have crossed voters in a big way. A new public radio poll shows a hefty 64 percent of Washingtonians oppose the decision to suspend a voter initiative requiring a two-thirds vote for tax hikes.
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Yakima Water Shortages Likely
The lack of snowpack this winter in the northwest could spell problems for irrigators. That is especially true in areas that have had long term problems with water supply, like the Yakima basin.
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Edible Idaho: Facing Animal Cruetly in Agriculture
The ethical treatment of farm animals is a growing concern for many Americans. And that puts states with relatively few animal cruelty laws, like Idaho, in the cross-hairs of animal welfare groups. Guy Hand explores animal welfare on the farm.
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Washington State Moving to One Drug Executions
Washington state is in the process of changing its method of execution from a three-drug protocol to a one-drug system. Patricia Murphy reports.
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The Relationship Between Midwives and Obstetrics in Idaho
Idaho's senate came close to returning the state to voluntary midwife licensing. The bill died in the state affairs committee by just one vote. The argument that carried the day was that the mandatory licensing law was too new and needed time to prove itself. This reconsidering of midwifery in the legislature raises some questions about the practice. Adam Cotterell reports.
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WA Legislature Poised To Restrict Shackling Of Pregnant Inmates
Women’s health advocates are on the verge of
a victory in Olympia. The Washington Senate today approved a
House ban on shackling pregnant prisoners. Correspondent
Austin Jenkins has details.
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Challengers Emerge To Take On Wyden
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will face some competition
this November after all. For a while it looked as though no one
would take on the Oregon Democrat.
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Oregon Adds Jobs, Unemployment Rate Remains Flat
As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, it's been hanging in the high 10
percent range for four months now, showing that economists were
correct to predict a slow rebound.
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University of Idaho Implements Employee Furloughs
University of Idaho officials today announced that they’re
requiring 2,600 of the Moscow-based school’s employees to take
furlough time this spring. The goal is to save $1.2 million.
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Washington & Oregon Sees First Job Growth In Over A Year
Washington and Oregon companies added more
jobs than they cut in January. Washington Governor Chris Gregoire
takes the positive jobs numbers as a sign the economy is on the
rebound.
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Idaho Public School Budget Cuts To Be Discussed Tomorrow
Tomorrow Idaho's Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, JFAC, is scheduled to discuss the long awaited public education budget. Adam Cotterell reports, that budget will contain cuts Idaho has never contemplated before.
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Hanford Nuclear Reservation Clean Up Hearing Update
The US Department of Energy held the seventh of eight public hearings about clean-up plans at Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Eugene Monday night. Correspondent Jes Burns reports.
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Washington State Wants Input On Yucca Mountain
The Washington State Attorney General’s office announced Monday that it’s trying to legally intervene on any final decision about Nevada’s Yucca Mountain. Anna King reports.
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Key Senate Budget Writer Votes “No” On His Own Budget
In a stunning break with his own party, the number two budget writer in the Washington state Senate voted no on his own budget. Senator Rodney Tom explained his opposition in an interview with Austin Jenkins.
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WA Gov Will Consider Reopening State Worker Contracts
A follow up now to a story we brought you
last week. It was about Washington’s state-employee health
insurance fund being $200 million in the red. Neither the House nor
the Senate are proposing a fix.
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Northwest Federal Transportation Projects Sit In Limbo
A Kentucky senator’s hold on legislation in Congress is
having a ripple effect in the Northwest. Jim Bunning’s procedural
move is keeping the Senate from putting new money in the federal
Highway Trust Fund.
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Initiative to Improve Broadband in Washington
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke visited Seattle today to
announce plans to dedicate federal stimulus funds to expand
high-speed broadband access in Washington.
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Washington Leaders Warn Of Likely Drought This Summer
Washington Governor Chris Gregoire is asking state lawmakers to
set aside about $4 million for a drought fund. At a press
conference today the democrat warned a drought this summer
could mean short rations of water for salmon, Eastern Washington
crops and cities.
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WA House Democrats Unveil $758M Tax Plan
Washington House Democrats have unveiled a
$758 million tax plan. But unlike the State Senate’s proposal, it
does not include an across-the-board sales tax hike.
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Modest Expectations Met For Olympic Spillover Into NW U.S.
Today is expected to be the busiest day ever for departures from Vancouver International Airport. Thousands of athletes, officials and spectators are shipping out after last night’s Sunday night’s Winter Olympic closing ceremony. Tom Banse reports.
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Winter Olympics Go Out With A Bang
The Winter Olympics closed with a bang Sunday. Fireworks erupted over Vancouver’s harbor. But the show paled beside the eruption of unbridled joy in the streets a few hours earlier. Tom Banse reports.
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NW Olympians Happy With Medals Or Without
The United States brings home a total of 37 medals from the Olympics in Vancouver. That’s the most ever for one country at the Winter Games. Tom Banse reports.
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Apolo Ohno Coy About Future Plans
Short track speed skater Apolo Ohno is being coy about his future plans after wrapping up his third Winter Olympics.
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Idaho Senator Praises Clinton for Helping With Haitian Missionary Case
Idaho Republican Senator Jim Risch is praised Hillary Clinton’s handling of the case of 10 missionaries held for more than three weeks in Haiti. The last two are expected to be released from the earthquake-stricken nation this week. Doug Nadvornick reports.
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WA State Printer Saved From Elimination
It appears unlikely the Washington legislature will eliminate the state’s 156-year old printing operation. Instead, the House passed legislation Friday to merge the state printer with the Department of Information Services.
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Grant County Residents Meet To Fend Off Aryan Nations
Hundreds of Grant County, Oregon residents gathered Friday to stand against a racist group who have threatened to move to the John Day area. Mike Van Meter reports.
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Microsoft Could Share Information from Hotmail or Xbox Live Accounts
Users of Microsoft products like Hotmail or Xbox Live might not be aware of the information the company gathers on them each time they go online. If Microsoft gets a search warrant or subpoena, it shares that data with law enforcement officials. John Ryan reports.
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Gunman Kills Tacoma Teacher at School
The man who shot and killed a Tacoma school
teacher this morning had reportedly been stalking her for years.
The suspect was later killed himself in a shootout with a Pierce
County deputy.
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Follow Up: Wash. State Printer Saved From Elimination
A follow-up now to a story we brought you
earlier this week. It appears unlikely the Washington legislature
will eliminate the state’s 156-year old printing operation.
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Samples of Wine May Be Available At Washington Farmer’s Markets Soon
Washington wineries are asking state lawmakers
to include them in farmers’ markets. A new bill in Olympia would
allow wineries to give small sips of their libations at markets in a
pilot program.
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Feds,Washington State Launch Contaminated Ground Water Investigation
The water system is sick in a huge swath of Eastern Washington -- from Union Gap near Yakima to Benton City near the Tri-Cities. State and federal officials announced Thursday that much of the ground water in the lower valley is dangerous to drink. Anna King reports.
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