Chris Lehman

SALEM, Ore. – Public employees in Oregon are voicing their objections to a measure aimed at cutting the cost of public pensions. They packed a legislative hearing in Salem Wednesday. Legislative budget-writers have floated a proposal that would limit cost of living increases for retired workers.

James Jacobsen is an administrative assistant in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. He expects to retire in about four years. And he says lawmakers are looking for cash in the wrong place.

SALEM, Ore. - Depending on who you ask, raccoons are either cute little woodland critters or a menace to pets and humans alike. There’s certainly no consensus on that question in the Oregon legislature. One measure in Salem would ban the feeding of raccoons. It’s an idea that’s proven to be surprisingly controversial.

Kristy Neubo has a small dog. She calls it "Baby. She's a little five-pound shih-tzu yorkie mix.

SALEM, Ore. – As the U.S. Supreme Court debates same-sex marriage Tuesday, activists on both sides of the issue in Oregon are working behind the scenes to craft language for a 2014 ballot initiative. Opponents claim the current wording would have unintended political consequences.

Here's the ballot measure phrase that gay marriage opponents have seized upon: "The state of Oregon and its political subdivisions shall issue marriage licenses to all couples."

Democrats in the Oregon legislature are bracing themselves for a backlash against a public pension cost cutting proposal they released Monday. The plan would create a sliding scale to cap cost of living increases for retired public workers. Budget-writers hope to apply the savings to education funding.

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon lawmakers think employers should just log off when it comes to asking workers for their Facebook passwords. A House panel debated a measure Friday that would prohibit companies from demanding access to their employees' social media accounts.

The idea surfaced after national news reports of people being forced to turn over their Facebook passwords as a condition of getting or keeping a job. It’s not clear whether that’s been happening in the Northwest.

SALEM, Ore. – Some of the fiercest debates this year in the Oregon legislature have revolved around something critics call the “nanny state.” These are bills to regulate personal behavior. The issues may change, but it’s a conversation that’s been going on for decades.

Let's start with a recent example. A measure that would ban smoking in cars when there are children present. Republican Oregon state Senator Jeff Kruse is a smoker, but that’s not why he opposes the bill.

Advocates for women's rights want the Oregon legislature to send a version of the Equal Rights Amendment to the state ballot. The measure is similar to the federal constitutional amendment that was approved by Congress in the early 70s. Not enough states ratified it so the amendment never took effect. Now, more than four dozen lawmakers have signed onto the idea of asking Oregon voters to approve a state version of the concept.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday makes it harder for miners to gain access to Northwest rivers. Environmental groups hailed the decision as a major victory.

People who fly unmanned aircraft for fun say new changes to an Oregon drone bill have addressed their concerns. An Oregon Senate panel will consider the measure Wednesday.

EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon Supreme Court Thursday heard arguments in a case that pits a death row inmate against Governor John Kitzhaber. An attorney for Gary Haugen argued that the two-time murderer has the right to reject a reprieve from the death penalty issued by the governor.