News In the history of Oregon politics, there are few things voters have hated more than a sales tax. But when voters...   More

News For years, state Sen. Ginny Burdick (D-Portland) has been working to get rid of one of the biggest oddities of Oregon’s income tax system, a rebate called the “kicker.” First passed by the   More

News Here's how wacky the debate has become about House Bill 3465, which would create a mega-dude ranch in Grant County: the free-market, small government group Americans for Prosperity Oregon opposes the bill, while 1000 Friends of Oregon, long one of the state's most zealous protectors of open lands, does not.At issue is a bill that would allow Scott Campbell, the founder of the Banfield Pet Hospital ...   More

News Oregon's sheriffs have lost their battle in the Legislature to hide who's getting concealed-handgun licenses, says Sen. Ginny Burdick, an opponent of their proposal. The Southwest Portland Democrat says House Bill 2727 (PDF) lacked enough support on the Senate floor and effectively died yesterday when it went to the Senate Rules Committee instead. Oregonian editorial page editor Bob Caldwell ...   More

News Last week, the state Senate Finance Committee took testimony on the appropriate level of commissions for the Oregon Lottery to pay the retailers who carry video poker and video slot machines. The current six-year retailer contract expires next June and the Lottery Commission is expected to decide on the level of commissions by the end of this month. Commissions have fallen from 33.5 percent ...   More

News When the Legislature convenes for a special session next week, one of the bills with greatest potential local impact is Senate Bill 1042 [PDF]. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham), would allow individual counties to impose cigarette taxes. Multnomah County Commissioner Deborah Kafoury, the county's point person on the proposed tax, says the bill is a top legislative ...   More