Electricity demand in Northwest states is expected to grow more than 30 percent in the next decade, partly due to the rapid expansion of data centers across the region.
The state House approved a bill that would require the Occupational Safety and Health Division to raise its minimum fines, in some cases, by more than 1,000 percent for violating workplace safety rules.
The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the state $3 million, and the Portland metro area $1 million, to develop strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and develop clean energy economies.
Starting in September, the state will end the controversial practice of paying for remote state government employees’ travel to mandatory meetings. It’s unclear if the decision will impact pre-pandemic work policies.
The amount that fire victims receive after taxes and attorney fees is sometimes as little as just 25 percent of the original award. A state bill would allow victims to subtract wildfire settlements from their taxable income.
The state has signaled its support for allocating an additional $70 million to Gov. Tina Kotek’s initial request of $130 million in emergency funds to help move residents off the streets and keep them housed.
Nearly a dozen counties in Oregon have voted to leave Salem behind and join Idaho. Local secession movements have sprung up in multiple states due to the urban-rural political divide.
While the state doesn’t track who gets the biggest incentives, data shows that wealthy tech companies receive the largest breaks. However, the state often loses money on these economic development efforts.
In Oregon, data centers and cryptocurrency miners would have to adhere to the same standards as big private utilities. If the bill passes, violation of the rules would result in hefty penalties and withheld tax breaks.
Lawmakers passed nearly 120 bills this past legislative session and some of the highest-profile bills have already gone into effect. But 20 new laws, from workers’ compensation to victim restitution, start on Jan. 1.
The state aims to cut emissions by 50 percent by 2035 and by 90 percent by 2050. The transportation sector accounts for almost 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The new rule is based on California’s.
The 26-year-old defeated Kim Rice, 52, and Rich Vial, 68, on Tuesday, making her the youngest-ever state senator ever elected in Oregon. She will represent Senate District 18.
Rep. Janelle Bynum’s re-election battle is closer than many initially anticipated, part of which is caused by significant redistricting. About 29,000 of the 50,000 registered voters are new to the district.
Political groups have spent thousands of dollars to sway voters in their favor for measures 112, 113 and 114. One committee spent more than $1.5 million to get Measure 113 on the ballot and another $24,000 since.
The Secretary of State’s office has received three times the normal amount of records requests as people seek information about voting machines. The requests have been sparked by election misinformation.
Some civic leaders in Morrow County have crafted a lurcative deal that gives the e-commerce giant tax fiber-optic services along with tax breaks worth nearly $50 million a year.
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