In Salem today the Senate Judiciary Committee sent to the full Senate an important bill that could change the way Oregon drunk driving cases are decided. According to The Oregonian the legislation “would no longer require everyone on diversion for drunken or drugged driving to install… interlock devices, which force…
An effort in Salem to close a striking loophole in Oregon’s laws regulating class action lawsuits is attracting attention across the country as legislators seek both to bring Oregon into accord with practice in most of the rest of the United States and to help poor Oregonians overcome the challenges…
New York City’s new mayor, Bill de Blasio, unveiled a plan yesterday designed to eliminate pedestrian traffic deaths in America’s largest city. His proposals are worth looking at here in Oregon because they may contain lessons we can learn from here in Portland. According to the New York Times, the…
Two former Portland-area prosecutors made headlines in The Oregonian this week with their advocacy of marijuana legalization. According to the newspaper Norm Frink and Mark McDonnell both believe that legalization is inevitable and, as a result, are trying to focus public attention on getting the details right. “This is just…
With an ice storm warning now extending throughout the day Sunday and road closures throughout the Pacific Northwest this is a weekend to avoid any travel that is not absolutely necessary. That is not just my opinion, it is the official word from public safety officials throughout the state. As…
With Seattle in the Super Bowl this weekend excitement surrounding the Big Game is even higher than usual here in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, increased excitement can often lead to overindulgence, and local and federal officials alike warn that Super Bowl weekend can be a dangerous time to be on…
A leaked state audit of Tri-Met, details of which appeared in The Oregonian this morning, speaks of morale problems among “front-line” workers (such as bus drivers) and portrays an agency where “safety first” is often little more than a slogan. The newspaper’s summary of the 54-page report is startling: “TriMet…
An item posted late last night on The Oregonian’s website offers details of a serious Washington bicycle accident involving a teenage rider in which a motorist faces assault charges and, potentially, drunk driving charges as well. The paper, citing the Everett Herald, reports that a 52-year-old Everett man driving a…
The tragic death of an infant last year at a Seattle day care center is spurring calls to action in the state legislature. According to an Associated Press report reprinted in The Oregonian, Washington legislators will soon debate a proposal to “require formal investigations at child care centers when a…
An article in today’s Oregonian (it was published online last night) details the early discussions in Salem about legislation that would dramatically alter where and how liquor is sold here in Oregon. It is a potentially complex issue, one made no simpler by the potential Oregon dram shop law issues…