Oregon on Tuesday June 30, 2009

OR: Oregon's 2009 session ends with trail of big taxes
By Harry Esteve, The Oregonian (Portland)
Oregon lawmakers, working a late-evening marathon to bring the six-month session to a close, barnstormed through a flurry of bills Monday, including a near total ban on field burning and a moratorium for online schools.
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OR: Green jobs make up 3 percent of Oregon's work force, report says
Staff reports, The Oregonian (Portland)
Green jobs account for 3 percent of Oregon's private, state government and local government employment, the Oregon Employment Department said in a report released today.
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Furloughs cut into state services
By Pauline Vu, Stateline.org Staff Writer
With states facing a $121 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year, a growing number of them have turned to squeezing their workforce for savings, and effects both great and small will be felt.
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OR: Lawmakers adjourn -- Economy dominates '09 session
By Peter Wong, Statesman Journal (Salem)
Despite a multibillion dollar gap between falling tax collections and projected service costs, the Oregon Legislature shut down Monday night after completing the shortest session since 1995 — beating its mark of two years ago.
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OR: Oregon Democrats gamble on improving economy
By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian (Portland)
The Oregon Legislature's Democratic majority wagered heavily this session that the economy will soon be on the upswing.
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OR: Transparency bill gains approval
By Tracy Loew, Statesman Journal (Salem)
Oregon will be required to post all state revenue and spending details on a central, searchable Web site under a bill unanimously repassed by the House on Monday.
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OR: Oregon Legislature bans field burning
By Melissa Repko, The Oregonian (Portland)
The Oregon Legislature narrowly passed a bill on Monday that will ban field burning in the Willamette Valley starting in 2010.
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OR: Sine Die -- Time out for thanks in the statehouse
By Janie Har, The Oregonian (Portland)
You know the end is here when the professional staff gets its turn in the spotlight.
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OR: Oregon Senate puts illegal workers, bosses on notice
By Janie Har, The Oregonian (Portland)
Lawmakers are set to crack down on businesses that hire illegal workers, don't pay taxes, or otherwise make it harder for law-abiding employers to compete.
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OR: Kulongoski signs law banning exotic pets
Staff reports, The Oregonian (Portland)
Gov. Ted Kulongoski on Friday signed into law a ban on large exotic pets in Oregon.
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OR: House approves bill to fight rising foreclosures
By Melissa Repko, The Oregonian (Portland)
In response to the state's rising number of foreclosures, the Oregon Legislature approved a bill on Monday that would require mortgage lenders to meet with borrowers before foreclosing on their home.
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OR: House oks industrial hemp
By Melissa Repko, The Oregonian (Portland)
Oregon is a step closer to growing industrial hemp with a House vote on Monday.
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OR: Legislature gives DOJ money for civil rights, with restrictions
By Janie Har, The Oregonian (Portland)
In its final hours, the 2009 Legislature is on track to approve $642,000 for a civil rights unit within the Department of Justice, something that hasn't existed for two decades.
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OR: Buy that Prius now because tax credit could expire
By Michelle Cole, The Oregonian (Portland)
Oregon's tax credit for gas-electric hybrid vehicles like the Toyota Prius and others will disappear Jan. 1 if the governor signs a bill that cleared its final hurdle Monday into law.
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OR: Time-out on growth of online schools squeaks through
By Betsy Hammond, The Oregonian (Portland)
A temporary moratorium on growth of statewide online schools in Oregon cleared the House by the narrowest possible margin this morning, earning it final legislative approval.
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US: Ruling adds teeth to state oversight of banks
By Neil Irwin, The Washington Post
For years, state governments have had little power to enforce consumer-protection and lending rules at the country's biggest banks. No more.
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US: Obama steers health debate out of capital
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg, The New York Times
WASHINGTON — With Democrats deeply divided over health legislation, President Obama is trying to enlist the nation's governors and his own army of grass-roots supporters in a bid to increase pressure on lawmakers without getting himself mired in the messy battle playing out on Capitol Hill.
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US: A green way to dump low-tech electronics
By Leslie Kaufman, The New York Times
Since 2004, 18 states and New York City have approved laws that make manufacturers responsible for recycling electronics, and similar statutes were introduced in 13 other states this year.
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