Seven Portland-area Starbucks are unionizing Starbucks locations all over the U.S. are unionizing, including multiple locations here in Portland and even more throughout Oregon. At the time of writing, the following Starbucks locations have filed paper work with the National Labor Relations Board: SE 28th and Powell U.S. Bank Tower / SW 5th and Oak West… Continue reading Digest: Friday, March 11, 2022
Category: Digests
Digest: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Oregon’s expiring COVID emergency declarations The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance in February suggesting that most healthy adults can reduce wearing masks in many situations. They also released new metrics for assessing risks in specific communities. The new metrics shift the CDC from looking at how COVID is actually spreading to how many… Continue reading Digest: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Digest: Thursday, March 3, 2022
Police officer Brian Hunzeker fired for leaking investigation details Portland Police Bureau officer Brian Hunzeker was fired earlier this week due to violations of bureau directives against the dissemination of information and retaliation. Hunzeker leaked reports in March 2021 that City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was a suspect in a hit-and-run crash. While Portland Police Chief… Continue reading Digest: Thursday, March 3, 2022
Digest: Monday, February 27, 2022
Legislative scheduling notes This year’s legislative session ends next week, on March 7. Any bill not voted on by both chambers of the Oregon State Legislature by next Monday is effectively extinct. A legislator can propose it again during the next legislative session, which isn’t scheduled until 2023 (although special sessions have been convened multiple… Continue reading Digest: Monday, February 27, 2022
Digest: Thursday, February 24, 2022
Freezing temperatures endanger Portland residents Tonight will likely bring us the third night in a row of temperatures below freezing. Multnomah County, in partnership with the Joint Office of Homeless Services and the City of Portland, operated winter weather shelters on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. The shelters are currently slated to reopen tonight (Thursday) at 8:00… Continue reading Digest: Thursday, February 24, 2022
Digest: Monday, February 21, 2022
Quick updates HB 4002 — Provides overtime compensation for farmworkers: The bill passed a vote in the House Committee on Business and Labor and was referred to the House Committee on Revenue, which hasn’t yet scheduled a hearing. HB 4147 — Returns voting rights to people who are currently incarcerated: The bill is assigned to the House Committee on… Continue reading Digest: Monday, February 21, 2022
Digest: Friday, February 18, 2022
Nicholas Kristof officially out of the governor’s race The Oregon Supreme Court released their ruling on Nicholas Kristof’s eligibility to run for governor of Oregon yesterday: Kristof is ineligible because he has not been a resident of the state for the minimum three years required by the state constitution. One of the key factors in… Continue reading Digest: Friday, February 18, 2022
Digest: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Wrongful death lawsuit filed against the City of Portland Portland Police Officer Curtis Brown shot and killed Michael Ray Townsend on June 24, 2021 after Townsend called 911 for mental health help. In September, a grand jury chose to not indict Brown. Townsend’s death is yet another example of the violence the Portland Police Bureau… Continue reading Digest: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Digest: Monday, February 14, 2022
The Oregon State Legislature is moving quickly through its short session. This digest has some of the highlights from last week, as well as bills to keep an eye on this week. Upcoming bills are listed in order of their next scheduled hearing or work session. Last week’s highlights Multiple bills have passed through committee… Continue reading Digest: Monday, February 14, 2022
Digest: Friday, February 11, 2022
Campaign finance reform proposals disqualified from ballot Shemia Fagan, the Secretary of State of Oregon, may have ended this year’s push to put campaign finance reform on the ballot. She disqualified all three proposals (Initiatives 43, 44, and 45) sponsored by Honest Elections Oregon due to a technicality — they don’t include the full text… Continue reading Digest: Friday, February 11, 2022