2022 - Page 4

By CONRAD WILSON and LILLIAN MONGEAU HIGHES/Oregon Public Broadcasting The same Oregon judge who temporarily blocked Measure 114 from becoming law last week, heard arguments on Tuesday in Burns over whether the voter-approved measure should be put on hold for months – or longer – as a legal challenge brought by gun groups makes its way through the courts. Less than

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon will receive as much as $173 million to prevent and treat addiction and substance use disorder as part of three national settlements with pharmacy chains involved in the opioid epidemic, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said Monday. Oregon’s share comes from $13.7 billion in three national settlements Rosenblum and other attorneys general have reached

 James Schroeder, CEO of Health Share of Oregon, the state’s largest Medicaid insurer, will become the interim director of the Oregon Health Authority on Jan. 10. BY LYNNE TERRY and BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle Gov.-elect Tina Kotek will appoint a 20-year health care veteran to lead the Oregon Health Authority in early January, at least temporarily. In a statement

By BEN BOTKIN/Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon workers will see paycheck deductions in January for a new state program that will provide paid leave to employees. The program, called Paid Leave Oregon, will give employees paid time off for a serious illness or injury, the birth or adoption of a child, caring for a seriously ill family member or dealing with

 Gov.-elect Tina Kotek outlines her goals at the Oregon Business Plan Summit in Portland on Dec. 12, 2022. (Rian Dundon/Oregon Capital Chronicle) By JULIA SHUMWAY/Oregon Capital Chronicle PORTLAND — Gov.-elect Tina Kotek plans to visit all 36 Oregon counties over the next year in an effort to build trust in the state government, she announced during an annual business gathering

By CHRIS LEHMAN/Oregon Public Broadcasting Performing arts organizations in Oregon say they’re still struggling to recover from the economic blow of COVID-19. They’re asking the Legislature for another round of funding to help them get back on their feet. Venues that rely on live audiences were among the hardest hit by the pandemic. In 2020, Oregon lawmakers crafted a $50 million