2025 - Page 63

By BRYCLE DOLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — A hotly contested firearm bill passed through the Oregon Senate on Thursday. In a 17-12 party-line vote, Democrats approved Senate Bill 243 over Republican opposition. The bill would ban rapid-fire devices like bump stocks. It would also give local governments the authority to prohibit people with a concealed handgun license from carrying a

By GINA BINOLE/Oregon Public Broadcasting A long-running effort to turn a coastal Oregon forest into a living laboratory took a major step forward this week, as federal officials approved two key wildlife protection plans tied to the Elliott State Research Forest. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday it had granted the Oregon Department of State Lands an 80-year

By JUSTIN HIGGINBOTTOM/Jefferson Public Radio Bandon police arrested Brian Tenney, owner of West Coast Game Park Safari, on Tuesday after officers found drugs, weapons and large amounts of cash at his property. Authorities served multiple warrants at the roadside zoo on May 15 following a months-long investigation into alleged animal abuse. During the search, the South Coast Interagency Narcotics Team found

By DIRK VANDERHART/Oregon Public Broadcasting SALEM — Oregon’s ban on plastic grocery bags will kick up a notch under a bill headed to the desk of Gov. Tina Kotek. Beginning in 2027, Senate Bill 551 will ensure that retailers and restaurants can’t offer any form of plastic bags to customers at check out. That’s already true for most single-use plastic