Willamette Week

2 days ago | wweek.com | Joanna Hou

One of this legislative session’s most hotly debated bills passed out of the Oregon House on Wednesday morning, now one step closer to becoming law. Senate Bill 916 would grant striking workers unemployment benefits after two weeks. Debate about the bill has concentrated on how it might affect public employers, specifically cities, counties and school districts.

2 days ago | wweek.com | Nigel Jaquiss

The Legislative Counsel’s Office has told Sen. Lisa Reynolds (D-Portland) that her sponsorship of a bill that would benefit her financially does not constitute a conflict of interest. That’s because if the bill passes, it would benefit a class of people—pediatricians and internists who own independent practices—and not just Reynolds, a shareholder in the Children’s Clinic, a pediatric practice in Southwest Portland.

3 days ago | wweek.com | Nigel Jaquiss

This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project, a nonprofit newsroom covering the state. Nearly four years after Congress approved a mammoth disaster relief grant to help Oregonians recover from the destructive 2020 wildfires, records show that more than 90% of the money remains unspent, even as hundreds of families await relief. “It has been incredibly frustrating for the communities that were affected,” says state Rep. Pam Marsh (D-Ashland).

3 days ago | wweek.com | Rachel Saslow

How do you measure a 50-year career at the Portland Rose Festival? In princesses? In parades? In awards from the International Festivals & Events Association? CEO Marilyn Clint counts it in corndogs. “I’m a great corndog lover,” she says. “I start on opening day and usually get one, or even two or three in that day, and go from there.” The morning of April 2 marked Clint’s 50th anniversary of working at the Rose Festival, starting as a seasonal secretary and working her way up to the top slot.

3 days ago | wweek.com | Joanna Hou

A report Tuesday from the National Council on Teacher Quality rated Oregon “weak” in math instruction, particularly at the elementary levels. NCTQ evaluated five criteria to determine whether instructional programs were effective.