Kotek's office says the bill has yet to reach her desk. Once it does, state law says she will have 30 days to issue a veto, as the Legislature is set to adjourn Sunday. If she signs the bill — or does nothing — it will take effect.
READ MOREWith Native Americans and Alaska Natives in Washington dying of opioid overdoses at five times the state average Washington lawmakers have agreed to allocate $8 milliona year to 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington from a half-billion-dollar settlement between the state and major opioid distributors. The funds will help tribes address the opioid crisis
READ MORECrump has represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Henrietta Lacks.
READ MOREThe vote on Wednesday came nearly four years after Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died in Tacoma, Washington, facedown with his hands and feet cuffed together behind him.
READ MOREPackets of buprenorphine, a drug used to control heroin and opioid cravings (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
Democrats are looking to counterbalance restoring criminal penalties for possession with expanding access to treatment for a potentially growing number of people in the criminal justice system. The proposal would create a $10 million grant fund for jails looking to provide opioid addiction medication. Federal data shows only 24% of jails provide such medication to people with prior prescriptions.
READ MORETelevision station KGW says it deeply regrets inadvertently showing a racist image during a segment called “The Good Stuff,” which invited viewers to share “cheesy, silly, or memorable” photos from the past. The 1950s image showed children throwing balls towards a sign prominently displaying a racial slur. KGW apologised for “the profound hurt this image inflicted upon our viewers and staff, particularly members of our Black community.” Leaders of the Portland NAACP chapter said they were appalled
READ MORERep. Earl Blumenauer sits at the head table at The Skanner Foundation's 38th Annual MLK Breakfast at the Oregon Convention Center January 15, 2024. (Photo by Julie Keefe)
Pileated woodpecker at the Audubon Society of Portland Wildlife Sanctuary Trails (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 photo by Corey Seeman via flickr)
Portland Audubon has changed its name to the “Bird Alliance of Oregon," in the latest example of a local chapter to do so because of John James Audubon’s views as a slave owner. While the national organization opted to keep its name, other local chapters have changed theirs, including those in Seattle, Chicago and Detroit.
READ MOREThe Skanner spoke with BIPOC Caucus policy and communications vice chair Rep. Travis Nelson (D-Portland, Dist. 44) for a session preview.
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