State Rep. Mark Owens, formerly a Harney County commissioner, is getting his first taste of state legislating as the short session begins this week in Salem. (Submitted photo) VALE – Mark Owens is the first to admit he will face a learning curve as the short legislative session opened this[Read More…]

Timber Unity supporters and other opponents rally against House Bill 2020 on June 27. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) SALEM – Activists from across Oregon will gather in Salem Thursday as they attempt to break a world record for the largest truck convoy while also aiming to derail key environmental legislation being[Read More…]

Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, discusses the 2020 legislative session with reporters. (Jake Thomas/Salem Reporter) SALEM — You could say that Oregon is a bit “odd.” Until 2012, the state’s legislators only met in odd-numbered years, a practice dating to 1885.  But the sessions got longer as lawmakers grappled[Read More…]

Rep. Lynn Findley (R-Vale) was selected to fill the state senate seat left vacant by Cliff Bentz Monday. (The Enterprise/File). ONTARIO – Commissioners from Oregon’s Senate District 30 appointed Rep. Lynn Findley (R-Vale) to fill the senate seat recently held by Cliff Bentz Monday afternoon. Bentz stepped down from his[Read More…]

SALEM – As the number of Oregon voters unaffiliated with a political party rises, so has the number of voters locked out a key part of the electoral process. Oregon’s third-largest political party sees an opportunity in that. The Independent Party of Oregon, the state’s largest third party, is opening[Read More…]

State Sen. Cliff Bentz announced he will run for Congress in 2020. (The Enterprise/File). VALE – Cliff Bentz believes he can make a difference in national politics. That optimistic sentiment is a trademark of sorts for the 67-year-old lawmaker who spent a good share of his childhood in the high[Read More…]

Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) talks during a town hall meeting in Vale last summer. (The Enterprise/File). VALE – Some of the best moments from Greg Walden’s tenure as a congressman happened far away from the lights and political drama of Washington, D.C. and occurred in places like Jordan Valley[Read More…]

Oregon state Sen. Cliff Bentz announced today he will run for Congress in 2020. (The Enterprise/File). This post has been updated from an earlier version to include quotes from Cliff Bentz. ONTARIO – State Sen. Cliff Bentz, an Ontario attorney, said Tuesday he intends to run for Congress in 2020,[Read More…]