Portland citizens voted in the Arts Tax last November, but since then the proposed tax has met with numerous issues, and still has not gone into affect.
KBOO's Jennifer Kemp spoke with Hawaiian peace activist Jim Albertini about RIMPAC naval trainings being conducted in Hawaii. His organizatinon is protesting the naval trainings, because they contaminate Hawaii's oceans with depleted uranium, and because he thinks the money being used for the trainings, would be better used feeding children.
Earlier today, The Oregon state Senate repassed House Bill 2896, which prohibits teenagers under the age of eighteen from using tanning bed facilities without a note from a physician. The bill was sponsored by senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward. In Early March, the Oregon House passed the bill. But later the Senate decided to allow seveteen-year-olds to use commercial tanning beds with parental consent. The House did not concur with this amendment, and brought the bill back in its original form to the senate this morning, where it passed. KBOO’s Audrey Davis has more:
New information has come out this week that could have an impact on the upcoming May twenty-first vote on water fluoridation in Portland.
A lab test of the fluoridation compound proposed for Portland’s water supply found high levels of arsenic in the compound. The test was commissioned by the anti-fluoridation group ‘Clean water Portland’.
In addition, the Oregon Health Authority just released the latest figures on children’s dental health in Multnomah County, showing significant improvements in all categories, and bringing into question the county’s claim that fluoridation of water is necessary to improve dental health.
A new bill proposed in the Oregon House of Representatives would address accessibility of voting materials to citizens who speak primary languages other than English, such as Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin and Russian.
Several local peace groups will hold an action in Pioneer Courthouse Square at noon on Friday to protest the US military's drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere in the region.
The Obama administration's drone campaign was on the national stage earlier this week, when a Yemeni activist whose village was bombed in a drone attack testified in an unprecedented public Senate Judiciary hearing.
Drone attacks have severely strained US-Pakistani relations, and courted much controversy stateside, particularly for the prevalence of civilian casualties.
Members of CODEPINK, one of the groups behind tomorrow's action, call the drone deaths "unlawful."
Portlander Natalie Marie, local LGBT advocacy and service non-profit Q Center's "Volunteer of the Year," has been dismissed after failing a state-mandated criminal background check.
In her past, Natalie's struggle with addiction landed her in prison for seven years, and then in a halfway house, where she was targeted for her gender identity and denied medical care.
She argues that her involvement with Q Center has been essential in facilitating her transition out of incarceration.
But in recent months, she learned of a state statute, ORS 443.004, that says public funds cannot support the employment in any capacity of individuals in "certain positions" if they have "specific convictions."
US military spokespeople announced today new restrictions on media coverage of the pretrial of army whistleblower Bradley Manning, in proceedings several reporters have called more restrictive than Guantanamo Bay military tribunals.
Language used during the announcement was perceived by some as threatening.
Manning is being charged by the military for his involvement with massive leaks of Afghan and Iraqi war reports, US diplomatic cables, and other classified videos and records to the transparency website Wikileaks.
KBOO reporter Jenn Chavez spoke with Nathan Fuller of the Bradley Manning Support Network for more information on the new rules.
