Last-minute amendment keeps Oregon beaver bill alive
A proposal to strengthen Oregon’s beaver protections is headed for a House floor vote after a last-minute amendment secured its unanimous approval by a key committee. Beavers would no longer be considered predatory animals under House Bill 3463, allowing state wildlife officials to manage the species on private lands instead of farm regulators. Supporters of the bill argue that as “nature’s engineers,” beavers make improvements to waterways that are particularly valuable as the state faces increasing droughts and wildfires. (Mateusz Perkowski/Capital Press)
Wages rising in Washington, but reports differ on how much
Wages are going up in Washington, according to a new report from payroll processor ADP. The company’s National Employment Report’s Pay Insights last month showed state employees saw their annual pay rise by 7.9% in March. That figure is close to the 8% inflation rate estimated in the Consumer Price Index for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area. But regional economist Scott Bailey was skeptical of the employment estimates from ADP, saying that the company’s numbers continue to differ from estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ADP’s sample, he said, is “in general not representative of the labor market as a whole.” Data from the Washington Employment Security Department does show wages rising, but the median wage rose by 6.1%, a little lower than ADP’s numbers. (Sarah Wolf/The Columbian)
Cruise ship season starts with optimism over pandemic rebound
The Port of Astoria is preparing for the first wave of the cruise ship season, with the first oceangoing vessel of the year set to arrive next week. The Port’s schedule lists 18 cruise ships with reservations to dock in Astoria. The first ship — the Sapphire Princess, holding over 2,600 passengers — is planning to arrive on Monday. The Port at one point had over 40 cruise ships on last season’s schedule, but a number of cruise lines ended up canceling, and only around half of the vessels docked in Astoria. The Port has only had one cancellation so far this year. (Ethan Myers/The Astorian)
Woman sues Oregon after she refused to agree to LGBTQ+ portion of adoption application
A single mother of five in Malheur County has filed a federal lawsuit against Oregon state officials for denying her application to adopt foster care siblings, she says because of her religious beliefs. The lawsuit describes her as a Christian who regularly attends a nondenominational church where she worships with her family. In the process of applying to become certified to adopt from the state foster care system, she refused to agree to “respect, accept, and support … the sexual orientation, gender identity, [and] gender expression” of any child the department could place in an applicant’s home because of her faith, according to the lawsuit. (Capi Lynn/Salem Statesman Journal)
Postal stamps featuring tulips debut at popular Oregon springtime attraction
To showcase the spring season and “Americans’ love for tulips,” the United States Postal Service has unveiled its “Tulip Blossoms Forever” stamps, the agency said in a press release. On Wednesday, a dedication ceremony was held at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn, a well-known spot for visitors to stop and smell tulips, with plenty of photo opportunities. “Tulips are the ultimate harbingers of spring. Around the world, admirers rejoice in their sighting with annual festivals to enjoy their ephemeral beauty,” said Linda Malone, according to the press release. Malone is USPS’ engineering systems vice president and was the dedicating official at Wednesday’s event. Anyone interested in buying Tulip Blossoms stamps can find them as Forever stamps in booklets of 20. If anyone wants a lot of them, the stamps are also available to purchase in coils of 3,000 and 10,000. (OPB Staff)
Single-occupancy restrooms coming to Three Rivers schools
Big changes are in the works for restrooms at high schools and middle schools in the Three Rivers School District in Josephine County. No longer will there be separate boys and girls bathrooms. Instead, there will be a row of individual, lockable rooms with one toilet per room, for use by anyone. The district calls them “single-occupancy restrooms.” Renovations to restrooms are currently underway at all three Three Rivers high schools and three middle schools, as part of a $4 million project funded with federal pandemic aid. (Shaun Hall/The Grants Pass Daily Courier)