Sen. Boquist: overdose up 80%, Hospitals sue Gov’t, more…

By Oregon State Senator Brian Boquist,
Highlights, excerpts from Sen. Boquist newsletter

— Oregonian reports: Under a new agreement, the federal government will give Oregon $1.1 billion to guarantee continued free health care coverage to tens of thousands of young children in households with low incomes and offer wider coverage to low-income young adults, especially those with special needs.

— KGW reports: “Three of Oregon’s largest hospital systems are suing the state over its alleged lack of adequate mental health care, which they say has forced the hospital systems to house patients in need of mental health treatment for months.”

— In a state where meth and heroin are legal on the streets, it comes as no (TRAGIC) surprise that Oregon has seen overdose deaths increase by 80% in the last decade.

— Suddenly increasing prices at the pump are an important media story again. In Oregon, the average price for a gallon of gas continues to increase to $5-dollar-per gallon earlier this week.

— Oregon Catalyst reports: “The Oregon Senate passed a bill last week that helps expedite the environmental permitting process for big tech companies seeking to set up microchip plants. Since Oregon was embarrassed this year when Intel announced they would be setting up their next $20 billion dollar plant in Ohio, the word got out that Oregon’s environmental laws are too draconian. The only way Oregon can get a new major chip plant is to create a new shortcut through the environmental permitting process for favored big corporations.”

— The Oregon Education Department is throwing away money by spending $26 million on preschool programs that never had enough or any children enrolled. This is the government agency, propelled by the teachers’ union, that handpicks the politicians that rule over us.

— Watch the Oregon gubernatorial debate  here.

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