KUOW Blog
News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.
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The Democrats have started the race for Washington governor: Today So Far
- With two Democrats running to be Washington's next governor, the state's gubernatorial race is on.
- What about the state Republicans?
- Also, what's up with the word "gubernatorial?"
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 11, 2023.
The Democrats have started the race for Washington's next governor.
Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has officially announced that she is running. Technically, Attorney General Bob Ferguson has only announced an exploratory campaign, but we all know where that is headed. He was ready to run for governor in 2019 before Inslee went for a third term. And it's not like his exploratory team is going to come back with polls showing voters suddenly don't like chess players. So we have two prominent Washington state Democrats aiming for the governor's office. This boils down to folks inevitably calling Ferguson "Fergy" in conversation, and me increasing the number of times I have to copy edit the extra "l" out of "Hilary" in future coverage of Franz.
We've already covered Ferguson's run. Franz's announcement this week follows a similar formula — local and personal, family history, with adequate bragging about accomplishments. She's leaning heavily into environmental issues, as well as local cost-of-living woes.
"While our planet changes, our laws don't keep up. On climate and across the board, we are paying the price. Wages are slow to rise. Housing is through the roof. Child care is out of reach. This is the harsh reality for too many in our state," Franz says in her first campaign video.
There is still plenty of time for more Democrats to enter the mix, which is likely. But with these two prominent gubernatorial candidates, Democrats will have to consider whether they prefer someone who does well in a tie, or a candidate who does well in a cowboy hat. She's a little bit country, and he's a little bit, well, Ferguson is more like Devo I suppose. So that metaphor doesn't exactly work, but you get the idea.
By the way, while we're on the subject, what's the deal with the word "gubernatorial?" Read more about that below.
The recent news means that the Democrats are so far dominating the conversation around Washington's next governor. What about the Republicans? I've previously covered the GOP angle in all this. In short, Republicans have a positive outlook toward 2024. So far, however, no prominent Republicans have indicated they will consider a gubernatorial campaign. Yes, there is Semi Bird, who announced his run way back in November 2022. Still, there is not a lot of chatter on that end of the spectrum. There was talk about potential for Republican Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier, but he has indicated that he's not interested.
Former Washington Congressmember Jaime Herrera Beutler is another GOP name that has been tossed around. KUOW's David Hyde recently caught up with her in Leavenworth. She said that she hasn't "closed any doors" when it comes to a potential gubernatorial race, but also hasn't made any decisions around it.
Washington's current Gov. Jay Inslee is still on the job and recently cancelled the Covid-19 vaccine requirement for state employees. As TSF covered earlier this week, even more pandemic-era measures are falling away. Starting today, the state's vaccine requirement for employees to stay in their jobs is nixed, meaning a population of folks no longer have to find religion to stay at work.
With the recent move, Washington aligns with the federal government, which also just dropped its own vaccine requirement. State employees who were fired or resigned over the vaccine rule will now be welcome to reapply. Also, employees could get $1,000 if they opt to stay up-to-date on their Covid shots. Read more here.
AS SEEN ON KUOW
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No more blinking lights at night, Washington wind turbines to go dark
Those blinking red lights seen on wind turbines will have to go dark in Washington, unless there’s an airplane flying nearby.
That's because Gov. Jay Inslee just signed a bill that restricts the nighttime use of the lights for both new and old wind farms.
The flashing lights on wind turbines are supposed to keep aircraft safe and help to avoid collisions, but state Rep. April Connors (R-Kennewick) said they’re distracting for drivers on the ground.
“Over 100,000 people live within six miles of the turbines in numerous fast-growing residential communities, mostly inside city limits,” Kennewick resident Paul Krupin said at a public hearing earlier this year, in reference to a proposed Horse Heaven Hills renewable energy project.
As more wind farms are built, Rep. Connors said she worries about light pollution. She’s been pushing for wind farms to add detection radars, so the lights come on only when necessary. A bill was passed last session that does just that.
Gov. Inslee signed that bill into law Tuesday, but he vetoed certain provisions — one giving counties local control, another requiring the rules to start immediately.
These types of air detection radars are already used in Wyoming, New Hampshire, and North Dakota. Similar measures have been taken for wind farms in Germany.
Some renewable energy organizations lobbied against the measure, arguing that it is expensive to retrofit existing wind farms.
Existing sites have until 2028 to update their lights. For new wind projects, the rules take effect in July.
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Lost in the supermarket merger: Today So Far
KUOW looks into the "State of the Cart" as the grocery business evolves, customer habits change, employees are in the middle, all as Kroger and Albertsons attempt a massive corporate merger.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 10, 2023.
Many years ago, I was in an interview for a job at the Borders Books in downtown Portland. At one point the hiring manager pointed to my application.
"I was looking for a reference, but I see that you worked at Washington Mutual, and Hollywood Video, and another video rental store before that," he said, pointing to the retail experiences I had at companies that had since gone bankrupt and no longer existed.
"Yeah, they're not around anymore, but I do have numbers for you," I said. "And I promise you, I'm not bad luck!"
We laughed and I ended up getting the job. Two weeks later, they announced that the downtown Portland Borders was closing.
A lot of companies go down because of bad business decisions, especially during times of changing technology and customer habits. I watched some bad decisions in real time at some former employers. As I read Ruby de Luna's recent series, "State of the Cart," I can't help but think that the grocery industry is in the middle of such a time, and company leaders are now trying to make the best decisions so they don't go the way of Hollywood Video. At the same time, there are the customers to consider.
For Kroger and Albertsons, the decision is to merge, but it hasn't come without criticism. The two grocery giants want to combine forces to better withstand the competition from the likes of Walmart, Target, and Amazon. A big issue here is that online ordering is a growing customer preference. If I'm being honest, I'm one of those customers who likes ordering groceries on an app and having them delivered.
Diane Martin Rudnick would disagree with me. She tells KUOW that shopping at Fred Meyer is an adventure, watching for discounts, finding new food, making the best deals. My wife Nina is a big fan of Costco — a big fan. For years, as a single guy, I never understood Costco. There was never any way I was going to eat that much broccoli. Now, with a wife, a ma-in-law, and a dog, I've started to come around. Still, for Nina, a Costco trip is about wandering and exploring, and I still feel there are better things to be doing with my time than scanning aisles. Though, one thing I can relate to with Diane and Nina is hunting for the best deals. That usually involves a multi-store strategy across Costo, Freddies, Safeway, Trader Joe's, and more.
Many worry that if Kroger and Albertsons merge, better deals and unique finds will be harder to come by. Access to food is another consideration. Albertsons also owns Safeway. Kroger operates Fred Meyer and QFC, among others. That's a lot of grocery brands moving under one company, which could control prices and products across them all. When Albertsons bought out Safeway in 2015, communities noticed a change. Many stores closed as a result. Bellingham's Birchwood neighborhood lost its Albertsons, causing a food desert to emerge. Locals have since organized a weekly food share program to help ease the strain.
On one side of this there are grocery companies aiming to keep up with the times. It's likely that more and more people will be ordering groceries online moving forward. This is going to happen. Just as Netflix changed the video rental industry, social media changed news media, and Amazon changed just about everything else in our lives, grocery companies are faced with important decisions as the business evolves. Back in the day, the video store trip was an experience, but it couldn't hold up against convenience and now there are no more Hollywood Videos. Amazon carved into the bookstore market, and many stores didn't survive the online revolution, or were forced to adapt to the Amazon way. I think these lessons from history are on the minds of grocery store officials these days.
On the other side of this are people who aren't going to, or cannot, move their shopping habits online. Some simply cherish their neighborhood store and the community that crosses paths there. When QFC closed in Wedgwood, it left a massive hole in that neighborhood. When Albertsons closed in Birchwood, it created a food desert. And as much as I personally like ordering groceries online, I have to admit that there is something lost. Going to a video rental store was superior to watching movies on Netflix. It just was. Don't believe me? Go stream the classic, critically-acclaimed Northwest series "Northern Exposure" right now. Or perhaps try "Dogma," "Cocoon," "Spice World," "The Abyss," or any episode of the iconic series "Xena: Warrior Princess." Good luck with that.
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With 'epic' announcement, Hilary Franz enters race for Washington governor
Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz has entered the race to be Washington's next governor. The Democrat announced her campaign Wednesday morning, targeting the issues of climate change, the state's cost-of-living woes, and lagging wages.
"Our reality is changing, 'once in a lifetime' is now 'once in a month'," Franz said in her announcement video. "And while our planet changes, our laws don't keep up. On climate and across the board, we are paying the price. Wages are slow to rise. Housing is through the roof. Child care is out of reach. This is the harsh reality for too many in our state."
When Gov. Jay Inslee announced last month that he would not be running for a fourth term, a handful of Democratic names were rumored to replace him, and Franz was among them. Attorney General Bob Ferguson was also expected to run. He announced an exploratory campaign for the governor's race in early May.
RELATED: Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands, on wildfires and forestry
So far, no prominent Republicans have announced their intentions to run for governor, though the state GOP does say it is optimistic about its chances in 2024.
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AI help wanted: Job openings mentioning GPT increase by 80% since last year
It’s only been a few months since ChatGPT debuted, but already the technology has transformed the professional landscape.
The shift is obvious to anyone looking for white collar work. Since this time last year, LinkedIn job postings mentioning GPT have increased 79%. Today, 33 times more LinkedIn posts mention GPT or artificial intelligence than they did last year.
That’s according to Microsoft’s new Work Trends Index, an annual report released Tuesday. Microsoft surveyed 31,000 people in 31 countries and analyzed data from its workplace software and LinkedIn platform for the report.
Much ink has been spilled about the threat of job displacement by generative artificial intelligence, the technology powering ChatGPT and other services. It’s not hard to see why. ChatGPT has an uncanny ability to write functional code, mimic the tone of news outlets, and even create works of art.
But Microsoft says workers should be less concerned about losing their jobs and more focused on learning the skills needed to leverage the technology, like how to write prompts. Of the managers surveyed, just 16% said they expected AI to reduce their headcount while 34% predicted the technology would boost productivity.
As a major investor and partner with OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, Microsoft has reason to present an optimistic view of the technology. The company has been developing a wide range of AI products, including its yet-to-be-released New Bing search engine and Microsoft 365 Copilot. Microsoft is rolling out new Copilot features Tuesday along with the release of the Work Trends report.
Generative AI does open up a wide range of opportunities for white collar work. The average worker surveyed by Microsoft spends 57% of their time on tasks that could be automated, like email, chat, and meetings. That amounts to two full workdays, leaving just 43% of their time for creative projects. Some 70% of workers said they would delegate as much of that work as possible to AI.
“The volume of data, emails, meetings, and chats has outpaced humans ability to process it all,” said Microsoft’s Jared Spataro in a video accompanying the report.
“Somehow, it's easier than ever to communicate but it's harder than ever to keep up.”
But that doesn’t mean fears of job displacement are unfounded. A recent report from Goldman Sachs economists found about two-thirds of current jobs across the U.S. and Europe could be partially automated and about a quarter could be done entirely by AI.
"The data is clear,” Spataro said. “As work evolves with AI, we need to evolve too."
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How hot will it get around the Seattle area this weekend? Today So Far
- Seattle-area weather is about to heat up. But how hot it will get depends on where you are located.
- We're about to go through another pandemic transition.
- Seattle is nixing right turns at many red lights in downtown, but the city likely won't stop there.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 9, 2023.
If you're like me, you are ready to get out your umbrella — the sun is out, and it's about to get hot. Yes, I just said that. I've gotten over my shame about using an umbrella to shield myself from the vile sun like a modern vampire (hisss!).
We've had a recent warm stretch, but even higher temps are in the forecast for later this week. Parts of Western Washington are likely to experience temperatures above 80 degrees this weekend, even 90 degrees.
The forecast is changing daily. Some say Sunday will be the hottest, others say Monday. This also depends on where you are located. It's looking less and less likely that Seattle and some other areas will hit 90 degrees. As of this morning, however, the forecast for places like Renton, Olympia, Tacoma, and my neighborhood, states that the 90 degree mark could be reached Sunday/Monday.
The National Weather Service reports that it's normal for Seattle to get a couple of days above 80 degrees in May. Seven days were above 80 in 1958, which is the record. Seattle has never experienced a 90-degree day before May 17 (which happened in 2008). So if the city (or Sea-Tac Airport where the official weather records are taken) hits 90 degrees this weekend, it would set a new record (weather records go back to 1945 at Sea-Tac). Read more here.
The forecast comes amid a few other weather headlines. April was one of the coldest on record. Still, an El Niño season is expected this summer, which generally means warmer than normal sea temperatures, and in turn, warmer and drier conditions in our area. Then again, as KUOW's John Ryan reports, despite warming ocean waters globally, West Coast waters have recently stayed cooler than the 30-year average.
I recently got an unexpected letter in the mail from my insurance company. Folks around Washington have likely received something similar. In short, it was an update about pandemic-related services and coverage. This is because the USA is about to go through a transition of sorts. It sounds like a big deal, but really, it's an organizational change. A lot of services that were covered by the government the past few years will now be covered by insurance companies. Things like vaccines, treatments, and tests.
"It's not as if you're going to wake up on May 12 and the ability to access vaccines, or therapeutics or tests etc. will all of a sudden not be there," Washington's Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah recently said.
It's probably worth noting that, while I write above, this as an "organizational handoff" from the government to insurance companies, things could be different for folks without insurance.
Seattle and Washington state ended their Covid emergencies in late 2022. The World Health Organization ended its own Covid emergency declaration last week, noting that Covid has been on a downward trend globally, allowing "most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19." It should be noted that some experts estimate another omicron-level surge is possible within the next couple years, but the level of probability around that varies (5-30%). The University of Washington will end its own Covid vaccine requirement for students and staff on June 12. This also means that the university will end its contact tracing and notification policy. Students and staff will no longer be required to report positive Covid cases.
On Thursday, the federal Covid public health emergency will expire, which is why all those insurance letters have been sent out. KUOW's Kate Walters has been covering this transition for a couple weeks now. She recently noted that this Thursday will officially close the chapter on the Covid pandemic. History books will state that it lasted three years, three months and 11 days. But just like the infamous 1918 flu, the Covid pandemic will not truly be ending soon. It's going to be with us, seasonally. So will booster shots, and mutations, etc. Generations will grow up with it, just as we all grew up hearing about the flu.
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Seattle weather heats up this week with temps reaching the 80s
Daytime temperatures are expected to climb into the 80s this week, and potentially into the 90s by next Monday. Meteorologists say the heat could set new records for early May.
“This is kind of the first significant heat event, likely so far of the season and over the year,” said Jacob DeFlitch, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle. “So certainly, remaining hydrated is very important.”
DeFlitch says May is typically when Seattle starts to feel the summer season, but this week will be above normal, with temperatures expected to climb into the 80s this weekend. Early next week could have temps reach the 90s.
“This is reaching a higher threshold, we may even break some daily records over the weekend,” DeFlitch said.
The Weather Service further notes that the earliest day in May that Seattle has recorded 90 degrees was May 17, 2008. It says there is a 40% chance of breaking that record on May 15, and a 45% chance of breaking in on May 15.
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Washington needs YOU to fight the green crab invasion: Today So Far
- Seattle hasn't had a new affordable housing apartment tower in 50 years ... until now.
- Washington needs YOU to fight the scourge of invading green crabs. Will you answer the call?
- Why salmon fishing in southeast Alaska is nixed this summer.
- Seattle police aren't ready for Washington's new police pursuit rules.
This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for May 8, 2023.
Seattle hasn't had a new affordable housing apartment tower in 50 years. Think about that for a minute. All these cranes in the air, all these new apartment buildings going up, jobs and people coming to town, and no affordable housing towers among it all. That is, until now.
The first such affordable housing tower in decades just opened up in Seattle's First Hill. It's the product of a rather unique circumstance. Sound Transit took ownership of the land years ago with the intention of building a light rail station at the site. That plan fizzled out, and Sound Transit was left with some prime First Hill property that it didn't have any use for. Enter Plymouth Housing and Bellwether Housing — two nonprofits with similar goals.
With their powers combined, today, a new high-rise tower is up and running in a thriving corner of Seattle. The building itself is split in half. Part of it is dedicated to helping people get off the streets and out of shelters. The other portion is geared more toward offering affordable costs to people who need it. The good part about that portion is that it can offer affordability in advance of potential problems arising, which in this city can result in people ending up on the street.
As KUOW's Joshua McNichols discovered, the result is a building where both someone who has spent years living on the street, and a medical student, can find a place to live. Read the full story here.
Washington needs YOU to fight the scourge of invading green crabs. Will you answer the call? In my head, I have an Uncle Sam type character pointing at us, telling us that we're needed for the battle at hand. The battle, in this case, is over the health of Puget Sound. Green crabs are advancing into local waters, where they are making things hard for our beloved Dungeness crabs, and other wildlife.
The Washington Sea Grant is joining forces with Washington State University Extension to start a volunteer program aimed at pushing back against the green crabs spreading throughout Puget Sound. It's an invasive species that wreaks havoc on local habitats and wildlife. There is a series of training events and more coming up soon. In short, take a hike, and join the fight.
So how exactly can you help? Check out the full story here.
While the message around Puget Sound is all about green crabs, if you travel up the Salish Sea into southeast Alaska, you'll begin to hear a range of voices arguing over salmon, orca, and the fishing industry.
"The cost of losing species is incalculable, therefore the species should be prioritized above other interests and priorities," said Brian Knutsen, an attorney with the Wild Fish Conservancy about salmon populations and the orca who rely on them for food. "They should be given the benefit of the doubt when you're weighing equities."
The conservancy just won a court battle, which will halt the upcoming summer and winter salmon fishing seasons in southeast Alaska. The short story here is that the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Services develops a plan every few years to manage the marine environment and fishing. Its plan in 2019 was to spend millions on habitat restoration and increased hatchery production to offset the harms that the fishing harvest would have on salmon populations around this part of Alaska. The conservancy challenged this plan in court, arguing that it didn't comply with federal regulations, and last week, a federal judge in Seattle agreed. This decision means that the government agency has to redo its fishing plans.
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Fire destroys Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge
The Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge, a popular destination in Olympic National Park, caught fire Sunday, May 7. Park officials say the structure appears to be a complete loss.
The lodge was still smoldering a day after flames tore it apart.
“We're just now in the process of organizing an outside investigator, a certified fire investigator will come and figure out the origin and the cause of the fire," said Lee Snook, spokesperson for Olympic National Park.
At about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, park officials say a law enforcement ranger on patrol reported that the Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge was fully engulfed in flames. Snook said no one was in the structure at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported.
The building was constructed in the 1950s and housed exhibits on an upper floor, with a gift shop, and a small café below.
In a statement, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) said, “The loss of the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is devastating for the Olympic Peninsula and for the more than 300,000 travelers who visit the iconic visitor center every year.”
Cantwell said she is working with U.S Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and the National Park Service to make sure the historic lodge is rebuilt.
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Fred Meyer, QFC workers can wear Black Lives Matter buttons, judge says
A union that represents more than 50,000 grocery store, retail, and other workers celebrated a victory Friday after a judge said they could wear their union-sponsored Black Lives Matter buttons at work.
UFCW 3000 says an administrative law judge from the National Labor Relations Board has ruled in favor of a group of Fred Meyer and QFC workers who were banned from wearing Black Lives Matter buttons, and other items like certain masks, to work.
“It feels good to win again!” said Sam Dancy, a front end Supervisor at the Westwood Village QFC in West Seattle. Dancy has worked for QFC for more than 30 years.
“When we as workers speak out through these buttons and collectively say Black Lives Matter and then QFC and Fred Meyer said to take the buttons off, that was insulting and a violation of the law," Dancy said. "We knew all along we had the right to call out social and racial injustice in the workplace and in our neighborhoods and this judge’s decision reiterates that right.”
The union provided the buttons to workers in 2020, following the murder of George Floyd, and amid the protests that followed. The stores did not favor its employees wearing the buttons, which led to the union challenging the policy. This is the second ruling in the union's favor, following a previous decision in 2021.
The union says the judge agreed with their argument that their right to wear the items was protected under federal labor laws because racism is a workplace issue. The union argued that the employees in this case acted to advance their interest to an “affirmatively anti-racist, pro-civil rights, and pro-justice workplace.”
The judge’s decision further struck down employers’ broad dress codes. No word yet if the stores will appeal this decision to the NLRB in Washington, D.C.
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Careful, Seattle drivers: Your right to turn on red is going away
Seattle has historically allowed drivers to turn right on a red light. That luxury is going away.
Seattle will soon have more "No Turn On Red" signs throughout downtown. The city is increasing the number of intersections where it forbids cars from turning right at a red light. The aim is to reduce pedestrians getting hit.
There are currently 28 intersections that already restrict such a right turn, but the goal is to put these restrictions in place at a total of 41 new downtown locations (at the start of 2023, Seattle already restricted this type of turn at 100 locations).
"Let’s not trade people’s safety so people in cars can save a few seconds of waiting for their turn to go," Seattle Department of Transportation Director Greg Spotts said in a statement. "Adding 40 'No Turn on Red' intersections downtown is the first step in our plan to expand this proven safety measure to pedestrian-dense neighborhoods."
In other words, there is potential for Seattle to restrict right turns at red lights in other parts of the city over the coming year.
This is part of the city's Vision Zero initiative to end traffic deaths and serious injuries on city streets by the year 2030. The Seattle Department of Transportation argues that turning right at red lights "is linked to a 60% increase in people being hit by turning cars."
According to a statement on SDOT's blog:
"Turning right at a red light was illegal in most cities, including Seattle, until a few decades ago. Seattle did not make it legal to turn right at a red light until 1959. In 1975, the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act required all states to allow right turns on red to reduce fuel consumption, estimating a travel time savings of 1-5 seconds for turning vehicles."
But studies since that time, the city's transportation department notes, have indicated a greater risk of hitting pedestrians when turning on red lights is allowed. In Seattle, the department says that 9% of collisions involving people crossing the street are from cars turning right at a red light.
A caution for folks driving to the All-Star Baseball game in July — the transporation says it plans to have all the new "No Turn On Red" signs in place before the game comes to town.
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Oregon Republicans walk out of state Legislature in protest of Democrat-sponsored bills
Oregon's Republican state lawmakers staged a walkout this week, in a protest over bills that Democrats are pushing through the state Legislature. The move could be a test of new voter-approved rules.
Last year, Oregon voters approved a statewide measure that ensures stiff penalties if lawmakers participate in a walkout. That’s not stopping Senate Republicans. The minority party looks ready to test the new law in court.
Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) said Democrats left them with no choice, as they pushed a progressive agenda creating new gun regulations and adding protections for abortion and gender-affirming care.
"Therefore we are engaged in a peaceful, constitutional protest by denying the quorum," Knopp said.
Republicans are also accusing Democrats of breaking a long overlooked law that requires bill summaries be written in straightforward language.
It’s unclear how long Republicans plan to try and block Democrats in this way. The 2023 legislative session is scheduled to conclude at the end of June.
Read the full story on Oregon's GOP walkout at Oregon Public Broadcasting.
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