Search query: oregon

OREGON -- Oregon native and entrepreneur Mark Frohnmayer no longer believes that the top-two primary system is a viable solution to the problems facing America's political system. While top-two aims to solve the lingering issues surrounding a hyper-partisan political environment by opening the voting process to all voters, Frohnmayer does not believe that it solves the most contentious and unappealing aspect of political campaigns: the overabundance and influence of money. “There is certainly a

On March 4, 2015, the General Social Study published its latest report examining the public's opinion on marijuana legalization. The study documents both the shift in popular consensus on marijuana over the past 40 years as well as the monumental growth that has occurred in the last decade. This is the first time that a comprehensive study has found over 50 percent of respondents in favor of marijuana legalization. According to the study, 52 percent of respondents favor legalizing marijuana. Th

KENTUCKY -- Kentucky Hemp is coming back. Fiber, seed, fuel, oil, and artisan products are simmering in the recently revived hemp industry.  Hemp seed can be used whole as a food, or crushed for oil, protein powder, and protein meal. It is considered a super-food, high in omega-3's, balanced with omega-6's, and a complete protein.   Hemp oil has similar nutritional qualities to the whole hemp seed, including protein, as well as omega-3 and 6. It can be eaten as a salad oil. Other uses include so

As of February 6, there have been 121 reported cases of the measles in 17 states and Washington, D.C., in 2015 alone. If the measles outbreak continues at this pace, the number of reported cases in 2015 will surpass 2014's record-setting numbers. Measles cases: Jan. 1 to Feb. 6, 2015. There are 121 cases reported in Washington, DC and 17 states (California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Texas, Washington, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, N

Last week, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill intended to protect Americans' privacy and online data. In a press release, U.S. Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) announced that the purpose of the Secure Data Act of 2015 is not to restrict the ability of intelligence agencies to collect data in general. However, they do intend to re-assert the role of Congress in regulating these activities: "Congress has allowed the Administra

New measures aimed at improving the safety and legitimacy of medical marijuana might be hitting California in the future as state lawmakers consider a bill that would provide a regulatory structure for the state’s medical marijuana industry. “We want to ensure that patients who need medical marijuana treatment not only have access, but are receiving quality medical marijuana that is safe for consumption,” said State Assemblymember Rob Bonta (D-Oakland), the author of AB 34, in an interview for

The Independent Party of Oregon claims that it has qualified as a major party in Oregon. IPO Secretary Sal Peralta reports that he contacted the secretary of state's office on Monday to get a check on the party's registration numbers in preparation for testimony on the Motor Voter bill. The secretary of state's staff informed him that the IPO has 108,744 members as of February 2, 2015. That is 6 members over the 5 percent threshhold for major party status. The IPO has asked the secretary of st

The League of Women Voters (LWV) has filed an amicus brief (friend of the court) in the U.S. Supreme Court case Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The LWV sides with the independent redistricting commission (and lower court), arguing that the state legislature acts in an extremely hyper-partisan manner, which only hurts the political process. At issue in the case is the constitutionality of independent redistricting commissions. The outcome of the case,

Vote Hemp, a major grassroots hemp advocacy group, on Thursday announced the introduction of complementary bills in the U.S. House and Senate, S. 134 and H.R. 525, titled the " Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015," with support on both sides of the political aisle. The Act would remove federal restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp, the non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis. “With bi-partisan support in the Senate and House, we are eager to see 2015 be the year Congress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOLqVIkUqPY Newly-elected U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) gave a rebuttal to President Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday that sounded more like a primary campaign video than an attempt to refute the president's agenda and platform for the coming year. Ernst could have taken the time to address any number of the president's ideas, including education, foreign policy on Iran, equal pay for women, new child tax credits, or Obamacare success stories. In