Aug. 13: New Oregon law requires all commercial eggs to be cage-free
Gov. Kate Brown signed a bill on Aug. 12, which will require that all eggs produced or sold in Oregon be entirely cage-free by the year 2024, according to OregonLive. The measure will apply to commercial farms with 3,000 or more chickens, according to AP. Other states, including California, Washington and Massachusetts have already passed similar laws. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the law is a “monumental win for hens confined in tiny cages in the egg industry.”
Aug. 14: Updated Oregon death penalty laws go further then supporters intended
A new law intended to curb the use of the death penalty is being scrutinized for going too far by its own supporters, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. An unintended consequence from the new law was brought into question after a former death row inmate was granted immunity from the death penalty in a recent ruling. Senate Bill 1013, which passed this year, sought to limit the use of capital punishment to instances of terrorist attacks and the murder of law enforcement officers and children. The law was intended to only affect cases moving forward, not previous cases pending a sentence or where a sentence was already handed down, according to AP News.
Aug. 17: Oregon set to replace the Interstate Bridge over the Columbia River
An effort to replace the Interstate Bridge—which crosses the Columbia River—has been revived, according to AP News. Top transportation decision makers approved a plan on Aug. 16 to spend roughly $9 million of unanticipated federal money on the project, according to OregonLive. Oregon and Washington both face a deadline on Sept. 30 to let the federal government know that serious plans are in the works to replace the bridge, lest a $140 million bill will be due for the failed Columbia River Crossing project, according to AP.
Aug. 17: Police, far-right and far-left groups all claim victory in Portland rally
Hundreds of far-right and far-left demonstrators clashed in the streets of Portland in a long-awaited rally that took place on Aug. 17. Portland police made 13 arrests and seized various weapons. They also used barriers and bridge closures to keep the two sides apart throughout the day. Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw said police successfully kept the event safe while allowing both groups to exercise their free-speech rights; Joe Biggs, the central organizer of the far-right rally, declared the publicity from the rally a success. Effen Baum, an organizer with the far-left group PopMob, said the next time far-right groups return to Portland, the counter demonstrations will be even larger, according to OregonLive.