Date: 03/27/2013 03:59 AM
OR–1st NewsMinute/387
Here is the latest Oregon news from The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A crowd of about 200 people turned out for a rally last night in Portland in support of gay marriage. The Oregonian reports that the rally also drew Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. The rally at the federal courthouse was organized by Basic Rights Oregon, Oregon’s largest gay rights group. The group says it’s aiming for a vote next year to reverse Oregon’s ban on gay marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court this week dove into a historic debate on gay rights that could soon lead to resumption of same-sex marriage in California. The court’s first major examination of gay rights in 10 years continues today.
GRANTS PASS, Ore. (AP) – Faced with uncertain funding for his job, the undersheriff of Curry County is leaving the struggling coastal timber county for a new post with the State Police. Sheriff John Bishop said Tuesday that he also lost a patrol deputy and is losing a jail deputy. He says all three are taking jobs with a better future. The collapse of federal timber payments that bolstered the second-lowest tax rate in the state has left Curry County struggling to keep the sheriff’s office staffed.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – A study by financial risk analysts estimates medical claims costs for people who buy their own health insurance will rise by 14 percent in Oregon under the new federal health overhaul. Medical claims costs are the biggest driver of health insurance premiums. The Society of Actuaries estimates costs will rise nationally by an average of 32 percent under President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. It says much of the higher claims costs stems from an expectation that sicker people will join the individual insurance pool. The Obama administration says the study ignored the law’s cost-relief strategies.
SALEM, Ore. (AP) – Oregon lawmakers have begun considering bills intended to get tougher on people who purchase sex from children and on those involved in the trafficking of the young victims. Survivors of sex trafficking testified yesterday before the Senate Judiciary Committee. They said sex trafficking of minors is a very real problem in Oregon. One bill would make it a felony to solicit young women for sex. Another would make it a crime to facilitate child prostitution under current human trafficking laws.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.