Fire Season
Yesterday signified the first day of fire season. The bureau of Land Management put out a statement regarding the hazards that face the state despite the amount of rainfall that occurred over the winter and early spring months. The use of fireworks, exploding targets, steel component ammunition, tracer or incendiary devices and sky lanterns will not be permitted. Anita Bilbao is the associate state director for the BLM says the wet weather has increased the amount of invasive grasses which dries out quickly and can ignite easily. Violators of the prohibition can be fined a $1.000 and could also spend a year in jail. Also a person found responsible for starting a wildfire can be billed for the cost of the fire suppression. May is wildfire awareness month. More information can be found at nifc.gov.
Gas Prices Rise
Gas prices may be about a dollar cheaper than last year, but Marie Dodds with AAA Oregon says the price of a gallon of regular gas, just days before the Memorial Day Weekend have risen a nickel in Oregon. The average price of a gallon of regular gas is now at $4.18. the rest of the country has seen slight increases of just a penny. Here along the coast Florence is paying an average of $3.73 a gallon almost 10 cents more than two weeks ago. AAA predicts more than a ½ million Oregonians will travel this weekend with over 42 million across the country. About 88% of those will be on the roadways.
Hunger Issues Victim of Walkout
Three weeks into state Senate Republicans’ walkout from the Oregon Legislature, concern is growing that the move could sink action on important issues such as addressing hunger in the state. Head of Oregon Food Bank Susannah Morgan says rates of hunger are still above pre-pandemic levels, and it’s anticipated the food-assistance system in the state will serve more than a million people this year.
This is a crisis that so many of us need help feeding our families, and in order to meet that crisis we need our government to work.”
Republicans walked out on May 3rd in part because of a bill that would expand abortion rights and further protect transgender health care. Senate Republicans have pledged to come back on the final day of the session, scheduled for June 25th, to pass bipartisan bills. Morgan says one day does not give the Legislature enough time to pass a number of important bills.
