Free Republic

Beginning in January 1, 2026, all kayaks, rafts, and stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) will require a permit. The permit could be a 7-day permit ($6) or annual permit ($20). See more here. The agency says they must do this to educate and work against invasive species. We can find only two other states that require paddleboards (under 10 feet) to get a permit to use. This fits nicely with Oregon’s unique bike tax. Everything people love about Oregon is now being taxed and regulated. At the same time, the same agency is jacking up camping fees for out-of-state residents by 25%...

A New Jersey law that removes a requirement for teachers to pass a reading, writing and mathematics test for certification will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. The law, Act 1669, was passed by Democratic New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy as part of the state’s 2025 budget in June in an effort to address a shortage of teachers in the state... Individuals seeking an instructional certificate will no longer need to pass a “basic skills” test ... Just months earlier, Murphy signed a similar bill into law that created an alternative pathway for teachers to sidestep the testing requirement....

"America is the land of opportunity." "I believe the most qualified person should get the job." "America is a melting pot." Those are examples of harmful "microaggressions," according to Columbia professor Derald Wing Sue, lauded by Oregon's state government as a "microaggressions expert." Now, under a soon-to-be-finalized ethics rule from the Oregon Medical Board, doctors who commit "microaggressions" risk losing their medical licenses. Under Oregon law, doctors who fail to report "unprofessional conduct" from themselves or a colleague within 10 business days can face severe penalties, including loss of license. The state's medical board is in the process of shoehorning...

The university's VP of Academic Affairs said the changes will no longer 'mask' students' 'demonstrated abilities'.. An Oregon university announced they will abandon failing letter grades, citing a "GPA fixation" that negatively impacts students. Western Oregon University issued a news release earlier this month that revealed the school would be replacing "D-" and "F" grades with "no credit" to discourage undergrads from dropping out. ... The difference is that the grade of NC will not negatively impact student GPAs, ... the decision came after data from the university showed that 65% of freshman students who dropped out had earned at...

Oregon’s health officials are considering making the indoor mask mandate permanent, which requires everyone age five and older to wear a mask in indoor public spaces. Currently, the Oregon Health Authority’s rule requires individuals, even the fully vaccinated, to wear “masks, face coverings or face shields” in “all indoor spaces.” That includes “public and private workplaces, businesses, indoor areas open to the public, building lobbies, common or shared spaces, classrooms, elevators, bathrooms, transportation services and other indoor space where people may gather for any purpose,” according to the rule, which is set to expire in February. Because of that, health...

Portland’s “badly damaged” reputation – marked by months of destructive protests, a homeless crisis and record year of homicides – is hurting the standing of Oregon’s largest city, according to the city’s main tourism promoter. Travel Portland, the city’s tourism promotion group partly funded by taxes, presented data to the City Council and mayor this week showing the city has declined to its “lowest level” of being a likely destination for delegates to attend conferences. Just 64% of surveyed tourists said they would visit Portland again. “There’s an old old saying, ‘It takes a lifetime to build a reputation and...

Media Research Center founder Brent Bozell is calling for Facebook to de-platform Antifa on the heels of conservative writer Andy Ngo being attacked by members of the group in Portland, Ore. on Saturday. "The Department of Homeland Security has formally classified their activities as domestic terrorist violence. It is an amazing thing, to me, that Facebook thinks it is perfectly fine to have domestic terrorists on their site and not remove them,” Bozell told Fox News. “Antifa needs to be de-platformed. This is a mistake and I hope Facebook rethinks it." ... Antifa has a Facebook group with over 4,500...

SALEM -- A bill giving Oregon students who are not U.S. citizens the right to attend Oregon state universities at in-state tuition rates cleared the Senate Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday. Senate Bill 769 now goes to the Joint Ways and Means Committee for an assessment of its effect on the state's higher education budget. The vote was 3-1, with Sen. Jeff Kruse, R-Roseburg, voting no. Sen. Charles Starr, R-Hillsboro, was a reluctant yes, noting that his vote probably would anger some of his constituents who are upset that noncitizens would get access to in-state tuition. Currently, noncitizens must...