Category: In the News

New Bill Would Keep Fossil Fuel Reserves On Public Lands In The Ground

Over the past year, environmentalists have called for keeping significant stores of the world’s remaining fossil fuel stores in the ground in order to curb climate change — a call that’s backed up by science. Now, a new bill aims to do just that. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), along with Senator

Jeff Merkley, Bernie Sanders: Feds should keep fossil fuels in the ground

Oregon Jeff Merkley is joining Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in calling for a halt to new oil, natural gas and coal leases on federal lands and in coastal waters. The two will unveil  legislation Wednesday designed to radically reduce the production of fossil fuels, which they say is necessary to

Sen. Merkley wants to ban e-cig flavors, marketing appealing to kids

WASHINGTON, DC — Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) wants to tighten the FDA’s control of the tobacco industry by banning the use of flavors and marketing that appealls to children in e-cigarettes. Sen. Merkley told KATU he’s frustrated and angry at tobacco companies which claim these products — which have names

Merkley vows to help students

Sen. Jeff Merkley visited Oregon State University on Tuesday morning for a listening session on the high cost of higher education and found an audience that was all too familiar with the problem. When he asked the two dozen or so students gathered in a classroom for the informal discussion

Oregon senators hold a ‘listening session’ to discuss tuition costs

EUGENE, Ore. – Students from both the University of Oregon and Lane Community College joined Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley for a “listening session” on Monday at the University of Oregon. Jazzmen Vega-Heath and Ashley Jackson, who are student leaders at LCC, as well as mothers, weighed in on

OR Senators Push For Long Term Fire Funding

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Both Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) spoke out in favor of the U.S. Senate’s approval of a bill to keep the government running through mid-December. The legislation also includes $700 million in emergency funding to refill wildfire accounts drained during this summer’s devastating fire

Arctic Drilling Battle Halts Abruptly as Shell Comes Up Dry

One of the biggest en­vir­on­ment­al fights in re­cent years is end­ing with a whim­per. Roy­al Dutch Shell said Monday that it’s abandon­ing oil and gas ex­plor­a­tion off Alaska’s north­ern coast after an ex­pens­ive well came up es­sen­tially dry. The de­cision ends, at least for the fore­see­able fu­ture, a key battle

Historic effort keeps sage grouse off endangered list

WASHINGTON — The greater sage grouse will not be placed on the endangered species list, due to the greatest conservation effort in U.S. history, federal officials said Tuesday. The decision by the Fish and Wildlife Service to not list the iconic bird was announced at a news conference at the Rocky

Ferguson Report Includes Call To End Predatory Lending

The governor-appointed Ferguson Commission, called together after the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, is calling for sweeping policy changes in Missouri. Among the topics the report addresses are race, policing, education, the courts, Medicaid and finance. Chief among its recommendations is that Missouri end the practice of predatory lending,

Merkley backs Iran nuclear deal

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley on Sunday announced his support for the Iran nuclear deal, becoming the 31st Democratic senator to back President Barack Obama on the issue. Just two Senate Democrats have come out against the deal — New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez. Just

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