Oregon Lawmakers Pass Bill to Make Building Duplexes Easier

A bipartisan majority of both the Oregon House and Senate approved a bill that would strike down local zoning laws that solely allow for single-family housing. The bill targets bans on duplexes for low-density residential lots in cities with more than 10,000 residents. It also allows triplexes, fourplexes, attached townhomes, and cottage clusters on some residential lots in cities of more than 25,000. The bill’s author, state Rep. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, said the move was about choice. “This is about allowing for different opportunities in neighborhoods that are currently extremely limited,” she said. Under the new law, cities would still be able to regulate building size and design, and would be able to use incentives to spur the creation of new below-market homes. State Rep. Jack Zika, a Republican, said the bill was necessary to address the state’s growing affordable housing crisis. “This is not a silver bullet, but will address some of the things that all our constituents need … We have an opportunity now for first-time homebuyers,” he said. The bill was opposed by The League of Oregon Cities, as well as several wealthy local housing associations, including Eastmoreland, a Portland neighborhood with a median home price over $725,000. “[This bill] will encourage wholesale redevelopment of existing neighborhoods, and the eventual elimination of most single-family houses. Quality of life will plummet,” wrote one Eastmoreland resident in a letter to legislators. The bill is now awaiting Gov. Kate Brown’s signature, but her office has not released a statement regarding whether she supports it or not. [Sightline; Blue Mountain Eagle; Malheur Enterprise] 

EDUCATION CUTS | After the governor of Alaska cut 41% of the state’s university appropriations through a line-item budget veto, leaders of the university system are worried about the impact. Last week, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed portions of the budget passed by the legislature, with the largest chunk—$130 million—coming from the university system’s budget, in order to put more money in a fund that provides a dividend to state residents based on oil revenue. Dunleavy said at a press conference about the decision that “we can’t continue to be all things for all people.” Cathy Sandeen, chancellor of the University of Alaska at Anchorage, said that conservatively, the cut will result in 700 lost positions. “We don’t know how the system or board is going to carry out the cut across the various institutions...We would also expect a reduction in student enrollment because of program eliminations and reputational damage to the institutions,” she said. The administration of the system has already frozen all hiring and travel, and has begun to contact state legislators with the intention of seeking a veto override. Some legislators are already on board, including state Sen. Jesse Kiehl, a Democrat, who said the veto would “crash Alaska’s economy” and “trash” the state’s future. "Now it's up to the legislature to protect our state, for this generation and the next,” Kiehl said. [Inside Higher Education; CBC]

PROTESTS IN PORTLAND | Dueling left- and right-wing protests in Portland over the weekend left several people injured, including conservative journalist Andy Ngo. Members of Antifa threw milkshakes at Ngo as he was covering the event, and one protestor punched him. When Ngo posted about his experience online, many conservatives began to call for the resignation of Portland’s mayor and police chief over their perceived inaction. Ted Cruz posted on Twitter about the incident, asking federal law enforcement to “investigate & bring legal action against a Mayor who has, for political reasons, ordered his police officers to let citizens be attacked by domestic terrorists.” Assistant Police Chief Chris Davis said that the protests were difficult to manage because they were spread out through the city. “There are hundreds of peaceful free speech events in the City in a given year that do not result in violence. Unfortunately, today some community members and officers were injured. We are actively investigating these incidents to hold those responsible accountable,” he said. Three protestors have been arrested and charged with harassment or assault. [The Oregonian; The Hill]

LGBTQ EXECUTIVE ORDER | Illinois Gov. Jay Pritzker, a Democrat, signed an executive order to protect transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming students with the formation of a new Affirming and Inclusive Schools Task Force. The 25-member task force will suggest new school policies that can promote LGBTQ students’ rights and educate teachers and school staff about issues like transgender name changes, prefered pronouns, and dress codes. “We're taking one more step toward securing Illinois’ place as a leader in equality and hope. Under this executive order, ignorance is no longer an excuse for bigotry,” Pritzker said in a tweet. The move was met with praise from Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat. “It’s a first step towards codifying tolerance and respect in all of our schools across the state, giving every student the safe space to reach their full potential,” Lightfoot said. [KMBZ; Associated Press]

MINOR CURFEW | In an effort to prevent crime, York, Pennsylvania, a city south of Harrisburg, will begin enforcing a curfew established in 2008 that bans minors without a guardian from being outside between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Police will now detain young people they find out at night, and fine their parents $50, plus the cost of prosecution. Second- and third-time offenders will face a maximum fine of $1,000. “This is being done for the protection of our young people. Over the past three years, many of our victims of crime have been minors, as well as many of the perpetrators of the crimes,” said Mayor Michael Helfrich in a Facebook post announcing the change. The policy makes exceptions for minors who are attending school or religious events, as well as those with jobs. [ABC 27; Penn Live]