A recent Wall Street Journal article has brought up the fact that the same provision in last year’s Medical Coverage Law that would have allowed people to discuss their end-of-life wishes with their doctors has been added to the list of procedures covered by Medicare. Listed in the preventative care category, a person covered under [...]
Washington voters will be deciding on a measure that would add a provision to the state constitution relating to bail for persons accused of committing crimes. If approved by voters, the measure would amend Article I, Section 20 of the Washington Constitution, as follows: Article I, section 20. All persons charged with crime shall be [...]
In 1998, Oregon became one of a growing number of states to permit medical patients who could benefit from using marijuana to relieve their symptoms to do so. Some people agree that these patients should be able to use the substance if it is beneficial to them. Others still think that marijuana should not be [...]
It has been popular for politicians who want to show that they are tough on crime to file petitions which raise the minimum sentences that a judge would be able to prescribe to a given felon for a particular crime. Historically, some of these have passed and some have not. Oregon Ballot Measure 73 is [...]
Oregon Ballot Measure 72 is the third of three Oregon constitutional amendments that were referred from the legislature for approval by the voters. More than any of the others, this measure is merely a housekeeping measure that legalizes a practice that is common now but was not prevalent when the Oregon Constitution was enacted. This [...]
In the simpler times of the 19th century, when Oregon was becoming a state, the State of Oregon was a simpler place. Travel was not easy, and the government of the time decided that the legislature would meet every other year to conduct the state’s business and to discuss and pas new laws as necessary. [...]
Oregon Ballot Measure 70 is one of three amendments to the Oregon Constitution that were referred from the legislature for approval by the voters. While I am somewhat careful in how I look at any attempt to amend the constitution, these amendments are all small changes that will modernize the constitution without making drastic changes. [...]
So, you think that Oregon is the national leader in number of ballot questions that the state’s voters must decide on? Well, this time around, you might be mistaken. This November, Washington voters will have no fewer than nine ballot initiatives and other measures to vote on. Certainly, you are already being bombarded by political [...]
Just a heads up, if you haven’t guessed already from all of the intentionally misleading political ads already out there, that the November political season is upon us. As usual, I will be tackling the issues from around Cascadia here, one by one. Just to get you started, here are some of the issues that [...]
There has been some discussion in the media lately about whether President Barack Obama is a Muslim or not. Despite a recent survey that showed that as many as 20% of Americans asked believe this might be the case, it is clear from the evidence that this is not true. Just because a person or [...]
