By:Brianna Bonham Staff Writer
Motor Voter: Scott Moore, the communications director for the Oregon House Majority Office, said: “While other state legislatures are working to limit voter participation, Oregon is moving in the opposite direction by removing unnecessary, outdated barriers to voting.” House Bill 2177, called the new “Motor Voter Law,” ensures that every eligible voter will receive a ballot to vote upon receiving a driver’s license. Renewing a driver’s license will automatically register one to vote as well. Individuals just have to be 18 and show proof of citizenship. The state will send a postcard reporting eligibility to vote unless a box is checked saying that it is unwanted. Oregonlive reports an estimated 10,000 voters will be registered per month once the year starts.
Birth Control: According to The Oregonian, in 2015, Oregon was the first state to require insurers to cover 12-month refills for oral contraception. Beginning Jan. 1, House Bill 2879 allows pharmacists to prescribe birth control (oral contraceptives) to women. This saves many women potentially costly trips to doctors or gynecologists in order to get prescriptions. According to U.S News, some forms of birth control can cost $600 a year. This new law should help diminish the cost of doctor visits for women who regularly use birth control.
Pumping Gas: Oregonians everywhere now need to learn how to pump their own gas because as of 2016, Oregon now allows drivers of noncommercial vehicles to pump their own gas, but only under certain circumstances. Drivers must be stopped at a service station in a rural area in counties with populations of 40,000 or fewer people, and it must be between the hours of 6 p.m.-6 a.m. This law was passed to combat the likelihood of those traveling in remote areas from becoming stranded due to gas stations being closed. Those that are planning on late night travels in rural Oregon may need to brush up on their gas pumping capabilities.
Sick Leave: According to Koin News, as of Jan. 1, Oregon will become the 4th state to require paid sick leave for employees, along with California. Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Senate Bill 454 requires that companies with 10 or more employees provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave each year. Scott Moore, the communications director for the Oregon House Majority Office, stated that “No one should have to decide between taking care of their health and keeping their job.” This law means that employees may not have to choose between taking care of their health and retaining their job. The new law upholds the Portland 2013 sick leave measure that applies to smaller businesses.
Vaporizer: Some people believe that using a vaporizer, or ‘vaping’, should be treated like cigarette smoking and banned in public places, and others believe that the smoke may not be as harmful as cigarette smoke and that it should be allowed in most public places. Although there currently have not been enough tests to prove this belief true or false as of yet. As of Jan. 1, vaping and electronic cigarettes are no longer legal to smoke in publicly owned areas. Western Oregon is also a smoke free campus and does not allow smoking of any kind on campus, whether it is vaping, electronic cigarettes, or a typical cigarette.
