Virginia Alvino

Credit Northwest News Network
Salem Intern, Northwest News Network

Virginia Alvino is a Salem-based intern for Northwest News Network. She is an MBA candidate in the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University. She also got her undergraduate degree from Willamette, but not in business ... in philosophy. She was raised in Las Vegas. Virginia will be reporting for Northwest News Network from Salem, while working to build a database of elected officials who are Latino in the Pacific Northwest, as part of a larger project to document the disparity between the number of Latinos in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, and their representation in state and local government. Virginia also studies public media collaborations as part of her work toward the MBA.

In-State Tuition Bill
4:12 pm
Thu March 21, 2013

Oregon Senate Approves Bill To Offer Children Of Immigrants In-State Tuition

Credit Virginia Alvino / Northwest News Network
A group cheers the Oregon Senate's approval of a bill that would grant in-state tuition to the children of illegal immigrants.

After ten years of effort, immigrant rights advocates are celebrating the final vote to give in-state tuition rates to some undocumented students. The Oregon Senate approved the bill Thursday and Gov. John Kitzhaber says he plans to sign it.

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Oregon County Clerks
5:46 pm
Mon March 18, 2013

County Clerks Could Be Appointed Instead Of Elected

Credit Northwest News Network
A case of ballot tampering occurred in Clackamas County last fall.

County clerks in Oregon would be appointed rather than elected under a measure in the Oregon legislature. A Committee in Salem heard testimony today on a proposed constitutional amendment.

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Oregon Driver Licenses
6:33 pm
Wed January 16, 2013

Oregon DMV Grants Driver Licenses To Some Young Immigrants

Credit Oregon DMV
Oregon under-21 driver license sample

Oregon transportation officials reversed course Wednesday and announced that children of undocumented immigrants can get state driver licenses. The decision applies to people who qualify for President Obama’s deferred deportation policy.

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Rodent Exterminators
5:55 pm
Tue December 11, 2012

Oregon Considers Limits On Rodent Killing Devices

Credit Wobbyball / Wikimedia Commons
Propane-powered pest killers like are popular for exterminating gophers and groundhogs.

An Oregon man injured by an explosive rodent killing device is pushing lawmakers to regulate the machines. The issue was the subject of a hearing at the state capitol Tuesday.

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Oregon Renewable Energy Requirements
5:53 pm
Fri October 26, 2012

Proposal For 2014 Would Change Oregon's Energy Standards

Credit U.S. Army Corps
A measure filed in Oregon would allow more power from hydroelectric dams to be part of the state’s renewable energy requirements.

Even as voters decide this year’s ballot measures, initiative activists are already preparing for 2014. One new measure filed in Oregon would allow more power from hydroelectric dams to be part of the state’s renewable energy requirements.

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Oregon Inmate Rejects Reprieve
4:33 pm
Tue July 24, 2012

Oregon Death Row Inmate Asks Judge To Overturn Governor's Reprieve

Credit Oregon Department of Corrections
Gary Haugen has asked that the repreive Gov. Kitzhaber issued on Haugen's execution be overruled.

Late last year, Gov. John Kitzhaber issued a moratorium that put on hold the execution of twice-convicted murderer Gary Haugen. Now the death row inmate is asking a judge to overrule that reprieve. Haugen appeared in a Marion County courtroom Tuesday.

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Police Get Lottery Winnings
6:50 pm
Thu July 12, 2012

Jackpot! Crime DOES Pay, For The Medford Police Department

Credit Shoshana / Flickr
The Medford Police Department won part of a million dollar jackpot from the Oregon lottery due to an ill-gotten scratch-it.

When it comes to the lottery, you can’t win if you don’t play. But that’s not the case for the Medford Police Department. This week, the agency learned it won part of a million dollar jackpot from the Oregon lottery, but not because any officers bought the ticket.

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Public School Rebates
5:39 am
Mon July 9, 2012

Corporate Kicker For K-12 Well On Track To November Ballot

An initiative to redirect corporate tax rebates to public schools is on track to qualify for the November ballot. This rebate is called the kicker because it goes into effect when tax revenues exceed projections by more than 2 percent.

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Oregon Counties Federal Aide
5:45 pm
Thu June 14, 2012

Northwest Oregon Counties In Line For Federal Aid, But Will There Be More?

Credit DOI
Northwest counties receiving the highest PILT payments from the U.S. Department of the Interior in 2012.

Cash strapped county budgets got word Thursday, that their annual federal aid check is coming through. But as it stands, this year’s payments in lieu of property taxes could be the last of their kind.

Nearly every county in the Northwest receives at least some money based on their population and how much nontaxable public land is within their borders. The program, called PILT for short expires this year. It’s up to congress to reauthorize it.

Gil Riddell, Policy Coordinator for the Association of Oregon Counties, predicts that despite congressional gridlock, the counties won’t be left out to dry.

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