SALEM, Ore.- Thuy Tran’s parents came to the United States as refugees with little more than the clothes on their backs. Now, one generation later, Tran is a successful optometrist, small business owner and Democratic candidate for Oregon House District 47.

Most of HD 47 is east of I-205, with a portion stretching up to the Washington border. The seat is currently held by Rep. Jefferson Smith, D-Portland, who is running for Portland mayor.

SALEM, Ore.- Klamath Falls resident Tracey Liskey said he has been friends with Gail Whitsett and her husband, Sen. Doug Whitsett, R-Klamath Falls, for over 30 years. But that isn’t stopping Liskey from seeking the same House District 56 seat that Gail Whitsett is hoping to fill.

HD 56 includes the southern parts of Lake and Klamath counties, down to the California border.

SALEM, Ore.- For three years, Creswell resident Kelly Lovelace has watched a park in Brownsville be threatened by erosion. The Republican candidate for House District 11 said the problem could be easily solved with a few dump trucks, an excavator and some other equipment in just a matter of days.

“There’s a way to do it and do it right. There are people in place that have that plan, but nobody wants to do it,” Lovelace said.

SALEM, Ore.- Just a couple of hours before the filing deadline for the May 15 primary election expired, political insiders of all types stood on the House floor, where candidates’ names were displayed on a series of large boards.

The almost last-second addition of Tim Knopp’s name to the list of Republican candidates for Senate District 27 drew gasps and whispers from several of those present.

SALEM, Ore.- Now that Oregon’s 2012 legislative session is officially over, lobbyists throughout the state have the opportunity to reflect on how the new bills passed into law will affect their groups in the future.

J.L. Wilson, vice president of government affairs, employment law, fiscal policy and political affairs for Associated Oregon Industries (AOI), was mostly optimistic about the session.

SALEM, Ore.- A Senate bill involving unemployment insurance benefits for some taxicab drivers passed the Oregon House today, although some members voiced strong opposition to it.

SB 1588 excludes services performed in the operation of a taxicab by a person with an ownership or leasehold interest in the vehicle from the definition of “employment” for the purposes of qualifying for unemployment insurance benefits.

SALEM, Ore. – Despite some objections, the Oregon House of Representatives voted Friday to authorize additional tree removal along state highways for the state’s transportation agency.

Senate Bill 1546 grants authority to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to remove damaged trees located next to state highways.

SALEM, Ore.- A broad array of education-related bills is on its way to the budget-writing Ways and Means Committee, and the House and Senate floors, after being approved by a subcommittee.

The Ways and Means Subcommittee on Education held a series of work sessions during its Friday, Feb. 24 meeting, as the 2012 legislative session races to a close.

SALEM, Ore.- Rising health care costs have become a source of constant strain for municipal budgets throughout the United States, and Oregon is no exception.

As a result, the Public Employees’ Benefit Board (PEBB) has created a Health Engagement Model (HEM) program, intended to encourage participants to adopt and maintain more healthful behavior by focusing on issues such as weight management and quitting tobacco.

SALEM, Ore.- In one of its final meeting of the 2012 legislative session, the Senate Education and Workforce Development Committee voted to advance a series of House bills to the Senate floor.

The committee held a public hearing and work session Wednesday for House Bill 4016, which would expand the state’s mandatory child abuse reporting law.