Page 18 - Joint Ways News Today

SALEM — Oregon lawmakers and providers who serve people with drug and alcohol addictions have a common goal: making the state’s decriminalization drug law work.

“We owe it to Oregonians to make sure that the voters that passed ballot measures are getting what they asked for in a more timely, transparent and accountable manner.” By Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle Oregon lawmakers and providers who serve people with drug and alcohol addictions have a common goal: making the state’s decriminalization […]

With the state mired in a labor crunch, MassHealth hopes to double its call center workforce capacity in the next two months to deal with the undertaking of determining which of the 2.3 million people on the state-funded health plan are still eligible.

Oregon lawmakers passed a $210 million bill to attract more semiconductor businesses and boost the economy.

Budget proposal calls for more spending on housing, health care and public defense while keeping state positions vacant.

Legislative budget writers are planning a 2.5% cut to state services in the next two years as federal COVID cash runs out. 

That's a departure from what Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek’s proposal earlier this year. She wanted to divert savings to spend on housing, homelessness, behavioral health care and education.

As Kotek seeks more funding, the state also is working on a five-year plan.

Gov. Tina Kotek is asking lawmakers to put $74.2 million into behavioral health programs and working on a five-year plan.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey filed two supplemental budgets totaling $1 billion, and a $55 billion spending plan proposed for Fiscal Year 2024.