Drivers approaching the school bus from behind must always stop when it stops to drop off children and flashes warning lights or extends its stop arm.
In all 50 states, that is the law. Thousands of drivers, however, fail to do so every day, according to driver surveys conducted by a national bus driver group.
On January 1, school districts in Oregon will be permitted to install cameras on their buses in order to monitor and report drivers who do not stop.
Sean Sype, a Wilsonville High School student, contacted lawmakers about the new law when he witnessed reckless drivers putting his classmates in risk by speeding around buses. According to Sype, cameras might hold negligent drivers accountable and discourage such behavior.
In the end, this bill is about making our neighborhoods safer for children, Sype wrote to senators last year.
The measure from Skype is one of several new laws that will go into force in Oregon on January 1st. Others include initiatives to reduce drug use on public transportation, lower the cost of prescription medications, and make sure Oregonians have the knowledge and resources necessary to repair technological gadgets if they would choose to do so rather than purchase new ones.
In a news release issued Monday by Democrats in both chambers, Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama, a Democrat from Portland, stated that Oregonians and we are not content with the current situation. Our goal to raise the standard of living in Oregon is ongoing, and these adjustments in the new year represent only one stage of that effort.
The right to fix
Oregon will be the fourth state to mandate that tech companies provide consumers and independent repair businesses with the equipment, parts, and manuals needed to fix their devices on January 1. Consumer electronics sold on or after that day are subject to the regulation.
Tech behemoths like Apple opposed the so-called right-to-repair bill, claiming that Oregon’s broad legislation may jeopardize device security and safety.
According to the bill, businesses cannot restrict a device’s functionality just because a customer or independent repairman repaired it using an aftermarket product. Additionally, they are unable to get those devices to display false alarms or warnings regarding unknown parts.
Divestment of coal
Unless the corporations are transitioning to clean energy, another 2024 law that will take effect at the beginning of the year will mandate that the Oregon Treasury divest from coal companies and funds that contain coal companies. However, the value of the investment funds cannot be harmed by those divestitures.
In a March press release, Ashland Democrat and bill author Sen. Jeff Golden stated that Oregonians, especially Oregon public employees and retirees, are clear: They do not want their money spent on polluting our air, water, and land.
Earlier this year, Tobias Read, the treasurer of Oregon and soon-to-be secretary of state, unveiled a strategy to shift the state’s investment portfolios toward businesses that achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Using drugs when traveling
Beginning in January, individuals who take illegal narcotics while on public transit will be charged with the class A misdemeanor of interfering with public transportation. Compared to the class C misdemeanor penalty for consuming drugs in other public places, that is a much worse punishment.
Although those found guilty might often receive state-funded therapy, violators of the new rule could face up to a year in prison, a fine of more than $6,000, or both.
Laws pertaining to prescribed drugs have changed.
Insurers and health care providers will have to factor in the entire cost of prescription medications when determining a patient’s maximum out-of-pocket payment starting in January. The Democrats wrote the plan with the goal of lowering the overall costs of folks who have costly prescription drugs by assisting them in reaching those maximum payments more rapidly.
Health benefit plans are prohibited by another legislation from mandating that medications prescribed by doctors be manufactured at specific pharmacies. According to Democrats, insurers have attempted to cut costs in recent years by requiring some medications to be bought from a specialist pharmacy. This practice has alarmed physicians, who claim that it may cause delays for patients attempting to acquire their medications.
Public release of school board recordings is required.
The school board is required to videotape all public meetings and make them available for public viewing online, unless the district has fewer than 50 students. The same is true for public university and community college boards. An audio recording may be uploaded in place of a district with poor internet access.
Safety of workers
Another bill mandates that warehouse workers disclose any quotas they must meet to their coworkers in an open and honest manner. Workers must get that in writing, and companies are not allowed to reprimand warehouse employees for not meeting quotas they haven’t specified.
House Democrats said that warehouse workers’ advocates claim that quotas are a contributing factor to high rates of workplace injuries. Lawmakers think the bill will provide workers with the information they need to advocate for themselves and perform their jobs safely.
This item was contributed to by reporter Mike Rogoway.
Sami Edge writes for The Oregonian on politics and higher education. She may be contacted at (503) 260-3430 or [email protected].
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