Are you getting free money in the mail?

Unexpected Checks for 25K Oregonians

This month, the state of Oregon is sending out $10 million in checks to people who have unclaimed property from banks, former employers, and other businesses. In the past, people had to actively claim the money, but now 25,000 individuals will get checks. Still, there’s $1 billion in unclaimed funds, so it’s worth checking if there’s any for you. [KGW]

• Claim yours: Check for unclaimed funds you’re owed. [Oregon State Treasury]

Oregon Law Forbids Involuntary Drug Treatment

The overdose death of a 15-year-old Portland boy raises questions about Oregon drug treatment laws. His mother believes he could have been saved if she’d been allowed to enroll him in treatment. Oregon is one of 16 states that prohibits involuntary drug treatment, even if someone is a danger to themselves. Anyone 15 or older in Oregon is allowed to make their own health care decisions. [Oregonian 🔒]

Will the Legislature Take Up the Big Issues?

The Oregon short session, which began yesterday, is likely to focus on housing and drugs. But there’s a new question about whether Measure 113, which sought to disincentivize walkouts, will actually work as intended. Last week, the Oregon Supreme Court ruled that the law would stand and 10 Republican senators who had at least 10 unexcused absences during last year’s walkout are ineligible to run for reelection. The Republican’s take: “I think we still win because our members literally have no reason to show up,” says Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, who is among those ineligible to run. [OPB]

• Related: From Measure 110 to housing, here’s your short session preview. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

Do you know the children's game “Red Light, Green Light”? Even if you don’t, you already know “green” means go and “red” means stop. Those rules are so basic that even tiny tots know them. And yet I keep seeing people in Portland run red lights.

I'm not talking about failed attempts to speed through yellow lights that are, at best, orange. No, these are the kind of red lights that drivers stop for initially or else have never, ever been green as far as they would know. And then they just proceed. I’ve witnessed it maybe half a dozen times in the last few months, and I can’t remember seeing it before then.

Maybe I’ve just missed it. Maybe it’s a coincidence that all this recklessness has piled up at once. (And social media shows that it’s not just in our town.) But I find it shocking.

I keep imagining the problem is stress and impatience — as in, people thinking, “I just can’t wait a second longer. I must get where I’m going.”

It’s hard to believe that Portlanders used to not honk in this town, even when the lights turned green and the person in front of them spaced out and forgot to go. I’d like to think we could all try to get back to an era of “no horns” level of patience and grace.

But at least, please let’s go back to playing the grown-up version of Red Light, Green Light.

As always, I’m open to other opinions. If you’re willing to admit you’ve run a red light, would you share why? (Anonymous responses welcome.) Or what is bugging you out on the road? Email me.

Crime Down, Political Attacks Up, Plus Some Neighborhood News

We’re talking about the decrease in crime and murder rates in Portland. Plus there’s been some personal attacks on City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez. And there’s a back-and-forth surrounding a cafe closing in Southeast Portland. City Cast Portland producer Giulia Fiaoni and host Claudia Meza round up the midweek news.