Oregon
Oregon sued over ‘chaotic’ efforts to recover overpaid jobless benefits
Three Oregonians sued the Oregon Employment Division on Thursday over the state’s efforts to recoup jobless advantages it overpaid throughout the pandemic, alleging its course of has been “chaotic” to the purpose of violating claimants’ constitutional rights.
The employment division overpaid advantages to not less than 27,000 folks throughout the pandemic and has been attempting to recoup that cash from a lot of them.
Thursday’s lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court docket, argues the collections course of has been “incomprehensible” for individuals who acquired overpayment notices. The swimsuit alleges that many individuals didn’t really owe the cash and that others have been eligible for waivers however the division didn’t inform them so.
It seeks to revive their advantages, untangle the overpayments system and drive the employment division to undertake a extra coherent course of for everybody.
The overpayment notices usually arrive many months after the unique funds, and generally greater than a yr later. Kelsey McCowan Heilman, employees lawyer for the Oregon Legislation Heart, mentioned the notices are cluttered with authorized jargon and are steadily unintelligible.
Folks usually had no concept the state would need the cash again and had spent their advantages lengthy earlier than they discovered the state had determined they hadn’t been eligible for help, based on the litigation.
“It’s a horrible expertise for folks. It’s so anxious. They don’t perceive what’s happening,” mentioned Heilman, whose group introduced the swimsuit on behalf of its low-income shoppers. “They don’t perceive why it’s taking place a yr later.”
The employment division mentioned it’s withholding remark till it has reviewed the swimsuit.
The company was completely dysfunctional for a lot of 2020, hobbled by years of mismanagement, an out of date pc system that dated to the Nineteen Nineties and the unprecedented variety of jobless claims after COVID-19 hit the state.
Greater than 600,000 acquired unemployment help throughout the pandemic, however Oregon was among the many slowest to pay advantages. 1000’s of individuals waited months for assist, and the employment division’s cellphone traces have been basically inaccessible for a number of months due to the amount of calls and the division’s technical points.
The state’s jobless fee has plunged over the previous two years and Oregon now pays most jobless claims promptly. However new points have emerged because the employment division reviewed its work from earlier within the pandemic and concluded 1000’s of people that acquired advantages mustn’t have.
In lots of circumstances, the regulation requires the division to recoup these overpayments, oftentimes by withholding future jobless advantages funds. That generally means laid-off employees don’t obtain help at a important second.
Thursday’s swimsuit alleges a lot of these advantages recipients actually have been eligible for funds however have been categorized as having been overpaid due to state administrative failures. The swimsuit claims that the state failed to obviously clarify why it thought-about them ineligible and that these focused with assortment efforts had “no affordable alternative to problem the debt.”
Oregon lawmakers handed a invoice a yr in the past that gave the employment division extra authority to waive overpayments. However the lawsuit alleges that billing statements fail to tell employees that their debt might be erased.
The state type for requesting waivers requires detailed monetary info to show financial hardship and in depth documentation. However Heilman mentioned most individuals who obtain overpayment notices are eligible for a waiver, so she recommends folks apply to have that debt forgiven – even when they’re unsure why they owe the cash, or whether or not they actually do.
Even when the state denies their waiver software, she mentioned they need to not less than get a discover explaining why they don’t qualify.
“The notices are so complicated it may be actually troublesome to seek out out what sort of overpayment you may have,” Heilman mentioned. “I don’t see a draw back to everyone making use of for a waiver.”
— Mike Rogoway | mrogoway@oregonian.com | Twitter: @rogoway |
Oregon
Oregon State baseball announces 2025 schedule: Here’s who the Beavers will play
The Oregon State Beavers’ baseball schedule for the 2025 season has officially been unveiled.
On Wednesday, OSU announced its full 56-game regular-season schedule ahead of its first year operating as an independent program. The Beavers will open the spring Feb. 14 against Xavier in Surprise, Arizona, and kick off a string of 11 straight road games.
Mitch Canham’s squad will return to Corvallis for its first home game of the season when it hosts San Diego on March 7.
Oregon State will travel to Eugene for a three-game set against rival Oregon on April 25-27. The Beavers will host the Ducks for a single game at Goss Stadium on April 29.
Last season, OSU went 45-16 and made a deep postseason run but fell short of the College World Series after losing to Kentucky in the Lexington Super Regional. The Beavers ended the year at No. 10 in the D1Baseball rankings.
During the offseason, OSU lost plenty of firepower. All-American second baseman Travis Bazzana was selected No. 1 overall by the Cleveland Guardians in the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft. In total, seven key contributors from last year’s team were selected in the draft.
But the Beavers have reloaded with an intriguing mix of transfer portal talent and blue-chip high school prospects from the 2024 signing class. Aiva Arquette, who is widely viewed as a top-10 prospect for the 2025 MLB Draft, transferred in from Washington and is expected to be a tone-setter for OSU’s lineup.
Here’s a look at Oregon State’s full schedule.
Oregon State baseball 2025 schedule
- Feb. 14 vs. Xavier (Surprise, Arizona) 11 a.m.
- Feb. 15 vs. UNLV (Surprise, Arizona) 11 a.m.
- Feb. 16 vs. Indiana (Surprise, Arizona) 11 a.m.
- Feb. 17 vs. Xavier (Surprise, Arizona) 1 p.m.
- Feb. 19 vs. Houston (Round Rock, Texas) 4 p.m.
- Feb. 21 vs. Minnesota (Round Rock, Texas) 4 p.m.
- Feb. 22 vs. Oklahoma (Round Rock, Texas) 2 p.m.
- Feb. 23 vs. Virginia (Round Rock, Texas) 10 a.m.
- Feb. 28 vs. Auburn (Arlington, Texas) 5 p.m.
- March 1 vs. Baylor (Arlington, Texas) 4 p.m.
- March 2 vs. Ohio State (Arlington, Texas) 9 a.m.
- March 7 San Diego 5 p.m.
- March 8 San Diego 1:35 p.m.
- March 9 San Diego 1:05 p.m.
- March 11 Washington State 5:35 p.m.
- March 12 Washington State 3:05 p.m.
- March 14 Grand Canyon 5:35 p.m.
- March 15 Santa Clara 5:35 p.m.
- March 16 Grand Canyon 1:05 p.m.
- March 18 Rutgers 5:35 p.m.
- March 21 at Cal Poly TBA
- March 22 at Cal Poly TBA
- March 23 at Cal Poly TBA
- March 25 vs. Washington (Hillsboro) TBA
- March 28 at Nebraska TBA
- March 29 at Nebraska TBA
- March 30 at Nebraska TBA
- April 4 UC Irvine 5:35 p.m.
- April 5 UC Irvine 1:35 p.m.
- April 6 UC Irvine 1:05 p.m.
- April 8 Portland (Hillsboro) TBA
- April 11 Cal State Fullerton TBA
- April 12 at Cal State Fullerton TBA
- April 13 at Cal State Fullerton TBA
- April 15 at UCLA TBA
- April 17 at CSUN TBA
- April 18 at CSUN TBA
- April 19 Saturday at CSUN TBA
- April 21 Gonzaga 5:35 p.m.
- April 22 Gonzaga 5:35 p.m.
- April 25 at Oregon 5:05 p.m.
- April 26 at Oregon 2:05 p.m.
- April 27 at Oregon 12:05 p.m.
- April 29 Oregon 5:35 p.m.
- May 2 at Hawai’i TBA
- May 3 at Hawai’i TBA
- May 4 at Hawai’i TBA
- May 5 at Hawai’i TBA
- May 7 Portland 5:35 p.m.
- May 9 vs. Iowa (Des Moines, Iowa) TBA
- May 10 vs. Iowa (Des Moines, Iowa) TBA
- May 11 vs. Iowa (Des Moines, Iowa) TBA
- May 13 Portland 5:35 p.m.
- May 15 Long Beach State 5:35 p.m.
- May 16 Long Beach State 5:35 p.m.
- May 17 Long Beach State 1:35 p.m.
Jarrid Denney covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at JDenney@salem.gannett.com or on X @jarrid_denney
Oregon
Oregon State’s piecemeal 2025 football schedule costs millions less than Mountain West agreement
There is new math for Oregon State as it pertains to the 2025 football schedule.
To fill out next year’s 12-game football schedule, Oregon State came up with unusual contractual agreements with several schools. A six-game hole existed when OSU-Washington State and the Mountain West could not agree to a 2025 scheduling agreement.
In the end, Oregon State is paying about $3 million to add six games to the 2025 schedule. It is a savings of some $4 million over the $7 million it paid the Mountain West in 2024 for a six-game scheduling agreement.
To get there, Oregon State got creative.
For example, OSU will pay Tulsa $500,000 to play a road game against the Golden Hurricanes next season. The Beavers agreed to a home and home against Sam Houston State. They’ll pay Sam Houston $1.2 million for next year’s game in Corvallis, and receive $200,000 for a 2031 game at SHSU.
During the past six weeks, Oregon State completed its 2025 schedule with home games against Sam Houston State, Wake Forest, Lafayette and Washington State, and road games at Appalachian State and Tulsa.
The combined cost of those games, excepting Washington State, is $2.95 million. The Oregonian/OregonLive obtained contracts on all games except Washington State, which hasn’t been finalized. Beavers athletic director Scott Barnes said Oregon State is covering most of Washington State’s travel costs for the Nov. 1 game in Corvallis. Oregon State is compensating Washington for the 2025 home game because it is an additional game to the original home-and-home agreement for 2024 (at OSU) and 2025 (at WSU).
Earlier this year, the plan was to renew a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West, but at less than the $7 million OSU and Washington State each spent in 2024. By the end of August, it was clear OSU and WSU were headed in a different direction.
“The Mountain West piece was untenable,” Barnes said.
Here’s what to know about agreements with Tulsa, Sam Houston State, Lafayette and Appalachian State (OregonLive previously reported on Wake Forest).
Tulsa: The schools agreed to a home-and-home contract, with the 2025 on November 15 in 2025, and a game at Oregon State on September 18, 2032. OSU is paying for both games, $500,000 for the 2025 game, and $250,000 in 2032. Oregon State is paying for the 2025 game to help Tulsa pay a buyout of a previously scheduled game. The visiting team can purchase a minimum of 1,000 tickets, in addition to receiving 300 complimentary tickets.
Sam Houston State: Another home-and-home agreement with a twist. OSU is paying $1.2 million to host Sam Houston State for a November 8, 2025 game. Some of that goes to help SHSU buy out a previously scheduled game. The Beavers receive $200,000 to play at Sam Houston on September 6, 2031. The deal also comes with 300 complimentary tickets to the visiting school for each game.
Appalachian State: A traditional home-and-home contract, as each home school is paying $250,000 for a game, October 4, 2025 at Appalachian State, and September 25, 2023 at Oregon State. The visiting team also receives 500 complimentary tickets, with another 1,000 tickets on consignment.
Lafayette: A standard one-game contract with an FCS school. Oregon State is paying $500,000 for an October 18, 2025 game against Lafayette. The only ticket stipulation is 300 complimentary tickets.
In the case of Wake Forest as previously reported, Oregon State is paying $750,000 to play host to the Demon Deacons. Most of that goes to help Wake Forest pay a buyout to Mississippi, which had a scheduled game with the Demon Deacons in 2025.
Barnes stopped short of calling the $3 million cost for the six additional games a bargain, but said “it’s more representative of the market than where we were. It’s significant savings. I think we got the quality we needed.”
Previously scheduled for 2025 are home games against California, Fresno State and Houston, and road games against Oregon, Texas Tech and Washington State.
Barnes is hopeful Oregon State’s two-year football scheduling odyssey is over. In 2026, the Beavers begin play in the rebuilt Pac-12. When the Pac-12 lineup is finished, OSU is likely to have seven or eight conference games, plus four or five nonconference games.
Currently, Oregon State has scheduled nonconference games against Texas Tech and Houston. Barnes said discussions to add two or three more games are underway.
“It’s funny how much we took for granted when we had nine conference games. You just had to fill the hole with three, and you’re done,” Barnes said. “This last two years has been exhausting. It’s been really hard. It’ll be great to get back to a base of conference games.”
Ideally, Barnes would like to end up with eight conference games and four nonconference games. Under the old Pac-12 format of nine conference games, Barnes’ formula for nonconference games was one Power 5, one Group of 5, preferably a higher-level program, and a FCS opponent.
With four nonconference games, Barnes said Oregon State’s aim is scheduling two Power 4 opponents, plus a G5 and an FCS.
–Nick Daschel can be reached at 360-607-4824, ndaschel@oregonian.com or @nickdaschel.
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Oregon
Oregon launched national title hopes at the Big House in 2007. Can it finish the job in 2024?
The last time Oregon visited Michigan Stadium, the Ducks were playing their second game under a new offensive coordinator, a hotshot from New Hampshire named Chip Kelly.
When they arrived at the Big House, the Ducks had to make sure the place was still standing. A week earlier, Michigan suffered one of the biggest upsets in college football history, an earth-shaking loss against an upstart FCS team named Appalachian State.
Mike Bellotti, Oregon’s coach, wasn’t happy about it. He figured the Wolverines would be seething after such a stunning defeat, and Appalachian State ran a version of the spread offense that was becoming Oregon’s signature weapon, meaning the Ducks wouldn’t have the element of surprise.
“I was very concerned, because obviously when a team like Michigan loses to a team like Appalachian State, it’s going to piss some people off,” Bellotti said. “It’s going to get them all riled up. They obviously had something to prove, and I was afraid we were going to be the target of it.”
What happened that day in 2007 was the end of one era crashing into the beginning of another.
The Ducks took over the Big House for their own coming-out party, a 39-7 win that showed the world what Oregon’s offense could do against a Big Ten power. Oregon’s game plan was a tour de force, complete with a Statue of Liberty play, a fake Statue of Liberty and a highlight reel that propelled quarterback Dennis Dixon into the Heisman Trophy race. Soon, teams around the country — including Michigan — would be running versions of the up-tempo spread offense that Oregon perfected.
Seventeen years later, Oregon is returning to the Big House as the No. 1 team in the polls and the Big Ten frontrunner. The Ducks look different now, though Saturday’s uniforms will be an homage to those worn by Dixon, Jonathan Stewart and other stars of their era. College football looks different, too. As teams find their footing in the era of the 12-team College Football Playoff era, no program is off to a better start than Oregon.
In their first season in the Big Ten, the Ducks have a chance to accomplish something that’s happened only once in the past decade. The last Big Ten team to beat Michigan and Ohio State in the same season was Michigan State in 2015. Oregon beat the Buckeyes 32-31 earlier three weeks ago and enters Saturday’s game as more than a two-touchdown favorite against the Wolverines, who have looked vulnerable during their 5-3 start.
Last 10 teams to beat both Michigan, OSU
Any worries that the Ducks would be worn down by the Big Ten schedule or awed by the league’s traditional powers have faded into the background. They still have to survive the gales of November, but they’ve shown no signs of taking on water.
“I see a really good football team, a complete football team that executes at a high level,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “We’ve got to go execute to win.”
Conference realignment has been a mixed bag for programs from the old Pac-12. USC and UCLA are a combined 3-8 in the Big Ten. Colorado is 4-1 in the Big 12, while Arizona and Utah are a combined 2-8. Cal and Stanford are a combined 1-8 in the ACC.
Rob Mullens, now in his 15th year as Oregon’s athletic director, credited coach Dan Lanning for steering the program smoothly through the transition. Lanning followed two coaches, Willie Taggart and Mario Cristobal, who left Oregon for jobs in their home state of Florida — Taggart after one season for Florida State, Cristobal after four for Miami. The perception of Oregon as a stepping-stone job proved tough to shake.
Lanning, now 30-5 in his third season, has embraced Oregon as a destination. When Alabama was searching for Nick Saban’s successor, Lanning quickly spiked the speculation by releasing a video with the line, “The grass is damn green in Eugene.” It’s only gotten greener since then, as Oregon’s move to the Big Ten brought stability, exposure and guaranteed revenue streams that were lacking in the tumultuous final months of the Pac-12.
“The exposure, the reach, the connection that happens with that is great, not only for Oregon football, but for all of Oregon athletics,” Mullens said, noting that Saturday’s game on CBS will be the seventh consecutive network TV appearance for the Ducks. “We’re getting more traffic in the visitors’ center, more clicks on the website, more people taking a deeper look.”
When Ohio State played at Autzen Stadium earlier this season, the game aired in prime time on NBC and ESPN’s “College GameDay” set the scene. Oregon had record season ticket sales in part because of that game, and Eugene’s airport set a record for departing flights the next day, Mullens said.
“It was a chamber of commerce weekend,” Mullens said. “‘GameDay’ was here, national television crowd, a record crowd at Autzen Stadium. It was fun to have the game that everybody anticipated, two teams battling right down to the end.”
The Ducks beat Ohio State for the second time in the four years, this time with Kelly, their former head coach, back in the Autzen Stadium press box calling plays for the Buckeyes. It was a thrilling win, but the days of Oregon trying to measure itself against other elite programs are mostly gone.
When Oregon moved to No. 1 in the AP rankings for the first time since 2012, Lanning responded with a brisk, “Who cares?” Perhaps there was a time when Oregon had to prove it could go toe-to-toe with programs like Ohio State and Michigan, but since Lanning arrived, there’s been no need.
“I just don’t think we’ve ever measured ourselves based on what other people think,” Lanning said. “That doesn’t necessarily change. We have our own internal goals and our plan of what we want to be. At the beginning of every year, everybody asked me what success looks like. To me, it looks like us playing our best football at the end of the season.”
Lanning will be coaching his first game at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, just as Bellotti was in 2007. Bellotti remembers telling his players the dimensions of the field to remind them that it was the same size as any other. The Ducks covered every inch of that turf while piling up 624 yards, the second-highest total ever allowed by the Wolverines.
“It just was one of those games where everything worked,” Bellotti said. “It was the quietest 110,000 people I’ve ever been in front of.”
GO DEEPER
Big Ten beware: Oregon is readier than ever to make a splash
That year, Michigan rebounded from its 0-2 start to finish 9-4 in Lloyd Carr’s final season. Oregon started 8-1 before losing Dixon to a torn ACL, then handed the reins to Kelly in 2009. The Ducks played for national championships in 2010 and 2014, experienced a brief dip in the transition from Mark Helfrich to Taggart and have been on a steady climb ever since.
Beating Michigan in the Big House wouldn’t be the milestone that it was 17 years ago, but Michigan is still the winner of three consecutive conference titles and the reigning national champion. The road to Big Ten championships goes through places like Ann Arbor, Columbus, Madison and State College. Now it goes through Eugene, too.
There was no single moment that put Oregon on a path to becoming a heavyweight in the Big Ten, but the last trip to Michigan Stadium was a big step along the way.
“We were recognized as somebody to be dealt with, an equal foe to the Big Ten,” Bellotti said. “The Michigan game was certainly one that got us more notoriety, because we went into the Big House and put it on ’em.”
(Top photo of Dennis Dixon: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
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