Tools for Oregon Journalists

Federal Public Records and Resources

Intro to FOIA
Fill-in-the-Blanks Federal FOIA Letter
FOIA Contacts at US Agencies
US Government Printing Office - Find federal paperwork.
Google US Government
Bank Search
Federal Stats
IRS Stats
US Patent Search
Federal Court Records (PACER)
US Tax Court
Census Factfinder
SEC filings (EDGAR) - Filings by public corporations with more than 500 shareholders.
US Government Accountability Office
US Elections Commission
Open Secrets - Nonprofit campaign finance tracking.
Congressional Information (THOMAS)
Military Records
Pilots Search
CIA Factbook
National Agricultural Statistics - Federal Census of Agriculture.
Toxic Release Inventory - EPA data on toxic releases from industry, searchable by industry, chemical or location.
FOIA by State - Great tool from PBS tracking public records laws by state.

Database of databases - A daily blog about databases available in the 50 states.

Database lists - Wiki's list of databases in the 50.

Oregon Public Records

Intro to the Law
Open Oregon: Fill-in-the-blanks Oregon Records Request - Creates a request for records from any government agency.
Open Oregon: Fill-in-the-blanks Appeal Letter - Creates an appeal letter to a district attorney or attorney general when access is denied.
Attorney General's Public Records and Meetings Manual: Order the bible of Oregon's Laws
Attorney General Public Records Orders - Decisions interpreting the law.
Attorney General Public Records and Meetings Information - Opinions, decisions and general info on public meetings.
Public Records and Meetings Law - Read the full text of the law.

Oregon Resources

Inmates and Offenders - Search for offenders statewide by name.
Secretary of State Corporation Division - Look up a business.
Lien Search
ORESTAR - Campaign finance reports.
Meth-contaminated Properties - Listed by county.
Workers Comp by Employers - Find workers comp claims by employer.
Department of Education - Lots of online data on schools.
Workforce Data - Searchable by county.
League of Oregon Cities - General info on issues affecting Oregon cities.
Oregon Bluebook - The official directory and factbook for Oregon government.
State Archives - Access to permanently valuable state records, such as historical Census data, military listings, probate, vital statistics, etc.
State Employee Search - Search out contact info for government employees.
Oregon Appellate Court Opinions - Includes links to Oregon courts and related records, including Oregon Supreme Court decisions, tax court and the court of appeals.
Court Information - A list of Oregon courts by county. Includes contacts and phone numbers for each court.
Court Records (OJIN) - Register of actions and judgement records in Oregon courts. Subscription required.
Oregon Map - Statewide tax maps, searchable by county, city and address.
Oregon Contacts - State employee search, phone book and state agency directory.
Oregon Health Licensing - Search licensed health care professionals and related fields: tatoos, dentures, cosmotology, midwives, hearing specialists and more.
Oregon Legislature - House and Senate directories. Tracking for bills and laws, taxes, budget and committees.
Measure 37 Claims - Statewide database and maps of land use claims filed under the law.
Measure 11 - A list of Measure 11 crimes and mandatory sentencing requirements.
Bills before the Oregon Legislature - Tracking system for pending bills and with links to current law.
Audio Archives - Of legislative sessions.
Measures - Search state measures by number.
Find a legislator - List of Oregon legislators, searchable by zip code.
Oregon House - Contact info for state representatives.
Oregon Senate - Contact info for state senators.
Legislative agendas - Online calendar of committee meetings, debates.

Oregon Professionals - Find professionals or check license status and complaints for professionals in following fields:

Veterinarians
Psychologists
Naturopaths
Doctors
Chiropractors
Clinical Social Workers
Contractors
Dentists
Dieticians
Counselors and Therapists
Lawyers
Nursing Home Administrators
Occupational Therapists
Physical Therapists
Pharmacists
Real Estate Agents
Teachers

Washington Public Records and Resources in the Southwest

Intro to Washington's Law
Washington State Government
Washington State University, Vancouver
Clark County Property
Cowlitz Property
Volcano Information Mount St. Helen's, Cascades
Corporate Information
Clark County Jail Inmate List

Washington Prospector - A really comprehensive real estate search tool for Washington State. Search for available/leasable property from government agencies and private companies.

Regional Governments - Metro

Metro Property Search

Local Governments - Clackamas County

Clackamas County Property
Clackamas County Jail Inmate List
Measure 37 Claims - A list of pending and approved applications plus map.
Measure 37 Tax Maps - Maps properties on the county's Measure 37 claim list.

Local Governments - Lane County

Lane County Property

Local Governments - Linn County

Linn County Property

Local Governments - Marion County

Marion County Jail Inmate List

Local Governments - Multnomah County and Portland

Portland Maps
Portland Crime Mapper
Portland Crime Stats
Multnomah County Restaurant Inspections
Multnomah County Property
Multnomah County Jail Inmate List
Urgent Press Releases
Measure 37 Claims - For Multnomah County.
Measure 37 Claims - For Portland.
PDC publications - Everything you ever wanted to know about the Portland Development Commission and more.

Local Governments - Washington County

Washington County Property - Washington County GIS system, shows permit histories for individual properties, some taxation/assessment info.

Property Surveys - Ispirits, a survey research tool that will outline condomium plats.
Washington County Restaurant Inspections
Washington County Jail Arrest/Release Log
Washington County Jail Inmate List
Foster Homes - Database of adult foster homes.
Measure 37 Claims - A list of claims, maps and related resources.

General Resources and Software

For the Record - Resource site for clerks and meeting administrators. Free downloads on this site will play most audio transcripts.
Power Reporting - Thousands of tools for reporting, sorted beat by beat from the Columbia Journalism Review.