Archives

June 30, 2015 - Last Legislative bills to watch

Associated Oregon Industries Oregon’s largest business advocate As the 2015 Legislative Session struggles to the finish, several bills important to the business community remain on the table. Rather than an in-depth look at just a few bills, this week’s Leading Issues provides an overview of unfinished business. Some bills are […]


June 29, 2015 - NIKE $1B charity breaks record

The $1 billion NIKE cancer challenge for OHSU set a new United States record for charity. This matching donation was joined by 10,000 donations from every state in the nation. See NIKE co-founder, Phil Knight on Good Morning America.


June 27, 2015 - Rideshare success in Portland

By Steve Buckstein, Cascade Policy Institute Call it the smartphone/mobile app economy. Call it the Free World of Ridesharing. Call it the future. Whatever you call it, Uber, Lyft, and a host of smaller innovative companies are quickly transforming the century-long, highly government-regulated transportation market in Portland and around the […]


June 26, 2015 - Supreme Court: Discrimination ruling poses problems for business

U.S. Chamber of Commerce U.S. Chamber of Commerce Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness President and CEO David Hirschmann today issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Inclusive Communities Project, Inc. in the case Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs v. The Inclusive Communities […]


June 25, 2015 - Transgender & Oregon workplace laws

Ater Wynne LLP NW Law firm Given the awkward questions, gossip, and perhaps outright discrimination that may occur when an individual comes out as transgender on the job, it would be understandable if an individual decided to resign rather than continue working through the transition. With Caitlyn Jenner’s public announcement […]


June 24, 2015 - Schrader defends Trade vote

Congressman Kurt Schrader Congressman Kurt Schrader (OR-05) voted for H.R. 644, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, more commonly known as Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). The bill passed the House by a vote of 219-211. “95 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States. The state of […]


June 23, 2015 - Why Oregon shouldn’t repeal the kicker

By Jan Meekcoms Oregon NFIB Taxpayers could receive almost $473 million in rebates. Oregon’s kicker rebate system, which is expected to return nearly $473 million to state taxpayers next year, is threatened by new proposals in the legislature. Under the unique kicker provision in the state’s constitution, Oregon must return […]


June 22, 2015 - Chart: Housing permits & construction

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Blog Just a quick update on new construction and housing activity. While one hears and reads much about the current, so-called construction boom, it can be helpful to place the recent numbers in perspective. Within the Portland MSA, only one county – […]


June 19, 2015 - Central Oregon’s housing crisis

Ater Wynne LLP NW Law frim Central Oregon’s residential property values rose faster in the mid-2000s’ housing bubble and fell harder in the 2008 crash than those in other Oregon areas. Bend, especially, has been a boom-and-bust kind of town since at least the late 1970s. The bust cycle has […]


June 18, 2015 - Small biz returning to normal — yet Oregon at risk

By Jan Meekcoms Oregon NFIB According to the chief economist for America’s most important group of employers – small-business owners – a normal level of economic activity may finally be here, but the Oregon state director for the same association said today it isn’t due to anything happening in Oregon. […]