Archives

September 30, 2019 - Portland: 20 hours added to your traffic year

By Taxpayer Foundation of Oregon The majority of American workers travel to their workplaces, and they spend more time doing so, according to a traffic study that compared commuter times in 2008 with those of 2017. Commuters in Portland spend an average of 54 minutes going back and forth to […]


September 27, 2019 - Transparency Act: $5.7B cost to business

By NFIB, Small businesses would face $5.7 billion in new regulatory costs and an additional 131.7 million hours of paperwork if H.R. 2513, the Corporate Transparency Act of 2019, is signed into law. The figures were released today as part of an NFIB study that provides annual and ten-year approximations […]


September 26, 2019 - Wyden opposes cap on telephone fee fund

US Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to discard its proposed cap on the Universal Service Fund (USF), which protects rural broadband funding and other programs key to moving the country toward the goal of universal connectivity. In May, the […]


September 25, 2019 - Oregon doubles alcohol license fee

By Oregon Small Business Association, SB248, doubled state licensing fees on those who make and sell beer, wine and liquor. The doubled fees include: Brewery-Public Houses, Wineries, and “grower sales privilege” licenses, all of which jump from the current $500 to a new fee of $1,000; distillers go from the […]


September 24, 2019 - The wrong way to toll Oregon traffic

By Cascade Policy Institute “Good in theory, bad in practice.” Sure, it’s a cliché, but it’s a cliché because so often it’s true. It looks to be especially true regarding congestion pricing in the Pacific Northwest. The Oregon Department of Transportation is pursuing plans to impose tolls on parts of […]


September 23, 2019 - Oregonians working two jobs above national average

Oregon’s Multiple Jobholders in 2018 By Oregon Employment Department, In 2018, 110,000 Oregonians held more than one job in addition to their primary job and were considered to be multiple jobholders. The multiple-jobholding rate – the proportion of multiple jobholders among all employed workers 16 years and older – was […]


September 19, 2019 - Trade war now hurting Middle Market

US Chamber of Commerce, The third quarter RSM US Middle Market Business Index (MMBI), presented by RSM US LLP (“RSM”) in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, found that 40% of middle market leaders reported that tariffs on imported goods are posing challenges for their businesses and 26% cited […]


September 18, 2019 - Check-out Ban petition makes headlines

Wall Street Journal Editorial, 9/11/19 Big Labor has had big success getting politicians to raise the minimum wage, despite warnings that it could lead to more automation. Well, what do you know, now the Oregon AFL-CIO wants voters to limit self-checkout kiosks in grocery stores. The union still needs the […]


September 17, 2019 - Walden: Tackling surprise medical billing

Oregon Congressman Greg Walden, Representative Greg Walden (R-OR), Republican Leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, launched a bipartisan investigation into practices of private equity firms surrounding surprise billing. In letters to KKR & Co. […]


September 16, 2019 - Washington to consider overtime rule changes

By NFIB Washington, Take action immediately! Deadline to submit written comments is 11:59 a.m. September 20 Starting July 1, 2020, L&I plans a six-year phased implementation to raise salary threshold to 2.5 times the state minimum wage for qualifying workers to be exempt from overtime, sick-and-safe leave requirements. The Department […]