Archives

February 11, 2019 - Should OLCC sell rare liquor only to bars?

By Oregon Small Business Association, Collectors of rare or collectible liquors are irritated that they can’t buy bottles from Oregon liquor stores, which keep their limited stock to sell to bars and restaurants. Justin Lehr of Portland, founder of the Portland Bourbon and Spirits Society Facebook group, told KGW television […]


February 7, 2019 - Valentines, #MeToo & the workplace

By Oregon NIFB, There’s never a rest for the small-business-owning weary. Congratulations to the small businesses that made it through the holiday party season without incident. Now, another happy occasion approaches, one also potentially fraught with legal trouble—Valentine’s Day.


February 7, 2019 - Labor Board restores independent contractor rule

NLRB Reinstates Longstanding Independent Contractor Standard By Trevor Caldwell & Kyle Abraham Barran Liebman Oregon Law Firm Companies using independent contractors or franchisees take note – the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently overruled its 2014 FedEx decision, reinstating its longstanding independent contractor standard in SuperShuttle DFW, Inc.


February 6, 2019 - Oregon among top union decline states

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Last year, union membership in Oregon dropped by 7.6 percent, registering the sixth largest drop in the country. According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2017 to 2018, Oregon unions lost 20,000 members. This is the eighth largest drop […]


February 5, 2019 - Senator introduces 2019 Paycheck Fairness Act

US Senator Ron Wyden Release, Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden joined their colleagues in introducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable. “Equal pay isn’t just an issue […]


February 4, 2019 - 2019 Forecast: Turbulence

Ferguson Wellman Oregon based Capitol Management Firm by Peter Jones, CFA Vice President of Research One of the four takeaways from our 2019 Economic Outlook is “Increased Turbulence” which has been in full force this winter. In December, the S&P 500 lost 13.5 percent, including the “Christmas Eve Massacre,” making […]


February 1, 2019 - Business response to Oregon climate bill

Oregon Business & Industry, Statement by Oregon Business & Industry About the Oregon Climate Action Program Oregon Business & Industry is pleased to see that the much-anticipated carbon reduction bill has finally been released so Oregonians can begin to understand the impacts of this proposed legislation. We know the effects […]


January 31, 2019 - Oregon’s housing supply

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis I was invited to testify about housing supply at the inaugural meeting of the Senate Committee on Housing. I was joined by Mike Kingsella, Executive Director of Up For Growth. Combined, the two of us covered the low levels of new construction, […]


January 30, 2019 - Occupational License ‘Purity-Test’ Bill – HB 2116

By Oregon Small Business Association, Oregon tax bill HB 2116 could threaten the survival of low income workers by adding an extremely restrictive compliance rule that would impact tens of thousands of occupational licenses holders. Oregon is rated as one of the worst states for occupational licensing and the legislature […]


January 29, 2019 - Legislative Watch: Tip credit, Paid leave, Tourist taxes

By Oregon restaurant and Lodging Association With a Democrat supermajority in both the Oregon House and Senate, ORLA’s Policy Committee will be fine tuning the hospitality industry’s approach to the 2019 Oregon Legislative Session which began officially on Tuesday, January 22. The following are potential components to ORLA’s advocacy work […]