By Congressman Peter DeFazio, The House passed legislation introduced by House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR), the Pacific Northwest Earthquake Preparedness Act of 2019, to help fund an earthquake early warning system that could save lives, reduce injuries, and mitigate infrastructure damage from the devastating effects […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economics Notes on three new marijuana research pieces that has come out recently. First, 2017 state level estimates of drug and alcohol use were released recently. What it shows is a continuation of trends related to marijuana use in the past decade. States with […]

NFIB, The Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582 & S. 150) would lead to massive job losses, lost production, and income reduction on a national scale, according to a newly released economic forecast from the NFIB Research Center. If the bill becomes law, there would be approximately 1.6 million fewer […]

By Miranda Bonifield Cascade Policy Institute, Remember that emotional final episode of the now-classic sitcom Friends? As the group reminisces about the New York apartment that served as the stage for most of the show, Chandler tells his newborn child, “This was your first home…and thanks to rent control, it […]

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Motorists traveling on I-5 and I-205 through Portland during peak travel times are likely to pay a freeway toll in the not-too-distant future. The Federal Highway Administration requested more information but, in a letter Jan. 8, indicated the Oregon Transportation Commission’s request to impose tolls […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis The best economic news in recent years is the growth seen in household incomes. They are rising as we have more Oregonians employed who are working more hours and for higher pay. Oregon’s growth has been considerably stronger than what is experienced […]

There is a large amount of turnover in the labor market every month, as many people move between categories of employed, unemployed, and not in the labor force. Movements between these categories are known as “flows.” People move between these categories for several reasons, which generally are considered to be […]

By Oregon Family Farm Association, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat who founded the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, has proposed regulating marijuana like alcohol. HB 420, a bill introduced in Congress recently, would take marijuana off the list of federally controlled substances. Since the 1970s, the number 420 has been […]

Oregon Attorney General Press Release, Leading a coalition of 31 state Attorneys General, Oregon Attorney General Rosenblum sent a letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urging the federal agency to not only maintain its “Identity Theft Rules”, also called “Red Flag Rules”, but, in light of technological advances and […]

By Oregon Small Business Association, The carbon tax bill, HB 2020, also known as Carbon Cap-and-Trade would have a big price tag for Oregon small businesses and their customers. Residential customers in Oregon who use natural gas are likely to see their rates increase by 11 percent—or $74—in 2021, the […]