By Oregon Small Business Association An overwhelming response from people seeking to grow and sell recreational marijuana has prompted the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to temporarily halt processing of new applications for licenses. As of June 15, the OLCC will focus on processing applications already submitted rather than moving new […]

National Retail Federation Imports at the nation’s major retail container ports are expected to set record numbers this summer and fall even as the debate over trade and tariffs continues in Washington, according to the monthly Global Port Tracker report released today by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates.

Congressman Peter DeFazio Press Release, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member Peter DeFazio (D-OR) introduced H.R. 5857, the “Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act,” legislation that requires passenger airlines, commuter and intercity passenger railroads, transit agencies, operators of passenger vessels, and certain types of bus companies […]

By Jason W. Douthit Bullard Law, Portland based law firm The Oregon Legislature and Governor Kate Brown are banking on increased state income tax revenues (due to recent changes in the Internal Revenue Code) to incentivize PERS participating public employers to contribute to PERS. Under SB 1566, signed by Governor […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Over the past decade the number of lower-income households in the Portland region has fallen by nearly 60,000, or by 15%. Here, we’re defining lower-income to not just be those in poverty, but generally speaking in the bottom 40% or so of […]

US Senator Ron Wyden, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., praised the FCC’s reported decision to open an investigation into reports that a simple flaw on the website of location aggregator LocationSmart allowed nearly any hacker to track the phones of millions of Americans in real time. LocationSmart reportedly obtains location data […]

By Jim Mark, Melvin Mark Co. Portland Business Alliance Traffic, homelessness and affordability are the top of mind challenges as the region’s prosperity inches upwards. Portland may have just turned 167 years old, but the Rose City is still growing up. While population has steadily increased since 2004 and employment […]

By David J. Riewald & Trevor R. Caldwell Bullard Law The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that class action waivers in arbitration agreements do not violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and are enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The Court’s 5-to-4 decision in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis […]

By Oregon Employment Department, Oregon’s economy has shown strong employment growth in recent years. That strong growth has caused the state’s labor market to tighten up, as record low unemployment rates have Oregon employers increasingly finding it difficult to fill job openings. Oregon’s average hourly wage, after more than five […]

Revenue Forecast Predicts Kickers, Growing Reserves by Mark Hester Oregon Business and Industry State economists presented a strong revenue forecast Wednesday, May 23, to a joint meeting of the House and Senate Revenue committees. Highlights of the report included: The Office of Economic Analysis now predicts that the state will […]