By Oregon Business & Industry HB 2005, the pay equity bill passed by the 2017 Legislature, becomes law January 1, 2019, and the Bureau of Labor & Industries (BOLI) has begun the process of determining how the different aspects of the law will be implemented. The stakes are high. HB […]

by Timothy D. Carkin Senior Vice President Ferguson Wellman Capitol Management News broke that the Trump administration would consider bypassing congressional legislation to change the capital gains taxes rules to index for inflation. The current strategy that is being floated is to use the Treasury department and IRS rather than […]

Wall Street Journal Editorial Board, Big spending paid off for Big Labor on Tuesday as Missouri voters rejected right-to-work legislation by an overwhelming 2 to 1. Compulsory dues will help offset the unions’ $27 million investment in political coercion. In 2016 unions spent some $12 million to support a Missouri […]

Timothy A. Duy Director, Oregon Economic Forum Department of Economics, University of Oregon The Oregon Measure of Economic Activity slipped to 0.76 in June from an upwardly revised May reading of 0.94. Highlights of this month’s report include:

By Taxpayer Association of Oregon Foundation, Many Oregon businesses and residents feel like state government meddles too much in their everyday lives. They also feel like all this meddling does not do much to make their day-to-day lives much better. New research shows they may be correct. Oregon has the […]

Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, We know the economy is beginning to run into capacity constraints. The biggest issue today facing Oregon firms is the ability to attract and retain workers. The labor market is getting tighter for two primary reasons: a strong economy, and demographics as retirements […]

Congressman Peter FeFazio, Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Ranking Member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security,  urged Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske to continue passenger screenings at small and medium-sized airports across the United […]

By National Retail Federation, A small Florida-based retailer who sells both in-store and online told Congress that the Supreme Court ruling in favor of online sales tax collection will end a price disadvantage suffered by local stores without creating an undue burden for internet sellers. “BrandsMart is looking forward to […]

Oregon Employment Department Release, Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in June, which was Oregon’s lowest unemployment rate since comparable records began in 1976. Oregon’s May unemployment rate was 4.1 percent. The U.S. unemployment rate was also 4.0 percent in June.

By Oregon Attorney General, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum joined a multistate lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State seeking to block the Trump Administration’s recent action that will allow downloadable 3D-printed gun tutorials to be available online. The lawsuit asks the court for an immediate nationwide temporary restraining order […]