By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation Higher interest rates in the third quarter of 2023 have slowed investment by out-of-state venture capitalists in Portland area start-up companies, which spent $79.6 million in the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area according to Portland Inno.   That represents a precipitous drop from the $207.2 million […]

By Oregon Attorney General, Press Release Urges the Fifth Circuit to uphold the U.S. Department of Education’s student loan discharge authority and other protections for borrowers harmed by predatory institutions. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. […]

Upcoming Changes to Washington’s Paid Sick Leave & Minimum Wage October 11, 2023 By Nicole Elgin & Bruce Garrett By Barran Liebman Law, Paid Sick Leave In the 2023 legislative session, the Washington State Legislature passed Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5111 (ESSB 5111) requiring employers with construction workers who have […]

By Portland Metro Chamber On September 28, the Portland Metro Chamber testified to support the proposed investments by the Multnomah County Commission for the unanticipated revenue that the Supportive Housing Services (SHS) tax raised, along with the balance of the American Rescue Plan funds. The Chamber supports the following proposed […]

By Oregon Attorney General Press Release, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today joined a coalition of 22 Attorneys General in urging congressional leaders to advance the SAFER Banking Act of 2023, which passed out of the Senate Banking Committee this morning and heads to the Senate floor for a full vote. […]

By Oregon Business and Industry Following its day-one swing through Pendleton, Boardman and Hood River, OBI’s Manufacturing and Innovation Roadshow will turn south. The tour bus will spend Oct. 3 visiting sites in Madras, Bend and Redmond. The day will begin in Madras with a tour of Daimler Truck North […]

US Senator Ron Wyden, Press Release Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the City of Portland will be receiving a Smart Policing Initiative Grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs to help address stolen vehicles in the city, which has seen […]

By Portland Metro Chamber of Commerce, Aluma Aesthetic Medicine expresses their appreciation for the city’s craft ethos and conveys their affection for Portland as a small business!

9/28/23: The U.S. Department of Labor Announces Proposed Changes to the FLSA By Nicole Elgin & Becky Zuschlag Barran Law,   On September 8, 2023, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) published a proposed rule that would change the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) regulations for exempt executive, administrative, […]

By Taxpayers Association of Oregon Foundation, The annual average wage in Oregon was $64,835 , or $31.17 per hour as measured by their 2023 August report.  The report states that the lowest average wage occupation was taxi drivers at $14.72 per hour. The occupations of obstetricians and gynecologists had the […]