Cascade Policy Institute The U.S. Department of Transportation announced this week that Portland is one of seven cities still in the running for a $50 million grant as part of DOT’s “Smart Cities” challenge. Portland is proposing to build “smarter streets” that talk to self-driving cars and to develop an […]

Ron Wyden Release, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., laid out a bold new vision for protecting Americans’ basic freedoms, and warned of dangerous consequences if the nation allows unchecked expansion of government surveillance. “The rapid advances in technology over the past 20 years threaten the rights of every single American more […]

By NFIB, The small business health insurance tax credit, which was highly advertised by the administration as an incentive for small business owners to purchase group health insurance plans, has been largely ineffective, the National Federation of Independent Business explained  during congressional testimony. “The high cost of health insurance is […]

By Josh Lehner Oregon Office of Economic Analysis Blog The reported lack of construction workers is one of the more interesting developments in recent years. At first blush this seems implausible.  The U.S. is still more than a million construction jobs below the housing boom peak, or about 14%. (Oregon […]

Associated Oregon Industries Oregon’s largest business advocate Each Oregon Legislative Session, AOI records legislators’ votes (floor and in committee), on a selection of bills on which AOI took clear positions. These votes are compiled into a matrix, and legislators’ voting records are reported to our members throughout the state. Votes […]

Oregon State Treasurer News Release, Oregon safekeeping a record $564 million in unclaimed property, and Treasurer urges rightful owners to retrieve it ​SALEM – More than a half-billion dollars. That’s how much Oregon is now safekeeping in unclaimed assets that have been turned over to the state, and that has […]

Where did all the workers go? By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation After Seattle imposed an historic minimum wage hike, employment has dropped, unemployment has risen, and workers have dropped out of the labor force. It is not the result proponents promised and it hints that the warnings from the […]

U.S. Chamber of Commerce The U.S. Chamber of Commerce today expressed strong opposition to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) issuance of its final “persuader” rule which will make it more difficult for employers to discuss with employees the pros and cons of unionization. “It is a shame that the DOL […]

 By Dr. Eric Fruits EconMinute Donald Trump launched his Presidential campaign in June 2015 with the insult heard ’round the world: When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing […]

Associated Oregon Industries Oregon’s largest business advocate Education Policy As Oregon’s high school graduation rate remains one of the lowest in the nation, the 2016 Legislature focused on a narrow set of issues that directly affect student success. SB 1537: Creates new limits on 5th year high school programs. The […]