By Oregon Business and Industry The Oregon House on April 14 passed a bill that would give public- and private-sector employers badly needed flexibility to address workforce shortages. OBI is grateful for this important step. To serve employers and employees more effectively, however, we urge the Senate to refine the […]

By U.S. Chamber of Commerce, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced the Ukraine Business Initiative, a first-of-its-kind platform for companies to engage with senior American and Ukrainian policymakers to help Ukraine recover and rebuild after the war is won. The Ukraine Business Initiative was launched at the U.S. Chamber-hosted U.S.-Ukraine […]

By Oregon Small Business Association Foundation, A market analyst described the direct-to-consumer e-commerce focus of Nike combined with its plans to open more brick-and-mortar stores as missing the mark. The Portland Business Journal reported that Spurwink River retail advisor Matt Powell sees ongoing challenges for the Portland-based footwear manufacturer as […]

By Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, (4/7/23) Legislative Bill Updates: ORLA’s Government Affairs Committee continues its weekly calls to review and discuss the latest activity from the legislative session. As of today, SB 619 (data privacy) has moved forward with private right of action removed; HB 3308 (alcohol delivery) has […]

Nicole Elgin & Stacie Damazo Barran Liebman LLP Oregon OSHA issued a Workplace Advisory Memo, stating that it plans to rescind its rules governing COVID-19 Workplace Requirements for All Workplaces and Requirements for Employer-Provided Housing. To accomplish this rescission, Oregon OSHA has implemented a temporary rule that takes effect April […]

By Oregon Attorney General Press Release, With the federal tax filing deadline approaching, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum is warning Oregonians to be on the lookout for scams and other fraud related to taxes and tax filing. “During tax season, identity theft cases increase as scammers use stolen information to file […]

By U.S. Chamber, Press release, Following House passage of H.R. 1, Marty Durbin, President of the U.S. Chamber’s Global Energy Institute, issued the following statement: “We congratulate House leaders on the passage of H.R. 1, the ‘Lower Energy Costs Act,’ which advances important policies to reform America’s broken permitting process, enhance […]

By Amy Angel & Wilson Jarrell Barran Liebman Law, Employers who conduct background checks on employees or applicants take note: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) has released an updated version of the required “Summary of Your Rights” notice that must be provided to subjects of employment background checks. […]

By United States Attorney, Oregon district Press Release, A former Oregon securities broker was sentenced to federal prison for willfully evading payment of more than $2.5 million in personal income taxes and using the excess cash to fund a lavish lifestyle. James W. Millegan, aka JW Millegan, 65, of McMinnville, […]

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden Press Release, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden introduced legislation that would protect consumers from online free trial scams and hard-to-cancel recurring-payment programs. The bill requires companies to shift extending subscriptions and memberships from “opt-out” conditions to “opt-in.” “I have long supported efforts to increase transparency so Oregonians […]