Government
Spotlight: Oregon Trade and Tariff Impacts
Trade in Oregon Trade is a critical component to Oregon’s economy and the state’s businesses. By one measure, our economy’s reliance on trade is the sixth largest in the U.S., in terms of export value as portion of state GDP. Oregon also has the sixth highest rate of exports per capita in the U.S. Oregon’s leadership in…
Read More
Oregon lawmakers share $38 billion budget framework amid federal uncertainty
Proposed federal cuts could blow a multi-billion-dollar hole in the state’s budget Oregon is in a better financial position than other states but could see its budget devastated by federal spending cuts, a framework released Wednesday by the Legislature’s top budget writers shows. The framework, an early step toward adopting…
Read More
Oregon DFR encourages people to protect themselves against relationship investment scams
The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) is warning people to be wary of an unexpected text or direct message from a stranger – it might be the first step in a relationship investment scam, also known as a romance scam or “pig butchering.”
Read MoreThe Corporate Transparency Act: A New Era of Business Reporting
The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), enacted by Congress on January 1, 2021, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, marks a significant shift in the landscape of business reporting in the United States. This legislation, aimed at preventing and combating money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption, and tax fraud, introduces…
Read MoreOregon AG Rosenblum Acts To Stop Kroger-Albertsons Merger
By Press Release, Oregon Department of Justice Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum today joined the Federal Trade Commission and a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the nation in acting to block the proposed Kroger-Albertsons merger. Oregon, the FTC, and the other AGs filed to enjoin the merger in U.S. District…
Read More
Oregon Gov. Kotek’s first year in office took her to 36 counties. Here’s what she learned.
By: Julia Shumway – January 9, 2024 https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/09/oregon-gov-koteks-first-year-in-office-took-her-to-36-counties-heres-what-she-learned/ COTTAGE GROVE – Tina Kotek peered into a metal microshelter on a brisk December afternoon, turning with a question to Kris McAlister, executive director of the homelessness nonprofit Carry It Forward in the small Lane County city. The governor had seen a lot of…
Read MoreNew Report Details – Paid Family, Medical, and Safe Leave Impacts in Oregon
The following is a summary of findings from our latest report. For more details, read the full report, or get the top takeaways from the report in the podcast. Paid Leave Oregon will provide paid leave time for parents bonding with new children, serious health conditions experienced by workers or their families, or…
Read More
Klamath County Draft Strategic Plan and Public Comment
We are thrilled to share with you the preliminary version of our upcoming strategic plan, which is a result of months of collaborative efforts, insightful discussions, and invaluable input from individuals like yourself who are an integral part of our vibrant community. At the County, we believe in the power…
Read MoreSelf-Serve Fueling in Oregon
For the first time in more than seven decades, drivers in Oregon are allowed to pump their own gas. In 2023, the Oregon legislature passed two bills into law that changed the way Oregonians and visitors pump gas. House Bills 2426 and 3260 allow for the option of self-serve gas within Oregon.…
Read More
HB 2984 – Commercial to Residential Conversion
HB 2984 passed and is awaiting the signature of Governor Kotek – The bill requires local governments to allow conversion of a building from commercial to residential use without requiring a zone change or conditional use permit. Shifts in the retail industry toward online shopping, and the advancement of remote…
Read More
Lawmakers want no new water rights permits issued until the state audits Oregon’s water resources
Oregon’s water basins are being overdrawn year after year, and a strategy to protect them for future generations is desperately overdue, according to two lawmakers. State Reps. Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, and Mark Owens, R-Crane, say the Oregon Water Resources Department needs to stop issuing new water rights until it can…
Read More
Smaller Oregon companies looking for semiconductor funding
CORVALLIS— In a small laboratory on HP’s Corvallis campus, a group of Oregon State University graduates are producing a chemical that will make semiconductor chips smaller, lighter and more efficient to produce. The company, Inpria, was born out of an Oregon State University professor’s research group about 15 years ago.…
Read More