Economy
Oregon legislators extend eviction protection, approve $400 million for landlords, farmers
Thousands of Oregon renters who faced the threat of receiving an eviction notice for Christmas are safe after the Legislature voted Monday to extend a safe harbor period and allocate another $215 million toward stopping evictions. Along with providing more money, the chairs of the House and Senate housing committees sent Secretary of State Shemia […]
Oregon farmers and ranchers likely to see $100 million in fresh state relief
Oregon lawmakers on Monday will consider a disaster relief package of nearly $100 million to help Oregon farmers, ranchers and irrigation districts recover from two years of wildfires, ice, excessive heat and drought. The Oregon Legislature convenes in what is expected to be a one-day session originally set to consider increasing rent relief. But Gov. […]
With thousands facing eviction from their homes, Oregon Legislature coming to the rescue
Salem resident Christy Hernandez wants Oregon legislators to know the state failed her. In March, the mother of three young boys wrote to lawmakers urging them to give families like hers more time to catch up on back rent tand protect them from eviction as they struggled with pandemic-caused job losses. That legislation ultimately passed, […]
A lack of affordable housing, child care holding Oregon back, agency says
Oregon’s latest economic forecast paints a rosy picture of the state’s recovery. Wages have grown and household spending is strong. In a year, employment is expected to be fully recovered. But not everyone is enjoying a robust recovery, which is something Business Oregon, the state’s economic development agency, aims to fix. This summer it secured […]
Gov. Brown names 2 new members to the state Board of Agriculture
UPDATED: Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021 at 3:35 p.m. Gov. Kate Brown appointed two new people to the Oregon Board of Agriculture. Miguel Lopez, a Carlton vintner and owner of a consultancy, Red Dirt Vineyard Management Co., will fill the board’s public member position, and Eric Orem, who grows hay and wheat in Heppner, will take […]
Oregonians faced dozens of price increases for drugs last year
Drug prices rose again last year for dozens of drugs in Oregon, and nearly 200 new higher-priced drugs hit the market. Those are two highlights from Oregon’s latest drug price transparency report, which will be released next week. Key points were covered on Wednesday at a meeting that brought together lawmakers, experts and officials involved […]
Oregon airports big and small ready to improve with millions coming from infrastructure package
The new federal infrastructure package set to bring more than $200 million to Oregon airports couldn’t have come at a better time for Eugene’s Mahlon Sweet Field. The airport, already the second largest in Oregon, just added service from an eighth airline and started a year-long study into what it needs to meet current and […]
Christmas tree growers adapt to Oregon’s destructive heat wave
The summer’s extreme heat wave decimated scores of Christmas trees. Many older trees suffered sunburn while many seedlings were killed. But don’t worry about scoring a tree for your home this season. “There will be plenty of trees,” said Chal Landgren, Christmas tree specialist at Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “But I would suggest people […]
Brown calls for $200 million in workforce spending, offers few details
PORTLAND – Gov. Kate Brown used an annual gathering of Oregon politicians and business leaders to push for a new $200 million package she plans to seek during the 2022 legislative session. During a brief speech responding to the Oregon Business Council’s plan for the next decade, Brown urged a crowd at the Oregon Convention […]
Brown calls special session on eviction protections
Gov. Kate Brown will call the Legislature into a special session on eviction protections on Dec. 13, nearly two weeks after the deadline for Oregon tenants affected by the Covid pandemic to seek aid paying rent. Brown’s announcement includes a request for $190 million in additional state funding. The first $90 million would provide additional […]
Hundreds still languish in Oregon hospitals, waiting a place to go for continued care
UPDATED: Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 at 9:56 a.m. Throughout the pandemic, hundreds of people at any one time have languished for weeks and even months in hospital beds they didn’t need. They should have been in a lower level of care. But nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care and other treatment centers in Oregon have […]
Bend real estate group sues over Oregon ‘love letter’ ban
The Oregon Legislature violated free speech rights when banned Realtors from passing so-called “love letters” from potential homebuyers to sellers, a federal lawsuit filed by a Bend real estate group contends. The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court in Portland late last week, asks the court to block the new law from taking effect […]