Economy
Kotek presses to divert money from Oregon reserves on 100th day in office
Gov. Tina Kotek and legislative Democrats clashed Wednesday over spending, amplifying their first major conflict since she took office in January. At a press conference marking her 100th day in office, Kotek doubled down on calls for the Legislature to divert hundreds of millions of dollars intended for the state’s savings account to instead pay […]
Labor exploitation of unaccompanied migrant children probed at U.S. House hearing
WASHINGTON — U.S. House members in a hearing on Tuesday questioned the head of a federal agency in charge of unaccompanied migrant children about multiple reports of their exploitation as workers in U.S. meatpacking plants and elsewhere. Republicans and Democrats on the House Oversight & Accountability Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs […]
Long COVID is hurting business; workplace accommodations could help
Three years after the start of the pandemic, millions of working age people still suffer from long COVID-19 and some lawmakers and advocates, including people with long COVID, say not enough is being done to protect their well-being and ensure they can continue to be employed. Proposed federal legislation, better workplace accommodations, and more federal […]
Oregon Gov. Kotek balks at plans for $1 billion Interstate 5 bridge bond
INDEPENDENCE— Gov. Tina Kotek isn’t on board with legislative plans to commit $1 billion in state-issued bonds to replace the Interstate 5 bridge connecting Oregon and Washington.
Here’s where renewable power is increasing (and where it’s not)
Despite supply-chain problems amid the lingering effects of the pandemic, 2022 saw major increases in solar and wind power in the United States, though that growth varied by state, according to a report by a nonprofit focused on climate change. Nationally, electricity generated from solar and wind grew 16% from 2021, with wind accounting for […]
Should Oregon’s population decline concern us?
State economists sounded the alarm recently about a slight but sudden decline in Oregon’s population, warning of a potential drag on an economy that has benefited from steady in-migration for more than three decades. For business leaders in Portland and budget watchers in Salem, this decline was another warning signal that Oregon should get its […]
Oregon lawmakers hear pitch to pay $1 billion toward replacing Interstate 5 bridge
State transportation officials and local leaders from Portland and Vancouver on Thursday urged an Oregon legislative panel to approve $1 billion to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. The bridge is actually two bridges – a northbound bridge built in 1917 and a twin southbound bridge built in 1958. Tens of […]
Kotek calls for narrow research tax credits after signing $210 million semiconductor bill
Tax breaks for semiconductor manufacturers should be targeted and not cost the state money, Gov. Tina Kotek said Thursday as legislators focused on expanding the state’s semiconductor industry consider tax cuts. Kotek commented after signing Senate Bill 4, a $210 million boost to the semiconductor industry. The new law includes $190 million in direct grants […]
U.S. Treasury grants $22 million to Oregon financial institutions to help low-income communities
The federal government has awarded seven financial institutions in Oregon a total of $22.3 million in grants to help underserved communities recover from the pandemic. The money, announced Monday, is part of $1.7 billion awarded to more than 600 institutions nationwide through a U.S. Treasury program to boost recovery among low-income and moderate-income communities that […]
Oregon budget writers starting road trip with Saturday visit to Portland
Faced with a heap of funding requests and limited resources, legislative budget writers plan to tap the pulse of the electorate to determine the top priorities for Oregonians. Starting Saturday, lawmakers on the Joint Ways and Means Committee that decides what gets funded will spend a month traveling the state, talking with residents. They have […]
House passes $210 million Oregon CHIPS Act to fund semiconductor industry
Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, keeps a ceramic winged pig on her desk in the Oregon House. Bynum collects pigs with wings, she explained to her colleagues on Thursday, because she believes in the possibility of the Legislature accomplishing great things. “I’m an optimist,” she said. “They say when pigs fly, something will happen, so that’s […]
IRS slated to hire thousands of workers, boost audits of wealthy taxpayers
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service on Thursday detailed its plan to spend $80 billion in additional funding that Democrats approved last year as part of their climate change and health care package. The plan says the agency will boost tax enforcement by increasing its “focus on segments of taxpayers with complex issues and complex […]