Businesses inside and outside of Oregon are keenly aware of this trend, and investment will plummet unless legislators and other elected officials act to reverse it.
All businesses, not just those with 100 or fewer employees, deserve clear information, prompt service and the sort of advocacy the Office of Small Business Assistance provides.
The bills, which are part of OBI’s Growth and Innovation Roadmap, would make it easier for businesses and others to comply with local taxes by ensuring consistency and directing questions to the Oregon Tax Court.
HB 3028 would require employers to grant unpaid leave to employees for time spent in service on committees and other panels created by statute. The bill’s requirements are open-ended and unworkable.
A weekly rundown of recent legislative developments of interest to employers and a look at upcoming activity on significant issues.
It is difficult for employers, especially small businesses, to navigate Oregon’s increasingly complex regulatory landscape. These five bills would make Oregon an easier state in which to operate.
While OBI recognizes that colleges and universities must make fiscally responsible decisions, withholding diplomas from those who still owe fees can create barriers to employment and further education.
Senate Bill 498 would ease Oregon’s estate tax burden for families that inherit natural resource-based businesses such as farms and forestry operations. Thirty eight states don’t’ have an estate tax at all, and of those that do Oregon has the lowest exemption threshold.
House Bill 3042 would broaden the scope of products covered under the law to a potentially unknowable degree, increase reporting obligations and redefine “mouthable” in a way that would make compliance in Oregon extremely difficult.
Senate Bill 44 would create an office of business ombuds, which would help employers navigate Oregon’s complex and rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. Employers operating in good faith often don’t know where to go for answers to key compliance questions