OBI Launches Oregon Business Matters Podcast
OBI now has a podcast!
Oregon Business Matters will focus on insights, issues and initiatives that affect Oregonians’ shared prosperity and the state’s economy. Episodes will be short enough to enjoy during a modest commute, and they’ll normally be released every other week.
The first episode, a conversation with longtime pollster John Horvick of DHM Research, is now available. Over the next several weeks, OBI will release conversations with legislative leaders from both major parties, policy experts and business leaders from across the state.
Episodes can be found on OBI’s website here and on major podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify and YouTube.
2025 Coolest Thing Made in Oregon Contest Launches Tuesday
The Coolest Thing Made in Oregon contest is back!
The third annual competition to identify the state’s most buzz-worthy product will begin at 12 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13, when OBI partner Here is Oregon opens the 2025 nomination website. Until July 10, anyone – members of the public and manufacturers alike – can nominate a favorite Oregon-made product.
A panel of judges will choose 16 finalists, which will be arranged on a tournament-style bracket. Through a series of online votes, the field will be cut to eight, to four, and then to two before Oregonians choose a winner, which will be revealed Oct. 22 at OBI’s annual Vision Oregon Event.
To learn more about the contest – and to follow along as the field is narrowed later this year – check out OBI’s Coolest Thing Made in Oregon web page here.
Annual Meeting Event Will Focus on Sports Tourism, Recreation
Register here for OBI’s Annual Meeting, which will focus on Oregon’s sports tourism and recreation economy. The event is open to OBI members and non-members. The program:
Restoring Oregon’s Competitiveness
An Update on OBI’s Initiatives, Priorities and Outlook
Championing Oregon’s Sports Tourism & Recreation Economy
Part I: The Economic Impact
Presented by Dr. Mike Wilkerson, ECOnorthwest
Part II: Statewide Strengths and Opportunities
A Panel Discussion Facilitated by Jim Etzel, CEO of Sport Oregon, and featuring:
Heather Davis, CEO of the Portland Timbers
Natalie King, Sr. Vice President of the Portland Trail Blazers
Samara Phelps, President & CEO of Travel Lane County
And more
The Annual Meeting will take place June 4 at the Salem Convention Center. Doors will open at 3 p.m., and the program will begin at 3:30 p.m. A networking reception will follow, beginning at 5 p.m.
If you have questions about the Annual Meeting or would like to consider sponsoring the event, contact Patti Winter at PattiWinter@oregonbusinessindustry.com.
Oregon Civics Bee Scheduled June 5 in Salem. Come Watch!
Ten middle-school students from across the state will gather in Salem June 5 for the second annual Oregon Civics Bee emceed by Secretary of State Tobias Read, presented by U.S. Bank and organized by OBI in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. The students qualified for the state competition by distinguishing themselves among dozens of their peers at a pair of regional civics bees this spring. The top three finishers at the Oregon Civics Bee will receive cash prizes, and the winner will be invited to represent Oregon at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s National Civics Bee in Washington, D.C., in November.
Beginning in November 2024, 6th, 7th and 8th graders entered the competition by submitting essays explaining how they would use civics principles to address problems they identified in their communities. A panel of judges chose the best essays, and their writers were invited to participate in the contest’s two regional civics bees, one in Tigard and the second in Eugene.
The Oregon Civics Bee will take place at 2 p.m. on June 5 at Willamette University’s Hudson Hall. There’s plenty of room for spectators.
OBI would like to thank U.S. Bank for sponsoring the Oregon Civics Bee and Willamette University for providing the venue.
Legislative and Rulemaking Updates
Legislative Deadline: May 9 was another big legislative deadline. It was the deadline for most committees to post bills for votes or move them to a committee not subject to deadlines, such as rules, revenue and joint committees (including budget and transportation). Many bills that had not even had public hearings were scheduled for committee votes. Several committees also posted agendas that listed no bills but merely noted that they would be populated with bills carried over from previous meetings. May 23 is the last day for committees subject to the deadlines to act on bills. After that date, only House Rule, Senate Rules, House Revenue, Senate Finance and Revenue and joint committees will be able to take action on bills. While dramatically decreased, the volume of bills in these committees can remain large and enormously significant.
Unemployment for Strikers: Currently, SB 916 is slated for a committee vote on Monday, May 19. The committee chair had told OBI she planned to schedule the bill for May 12, but OBI is confident the current version of the bill doesn’t have enough support to pass the House. OBI and other employer representatives have been working hard to convince legislators to oppose the bill. Among other problems, SB 916 would give striking workers unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks – far longer than the six weeks provided by a similar bill that passed recently in Washington state. Thank you to those who have made calls or sent messages to legislators about this bill. OBI asks each of you to do so. Even if legislators are a “yes” vote, it is important that they hear from constituents and area businesses.
Property Owner Liability: On May 7, the House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards held a public hearing on SB 426, which would make property owners and general contractors liable for wages subcontractors have failed to pay. In other words, the bill would hold these people liable for other people’s illegal actions. Remarkably, one of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, claimed inaccurately during testimony that owners would be exempt if they used the property in question as a primary home. Some senators relied on this inaccuracy when voting for the bill. Nevertheless, proponents are refusing to amend the bill to be consistent with this understanding, which would require the legislation to return to the Senate. Please call your legislator about this bill as well.
Utility Costs: Earlier this month, HB 3179 and SB 88 were heard, respectively, in House and Senate committees on rules. HB 3179, supported by the Citizens’ Utility Board, seeks to limit rate increases for residential customers. Not only are price caps themselves problematic, but costs to utilities for clean energy and capital improvements are increasing. Although amendments to HB 3179 address the most egregious provisions of the original bill, the Legislature’s willingness to move a bill that largely ignores the impacts of state policy decisions and other cost drivers is worrisome. SB 88, which proponents have dubbed the “junk in rates” bill, further limits the costs utilities can recoup in rates – an area stringently regulated by the Public Utilities Commission already. SB 88 effectively would ban utilities from participating in the political process or engaging in charitable giving. OBI is monitoring SB 88 closely, though it is expected to die in the Senate Committee on Rules.
Jet Fuel Tax: HB 2153, which would have doubled the jet fuel tax and indexed it to inflation, has died. The measure would have required travelers to pay for infrastructure improvements, business development and marketing for non-commercial airports. OBI testified in opposition, arguing that the tax would erode the competitiveness of commercial airports since most states don’t tax jet fuel at all. OBI also noted that the tax could run afoul of federal law.
Fee Transparency Bills: On May 13, the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection will hold a hearing on SB 430, which would require retailers to disclose all online sales fees. While a more damaging bill, HB 3533, died with the passage of the May 9 committee deadline, SB 430 remains problematic. It would create an overly broad regulatory scheme to address a problem for which no evidence exists. OBI and other industry stakeholders have worked hard throughout the session to develop a compromise amendment to SB 430 by generally aligning its proposed restrictions with those in other states. To date, however, the Legislature has refused several amendments that would make the bill less burdensome, including the removal of its private right of action. OBI will continue to focus on this bill.
Lottery Bonds: In 1984, Oregon voters approved a pair of ballot measures that established and operationalized the Oregon lottery. One of them, Measure 4, asked, “Shall a state lottery operated by commission be established, profits to be used to create jobs and further economic development?” In the years since, the phrase “create jobs and economic development” has come to mean many things likely not foreseen at the time. Voters and policymakers have redirected 74.5% of lottery proceeds away from their original job-creation purpose to other uses (education, outdoor school, parks, veterans). The trend continues. On May 9, the Joint Ways and Means Capital Construction Subcommittee held its first hearing on requests for lottery-backed bonds, which are supposed to be used for job creation and economic development as defined in statute. More than 250 people signed up to testify on projects, many of which do not adhere to Measure 4’s language. OBI testified in favor of using lottery bonds for common-sense economic development purposes that are consistent with statute. These are things OBI previously has supported on the record: $15 million for Columbia River channel deepening, $10 million for the Brownfields Redevelopment Fund, $5 million for the Brownfield Properties Revitalization Fund, $10 million for the Oregon Port Revolving Fund, $20 million for the Container Port Improvement Fund, and $40 million to capitalize the establishment of the Industrial Site Loan Fund as contained in HB 2411.
Baseball Funding: On May 15, the House Committee on Revenue will hold a public hearing on SB 110, which would update a funding mechanism for a baseball stadium in Portland. The mechanism, adopted Oregon some time ago, would use the tax revenue generated by the salaries of professional baseball players and highly paid team employees to help finance the project. SB 110 updates the structure to generate revenue needed to help a project in today’s terms ($800 million). The bill would signal that Oregon is behind the effort to bring a Major League Baseball expansion team to Portland, which is competing with other cities. The addition of an MLB team would help revitalize Portland, provide much-needed jobs during the construction and throughout operations, and bring out-of-state tourism dollars to the state. OBI is excited to support this effort.
Tax Court: On May 8, the Senate Committee on Judiciary unanimously passed HB 2119, which would allow trade associations, like OBI, to assert standing in the Oregon Tax Court for their members and receive a declaratory judgement on the applicability or constitutionality of Oregon tax policy. HB 2119 is part of OBI’s Oregon Competitiveness Agenda and would streamline the litigation process for both taxpayers and the state. The bill would help all sides get important answers to questions about Oregon’s tax policy quicker than current law allows and reduce uncertainty for Oregon businesses and taxpayers. The bill now heads for a vote on the Senate floor before finally landing on the governor’s desk.
Crematory Bill: On May 7, OBI testified in support of HB 3729 in the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment. The bill would reduce the required temperature for crematories from 1,800 to 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit. The death care sector has long argued that Oregon should adopt the 1,600-degree standard, which is used by 49 other states. Heating a crematorium to 1,800 degrees rather than 1,600 degrees unnecessarily consumes a significant amount of natural gas. The Department of Environmental Quality has the authority to reduce the required temperature but has failed to do so. The bill was introduced to push the agency to act.
Notable News
Hospital Merger: OHSU has called off its planned acquisition of Legacy Health, about 18 months after the two first announced they intended to combine to create the largest health system in Oregon and largest employer in the Portland metro area (Portland Business Journal).
PGE Upgrade: The Portland City Council has soundly rejected a Portland General Electric transmission upgrade project in Forest Park that would have required the utility to clearcut more than 370 trees on about 5 acres in the park (The Oregonian).
Senate Appointment: State Rep. Courtney Neron, D-Wilsonville, will move to the Oregon Senate after county commissioners tapped her to finish the remainder of Sen. Aaron Woods’ term. Neron’s appointment, at the end of a nearly two-hour meeting with Clackamas, Washington and Yamhill county commissioners May 8, comes after Woods’ April death from cancer. It will trigger a new appointment process for someone who will finish her House term (Oregon Capital Chronicle).
Portland Construction: Portland had just five construction cranes operating at the start of the year — the fewest in at least the past decade, a period during which the city sometimes had upwards of 30 cranes building new housing, hotels and commercial buildings. The semiannual RLB Crane Index tracks major building projects in big cities across the country. The cranes are a useful barometer of construction activity, particularly the large, complex and expensive projects that require heavy pieces, like steel beams, lifted into place — and which can put dozens or hundreds of contractors to work on the job site on any given day (The Oregonian).
EV Rebates: At a time when long-term federal support for transportation electrification is in doubt, Oregon’s electric vehicle rebate is returning — and it figures to last longer than in the past. The Department of Environmental Quality, which oversees the program, said rebates will resume for EVs purchased on or after May 22 (Portland Business Journal).
Tariff Letter: All three of Portland’s major footwear and apparel brands signed on to a letter sent April 29 to President Donald Trump by the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America advocating for exemptions from his administration’s recent tariffs. Nike, Adidas North America and Columbia Sportswear signed the letter asking Trump for “a more targeted approach” to his tariff plans, “focused on strategic items rather than basic consumer goods. (Portland Business Journal).
Wine Sales: Things aren’t getting better for Oregon wine, which is slogging through its toughest times in more than 15 years. Amid a wider industry slump, sales through a key channel fell 7.7% by volume and 6.9% by revenue over the 12 months ended March 31 (Portland Business Journal).
Interstate Bridge Tolls: Drivers who have been dreading the start of tolling on the Interstate Bridge next year appear set for a bit of a reprieve; toll collection has now appears to have been pushed out to 2027 (KGW).
Rose Quarter Cost: Total costs for the Rose Quarter freeway expansion project in the heart of Portland could exceed $2 billion, state officials said May 8 (The Oregonian).
Check Out OBI’s Member Benefits
OBI offers members a range of programs that can save money or help small businesses offer benefits normally available only to much larger companies. Benefit programs include:
- HealthChoice: Helps businesses with fewer than 100 employees offer comprehensive health-care benefits through our partnership with Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon.
- CompSAFE: Helps eligible companies enjoy workers’ compensation discounts through SAIF Corporation.
- Fuel Program: Helps members save fuel costs through our partnership with Ed Staub & Sons.
- ODP Business Solutions: Helps OBI members save money on office furniture, supplies and other services.
- LegalPLUS: OBI members receive 15 minutes of free legal consulting per month from Innova Legal Advisors.
Go here to learn about all of OBI’s member benefits.