Jan. 21, 2025
What’s happening: Oregon businesses continue to face obstacles in supporting their existing operations and pursuing growth due to agency permitting processes that are often inordinately complex, unclear, inconsistently applied or approved at a glacial pace. Employers regularly cite such challenges as major impediments to their success. In Washington state, newly elected Democratic Gov. Bob Ferguson is taking quick action to begin addressing the Evergreen State’s permitting backlog by issuing two executive orders intended to streamline and accelerate agency permitting.
Why it matters: Oregon employers have been warning for years that Oregon’s outdated approach to permitting is contributing to an overly burdensome regulatory environment that harms the private sector. Economic data are beginning to bear out those warnings. In his most recent economic and revenue forecast, for example, the Oregon state economist noted that the state had entered a manufacturing recession, losing 1,000 manufacturing jobs in the previous 12 months.
What OBI is doing: Streamlining and accelerating permitting and rulemaking is a cornerstone of OBI’s Oregon Competitiveness Agenda. On Jan. 17, OBI President and CEO Angela Wilhelms sent a letter to Gov. Tina Kotek asking her to execute an executive action similar to those ordered by Gov. Ferguson in Washington state. OBI also has introduced several legislative concepts ahead of the 2025 session intended to modernize agency rulemaking and permitting.
What’s next: OBI will continue to encourage Gov. Kotek’s administration to take decisive action to provide permitting relief and boost Oregon’s economic competitiveness. Relatedly, on Jan. 28, OBI’s vice president and general counsel, Paloma Sparks, will testify before the House Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee with comments focused on strengthening our state’s private sector.
Explore the Issue: Oregon Competitiveness Agenda.