East Portland Chamber of Commerce Untitled page

Update on the PBOT 102nd Project - will you help make presentation to City Council?

Sat, 07 Dec 2019 19:58:37 GMT

Dr. Cowles is asking for two people to help present concerns to the Portland City Council at their Jan. 7th meeting. Please contact a member of the GEAC committee or Dr. Cowles if you want to help him with the presentation.

Dr. Cowles advises that "Because the City Council no longer allows one person to speak for more than three minutes, we need two more 'volunteers' to help deliver the messages. All will have a script with accompanying poster-boards as needed. Last time, I taped my script to the back of each poster board. Seemed to work.

The goal is to let the Council know that Vision Zero's two major goals, Eliminate all traffic fatalities, and Eliminate all serious traffic injuries, is not only not working, but is resulting in increased frustration and anger, and record traffic fatalities. And, to make the recommendation that an independent expert examine each VZ project in context of the two goals, and make suggestions. And, prepare a summary of the talks to send to the general Portland groups."

Dr. Cowles asked Transportation Engineer Christopher M. Clemow PE, PTOE to review the PBOT 102nd project to see if it will meet the Vision Zero Mission.

Here is his response:

I have reviewed the crash data and the NE 102nd improvement project identified on the PBOT Vision Zero website.

Your concerns are well-founded, particularly as they relate to serious injury crashes. The 102nd improvements will most likely improve overall corridor safety as intended by PBOT; however, these improvements are less effective at reducing/eliminating excessive speeding and alcohol-related crashes. While most corridor crashes (turning, angle, sideswipe, rear-end) occur during congested periods and have less severity, most speeding and alcohol crashes do not occur during these periods.

Reducing the posted corridor speed will likely improve safety; however, the two elements of truly improving corridor safety are missing - increased enforcement and increased societal accountability. Both elements can (and should) be improved/implemented; however, it requires a fundamental shift in City policy and increased traffic enforcement funding. This also gets to another point you make - when a public agency is attempting to reduce corridor crashes, the primary focus of Vision Zero should be on eliminating severe crash types versus overall crash reduction (although this is also important) which is the current basis for how projects are priority ranked and funded.

I am not positive what more I can do for you on this issue. Overall, I believe that improving corridor safety is a good objective and that PBOT is doing the 'best' they can given the parameters of the Vision Zero project and the political willingness of the elected/appointed officials to implement change. However, I also believe that until we get serious about enforcement, there are increased societal consequences, we fundamentally change how vehicles and drivers are licensed/insured, and our transportation system shifts to predominately autonomous vehicles that we will never really get to (or approach) zero serious injury or fatal crashes.

Thank you,

Chris

Christopher M. Clemow PE, PTOE

Transportation Engineer

Please contact Dr. Cowles directly, a member of the GEAC committee or Debbie Utberg if you want to help Dr. Cowles make the presentation to City Council. Thank you.

Give your input on "Safer Outer Stark Project" before Dec. 31st.e

Wed, 04 Dec 2019 00:06:46 GMT

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is planning to make safety improvements along the three-mile section of SE Stark Street between SE 108th Avenue and SE 162nd Avenue.This corridor has been identified as a High Crash Corridor for all modes – people in motor vehicles, people walking, and people bicycling. We need your help in prioritizing what type of improvements should move into the next phase of project design.

An online survey on the proposed improvements is now available! It will be open until December 31st.

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/saferstark

Legislative Economic Forecast Update from OSCC

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 04:12:16 GMT

The State's quarterly revenue forecast was released this morning with continued economic growth and increases in tax collections which are producing major increases in available revenue for the state budget.

Projected ending balance revenue from the previous budget cycle increased by $118 million while corporate taxes are projected to increase by another $56 million.

All told, available resources for the current 2019-21 budget cycle increased by $166.8 million as a result of this morning's forecast.

The General Fund/Lottery budget now stands at $24.936 billion.

Other items of note:

The State has now accrued a record $2.738 billion in reserve funds that can be used to offset revenue losses during a recession.
There is no projected personal income tax "kicker" projected yet for the
2019-21 budget cycle.
Talk of a recession has diminished. Continued economic growth is projected over the next year.

You can find the official forecast projections here:

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019I1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/207878

Study Aims to Improve Broadband in Oregon

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 04:17:20 GMT

Business Oregon is conducting a statewide assessment of Oregon's current broadband infrastructure and service availability. The assessment will help drive public policy regarding gaps in broadband access, the need for state funding, and strategies for deploying broadband infrastructure statewide.

Broadband is increasingly viewed as essential infrastructure for economic and community development. Earlier this year, the Oregon Broadband Office was established in statute with legislative directives to track the availability of broadband services and help make the business case for broadband investment in unserved and underserved areas to close Oregon's "digital divide."

We're asking both households and businesses to help in the assessment by completing a simple questionnaire developed in partnership with our consultants, Strategic Networks Group. The few minutes it takes to complete the online survey can help make future broadband improvements across the state, particularly in rural areas.

Business Oregon asks that you provide your input today, or at the latest by December 15, 2019 by going to www.broadband.oregon.gov, clicking on the Broadband Assessment link, and completing the survey. On that website, you can also find other resources Business Oregon has in our work to advance broadband availability across Oregon.

A report on findings will be posted at the end of January 2020.

Human Solutions Discussion on Homelessness

Sun, 10 Nov 2019 18:32:24 GMT

2^nd Community Conversation on Homelessness | December in the Pearl

We had such a strong turnout this summer for our first Community Conversation on Homelessness that we’re doing it again! This time in the Pearl District in downtown Portland. Join us. RSVP to Lisa Frack.

Event Details:

Who: Anyone interested in understanding and solving homelessness in our community.
Where: CENTRL Office Pearl - 1355 NW Everett Street, Portland, OR 97209
When: Tuesday, December 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 PM (program begins at 6:00 PM, settle in and grab food from 5:30-6:00).
Food/Drink: Light snacks and beverages available – or BYO if you prefer!
Questions? Contact Lisa Frack, Human Solutions: 503.548.0282 or lfrack@humansolutions.org. For CENTRL Office, contact Madeline at madeline@centrloffice.com

Division Transit Project Open House

Wed, 06 Nov 2019 00:34:27 GMT

Join project staff for updates on design, station types and more.

November 14 4-7pm PCC SE Campus, Community Hall Annex

2305 SE 82^nd Ave.

Interested in learning more about the transit design plans for Division? Come to the Division Transit Project Open House on Thursday, November 14^th from 4-7 pm. There will be representatives from TriMet, PBOT, and more to answer your transit design related questions.

OSCC Advocacy Update: Corporate Activity Tax Rulemaking

Mon, 16 Sep 2019 16:28:53 GMT

The Oregon Department of Revenue is inviting business taxpayers and tax preparers to take part in discussions of the administrative rules for the state's new Corporate Activity Tax. Traveling across Oregon, rule writers will sit down in a series of meetings over the next three weeks to hear the concerns, questions, and suggestions of those affected by the rules.

The meetings in the Portland area include:

Thursday, September 19, 5:30 to 7 p.m., City of Beaverton Griffith Building Room 150, 4755 SW Griffith Drive, Beaverton.

Thursday, October 3, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Portland State Office Building Room 1B, 800 NE Oregon St, Portland.

For those who are unable to attend the in-state meetings, DOR is planning a series of conference call meetings. Those meetings will be scheduled once the in-state tour is complete.

At all meetings, Department of Revenue representatives will ensure two-way conversations and do their best to answer questions from attendees. They'll also seek input from attendees to help guide the rule-making process. Issues expected to be discussed include:

Who must register.
When and how businesses register.
Who must file and who must pay the tax.
Annual returns based on calendar year activity.
How corporate activity is defined. (Of particular interest to ASA members)
Exemptions for charitable organizations.
Exclusions for groceries, subcontractors, wholesalers, and others.
What counts toward the 35 percent subtraction.
How estimated payments will be calculated.
When estimated payments are due.

You can find more information about the Corporate Activity Tax, including a list of frequently asked questions, and sign up for email notifications about CAT on the Department of Revenue website :

https://www.oregon.gov/DOR/programs/businesses/Pages/corporate-activity-tax.aspx.

Those who are unable to attend but want to provide input can email questions or comments to cat.help.dor@Oregon.gov

OSCC will keep members updated on the progress of the rulemaking, BUT any specific questions or concerns that OSCC members want addressed need to be communicated to us so that we can provide input and comment to DOR.

Human Solutions Ground Breaking Sept. 20th 10:30a - 11:30a

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 01:22:25 GMT

Thursday August 29 5:30 PM Town Hall Meeting with US Senator Ron Wyden

Mon, 26 Aug 2019 23:58:17 GMT

Come join U.S. Senator Ron Wyden for a

Multnomah County Town Hall Meeting

Thursday August 29 5:30 PM

East Portland Community Center Gymnasium 740 SE 106th Ave Portland, OR Parking may fill quickly. Please consider public transit or carpooling.

Questions: Call Senator Wyden’s Portland Office at 503-326-7525

ACTION ALERT - CAP and TRADE opponent under attack

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 22:44:19 GMT

Show support for Senator Monnes Anderson

Dear members and colleagues -

See below.

Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson listened and responded to the voices in her community to the cost and unfairness embedded in the 'Cap and Trade' bill. In particular, the voice of her local business community in the Gresham Chamber.

As you can see, she is being torn down by the environmentalists. They are, of course, staging this pressure campaign to compel her to switch her vote in the 2020 session.

Now is a good time to surround Laurie with authentic care, thanks, and support from your community.

A personal note of thanks to her would be very timely.

Sen.LaurieMonnesAnderson@oregonlegislature.gov

This is a perfect time to differentiate ourselves from our opponents in tone, tenor and support.

August 7th Human Solutions hosts Community Conversation about Homelessness

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 17:36:25 GMT

Our whole community is painfully aware of the crisis of homelessness we are in the midst of. You likely have questions and thoughts about it as someone living in the Portland area. We are hosting this Community Conversation to share what we know from 31 years in the field and to dialog with you about the causes and solutions as we see them.

Human Solutions works every day to provide emergency shelter for women and families, and we run other programs, too, that focus on helping people find secure housing and living-wage jobs. It is that experience we will draw on to facilitate this conversation.

Can you join us? We hope so. Here are all the things you need to know:

WHO: You and anyone interested in greater understanding and compassionate solutions. Human Solutions’ Executive Director Andy Miller and Emergency Services Director Marci Cartagena will be there to present and answer questions.
WHAT: A conversation about the homelessness crisis we are living in and trying to solve.
WHERE: Stark Street Station @ 6049 SE Stark in Portland (Mt Tabor area; here's a map)
WHEN: Wednesday, August 7^th from 6 to 8 PM (program starts at 6:30)
WHY: Knowledge is power. Assumptions are dangerous. Connecting is always positive.
RSVP: Not needed, just drop in. We’ll be glad to see you. Space is limited, so come on time!
FOOD? Stark Street Station, our gracious host, has beer/wine, sweet treats and light dinner fare for purchase (lasagna, pot pies, quiche).
QUESTIONS? Contact Lisa Frack, Human Solutions: 503.548.0282 orlfrack@humansolutions.org

Want to bring this event to your neighborhood or workplace, let us know! We look forward to seeing you in August!

Marci Cartagena & Andy Miller

102nd Ave. update - EPCC Member Lee Cowles interviewed on KOIN TV Channel 6

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 22:12:50 GMT

Posted: Jul 26, 2019 / 02:54 PM PDT / Updated: Jul 26, 2019 / 04:35 PM PDT

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Roadwork on a stretch of Northeast 102nd Avenue is about to wrap up — and some neighbors say the new traffic pattern is already causing problems.

PBOT is restriping about a mile and a half of road from Northeast Sandy to Weidler, adding a turn median, and taking out a lane of traffic in either direction. They’re also adding more crosswalks, islands, and a bike lane along with on-street parking.

City planners say the move is to make things safer for pedestrians — but some in the community are frustrated, saying it’s already adding more congestion to the area.

“102nd Ave is one of our most dangerous streets in the city, and we want to create some safer conditions for folks out there,” said Hannah Schafer, PBOT spokesperson. “Generally speaking, it is making the road feel different and safer.”

Community members disagree.

“Taking the lanes from 4 lanes to 2 — you don’t have to be a mathematician to realize that if congestion is going to increase, the accidents are going to increase, and injuries are going to increase,” said Lee Cowles, who works on 102nd. “And on the side streets, too.”

What frustrates the community most, Cowles said, is PBOT’s lack of response to feedback.

“I can understand making a plan,” he said. “The thing that’s been very discouraging for the community is that once the plan was made and they’ve taken it to several groups — people said ‘this is not going to work!’ and there’s been no response.”

Neighbors said that because their concerns haven’t been taken into account, they’re not holding their breath for any kind of reversal.

PBOT said work will wrap up this week and then they’ll be studying the effects of the new pattern for the next several years.

2019 Legislative Report

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 16:30:05 GMT

2019 Session At-A-Glance The 2018 general election yielded great results for Oregon Democrats as they rode a blue wave to a supermajority in both the Oregon House and Senate. For the 2019 legislature, Democrats held a 38-22 majority in the House and an 18-12 majority in the Senate. Without the need for Republican votes on tax policies, moderate Democrats, particularly in the Senate, became the focal point of nearly all policy discussions. The lack of need for bipartisan deal-making drew a stark contrast from previous sessions.

The 2019 legislative session began with significant revenue-raising policy ambitions. Following the failure to pass a Cap-and-Trade measure in the 2018 short session, legislative Democrats worked throughout the interim on a new version of the policy, while Governor Kate Brown ran a well-staffed parallel effort, all aimed at passing a Cap-and-Trade bill and having it on the Governor’s desk for a signing ceremony on Earth Day. But in reality, negotiations on this carbon and tax policy would overshadow much of the legislative session right up to the end. Another major revenue issue loomed alongside Cap-and-Trade.

Despite Oregon voters’ overwhelming rejection of Measure 97’s gross receipts tax in 2016, legislators eager for new revenue for K-12 schools worked the issue again in 2019. In addition to the need for new school revenue, the legislature faced a $950 million funding gap for the Oregon Health Plan. Proposals for new or increased taxes were plentiful in 2019, but their passage was contingent on some sort of PERS debt-reducing legislation. The new composition of the Oregon legislature changed the flow of bills through the system. Unlike previous years, very few bills died with the first posting deadlines as they breezed through policy committees with ease. Bills flooded the Ways and Means and the Rules committees, which are exempt from committee deadlines. As sine die drew closer, Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020) stayed true to its controversial nature and overshadowed everything else. Both sides organized rallies and public displays of grassroots strength. Tension grew as the bill passed out of committee, and then passed the House floor on a party line vote.

With only 11 days until sine die, HB 2020 hit the Senate floor, but Senate Republicans did not. Instead, they organized a walkout in a final effort to stop the legislation. By denying the Senate a quorum for nine days, HB 2020 died. Having achieved their objective, Senate Republicans did return in the final two days to pass the remaining budget and policy bills that piled up and avoided the prospect of a special session. The legislature adjourned on Sunday, June 30th, using all 160 days allotted by the Oregon Constitution.

Here’s what happened: Oregon moves from the red to the black with unexpected surge of revenues At the outset of the 2019 session, the State of Oregon was in the red. Revenues were expected to generate $23.6 billion, while current service level (CSL) expenditures were projected at $24.2 billion. But almost immediately, the legislature began raising resources. House Bill 2010 raised insurance premium taxes to pay for the Oregon Health Plan, netting about $330 million. Then the legislature passed HB 3427, a commercial activities tax on all businesses with gross sales above $1 million that would net the state an additional $2 billion per biennium.

Then, just days after the passage of the major business tax increase, legislators were greeted with the shock of the session – the May quarterly revenue forecast projected yet another $770 million of additional, unanticipated general fund revenue. In addition to the new revenue, Oregon’s unique 2% ‘kicker’ law would send back an additional $1.4 billion back to Oregon taxpayers in tax credits in 2020. Very quickly, the state became flush with money. The historic May revenue forecast fueled legislative debates over revenue and taxes, but largely served to tamp down on calls for additional tax proposals. Republicans touted the influx of revenue as evidence that new taxes were unnecessary while the Governor and Democrats pivoted toward using some of the $1.4 billion ‘kicker’ to fund additional needs. Although there was much discussion about the state keeping some of the ‘kicker’, the votes did not materialize. All $1.4 billion will be sent back to taxpayers. Democrats flex their supermajority muscle

Following a successful November election for Democrats, the party was well-primed to pass policy priorities in the legislature. With a supermajority in both chambers, both policy and tax bills could be passed and signed into law without Republican votes. Democrats leveraged their new majorities for some significant policy wins. Perhaps most notable was the nation’s first statewide rent control policy (SB 608), which was fasttracked to the Governor’s office for signing by late February. National Popular Vote (SB 870), another Democrat priority, finally passed after having failed the previous several sessions. In another key Democratic objective, legislators moved to ease Measure 11 mandatory prison sentencing provisions for juveniles with SB 1008. Oregon Democrats also won passage of several environmental policy wins with the passage of HB 2509 (a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags) and SB 90 (plastic straw ban). They pushed HB 2250, requiring DEQ and OHA to assess changes to the Clean Air Act, the Water Pollution Control Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act in an effort to undo any rollbacks enacted by the Trump administration. Finally, they pushed through a ban on old diesel engines (HB 2007), both on road and off road, in the Portland metropolitan area. Commercial Activities Tax (CAT) passes with the Student Success Act HB 3427 proposed a $2.8 billion commercial activity tax on all Oregon businesses with sales above $1 million. It was the top priority for legislative Democrats. The bill went through several rounds of hearings and amendments, bringing educators, advocates, parents, students and businesses to the capitol.

Business groups remained opposed to the taxes in the bill, while Republicans and moderates demanded that additional revenue be accompanied by debt-reducing legislation on PERS, the state’s pension program. In an 11th hour deal, the Oregon Business & Industry trade organization marshalled an agreement with legislative leadership to be neutral on the tax bill in exchange for PERS reforms and a less-costly version of a Paid Family Leave program (HB 2005). This agreement broke the logjam and facilitated passage of the tax bill. HB 3427 passed the House on a party line vote before being sent over to the Senate. Senate Republicans brought the legislature and the Student Success Act to a halt for nearly a week by organizing a walkout. Within hours of their return to the capitol, HB 3427 passed the Senate on another party line vote. Prior to registering her ‘aye’ vote, the swing vote, Senator Betsy Johnson, made it known that her vote was contingent on the passage of substantive changes to the Oregon PERS system. Oregon legislature passes PERS reforms

PERS reforms became the focus of the legislative leadership immediately on the heels of the passage of the major business tax hike. Governor Brown was the first to release a plan. The Governor set her sights on one-time-funds that could be used to buy down PERS liabilities. She was met with strong business opposition as she proposed redirecting the $1.4 billion ‘kicker’ tax rebate and using reserve funds from the State Accident Insurance Fund (SAIF). Labor unions opposed the steep 3% employee contribution diversions in her proposal. While the Governor’s proposal collapsed under the opposition, it allowed the legislature to design a less sweeping PERS bill, Senate Bill 1049, which authorized a 2.5 percent diversion of Tier 1 and Tier 2 member contributions to reduce pension liabilities. It also authorized all new sports gaming revenue to be directed to buying down the PERS liability. SB 1049 was a tough sell for Democrats who were effectively harming their primary support base – public employee unions – but it passed the House and Senate with the bare majorities needed.

Medicaid funding shortfall plugged with new premium tax and general fund support Prior to the 2019 session, Oregon faced a $950 million Oregon Health Plan funding shortfall. This immediate need was met with immediate action. HB 2010, which proposed a 6 percent Medicaid tax on hospitals and a 2 percent tax on health insurance premiums, was the first major bill to pass. HB 2010 raised over $330 million and was signed by the Governor in less than two months. A second leg of the Governor’s proposal to plug the Medicaid budget was HB 2269, the ‘Employer Assessment’ legislation that would assess all employers of 50 or more employees with a tax to cover the health care costs of all their employees. The bill met with stiff opposition from the business community and was killed when the deal was struck by OBI to stand down on the corporate activities tax hike. Ultimately, the Medicaid shortfall was solved in 2019 due to the huge influx of general fund revenues that came from the state’s booming economy. The additional $770 million that materialized with the May revenue forecast provided enough to keep Medicaid fully funded.

Lack of agreement causes Cap-and-Trade to crash spectacularly at the finish line On the heels of a failed 2018 effort, Cap-and-Trade Proponents spent the interim working on a revamped policy for 2019 with well-funded committees, research staff, and economic reports. HB 2020 was destined to become an all-out fight over this carbon pricing policy, with momentum growing for proponents. The newly-created Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction held multiple informational and public hearings each week through February, March and April, before passing the bill to the Ways and Means Committee in May. By that time, the bill had seen 94 different amendments, significant representation from impacted businesses concerned with the economic impacts of the legislation, and a slew of proponents demanding action on climate change.

When the time came to pass HB 2020 out of Joint Ways and Means, several Democrat Senators had voiced apprehension toward the policy. Cracks were staring to show. The vote for passage in the Ways and Means Committee was tenuous. One vocal democratic opponent was replaced. Another gave just a ‘courtesy’ yes vote. HB 2020 was on the House floor on June 17th and passed on a 36-24 party line vote after nearly 7 hours of grueling debate. With sine die only 11 days away, Senate Republicans used the only tool they had left to stop Cap-and-Trade: a walkout. By denying the Senate the necessary 20-member quorum, Republicans essentially closed the Senate and were willing to leave hundreds of budgets and bills on the table to die in order to kill HB 2020. Ultimately, they succeeded. It was an unprecedented ending to the 2019 session.

Going forward … what we are watching for:

 Resignations, special elections, and new legislators. A number of legislators are rumored to be considering quitting, which would necessitate some special elections. There could be a slew of new legislators appointed in the coming months.

 Will Oregon’s economy continue to generate huge revenue gains? Oregon’s balanced budget is built on unprecedented revenue growth over the past two years. Any hiccup in revenues will cause major budget disruptions. The budget is dancing on the head of a pin and probably not sustainable.

 What will be the fate of Cap-and-Trade? Will it gain momentum for a special session? Will it regain momentum for the 2020 session? Both sides accumulated very impressive grassroots organizations that in many ways was the culmination of a growing statewide culture war in which Cap-and-Trade is the clear flash point.

 Will opponents of PERS reform legislation be able to make their case to the Oregon Supreme Court? Opponents of SB 1049 will likely challenge the legislation in court. If successful, PERS reforms may never be considered again. And budget holes will need to be filled.

The 2020 legislative session will convene again February 3rd The 2020 session is Constitutionally limited to 35 days. Session will convene Monday, February 3rd with a legal end date of 11:59 pm on Sunday, March 8th. In the meantime, the legislature will convene for “legislative days” and committee meetings on September 16 – 19, November 18-21, and January 13-16.

ACTION ALERT

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 22:28:20 GMT

HB 2020 is scheduled for a House vote on Monday! It's important that legislators continue to hear from local businesses about the real concerns with HB 2020 -specifically fuel, natural gas, and propane cost increases.

The revenue impact statement was posted to the Legislature's website, which laid out the impact of the bill on Oregonians, stating:

The bill would raise $1.3 billion when it takes effect in the 2021.
An immediate 22 cents a gallon increase at the pump in 2021, increasing to $3 a gallon by 2050.
The new 54-employee bureaucracy required to implement the bill would cost about $23 million in the coming two-year budget cycle, with potentially significant increases in the future.

Make your opinion known:

https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/63354/respond

2019 Legislative Report - Week 21

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 22:27:41 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

There are only a handful of major business issues left in the 2019 session. All of the remaining business issues are still shrouded in some doubt and uncertainty in the final days.

We are anticipating that the legislature is on track for adjournment mid-next week. The legislature must adjourn by June 30.

What's left in 2019?

Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020) Cap-and-Trade will pass the House presumably today (you can see the OSCC floor letter here). Officially, it is being scored as a $1.3 billion cost increase (tax increase) that will increase costs directly on local manufacturers and increase costs on everyday Oregonians with natural gas increases and a 21 cent per gallon increase in gasoline prices.

As of now, the bill will clearly pass the Oregon House. The intrigue will be in the Senate. There are enough sober-minded Senators who are very concerned about the cost impacts on their businesses and regressive price impacts on constituents. The fate of cap-and-trade in the Oregon Senate is still uncertain.

As of today, business groups (including OSCC) are supporting another set of amendments that will allow a cap-and-trade system to move forward but will mitigate the extreme cost impacts and allow Oregon companies to remain competitive. These are known as the -117 amendments.

The bottom line is that business will not get consideration of its -117 amendments until we demonstrate we can defeat the current cap-and-trade bill on the Senate floor. That is our challenge. Please use our ACTION ALERT today to tell your Senator to Vote NO on HB 2020.

Paid Family Leave (HB 2005) Paid family and medical leave has dominated the workforce conversation this session and is now coming to fruition. The bill is now being supported by a host of business organizations.

The bill is modeled loosely on Washington state's paid family leave law and includes:

12-weeks paid family and medical leave annually
All employees are eligible after they've earned $1,000
State-run insurance program, administered by a TPA, and funded through payroll tax contributions
- Premium collection begins in 2022
- Employees can begin to take leave in 2023
Maximum payroll tax of up to 1%:
- 60% employee paid
- 40% employer paid
Employers with 25 or fewer employees are not required to pay the premium
All employees are required to pay regardless of business size
Job protection requirements come into effect after 90 days of employment

OSCC members have had in-depth discussions on this legislation. Although OSCC is aware that this is potentially the most employer-friendly proposal likely to emerge, and OSCC is also aware that this proposal is likely more favorable to any potential ballot measure, OSCC will oppose the legislation.

OSCC is opposing the legislation due to decisive and overwhelming member feedback that their local business communities are bending under the weight of recently passed employment regulations and taxes. There is also widespread feeling that HB 2005, if passed, will only grow more costly as leave rights are expanded over time and current cost constraints prove ineffective.

Business tax implementation (HB 2164). This is a bill to watch, because it could produce significant tweaks to the just-passed Commercial Activity Tax. Several proposed amendments to the bill have already produced eye-popping changes like exemptions for major corporate investments and lowering the threshold for applying the tax. OSCC will be watching this legislation closely as it receives consideration in the final week.

Diesel engine regulations (HB 2007) Negotiations are still ongoing for this on-road diesel engine retrofit and replacement bill. If new amendments get traction, the bill is likely to move next week. The current version of the bill:

Phases out 2007 and older on-road diesel engines by 2029.
Limits the phase-out and diesel retrofit requirement for on-road diesel engines to the tri-county (Metro) area.
Exempts:
- F-Plates, farm tractors, and implements of husbandry
- Log trucks
- Low use of 5,000 miles or fewer in a year
- Motor homes

ACTION ALERT

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 16:46:47 GMT

Now is the time to engage on cap and trade

We still have one last chance to pass the -102 amendments that will dramatically improve the legislation of HB 2020 by removing the major cost impacts on businesses and consumers.

Tell your legislator that we need to pass the -102 amendments, or we simply need legislators to vote NO on HB 2020.

https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/63354/respond

Write your Legislators now

Legislative Report Week 20

Sat, 15 Jun 2019 16:45:27 GMT

The 2019 legislative session must adjourn by June 30. Tensions are high as legislators make a last push to pass priority bills before the Constitutional end of session. A number of large policy priorities remain-diesel, cap-and-trade, paid family leave -and the next three weeks will be chaotic as they work to get the votes on remaining bills.

Activity on Major Issues

Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020). On Tuesday, Representative Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released a memo from legislative counsel that questioned whether or not HB 2020 is actually a bill for raising revenue, requiring a 3/5 vote. The memo indicated that HB 2020 likely violates Article 8 of the state Constitution, which states that any taxes levied on the sale, distribution or use of natural gas must be dedicated to the Common School Fund. The memo went further to explain that taxes on natural gas are likely capped at 6% in the state Constitution.

On Wednesday evening, the Ways & Means Subcommittee on Natural Resources held a special evening work session to pass out the cap-and-trade bill, HB 2020. After two hours of public testimony and debate, the committee passed HB 2020 on a party line vote with all republicans voting 'NO.' Republican committee members supported amendments to remove the emergency clause (and allow Oregonians to vote the bill up or down), but the amendment was rejected.

At the same hearing, legislators passed SB 1051 (introduced by Sen. Lee Beyer), which refunds any cost increases due to cap-and-trade for off-road fuels used in agriculture. Sen. Beyer's bill is an effort to mitigate some of the fuel price increases that farmers will face under HB 2020 - now estimated at $0.22 per gallon in 2021.

Even though HB 2020 passed out of the subcommittee on Wednesday, passage of the bill is not a done deal. Early projections indicate that HB 2020 would raise $1.3 billion in new taxes in 2021-2023, and approximately 75% of the impact is borne by the transportation sector. A broad coalition of business representatives - including OSCC - has been working hard on a solution that protects businesses and ratepayers as well as the transportation sector. These efforts (-102 amendment) would protect local businesses and consumers from the negative impacts of cap-and-trade and give the Legislature time to sort out numerous constitutional challenges before cap-and-trade is fully implemented. The amendments are just now getting traction, but this bill is being fast-tracked. Now is the time to weigh in on the more damaging components of the bill and ask instead that the legislature adopt the -102 amendment.

Diesel (HB 2007). Negotiations are still in the works on HB 2007, the on-road diesel engine retrofit and replacement bill. If new amendments get traction, the bill is likely to move next week. The current version of the bill:
- Limits the phase-out and diesel retrofit requirement for on-road diesel engines to the tri-county (Metro) area which includes Clackamas County, Washington County, and Multnomah County.
- Exempts:
- - F-Plates, farm tractors, and implements of husbandry
  - Log trucks
  - Low use of 5,000 miles or fewer in a year
  - Motor homes

Commercial Activity Tax - Technical Fixes (HB 3427). Senate Revenue Chair Mark Hass has been working on technical fixes to HB 3427, the commercial activity tax, which is a $2.8 billion tax increase on Oregon businesses with sales over $1 million. HB 2164 (the technical fix bill) and specifically the -1 amendments made several improvements to the bill, particularly for the insurance industry.However, the amendment also contained a not-so-subtle carve-out of the new gross receipts tax for a major Intel project (see Sections 7-13).

Community College Funding (HB 5024). The Higher Education Coordinating Commission budget appears to have approximately $645 million allocated to Oregon's 17 community colleges. While this is a $50 million increase over current service levels, it is far short of the $647 million base budget plus $140 million to expand CTE and Student Success programs.

Paid Family Leave (HB 2005). Paid family and medical leave has dominated the workforce conversation this session. On Friday, Oregon Business and Industry entered into final negotiations with House leadership to pass HB 2005 this session and forestall a ballot measure. The draft policy under consideration is modeled loosely on Washington and includes:

12-weeks paid family and medical leave annually
All employees are eligible after they've earned $1000
State-run insurance program, funded through payroll tax contributions
- Premium collection begins in 2022
- Employees can begin to take leave in 2023
Payroll tax of up to 1%:
- 60% employee paid
- 40% employer paid
Employers with 25 or fewer employees are not required to pay the premium
Job protection requirements come into effect after 90 days of employment

We anticipate the release of a final amendment by the end of the day on June 10 and will share to get local chamber feedback. We could see this bill move out of the House Rules Committee as early as June 11 if the amendment is written correctly and without technical errors.

What happened last week?

Lawsuit Damages (HB 2014). In a very rare occurrence, OSCC helped defeat HB 2014 on the Senate floor last week when the bill only received 14 votes (16 votes are needed for passage). HB 2014 would have repealed Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations opposed this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers.

ACTION ALERT

Cap and Trade HB 2020: We still have one last chance - in the full Ways & Means Committee - to pass the -102 amendments that will dramatically improve the legislation by removing the major cost impacts on businesses and consumers.

The revenue impact statement was posted to the Legislature's website last week, which laid out the impact of the bill on Oregonians, stating:

The bill would raise $1.3 billion when it takes effect in the 2021.

An immediate 22 cents a gallon increase at the pump in 2021, increasing to $3 a gallon by 2050.

The new 54-employee bureaucracy required to implement the bill would cost about $23 million in the coming two-year budget cycle, with potentially significant increases in the future.

Action Alert

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 21:33:42 GMT

Last night, the Ways & Means subcommittee on Natural Resources approved the Cap & Trade bill, HB 2020.

You can see the press release from our partners here.

We still have one last chance on Friday - in the full Ways & Means Committee - to pass the -102 amendments that will dramatically improve the legislation by removing the major cost impacts on businesses and consumers.

Please see our information on the -102 amendments and please use our Voter Voice system ASAP to tell your legislator that we need to pass the -102 amendments. If we don't pass the amendments, we simply need legislators to vote NO on HB 2020.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/bHK1NMSfDr9QRhzOqyMrEQ

ACTION ALERT

Tue, 21 May 2019 00:55:47 GMT

ACTION ALERT

HB 2020: Cap-and-trade will increase the cost of living and working in Oregon - all residents will bear the cost of fuel increases and increased natural gas rates. It's projected to immediately drive up the cost of gas by $0.16 per gallon, and natural gas customers will face double digit rate increase in the first year of the program!

There are fewer than 45-days before session adjourns, and NOW is the time to make your voice heard.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/Tv-AyIDYK2j_M6jOknQznw

Week 17 Legislative Report 2019

Tue, 21 May 2019 00:54:42 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

This is the final week for policy committees to pass bills. Any bill not passed out of a policy committee (other than Rules or Revenue) is dead after Friday.

All legislation passed after Friday will have to come from either Rules, Revenue, or Ways & Means. This signals that the 2019 legislature is in the homestretch. It also signals that the decision-making will really come down to just a handful of legislators. Most legislators will have little or nothing to do from this point forward other than casting votes on the floor.

Democrat leadership can pass any bill it wants. The only reason there would need to be any negotiation whatsoever going forward is because:

Republicans are still employing delay tactics which could be very impactful as the June 30th constitutional end date draws closer.
Republicans have complete leverage on a key Measure 11 'reform' bill sought by Democrats as Democrats do not have the votes to pass SB 1008 on their own.
Republicans have some leverage on PERS reform as it is unlikely that Democrats can produce all the votes needed to pass SB 1049 on their own.
Republicans have complete leverage on the "kicker" issue as Democrat leadership is seeking to be able to spend some of the $1.4 billion personal kicker.

Activity on Major Issues

The $2.8 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 3427) was signed into law by Governor Brown. Starting on January 1, 2020, all businesses doing business in Oregon will see:
- A gross receipts tax rate of 0.57% on Oregon sales over $1 million;
- A 35% deduction from taxable sales for labor OR business inputs, whichever is higher;
- An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP') and transportation fuel.

Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020). On Friday, HB 2020-A passed its first major milestone. After three hours of debate, the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction adopted the -94 amendments on a party line vote and sent the bill to the Joint Committee on Ways & Means for further deliberation. Democrats voted down all other amendments that were brought forward, although it was widely acknowledged that rural Oregon would suffer job loss and economic hardship under the bill.

The OSCC position has not changed since Day 1, primarily because the basic precepts of the legislation have not changed despite amendments that changed the bill on the margins. Transportation costs will increase. Natural gas costs will increase. Propane costs will increase. Local food processors and manufacturers will face a real competitive disadvantage. Small businesses and households will see increases in transportation and energy costs.

OSCC still believes there are still opportunities to change this bill in the Ways & Means Committee.

What happened last week?

The state revenue forecast added $770 million to state coffers for the upcoming 2019-2021 biennium. Just from the last forecast in March, every metric grew by eye-popping numbers due to a historic influx of revenue over the tax season.

In addition to the influx of $770 million into the upcoming budget cycle, the kicker almost doubled in size. It's now projected at $1.4 billion. Net reserve funds are now nearly $3.5 billion.

But the real impact of the historic revenue forecast is that it will tamp down on talk of additional tax revenue for the remainder of the 2019 legislative session.

The legislature's attempt at PERS reform was unveiled with Senate Bill 1049. SB 1049 contains the following provisions:
- Tier 1 and Tier 2 members, who are public employees who entered the PERS system before 2004, would have 2.5% of their salaries diverted from their individual retirement accounts into paying off the system's debt.
- Workers hired 2004 or later (PERS Tier 3 and Tier 4), would face a lower diversion - 0.75% of their salaries.
- Public employees earning less than $30,000 a year would be exempted.
- A reduction in assumed interest rate for retirees who use the "money match" method of calculating their pension benefits.
- Most significantly, legislators seem to have abandoned efforts to raid SAIF to cover PERS liability, which is a good development for Oregon employers.

The future of SB 1049 is uncertain. Although it is only a modest cost-saving measure, the unions oppose it in force and it is unlikely that majority Democrats can carry the issue themselves.

Equal Pay Technical Fixes (SB 123-A). On Tuesday, the Oregon Senate passed SB 123 unanimously. The bill includes several important technical fixes to give employers clarity in implementing Oregon's Equal Pay Act. Oregon's law is the most comprehensive in the country, and it has been difficult for many employers - large, small, and seasonal - to implement. OSCC supports these fixes, which streamline implementation and provide important protections to employers who are trying to do the right thing. We anticipate rulemaking later this year to address several other issues identified by Sen. Kathleen Taylor and Sen. Tim Knopp.

Other key issues coming up this week.

Prevailing wages in enterprise zones (HB 2408). We are expecting the Senate Workforce Committee to take up HB 2408 this week. In its current form, the bill requires prevailing wages to be paid on private enterprise zone projects of $20 million or more. OSCC is actively opposing and lobbying the legislation.

Lawsuit Damages (HB 2014). We are expecting the Senate Judiciary Committee to vote on HB 2014 this week. HB 2014 would repeal Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations are opposing this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers. Although we expect the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve the bill on a party line vote, we believe we have an opportunity to defeat the bill on the Senate floor.

Oregon Sees Record Revenue Growth

Wed, 15 May 2019 16:55:10 GMT

Today, the State of Oregon just realized a historic and massive revenue forecast.

Just from the last forecast in March, every metric grew by eye-popping numbers due to a historic influx of revenue over the tax season.

Available resources for the next biennium (2019-2021) grew by $770 million.

The kicker almost doubled in size. It's now projected at $1.4 billion.

Net reserve funds are now nearly $3.5 billion.

The dark clouds are evident, however, as economists are now projecting declines in personal income tax revenues going forward.

Nonetheless, the short term forecast was truly historic and will likely tamp down on talk of additional tax revenue for the remainder of the 2019 legislative session.

ACTION ALERT - PBOT improvement proposal on 102nd needs your input

Tue, 14 May 2019 19:14:56 GMT

Dr. Lee Cowles attended the PBOT presentation we had at the last Education meeting May 1st. He plans to speak in front of City Council against the proposal and is asking for others to back him. If you wish to endorse his concerns, please contact the commissioners with the following suggested wording. The Board will follow up with members to see if they agree that EPCC should also endorse the efforts of Dr. Lee Cowles. If you want to speak directly with Dr. Cowles, you can reach him at 503-255-1506.

Vision Zero’s “NE 102^nd Trial Project”, scheduled to begin construction June, 2019, will provide some helpful safety features. However, there are always trade-off’s and consequences from changes. The Project will reduce north and southbound lanes from two to one lane each direction. According to ODOT’s Crash Analysis Division (CAD), this section of 102^nd had 253 accidents, 2005 through 2016. The intersections of Prescott and Wygant had 110 of those, of which 76% had at least one injury. CAD analysis shows that 84% of those 110 were accidents due to congestion.

Studies and reports by the states of Maryland, North Carolina, Iowa, and the U.S. Dept. of Transportation concluded that increasing congestion increases the number of accidents. Oregon hasn’t done such a study, but the results were confirmed by the CAD supervisor.

Decreasing the lanes will increase congestion, increase accidents, and increase injuries on 102^nd, especially at Prescott and Wygant, and connecting side streets. In addition, Project results will not be known for at least two and a half years, according to Vision Zero, and they already have several “Trial” projects underway.

Therefore, despite the Project’s safety improvements for pedestrians and lower speed limits, the consequences far outweigh the benefits. The following organizations have reviewed the Project, and request that this Project be tabled immediately and re-designed to prevent increased accidents and injuries on 102^nd.

Public hearings on PERS reform to begin

Tue, 14 May 2019 19:14:05 GMT

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

A PERS reform proposal has been formally introduced in SB 1049. The plan was unveiled Friday afternoon by Speaker Kotek and Senate President Courtney, and public hearings on the bill will begin tonight.

SB 1049 includes the following components:

Tier 1 and Tier 2 members, who are public employees who entered the PERS system before 2004, would have 2.5% of their salaries diverted from their individual retirement accounts into paying off the system's debt.
Workers hired 2004 or later (PERS Tier 3 and Tier 4), would face a lower diversion - 0.75% of their salaries.
Public employees earning less than $30,000 a year would be exempted.
A reduction in assumed interest rate for retirees who use the "money match" method of calculating their pension benefits.
Most significantly, legislators seem to have abandoned efforts to raid SAIF to cover PERS liability, which is a good development for Oregon employers.

2019 Legislative Report - Week 16

Mon, 13 May 2019 21:32:44 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

House and Senate Republicans ground the session to a crawl last week as both caucuses employed tactics designed to slow the pace of the session. Senate Republicans simply did not come to the capitol and effectively denied the necessary quorum to conduct Senate business.

Senate Republicans continue to negotiate with Senate President Peter Courtney on a slew of bills and a "go home" package. They hope to be able to come to agreement by Monday.

The result was an atypical slow legislative week in what would have otherwise been an intense week of jockeying as major deadlines loom. May 10th was the deadline for all policy bills to be posted for a work session in order to move forward. By May 24th, all bills must have been voted out of their second chamber policy committee in order to survive. Bills in Rules, Revenue, or Ways & Means will remain 'in play' through the end of session, although many of those committees will be wrapping up their work by mid-June.

Activity on Major Issues

The $2 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 3427) was most impacted by the work stoppage last week in the Senate. What was slated for an expedited Senate vote last Tuesday is still on hold.

HB 3427 includes the following components:

Gross receipts tax rate of 0.57% on top line sales over $1 million;
A 35% subtraction from receipts for labor OR the cost of goods sold (COGS), whichever is higher; and
An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP' sold at retail).

Senate Republicans are trying to force the bill back to committee to lower the tax rate and/or increase the $1 million exemption. It is unclear whether they will be successful.

PERS Reform finally made an appearance (SB 1049). On Friday afternoon, Speaker Kotek and Senate President Courtney unveiled their plan to tackle PERS costs. Under their plan:

- Tier 1 and Tier 2 members, who are public employees who entered the PERS system before 2004, would have 2.5% of their salaries diverted from their individual retirement accounts into paying off the system's debt.
- Workers hired 2004 or later (PERS Tier 3 and Tier 4), would face a lower diversion - 0.75% of their salaries.
- Public employees earning less than $30,000 a year would be exempted.
- A reduction in assumed interest rate for retirees who use the "money match" method of calculating their pension benefits.
- Most significantly, legislators seem to have abandoned efforts to raid SAIF to cover PERS liability, which is a good development for Oregon employers.

Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020) Legislators unveiled the latest version of the carbon pricing bill in the -84 amendments last week. The amendments made a handful of changes, but failed to address some of the bigger affecting the business community such as the huge cost pressures associated natural gas and transportation fuel.

The new version of the bill contains the following:

Natural gas utilities receive 60% free allowances in 2021 that decline in 2022 in contrast to 100% for investor-owned electric utilities. Similar to California, these allowances are consigned, which limits how the utility can use them. That means many ratepayers-particularly industrial and commercial facilities-will see rate increases beginning in 2021. This was not a win for local business communities.
Trade-exposed manufacturers and processors are assigned a benchmark of free allowances based on the best available technology. This is an attempt to keep some of the state's bigger job-providers from moving out-of-state.
Transportation fuels will bear the brunt of the cost increases in the early years of the cap-and-trade program. A tax refund may be available for off-road fuels used in forestry and agriculture, but it is subject to a study of legal challenges.
Assistance may be available to low income Oregonians to help cover cost increases for automobile fuels, propane, and home heating oil.

There is still a lot of work to be done, because as written, the -84 amendments will still result in a competitive disadvantage for local Oregon businesses. Our sources tell us that legislators plan to adopt the -84 amendment on Friday this week and pass the bill to Ways & Means. We will keep you updated as the process unfolds or as opportunities to weigh in come up.

Diesel Regulations (HB 2007) Negotiations have been ongoing on HB 2007, the on-road diesel engine retrofit and replacement bill. The bill is scheduled for a public hearing and work session early next week with an amendment that is expected to:
- Scale down the phase-out and diesel retrofit requirement for on-road diesel engines to the tri-county (Metro) area which includes Clackamas County, Washington County, and Multnomah County.
- By 2029, all heavy duty diesel trucks must have a 2007 or newer engine. Also by 2029, all medium duty diesel trucks must have a 2010 engine or newer. Farm vehicles and motor homes will be exempted.

Paid Family Leave (HB 2005) Paid family leave has dominated the labor conversation this session. HB 2005 is the last remaining paid family leave bill, and it currently sits in the House Rules Committee. Labor unions have threatened a ballot measure in 2020 if HB 2005 fails to pass. However, a draft policy is currently in the works to forestall a ballot measure, including the below components (modeled loosely on Washington):

12-weeks paid family and medical leave annually
All employees are eligible after they've earned $1,000
State-run insurance program, funded through payroll tax contributions
Payroll tax of up to 1% (60% employee paid, 40% employer paid)
Employers with 25 or fewer employees are not required to pay the premium
Job protection requirements come into effect after 90 days of employment

Marijuana Accommodation (SB 379) In a bit of good news, SB 379 is officially dead. This bill would have undermined and nullified all employers' workplace drug-free policies and would have required employers to accommodate off-duty marijuana use. Although the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill on a party-line vote, Senate President Courtney refused to let it come to the Senate floor when it was clear that OSCC and other secured enough votes to defeat the bill.

ACTION ALERT

Fri, 10 May 2019 00:27:20 GMT

Now is the time to act on HB 3427

This is a critical time for this NEW $2.8 billion business sales tax, which would levy a gross receipts tax on all Oregon businesses with at least $1 million in sales.

If this bill passes, local businesses and consumers will be subject to pyramiding of taxes up and down the supply chain and increased costs that are certain to hurt small business and stifle Oregon’s economy.

With our Action Alert on Tuesday, we were able to send 100 messages to key Senators. If you have not sent in your testimony to your elected Senator, now is the time.

Please tell your Senator that HB 3427 hurts small business and does nothing to ensure that Oregon's PERS costs will now swallow up the entire tax increase within a few short years.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/Tv-AyIDYK2j_M6jOknQznw

ACTION ALERT

Wed, 08 May 2019 22:49:56 GMT

ACTION ALERT

HB 3427-A is the wrong approach for Oregon

HB 3427-A would levy a $2.8 billion gross receipts tax on all Oregon businesses with at least $1 million in sales. This is NEW revenue to fund proposed education priorities. The goal is laudable but the mechanism is not. A gross receipts tax, as proposed in HB 3427, is one of the most regressive taxing mechanisms. If this bill passes, local businesses and consumers will be subject to pyramiding of taxes up and down the supply chain and increased costs that are certain to stifle Oregon’s economy.

Enough is enough! The total cost of proposed taxes, programs and fees being considered by the 2019 Legislature is $5.67 billion over the next two years. That is too great a burden on local Oregon businesses.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/DKlm_qeAjoOfUeU5KgydpA

2019 Legislative Report - Week 15

Wed, 08 May 2019 22:48:25 GMT

-What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

We think that things will start getting more interesting now that the major $2.8 billion business tax passed the House 37-21. Even though the tax bill was muscled through the House, there is still not yet a clear path to the goal.

Because although legislative leadership appears to have made a deal with some business organizations that includes:

HB 3427, the $2.8 billion gross receipts tax on businesses with $1 million or more in sales. The details of the tax are still in discussion.
An undefined PERS reform proposal
A paid family leave proposal that would require both employers and workers to pay new taxes
The death of HB 2269, the employer health care tax

...there are still some serious unanswered questions that have real consequences. For instance:

What will Senator Betsy Johnson do? She's never been a supporter of higher taxes.
With only 12 members to account for, Senate Republicans clearly have a realistic ability to deny quorum and shut down Senate business. Will they?
What are the details of the deal struck between some business groups and legislative leadership? The devil is always in the details, and to our knowledge, there are no details on the issues that were agreed to. Negotiations have yet to occur on PERS or paid family leave, and yet business has already given up its leverage by going neutral on the major tax hike.
What happens if the unions oppose elements of the deal including the paid family leave program or PERS reform? Will Democrats be able to deliver the votes for these issues if their major benefactors oppose them?
And if Democrats cannot deliver the votes on these issues, will business groups have the standing to ask for Republican support after having just crossed them on the $2.8 billion gross receipts tax?
What about Cap & Trade? Cap & Trade was not addressed in the deal-making, and yet the dual impact of Cap & Trade with a gross receipts tax could be devastating to businesses.

Like we said, it's starting to get interesting.

Activity on Major Issues

The $2 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 3427) passed the House on a party line vote, 37-21. It is scheduled to hit the Senate floor on Tuesday, but Senate Republicans may force a delay. As it stands, HB 3427-A has the following components:

- A gross receipts tax rate of 0.57% on Oregon sales over $1 million;

- A 35% deduction from taxable sales for labor OR business inputs, whichever is higher;

- An exemption for receipts from sales to a wholesaler or ag cooperative for any sales outside of Oregon; and

- An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP').

Cap and Trade (HB 2020). The Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction will unveil yet another re-write of the Cap-and-Trade on Monday evening. OSCC and other business groups will quickly analyze the new version of the bill to understand potential impacts. The committee will meet again on Friday to further consider the re-write. OSCC will share analysis and impacts of the new version of the bill as soon as we are able to conclude our analysis.

What happened last week?

Equal Pay Technical Fixes (SB 123A). SB 123 passed out of the Senate Rules Committee with an amendment to provide clarity to employers in implementing Oregon's Equal Pay Act. OSCC joined other business organizations in supporting the amended bill. Some technical amendments were not included in SB 123A, but Senators Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland) and Tim Knopp (R-Bend) put forward a letter, requesting that BOLI look at making other necessary fixes in rulemaking later this year. We appreciate their work to help local businesses understand and implement the equal pay law.

Prevailing wages in enterprise zones. HB 2408 requires prevailing wages on all private projects in Enterprise Zones in excess of $20 million. Such a policy erodes one of Oregon's last remaining economic development tools. The bill received a very robust public hearing last week in the Senate Workforce Committee in which there was very strong opposition. OSCC is actively opposing the legislation and lobbying it. We anticipate that the bill will need to be amended in order to pass the Senate.

Workers' compensation compromise (HB 3022). OSCC initially testified against this legislation, which would have upended 30-years of successful workers' compensation reforms and drastically raised workers' comp costs on employers. However, the bill was deftly negotiated by SAIF so as to end up a compromise bill that won't impact employer rates. The House Rules committee passed negotiated version of the legislation last week, which eliminates a major threat to the business community.

Other key issues coming up this week.

Diesel regulations (HB 2007). The House Rules Committee is expected to amend HB 2007 this week and pass it out to Joint Ways & Means for additional consideration. HB 2007 would phase out 2010 and older on-road diesel engines over a ten year period, including both public and private fleets. It also allocates the remaining Volkswagen Settlement dollars (approx. $55 million) to retrofit and replace older on-road medium- and heavy-duty trucks. We anticipate an amendment this week to narrow the scope of the bill before it moves out of committee.

Lawsuit Damages (HB 2014). The Senate Judiciary Committee will hear this bill Monday. HB 2014 would repeal Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations are opposing this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers. We have been successful in killing this bill in the Senate for several session. We expect another major fight on this bill in the coming weeks.

ACTION ALERT

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 23:06:15 GMT

Save Oregon’s Enterprise Zones!
Oppose HB 2408A: Public Procurement Requirements on Private Projects

Property tax abatements are among our best tools for growing local businesses, particularly in economically distressed areas. HB 2408A puts future investments in local economic development in jeopardy!

HB 2408A imposes public procurement requirements on projects within enterprise zones; specifically, the requirement to pay prevailing wages. Requiring prevailing wage rates on private construction projects offsets the very local economic development incentives provided by tax abatements. By eliminating this incentive, private investors may decide against industrial expansion or may choose a site outside of the state.

This bill already passed the House, and we need your help to let your state Senator know that HB 2408A is bad for Oregon’s local business community.

A public hearing on the bill is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8:00 am.

Please write your Senator and/or show up tomorrow and tell policymakers that HB 2408A is the wrong policy for Oregon!

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/DcKJfkZK1r020ButjCfGfQ

ACTION ALERT

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:57:21 GMT

ACTION ALERT

OSCC will be issuing an Action Alert for HB 2408 this week. This bill, which will require prevailing wages in privately-funded Enterprise Zone projects of $20 million or more, would be a strong hindrance to much needed economic development projects. Enterprise Zones are one of Oregon's last remaining viable economic development tools.

2019 Legislative Report - Week 14

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 16:56:00 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

Negotiations are underway on what a "go home" package of legislation would be for legislative Democrats who hold strong majorities in the legislature.

Legislative leadership appears to be signaling to the business community that they will pass:

HB 3427, the $2 billion gross receipts tax on businesses with $1 million or more in sales. The details of the tax are still in discussion.
An undefined PERS reform proposal.
A paid family leave proposal that would require both employers and workers to pay new taxes.
A buy down of PERS liabilities that would include about a $300 million contribution from SAIF.
An amended version of Cap and Trade (HB 2020).

The one concession that leadership appears to be willing to make is to kill HB 2269, the employer health care tax. It is unclear at this point which policy bills will get wrapped up in the negotiation.

Activity on Major Issues

The $2 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 3427) is now clearly the top priority of legislative leadership. Although there was a serious effort to pass the bill out of committee on Thursday evening, the bill ultimately did not move.

Absent any real movement on negotiations with democrat leadership in the House and Senate, the bill is slated to move out of committee on Monday night.

As it stands, HB 3427 has the following components:

A gross receipts tax rate of 0.49% on Oregon sales over $1 million;
A 25% deduction from taxable sales for labor OR business inputs, whichever is higher;
An exemption for receipts from sales to a wholesaler or ag cooperative for any sales outside of Oregon; and
An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP').

Cap-and-Trade (HB 2020). The Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction is scheduled to resume its work again this week with two meetings (Monday and Friday) to consider new amendments to HB 2020, the Cap-and-Trade bill. OSCC anticipates that amendments will be released Monday for consideration by the committee. We will keep you updated after we've had a chance to review changes in the amendments. The rumor is that there will be a serious attempt to pass HB 2020 out of committee right as early as next week (the week of May 6th).

What happened last week?

Employer Health Care Tax (HB 2269A). Last Monday, OSCC joined Oregon Business & Industry, Oregon Farm Bureau, and the Northwest Grocers in testifying in opposition to HB 2269A. This bill would require employers with 50 or more employees (who work at least 8 hours a week) to provide a minimum payment towards the employees' health care or pay the state the difference. Although it's not being called a "tax", the Oregon Health Authority is projecting $0.50 per hour worked per employee and a total revenue generation of $500 million.

Sexual Harassment (SB 726A). SB 726A passed out of the Senate with a 23-6 vote. Individual liability for owners, officers and executives (who knew or should have known about the alleged harassment) remains out of the bill, but there are still concerns about the ability of small businesses to maintain records and data for the new 5-year statute of limitations to file harassment claims. Under the bill, employers are prohibited from using non-disclosure agreements as a means to settle harassment claims.

Pregnancy Accommodations (HB 2341A). HB 2341A moved out of the Senate Workforce Committee last week. As written, employers with 6+ employees must provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees, but any of those businesses may file an undue hardship exemption with BOLI. Easy final passage is expected on Senate floor.

Expressing Milk in the Workplace (HB 2593A). Under HB 2593A, all employers must provide reasonable rest periods for an employee to express milk during a child's first 18 months. However, an employer with 10 or fewer employees may file an undue hardship exemption with BOLI. The next stop is the Senate floor for final passage.

Other key issues coming up this week.

The upcoming week is going to be fairly quiet on key issues. There will be no additional hearings on Cap and Trade this week, but there will be consideration of the following:

Prevailing wages in enterprise zones. HB 2408 requires prevailing wages on all private projects in Enterprise Zones in excess of $20 million. Such a policy erodes one of Oregon's last remaining economic development tools. The bill easily passed the House and is already up for a public hearing in the Senate Workforce Committee on Tuesday. OSCC will issue an Action Alert on this critical economic development issue.

Workers' compensation compromise. (HB 3022) OSCC initially testified against this legislation, which would have upended 30-years of successful workers' compensation reforms and drastically raised workers' comp costs on employers. However, the bill was deftly negotiated by SAIF so as to end up a compromise bill that won't impact employer rates. The bill will see committee action in the House Rules Committee on Monday.

ACTION ALERT - HB3427 Gross Receipts Tax

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:48:22 GMT

It is vitally critical that chambers respond to the Action Alert on HB 3427, the $2 billion gross receipts tax on Oregon businesses. We have very little ability to impact this debate unless Chambers show up!

HB 3427 is the wrong approach for Oregon

We’ve reached the mid-point of the 2019 Legislative Session with the clear theme of generating revenue. You name it, there’s a tax for it.

HB 3427 would generate $2 billion in NEW revenue to fund proposed education priorities. The goal is laudable but the mechanism is not. A gross receipts tax, as proposed in HB 3427, is one of the most regressive taxing mechanisms. If this bill passes, local businesses and consumers will be subject to pyramiding of taxes up and down the supply chain and increased costs that are certain to stifle Oregon’s economy.
Enough is enough! The total cost of proposed taxes, programs and fees being considered by the 2019 Legislature is $5.67 billion over the next two years. That is too great a burden on local Oregon businesses.

Tell Oregon legislators that HB 3427 is the wrong approach for Oregon!

Write you

2019 Legislative Report - Week 13

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:47:30 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

From a business perspective, the 2019 session can be distilled into four primary categories:

Revenue. As we've noted, there is currently over $5.67 billion in additional revenue proposals that are alive in the legislature. The crown jewel of the revenue proposals is HB 3427, the $2 billion gross receipts tax for K-12 and early education. OSCC is also very concerned about HB 2269, the sneaky $500 million health care tax on employers with 50+ employees. HB 2005, a $1+ billion tax to establish a new paid family leave program, is also alive in the legislature.
Cap and Trade. OSCC has consistently opposed HB 2020 and is currently working with key legislators on changes to the bill that would offset the increase in costs on electricity and natural gas for local businesses. These efforts could prove successful. But at the same time, there appears to be very little legislative effort underway to reduce the major increases in gas taxes that would result from the bill. An initial 16-cent per gallon gas tax hike is projected from the legislation. HB 2020 also establishes a new bureaucracy, the Carbon Policy Office, which would have broad powers over the economy.
SAIF raid / PERS reform / Cost containment. The response to the Governor's proposal to take $500 million from SAIF, take $500 million from the 'kicker,' and require active Tier 1 and Tier 2 public employees to contribute 3% of salary to their pension has hit with a thud. Republicans will not support taking the 'kicker,' unions won't support public employee contributions to the pension, and business is vehemently opposed to raiding SAIF.
Ancillary business issues. OSCC continues to be concerned with the significant number of bills that would hurt business operations (SB 379, marijuana accommodations), hurt economic development (HB 2408, prevailing wages in enterprise zones), hurt existing programs (SB 595, diversion of transient room taxes to fund housing), create additional liabilities (SB 726, workplace harassment liability) and add additional business costs (HB 2014, eliminates $500k cap on non-economic damages in civil lawsuits).

Activity on Major Issues

The $2 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 3427) is now clearly the top priority of legislative leadership.

The Thursday public hearing was a disaster for business as only OSCC and two agricultural groups showed up to testify against the gross receipts tax.

HB 3427 has the following components:
- A flat $250 tax on all business entities for sales under $1 million;
- All business entities with sales over $500,000 must register with the state;
- A gross receipts tax rate of 0.49% on Oregon sales over $1 million;
- A 25% deduction from taxable sales for labor OR business inputs, whichever is higher;
- An exemption for receipts from sales to a wholesaler or ag cooperative for any sales outside of Oregon; and
- An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP').
  
  OSCC testified against the proposal because of its impacts on small and start-up businesses.

SAIF. There is ongoing negotiation between SAIF and the Governor's office about SAIF's potential contribution to the PERS unfunded liabilities. The Governor's office is looking for a $700 million contribution from SAIF while SAIF believes it can contribute somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 million over the next 7 years without impacting policyholder rates and dividends. OSCC continues to be opposed to a raid on SAIF to pay down PERS liabilities.

What happened last week?

Prevailing wages in enterprise zones. OSCC was disappointed to see that HB 2408 passed the House floor so easily. The bill required prevailing wages on all private projects in Enterprise Zones in excess of $20 million. Such a policy erodes one of Oregon's last remaining economic development tools. OSCC will fight the bill much harder on the Senate side.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week

The upcoming week is going to be fairly quiet on key issues. There will be no additional hearings on Cap and Trade this week, but there will be consideration of the following:

HB 2269 health care tax. OSCC strongly objects to this legislation which will give the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) a blank check to determine how much each business 'should' be spending on health care for its employees and then tax each business that does not spend as much on health care as DCBS believes it should. The bill will be engineered to raise $500 million per biennium. To make matters worse, Legislative Counsel has determined that because the bill simply allows an agency to construct and levy the tax, it does not require the 3/5th supermajority to pass the legislature.

HB 3022 workers' compensation compromise. OSCC initially testified against this legislation, which would have upended 30-years of successful workers' compensation reforms and drastically raised workers' comp costs on employers. However, the bill was deftly negotiated by SAIF so as to end up a compromise bill that won't impact employer rates. OSCC continues to monitor to ensure that the terms of the compromise are honored.

Action Alert-Stop the Raid on SAIF

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 21:36:52 GMT

Stop the Raid on SAIF

Governor Kate Brown recently proposed raiding SAIF, Oregon’s leading workers’ compensation insurance carrier of nearly $500 million to cover unfunded liabilities within our state’s Public Employee Retirement System (PERS).

Small businesses, school districts, and local governments depend on SAIF’s affordable rates and safety programs to ensure a safe and healthy workplace. Raiding SAIF’s reserves could damage what’s been a very successful model for Oregon employers and injured workers. In a recent editorial, The Oregonian newspaper cautioned against the raid stating it, “risks destabilizing an entity that has competently, reliably and efficiently administered workers’ compensation for public and private employers for years.” We agree!

Raiding their reserves increases the likelihood of rate increases and fewer resources for accident prevention and workplace training programs.

While PERS faces a $26 billion deficit, there is no tie or correlation between their unfunded liability and the premiums that Oregon employers pay to SAIF. Should it ever be determined that SAIF does have excess reserves those funds should be returned to policyholders and not grabbed by politicians for unrelated matters.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/CpBUntByQaJOpD_hFU-5kQ

$2 Billion Schools Tax - OSCC Decision Analysis

Sat, 20 Apr 2019 21:33:29 GMT

It is our analysis that a $2 billion schools tax will pass. At this time, it is prudent for OSCC to analyze its options as we have no ability to stop this tax increase.

OSCC's current position is in opposition to HB 3427, the $2 billion gross receipts tax. Our opposition, while appreciated and meaningful to our members and allies in the legislature, renders us unable to affect any outcomes in a very adverse legislative session. Our opposition is also only a small impediment to ultimate passage of the tax.

It may be prudent at this time to signal a willingness to support $2 billion in taxes if certain conditions are met. It is acknowledged that signaling a willingness to support $2 billion in taxes is both out of character for OSCC and carries some risk. However, there is also a risk to not adapting to our political surroundings - namely, forgoing any chance to protect small business from the proposed tax, advocating for increased funding for community colleges, and being better leveraged to defeat additional bad bills that will impose major additional costs on our members.

Below is the analysis stemming from yesterday's OSCC Government Affairs call:

Context: OSCC currently opposes HB 3427, the $2 billion gross receipts tax on business. However, it is our analysis that the $2 billion tax for Oregon schools will pass. There’s 18 votes in the Senate and at least 36 in the House. There will be a $2 billion tax that passes the legislature. The overall package is currently being negotiated, but leadership wants to “fast track” the issue. The question is whether OSCC would be willing to support $2 billion for schools if certain conditions are met. __________________________________________________________________________________ OSCC Decision Options: (1) Continue to oppose HB 3427 and $2 billion tax. (2) Indicate support for $2 billion in additional taxes if certain conditions met. __________________________________________________________________________________ ‘Opposition’ upside: Our members expect us to stand with them on issues that affect their ability to be profitable. Maintain ability to join coalition to refer measure to Oregon voters. ‘Opposition’ downside: We are steamrolled with a 0.49% gross receipts tax that hurts small businesses down to $1 million in sales. No ability to kill additional bad legislation. No seat at table. ‘Support’ upside: Seat at table. Can potentially shape the tax to protect small business. Can potentially shape how money is spent. Can potentially kill other threatening bills that would impose additional burdens on our members. ‘Support’ downside: Our ability to shape the tax, the expenditures, and kill other threatening bills may not meet expectations. Our members will have difficulty with supporting a tax increase. We lose leverage to refer the measure to voters. __________________________________________________________________________________ Possible OSCC conditions: 1. No gross receipts 2. Protect small & start up business 3. Cost containment of $1 billion 4. Community colleges must receive priority funding 5. Other damaging bills must die – HB 2020, HB 2269, HB 2408

If you want to make your opinion known, contact Mary Ann Gray, who is East Portland's representative on the OSCC Government Affairs Committee at MaryAnn@westsidesec.com.

ACTION ALERT

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 21:00:57 GMT

Public Hearing on $2 Billion
Gross Receipts Tax TONIGHT

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

We've reached the mid-point of the 2019 Legislative Session with the clear theme of generating revenue. You name it, there's a tax for it.

HB 3427 would generate $2 billion in NEW revenue to fund proposed education priorities. The goal is laudable but the mechanism is not. A gross receipts tax, as proposed in HB 3427, is one of the most regressive taxing mechanisms. If this bill passes, local businesses and consumers will be subject to pyramiding of taxes up and down the supply chain and increased costs that are certain to stifle Oregon's economy.

Enough is enough! The total cost of proposed taxes, programs and fees being considered by the 2019 Legislature is $5.67 billion over the next two years. That is too great a burden on local Oregon businesses.

https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/65435/respond

TAKE ACTION

The first public hearing on the proposed gross receipts tax is scheduled for Tuesday, April 16, at 5:00 PM in Hearing Room F. Show up or write in, and tell Oregon legislators that HB 3427 is the wrong approach for Oregon!

ACTION ALERT

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:38:33 GMT

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for SB 379(Marijuana Accommodation). Please respond today! This issue continues to be extraordinarily timely until we get confirmation that the bill is dead.

https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/62827/respond

Write your Senator now

2019 Legislative Report - Week 12

Mon, 15 Apr 2019 18:37:20 GMT

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

The second half of the 2019 session is now underway.

Legislative leadership has made the timing decision to prioritize the $2 billion business Commercial Activity Tax (HB 2019) and put it at the front of the line. We are expecting quick consideration of HB 2019 with public hearings on the new tax as early as this week.

This means that Cap & Trade (HB 2020) has been postponed until after consideration of the business tax hike. This could push Cap & Trade back by a month or more as it is currently mired in complexity primarily from the transportation sector.

The major focus of the legislature this week will be passing bills during numerous floor sessions so that they can move bills to the second chamber in a timely way. Committee activity will be greatly diminished this week as both the House and Senate will be focused on casting floor votes this week.

Activity on Major Issues

The major issue that will be moving forward this week in the Joint Student Success Committee is the$2 billion Commercial Activity Tax (HB 2020), which was finally unveiled last week. Also of note, the Governor unveiled her PERS liability buy-down proposal last week along with a PERS reform proposal that would require Tier 1 and Tier 2 active employees to contribute 3% of pay down the unfunded liability of the state's pension program.

Commercial Activity Tax. At a high level, the gross receipts tax proposal includes the following components:

A flat $250 tax if business sales are under $1 million;
A commercial activity tax (CAT) rate of 0.49% on Oregon sales over $1 million;
A 25% deduction from taxable sales for labor OR business inputs, whichever is higher;
An exemption for receipts from sales to a wholesaler or ag cooperative for any sales outside of Oregon; and
An exemption for groceries (defined as those that qualify for 'SNAP').

This proposal is likely to change over the next week, and OSCC will keep chambers apprised of any changes to the tax reform package. In the meantime, the business community continues to oppose a commercial activity tax.

PERS Raids and Reform. On Friday afternoon, Governor Brown unveiled her plan to halt the rise of PERS costs for Oregon's schools by sweeping $486 million in reserves held by SAIF Corp, the state-owned worker's compensation insurer. She also proposed taking $400 to $500 million in kicker payments to pay down K-12 PERS liability, but that move would take a 2/3 vote by each chamber of the legislature. OSCC is closely tracking these efforts, and business groups are mobilizing against the threat of sweeping SAIF reserves.

The one piece of PERS reform proposed by the Governor is to institute pension contributions from public employees. The governor's plan calls for active Tier 1 and 2 members of PERS - those hired before August 2003 and still working - to contribute 3 percent of their pay to an account that would help pay for their pension benefits. Employees' first $20,000 in salary would be exempt from the contribution. Those hired after that date would contribute 1.5 percent of their pay after exempting the first $20,000 in salary.

Those changes could bring in about $100 million per biennium.

What happened last week?

Paid Family & Medical Leave. (HB 3031; HB 2005) After the April 9 deadline, only one paid family and medical leave vehicle remains, HB 2005. HB 2005 gives the Employment Department the authority to levy up to a 1% payroll tax on employers and a 1% income tax on employees to implement a 26-week per year paid family leave program. The bill would apply to all employers with at least one employee and raise $1.5 billion in new taxes every biennium.

Bounty Hunter Law. (SB 750) OSCC joined other business organizations in opposition to SB 750, which would allow employees and third party organizations to act as private attorneys general to supplement enforcement actions by public agencies. This would create a wave of costly litigation against Oregon employers.

Pay Equity Technical Fixes. (SB 123) Following BOLI rulemaking in November 2018, OSCC brought forward necessary technical fixes to assist local businesses in complying with the Oregon Equal Pay Act. SB 123 is the vehicle for these fixes. Unfortunately, the negotiated product ran into problems when labor logged opposition on Monday evening. The bill moved to the Senate Rules Committee where conversations will continue.

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. (SB 726) SB 726, the workforce harassment and discrimination bill, moved out of the Senate Workforce Committee with the -5 amendment. The -5 amendment removed the individual liability and "should have known" standard for third parties, which was a positive change for Oregon employers. After the bill passed, the Committee Chair indicated that a work group would be formed to continue to explore individual liability.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Accommodations. (HB 2341) After negotiations, HB 2341 was amended to apply new pregnancy accommodation requirements to employers with 6+ employees and allow any employers to file an undue hardship exemption with BOLI.
Expressing Milk in the Workplace. (HB 2593) Last week, advocates came together to draft - 3 amendments to HB 2593, which allows employers with 10 or fewer employees to file an undue hardship exemption with BOLI if providing unlimited nursing breaks causes significant difficulty or expense.

OSCC appreciates the work of Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) and Rep. Karin Power (D- Milwaukie) to find middle ground to provide reasonable pregnancy protections in the workplace.

Workers Compensation. (HB 3022) Last week, business interests and the trial lawyers reached a compromise on HB 3022. As a reminder as originally drafted, HB 3022 would undo the Mahonia Hall Reforms that make Oregon's Worker's Compensation program one of the best in the country. Conversations will continue on an amendment in the House Rules Committee.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week.

Marijuana Accommodation. (SB 379) OSCC is still pushing hard to DEFEAT SB 379. SB 379 would undermine and nullify all employers' workplace drug-free policies and would require employers to accommodate off-duty marijuana use. OSCC is very concerned about the ability of employers to implement and enforce workplace drug-free policies. SB 379 is passed out of Committee on a party line vote but has not been scheduled for a floor vote yet. We suspect we may have defeated this legislation but we do not have official confirmation.

Oregon Tax Plan Released

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 18:19:25 GMT

We know there is widespread anticipation and concern regarding the new $2 billion business tax being promoted by legislative leadership.

Last evening, the detailed plan was finally made public.

https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Downloads/ProposedAmendment/15752

At a high level, it is a 0.49% gross receipts tax with a 25% deduction for either business inputs or labor costs, whichever is greater. The tax applies to all business entities with gross sales in excess of $1 million.

Although this is a new 25-page tax bill that undoubtedly has many complexities, our understanding is that legislative leadership intends for the process to move quickly. There may be limited opportunity for input or to amend the bill.

In another area of concern, we also believe that the Governor/Governor's office will be presenting her PERS pension reform package today at the noon hearing for Ways & Means Capital Construction subcommittee. We have reason to believe that a raid on SAIF resources and reserves will be a part of that discussion, but the particulars are not clear. We also anticipate their will be other fund "sweeps" to help buy down escalating PERS rates, particularly for schools.

Cap and trade hurts manufacturers, weakens Oregon's economy

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 16:22:31 GMT

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

Cap-and-trade has far-reaching consequences for Oregon. Beyond raising prices for everyday items like gasoline and food, HB 2020 would hurt Oregon's economy by putting thousands of jobs at risk for in the manufacturing sector. Supporters of the bill have even acknowledged the impact the proposed bill would have on manufacturing. And because of the importance of the manufacturing sector to Oregon's economy, other sectors will also be weakened as a result.

Cap-and-trade, as envisioned in House Bill 2020, would sacrifice many Oregon manufacturing jobs. Even those who seek to offset jobs losses in one manner or another underestimate the tidal wave of economic damage that would flow from a poorly designed carbon-reduction program. As currently written, HB 2020 would lead key industries to reduce their Oregon presence, remove major employers from rural communities and increase costs for the manufacturers that remain. Read the full article here.

OSCC continues to ask for your assistance to shine a light on the negative impacts of cap-and-trade. Individual chambers can start by joining the Partnership for Oregon Communities. The Partnership will coordinate grassroots voices with concerns about the rising costs of fuel and energy.

Email jessicac@oregonchamber.org to join the coalition. OSCC will continue to follow up as we learn of opportunities for public testimony and engagement with the legislature.

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for HB 2020 (Cap & Trade) for all legislators. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP WITH YOUR MESSAGE.

Legislative Report Week 11, 2019

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 17:45:21 GMT

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

By Tuesday, April 9th, all bills need to be voted out of their original committee in order to survive. This is the turning point of the session. Priorities get whittled down and the playing field becomes clearer as extraneous legislation falls by the wayside.

We will know much more on Wednesday morning as committees will work into the evening up until the very last moments on Tuesday evening.

Activity on Major Issues

We want to reiterate the four major tax hikes being pushed by legislative leaders. As of now, all four proposals are serious and viable. Please get familiar with and distribute this infographic. It is the story of the 2019 Oregon legislature.

Health Care Tax (HB 2269). This unbelievable proposal would give the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) the authority to determine what every large employer (defined as 50+ employees who work an average of 8/hrs per week!) should be spending on health care for employees and authorizes the agency to levy a tax on every employer that does not meet the agency's minimum health care spending requirements. Agency leaders testified that the bill is designed to raise $500 million per biennium in new taxes.

OSCC strongly opposes to this bill and joined other business associations in written testimony. We were not even allowed to testify in person! The bill now resides in the House Revenue Committee.

Paid Family Leave (HB 2005). Legislative leaders have now introduced this bill as the newest and most refined effort to pass a paid family and medical leave system. Bottom line: the bill gives the Employment Department the authority to levy up to a 1% payroll tax on employers and a 1% income tax on employees to implement a 26-week per year paid family leave program. The bill would apply to all employers with at least one employee. The bill raises about $1.5 billion in new taxes every biennium to fund this new state-run bureaucracy and insurance program.

Cap & Trade (HB 2020). The newest re-write of HB 2020, the 'Cap & Trade' bill, did nothing to alleviate cost concerns for manufacturers or everyday Oregonians. The new version of the bill would immediately add 16 cents per gallon in fuel costs and an immediate 30% increase in natural gas costs for residential, commercial and industrial customers. Large manufacturers will see similar and immediate cost increases for electricity. All told, we are analyzing this bill as a $1.1 billion increase in costs for Oregonians each biennium. The vast majority of direct costs will be borne by manufacturers. HB 2020 will result in an immediate 30% increase in natural gas costs and a 16-cent per gallon gas price hike.

Business Tax Increase. It's becoming clearer that Democratic leadership will lean toward selecting a Commercial Activity Tax, which is a pure gross receipts tax, as the basis for implementing a new business tax to add more than $2 billion in revenue each biennium into the state's K-12 system. At this point, it does not appear that PERS reform or any other government cost savings will accompany this tax proposal. A growing coalition of business organizations, including OSCC, are now going on record as opposing a new gross receipts tax. You can see OSCC's response to the tax package here.

What is the total biennial cost to the all the tax increases that are now on the table? $5.67 billion.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week.

Marijuana Accommodation (SB 379). OSCC is still pushing hard to DEFEAT SB 379. SB 379 would undermine and nullify all employers' workplace drug-free policies and would require employers to accommodate off-duty marijuana use. OSCC is very concerned about the ability of employers to implement and enforce workplace drug-free policies.

SB 379 is scheduled for a committee vote early this week. We are trying to keep it bottled up in committee.

Please respond to the OSCC ACTION ALERT on SB 379. We need to mount our defense on this issue in the Oregon Senate NOW!! The bill is scheduled for committee vote late this week.

BOLI Budget (SB 5516). OSCC joined other groups from business and labor in supporting a renewed focus on technical assistance at BOLI. Commissioner Val Hoyle's budget request would make small business technical assistance a core focus, add an eastside technical assistance and apprenticeship specialist, and update BOLI's hard-to-navigate website. OSCC was pleased to be able to support Labor Commissioner Hoyle.

Harassment in the Workplace (SB 726). On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Workforce had a work session on SB 726, which would create sweeping changes to Oregon's harassment and discrimination statutes. The committee reviewed the -4 amendment, which removes the section that would hold those with executive authority personally liable if they merely "should have known" about harassment and failed to prevent it from occurring. While this is a positive change, there are still more amendments to be made, and OSCC anticipates a -5 amendment will be considered during Tuesday's work session on the bill. OSCC considers the removal of personal liability for owners and officers to be a major win.

Write your senator here -https://www.votervoice.net/OSCC/campaigns/62827/respond

ACTION ALERT

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for SB 379 (Marijuana Accommodation). Please respond today! This issue is extraordinarily timely this week.

Write your Senator now

2019 Legislative Report - Week 10

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 20:29:53 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

We've passed the first major deadline of the 2019 legislative session.

Bills needed to have been scheduled for committee votes by the end of this past Friday in order to stay alive. By Tuesday, April 9th, all bills need to actually be voted out of their original committee in order to survive.

At this point, it looks like about half of all legislation is now dead.

Among the bills that were killed on the Friday deadline: Anti-insurance industry bills (SB 728 and HB 2421), anti-forestry legislation (HB 2656), legislation that limits the enforceability of employment contracts (HB 2489), pro-business legislation fixing manufacturing overtime restrictions (SB 110), and all the PERS reform bills (SB 532 and SB 533).

But for the most part, the majority of relevant legislative threats to business are still alive.

Activity on Major Issues

The emergence of a new health care tax proposal from Governor Brown this week (HB 2269) and the full-scale threat of a new paid family leave bill (HB 2005) mean that the 2019 Oregon legislature could easily be the most costly legislature in history for local businesses.

Here are the four major tax hikes being pushed by legislative leaders. As of now, all four proposals are serious and viable:

Health Care Tax (HB 2269) This unbelievable proposal would give the Oregon Health Authority agency the authority to determine what every large employer (defined as 50+ employees!) should be spending on health care for employees and authorizes the agency to levy a tax on every employer that does not meet the agency's minimum health care spending requirements. The bill is designed to raise a minimum $500 million per biennium in new taxes, although it isn't subject to the supermajority vote requirement to raise revenue.

Paid Family Leave (HB 2005) Legislative leaders introduced this bill as the newest and most refined effort to pass a paid family and medical leave system. Bottom line: the bill gives the Employment Department the authority to levy up to a 1% payroll tax on employers and a 1% income tax on employees to implement a 26-week per year paid family leave program. The bill would apply to all employers with at least one employee. The bill must raise at least $1 billion in new taxes every biennium to fund a solvent problem.

Cap & Trade (HB 2020) The new re-write of HB 2020, the 'Cap & Trade' bill, did nothing to alleviate cost concerns for manufacturers or everyday Oregonians. The new version of the bill would immediately add 16 cents per gallon in fuel costs and an immediate 30% increase in natural gas costs for residential, commercial and industrial customers. Large manufacturers will see similar and immediate cost increases for electricity. All told, we are still analyzing this bill as a $1.4 billion increase in costs for Oregonians each biennium. The vast majority of direct costs will be borne by manufacturing and transportation.

Business Tax Increase. Our expectation is that Democratic leadership will lean toward selecting a Commercial Activity Tax, which is a pure gross receipts tax, as the basis for implementing a new business tax to add more than $2 billion in revenue each biennium into the state's K-12 system. At this point, it does not appear that PERS reform or any other government cost savings will accompany this tax proposal. A growing coalition of business organizations, including OSCC, are now going on record as opposing a new gross receipts tax.

What is the total biennial cost to the all the tax increases that are now on the table? $5 billion.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week.

Marijuana Accommodation (SB 379) Our biggest disappointment of the Friday deadline was that the Senate Judiciary Committee is going to attempt to pass its marijuana accommodation bill. OSCC felt very strongly that we had helped defeat this bill, but Senate Judiciary Committee chair Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene) is going to make a last minute push to pass it. SB 379 would undermine and nullify all employers' workplace drug-free policies and would require employers to accommodate off-duty marijuana use.

Please respond to the OSCC ACTION ALERT on SB 379. We need to mount our defense on this issue in the Oregon Senate NOW!! The bill is scheduled for committee vote late this week.

2019 Legislative Report - Week 9

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 18:15:46 GMT

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

The next two-and-a-half weeks will be the toughest weeks of the session.

Looming deadlines mean that all 3,000 of the bills currently introduced will be in play as advocates rush to meet deadlines that mean life or death for their legislation.

Bills need to be posted for committee votes by the end of Friday, March 29th in order to receive further consideration. By Tuesday, April 9th, all bills need to be voted out of their original committee in order to survive.

This means there will be a litany of surprise hearings and committee votes on relevant bills all over the capitol that will be largely impossible to track and influence in real time, but we're going to give it our best effort!

Activity on Major Issues

PAID FAMILY LEAVE HEARINGS! This evening, March 25th, the House Business & Labor Committee and Senate Workforce Committee plan to host a joint public hearing on paid family & medical leave bills that would SIGNIFICANTLY alter Oregon's business climate.

Here's a look at the proposals and the impractical requirements they put on all businesses that will cost Oregonians billions!

HB 3031

· Applies to employers with 1+ employees

· Mandates 32 weeks of paid and protected family and medical leave each year

· Creates state-run family insurance program administered by DCBS

· Establishes new payroll tax of up to 1% to pay for the family-leave insurance:

SB 947

· Expands OFLA eligibility to 1+ employees

· Mandates 24 weeks of paid and protected family leave AND an additional 24 weeks of protected family and medical leave for some types of leave each year - total leave could be 48 weeks!

· Requires employer to pay 100% of employee wages while employee is on paid leave

OSCC will argue that Oregon's small businesses are still scrambling to comply with the state's minimum wage increases, paid sick leave law and the new equal pay law. Now is NOT the time pass 'Cadillac' family and medical leave proposals that would further burden local businesses.

Proponents for these bills are planning to turn out hundreds of people on Monday evening. We need your help to show that Oregon employers have had enough and can't bear the costs of these workplace mandates! Please plan on attending Monday's hearing AND sending a letter to legislators about your opposition to HB 3031 and SB 947.

Email your legislators AND send personalized comments to the committees using the suggested talking points below. Check out the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce Advocacy Book for help with writing your testimony.

Chair Jeff Barker, House Business & Labor Committee: hbl.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov

Chair Kathleen Taylor, Senate Workforce Committee: swf.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov

Cap & Trade. (HB 2020) On Monday evening, the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction will unveil a total re-write of HB 2020, the 'Cap & Trade' bill. We are not optimistic that the legislation will be improved to reduce impacts on the manufacturing sector. Our Friday meeting with the Governor's staff was largely discouraging and showed that the Governor's office is not serious about stemming cost impacts and job loss in the manufacturing sector. OSCC will keep all chambers up to speed as we analyze the new version of the bill.

Business Tax Increase. We expect that Democratic leadership is leaning toward selecting a Commercial Activity Tax, which is a pure gross receipts tax, as the basis for implementing a new business tax to add more than $2 billion in revenue into the state's K-12 system. Breaking news...it appears that the business community is beginning to organize in opposition to the developing tax proposal. Several of OSCC's partner business organizations are signing on to a letter to stage their opposition to a new gross receipts tax.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week

Lawsuit Damages. (HB 2014) The House will vote on this bill Monday. HB 2014 would repeal Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations are opposing this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers. We expect the bill to pass the House easily. The real fight will be in the Senate.

Employer Health Care Taxes, Part 2. (HB 3262, HB 2269) On Thursday, the House Health Care Committee will hold a public hearing and possible work session on either HB 3262 or the -1 amendment to HB 2269. It appears that legislative leaders plan to move forward with a tax on employers with more than 50 employees who are on Medicaid (or who have family members on Medicaid). The amendment does not appear to be limited to a particular sector, but we assume it raises the projected $120 million in new taxes to close out the health care budget. Much like the 'Cap and Trade' bill, this legislation appears to allow an agency (in this case, the Oregon Health Authority) wide discretion to tax employers to meet revenue objectives with little oversight from the legislature.

ACTION ALERT

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for HB 3031 (Paid Family Leave). Please respond today!

Please Make Your Voice Heard at Paid Family Leave Hearing!

Tonight at 6pm, the House Business & Labor Committee and Senate Workforce Committee plan to host a joint public hearing on paid family & medical leave bills that would SIGNIFICANTLY alter Oregon's business climate. We need local Chambers to show up this evening to speak out about the impact of this extreme legislation! An action alert has been issued.

What do the bills do?

HB 3031(requires 3/5 vote)

· Applies to employers with 1+ employees

· Mandates 32 weeks of paid and protected family and medical leave each year

· Establishes new payroll tax of up to 1%:

o0.5% paid by employers

o0.5% paid by employees

oCreates state run family insurance program

oDoesn't allow employers to provide substantially similar plans/ currently existing plans

HB 3140/SB 947(don't require 3/5 vote)

· Expands OFLA eligibility to 1+ employees

· Expands family member definition

· Mandates 24 weeks of paid and protected leave AND an additional 24 weeks of unpaid family and medical leave each year

· Requires 100% of employee wages to be paid 100% by employers while employee is on leave

Action Alert

Mon, 25 Mar 2019 16:48:48 GMT

Action Alert: Hearing on Paid Family & Medical Leave Bill
on March 25th

Mark your calendars for the first round of paid family & medical leave hearings

When: Monday, March 25th at 6:00 PM
Where: The Oregon Capitol (900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301)
Who: Public and private employers with 1+ employees

On Monday, March 25th, the House Business & Labor Committee and Senate Workforce Committee plan to host a joint public hearing on a paid family & medical leave bill that would SIGNIFICANTLY alter Oregon’s business climate.

As national competitiveness rankings have shown, doing business in Oregon is often costlier and more difficult than running the same business in other states. With every workplace mandate the Legislature has passed, the competitive distance between Oregon and other states has increased.

We understand the intent of this bill. However, the proposals establish impractical requirements on businesses, large and small, and will cost Oregonians billions!

HB 3031

Applies to employers with 1+ employees
Mandates 32 weeks of paid and protected family and medical leave each year
Creates state-run family insurance program administered by DCBS
Establishes new payroll tax of up to 1% to pay for the family-leave insurance:
- 0.5% paid by employers
- 0.5% paid by employees

Oregon’s small businesses are still scrambling to comply with the state’s minimum wage increases, paid sick leave law and the new equal pay law. Now is NOT the time pass cadillac family and medical leave proposals that would further burden local businesses.

Proponents for this bill are planning to turn out hundreds of people on March 25th. We need your help to show that Oregon employers have had enough and can’t bear the costs of these workplace mandates! Please plan on attending Monday’s hearing AND sending a letter to policymakers about your opposition to HB 3031.

2019 Legislative Report - Week 7

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 13:40:12 GMT

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

What a week!

First off, Senate President Peter Courtney takes a 10-day 'medical leave' to deal with the stress of the session and its impact on his Grave's Disease. There is wide speculation that he may not return. We aren't able to separate fact from fiction at this point, so our assumption is that he will return. If he does not return, the trajectory of the session and the Democrats' ability to pass major progressive legislative priorities is certainly imperiled.

The second major event of the week was the release of the Ways & Means Co-Chairs' 2019-21 budget blueprint. The budget proposal only left K-12 and Medicaid harmless. All other state programs, including early education, higher education, and CTE were cut short of 'current service levels.' The hue and cry that ensued, primarily from the government employee unions and higher education advocates, added more fuel and momentum for additional business taxes.

Finally, we have grown increasingly concerned that SAIF Corporation will indeed be targeted for a raid of its workers' compensation claims reserves to buy down PERS rates for K-12. We have reached this conclusion as it has become clear that any increase in business taxes will be absorbed almost totally by increased PERS costs within two short years. This would make it much less likely that business and/or voters would approve of any additional taxes.

We are getting the distinct impression that Democratic leadership will try and force a choice to buy down PERS rates: either suspend the $748 million personal 'kicker' and divert it to paying down PERS rates for K-12 schools or face the prospect of taking a similar amount out of SAIF's reserves.

Activity on Major Issues

Cap & Trade. (HB 2020) We are expecting brand new amendments, and perhaps a total re-write of the bill, to be unveiled the week of March 18th. We are not anticipating major improvements to the bill, but because the amendments are being closely guarded, we are unsure of what the new amendments will include.
Independent Contractors. (HB 2498) OSCC was very successful in getting quick grassroots feedback into the House Rules Committee in opposition to HB 2498. As a quick reminder, HB 2498 would have turned Oregon's independent contracting laws upside down, jeopardizing thousands of jobs. OSCC joined several other business organizations to testify last Monday. We were joined by Keizer Chamber's Dan Kohler, who spoke about about the detrimental impacts to insurance, funeral home, and salon contractors. The Committee is weighing options as it considers a different path forward. Thank you to Bend Chamber and all who weighed in!
Corporate Tax Increases. It is becoming clearer that the Revenue Subcommittee of the Joint Student Success Committee is starting to hone in on a new Commercial Activities Tax (CAT) as the basis for adding new revenue to the state's K-12 system. There is an outside chance the committee may support a Business Activity Tax (which allows deductions for capital expenditures), but early indications are that Democratic leadership is favoring the CAT, which in its current modeling, would be a straight 0.48% tax against a company's topline sales. This would be in addition to Oregon's corporate income tax. The subcommittee is clearly trying to raise a net $1 billion extra per year from Oregon companies.
Lawsuit Damages. (HB 2014) OSCC testified alongside local physicians and health care providers against HB 2014 in the House Committee on Judiciary. HB 2014 would repeal Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations are opposing this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week

Employment contracts. (HB 2489) OSCC is closely watching HB 2489, which would substantially shift the relationship between employers and employees in Oregon. The bill eliminates an employer's ability to enforce agreements if they aren't written and disallows employment contracts of longer than two years. A preliminary hearing is scheduled this week in House Business and Labor.

OregonSaves penalties. (SB 164) This bill is tentatively scheduled for a work session on Thursday. SB 164 would add penalties to the Oregon Retirement Savings Program, which passed in 2015. OSCC worked with the Treasury and other business stakeholders to address our concerns with the initial bill, and these changes will be reflected in a -3 amendment.

Age discrimination. (HB 2818) The House Committee on Business and Labor is planning to host a hearing on HB 2818 on Wednesday. This bill makes it clear that employers may not screen job applicants based on age and adds new and substantial penalties to violation of age discrimination laws.

ACTION ALERTS

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for HB 2498 (Independent Contractors) for the House of Representatives.

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for HB 2020 (Cap & Trade) for all legislators. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP WITH YOUR MESSAGE. To date, OSCC has generated 202 letters to legislators on this bill. Our goal is 1,000.

Update on the Legislature March 13 meeting

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 18:51:46 GMT

East Portland Chamber of Commerce

March Government and Economic Committee Meeting

– What is going on in the Oregon Legislative Session

Hear J.L. Wilson, PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNSEL & Ashley Henry, Executive Director for BUSINESS FOR A BETTER PORTLAND

Location: Adventist Medical Center –

10123 SE Market St, Portland OR 97216;

Main Hospital Building Lower Level, Conference Room

Date and Time: March 13, 2019 @ 7:30 am

Whatever your city and state representatives do at City Hall or in Salem, it affects business. The more you know, the better you can plan, prepare and influence. Today's speakers will share information that will enable you to do just that!

J.L. Wilson is the principal of Public Affairs Counsel, a Salem-based public affairs firm and a leading provider of government affairs, campaign, association management and survey research services for 37 years. Prior to joining Public Affairs Counsel in 2014, Wilson had a 15-year history in association management as past Executive Director of NFIB/Oregon and past Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at Associated Oregon Industries. Wilson has also been a full-time lobbyist representing business interests since 2000. Before starting his career as an association manager and lobbyist, he served as Legislative Director for two Speakers of the Oregon House.

Ashley Henry, Executive Director for Business for a Better Portland will be speaking. Ashley leads the organization’s efforts to engage Portland’s business leaders in the civic processes that shape the direction of the city. She is passionate about ensuring that our community’s business leaders are connected with strategic opportunities to bring greater shared prosperity to all Portlanders. Just five months after launching BBPDX, the organization was recognized by the Portland Business Journal as one of the region’s Top 25 Chambers of Commerce. Ashley was also personally named as “One of 18 To Watch in 2018” by the Portland Business Journal.

April 10 - Dr. Lisa Skari, MHCC & Dr. Jessica Howard, PCC

Legislative Report Week 6, 2019

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 18:08:52 GMT

2019 Legislative Report - Week 6

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

What's Happening (OSCC Political Observations)

The legislature continues to be a very tumultuous and uncertain place. The Senate is currently mired in a leadership struggle as a handful of progressive Democrats and some Republicans are looking to topple Senate President Peter Courtney. This leadership struggle is taking up precious bandwidth in the Senate and is bogging down the process as Senators are more focused on the leadership issues than anything else.

The death of Secretary of State Dennis Richardson this past week also cast a pall over the session, both emotionally and from a process standpoint. The Governor has the lawful ability to appoint a successor to the late Secretary Richardson, and has stated her intention to find a 'placeholder' who will promise not to run for election in 2020.

This upcoming week is going to represent a major milestone in the 2019 session as the 'Co-Chairs Budget' will be released. This is the legislative response to the Governor's budget that shows how state budget writers would craft the state budget with available resources. It is the first key budget blueprint that shows how the state's money would be allocated without any additional tax increases. The 'Co-Chairs Budget' provides the budgetary foundation for all additional tax and revenue discussions. Usually, it will spawn advocacy for additional taxes and budget investments.

Activity on Major Issues

Cap & Trade hearings provided a dose of reality. Hearings in the past week in Newport, Baker City, The Dalles, and Bend provided lawmakers with the stark reality that not all Oregonians are clamoring to pay more for their gasoline, natural gas or electricity to put only a very miniscule dent in Oregon's greenhouse gas reductions. In what was expected to be a showcase for the organizing strength of the environmental activists, something else happened....regular working Oregonians showed up and voiced their displeasure with HB 2020 and its associated costs.
Medicaid taxes passed. Final passage of the first major Medicaid funding bill, HB 2010, happened this past week. The bill raised over $500 million and will go a long way to closing the state's $623 million budget gap. OSCC issued a floor letter on HB 2010. Our intention was to make sure that legislators understood that HB 2010 will raise over $291 million per biennium from local businesses. It was the first major business cost increase from the 2019 session.
Rent control passed. The statewide rent control bill, SB 608, also passed the House and became law as Governor Brown quickly signed the bill. It is the first statewide rent control bill in the nation and limits annual rent increases to 7% plus CPI on buildings over 15 years old.
OSCC opposed HB 3022 which overturns Oregon's landmark workers' compensation reforms. OSCC testified against HB 3022 last week, a bill that would have reversed many key, cost-saving provisions in Oregon's workers' compensation system. Before 1990, Oregon had the highest frequency of workplace injury claims, third highest medical costs, and sixth highest premium costs. Today, we have some of the lowest rates in the country and safety programs that help reduce workplace injuries. Oregon's workers' compensation insurance system is one of the last remaining competitive advantages for Oregon companies and OSCC will vigilantly safeguard the system from being compromised.
Oregon revenue forecast added another $67 million to state coffers for the upcoming 2019-21 budget cycle. The state is experiencing a rush of short-term revenue that will slightly ease the budget crunch for the upcoming budget cycle. The "kicker" rebate projection was also increased to a whopping $748 million.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week

Independent Contractors. (HB 2498) On Monday afternoon, the House Rules Committee will consider importing California's troubled Dynamex decision. In April 2018, the California Supreme Court determined that independent contractors must meet a new strict "ABC" test in order to maintain their status. That decision impacted 2 million independent contractors in California, making them employees! Now Oregon is looking to follow suit. HB 2498 would add a new test to Oregon's independent contractors: "Do you provide a service different from the business you are working for?" If the answer is "no," HB 2498 would reclassify you as an employee of the business. Implications are broad-doctors, hairstylists, insurance agents, realtors, and many others will be impacted if HB 2498 passes.

Lawsuit Damages. (HB 2014) This bill is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Committee on Judiciary this Tuesday. HB 2014 would repeal Oregon's legal limit of $500,000 on non-economic damages in personal injury and negligence lawsuit claims. OSCC, health care groups, and business organizations have traditionally opposed this legislation because it is a significant factor in driving up health care costs and general liability costs for employers.

Transient Lodging Taxes for workforce housing. (SB 595) This may clear its first hurdle this week in the Senate Housing Committee. SB 595 would allow local governments to use previously dedicated TLT funds and apply them to local workforce housing development. Currently, 70% of these revenues are statutorily dedicated to tourism and tourism promotion. If the committee approves the bill, it will be forwarded to the Senate Finance & Revenue Committee.

OregonSaves penalties. (SB 164) This bill is scheduled for a work session on Thursday. SB 164 would add penalties to the Oregon Retirement Savings Program, which passed in 2015. OSCC worked with the Treasury and other business stakeholders to address our concerns with the initial bill, and these changes will be reflected in a -2 amendment.

ACTION ALERT

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for HB 2498 (Independent Contractors) for the House Rules Committee.

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for HB 2020 (Cap & Trade) for all legislators. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP WITH YOUR MESSAGE. To date, OSCC has generated 174 letters to legislators on this bill, well short of our goal of 1,000.

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for SB 379 (Workplace Marijuana Accommodation) in the Senate. PLEASE RESPOND ASAP WITH YOUR MESSAGE TO SENATORS! (Senators only) To date, OSCC has generated 72 letters to Senators on this legislation, well short of our goal of 250.

Legislative Report Week 3, 2019

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 19:39:25 GMT

2019 Legislative Report - Week 3

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

We have now completed three weeks of the 2019 legislative session. The upcoming week appears to be an abbreviated week with several committees being cancelled or otherwise not scheduled to meet this week.

Two major bills are moving quickly - rent control (SB 608) and the first Medicaid funding bill (HB 2010).

One other major bill is now in full swing - cap and trade (HB 2020).

Additionally, the legislative conversations are now underway on a major business tax to fund K-12 education. This discussion is happening every Tuesday and Thursday evening in the Joint Student Success Committee (Revenue Subcommittee). To date, the committee is looking at other state taxing models that utilize gross receipts - Washington, Nevada, Ohio, and others. At this point, it looks most likely that the committee will recommend a gross receipts-based tax and not additional increases to the state's corporate income tax.

Activity on Major Issues

We are expecting to see early activity this week on a handful of key policy and budget items that Democratic legislative leaders have identified as key priorities, including:

Medicaid Funding will likely pass Ways & Means this week (HB 2010). This is the bill that will implement the first stages of Medicaid funding proposed by the Governor - the Hospital provider tax ($98 million) and the insurance tax ($410 million). Local hospital systems will support this bill because it eliminates the true tax that was levied on hospitals in 2017-19. However, the bill also increases taxes on commercial health insurance policies from 1.5% to 2%. These taxes will be passed through directly to small business customers.

Rent Control will get a Senate vote this week (SB 608). We expect this bill to pass the Senate as early as Tuesday. SB 608 has two key features: (1) it limits rent increases to 7% plus CPI in all buildings over 15 years old, and (2) disallows no-cause evictions after one year.

Cap & Trade legislation is now in full swing (HB 2020). OSCC members got a major boost last week as NW Natural clearly articulated the huge cost increases on their natural gas customers if HB 2020 were to pass. They gave legislators a handout that showed massive cost impacts to residential, small commercial, and industrial ratepayer. The invited testimony on HB 2020 will continue on Monday this week. Public testimony kicks off on Friday afternoon at 1:00 PM and is scheduled again on February 18 at 5:00 PM. OSCC participation will be needed as the public hearings go around the state in the coming weeks.

Single use straw ban (SB 90). This issue seemed to stall as committee members pressed for exemptions from the 'straw ban' for convenience stores and drive throughs as well as a local preemption that would prohibit more stringent local regulations. Environmental advocates oppose carve-outs and appear to now want to let cities and counties move forward with a patchwork of local regulations. Although SB 90 appears stalled for now, we don't believe we've seen the last of this issue in 2019.

Workplace marijuana accommodation (SB 379). In a touch of irony, the proponents for the workplace marijuana accommodation bill were late and almost missed the hearing. OSCC submitted joint testimony with the general business community in opposition to this measure. OSCC has an active ACTION ALERT on this issue. Please contact your senator and ask them to say 'no' to SB 379.

Other Key Issues Coming up This Week

Small business tax cut repeal. (SB 211) OSCC is disappointed, but not surprised, to see the Senate Finance & Revenue Committee taking up the issue of repealing Oregon's lower tax rates for pass-through businesses. Oregon's 'small business tax cut' law currently imposes lower tax rates on the first $5 million of business income. SB 211 would apply lower tax rates to only the first $415,000 of business income and then would completely repeal the 'small business tax cut' altogether starting in 2026.

Liabilities for Employment Discrimination. (SB 726) Watch out for this bill. This could be very similar to the wage equity bill of 2017 where it is politically impossible to oppose but will have far-reaching impacts on business. This bill started out as targeting sexual harassment, but has morphed into a general employment discrimination bill that creates a new 7-year statute of limitations and holds officers and principals personally liable for discrimination. OSCC is monitoring this bill closely as there is lack of agreement on potential impacts.
Workplace Marijuana Accommodation. (HB 2655) This is the House version of SB 379 that would make it an unlawful employment action to condition employment based on refraining from the off-duty use of cannabis. While the bill contains an exception for jobs where the work cannot be performed while impaired, there is currently no easy test to determine if someone is impaired while at the workplace. OSCC is opposing this legislation in the Senate because it is a direct affront on an employer's ability to enforce a workplace drug-free policy. A hearing is posted on the bill this Tuesday in the House Business and Labor Committee. We do not expect the House to move its version.

ACTION ALERT

OSCC has issued an ACTION ALERT for SB 379 (Workplace Marijuana Accommodation) in the Senate. PLEASE RESPOND THIS WEEK WITH YOUR MESSAGE TO SENATORS! OSCC has made it exceptionally easy to contact your Senator and ask them to say 'no' to SB 379

Do you want to fight SB 379 and keep your workplace a drug-free zone?

Sat, 09 Feb 2019 18:35:01 GMT

SB 379 is in direct conflict to the Oregon Supreme Court's decision in the Emerald Steel case, which held that Oregon employers are entitled to enact 'zero tolerance policies' on marijuana use.

In 2010, The Oregon Supreme Court ruled in the case of Emerald Steel Fabricators, Inc., v. Bureau of Labor and Industries, and found that the use of medical marijuana, though authorized by state law, was an "illegal use of drugs" under federal law, which preempts state law in these circumstances.

The Court held that employers can lawfully take adverse employment actions against employees based on their use of federally-illegal drugs. It upheld an employer's right to implement 'zero tolerance' drugfree workplace policies.

In 2014, employer rights were again upheld by Oregon voters who voted in support of Measure 91, which specifically precluded "amend[ing] or affect[ing] in any way any state or federal law pertaining to employment matters" (Section 4. Article 1).

SB 379 is preempted by the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

Maintaining a drug-free workplace ensures the safety and well-being of employees, the public, and the customers they serve. Furthermore, employers with federal contracts are required to maintain drug-free workplaces as a matter of federal law.

The Drug-Free Workplace Act requires employers who receive grants or contracts from the federal government (construction companies, hospitals and long-term care facilities, among others) to ensure that their workplaces are drug-free. Drug testing will not reveal whether an employee with marijuana in his or her system used it during working hours or during “non-working hours” (a term in SB 379 that might be interpreted to include meal breaks), much less whether the marijuana was used on the employer’s premises or not. This would make it impossible for an employer to comply with the federal requirements.

There are no recognized tests for impairment due to marijuana use.

The exception in SB 379 for off-duty marijuana use that impairs employees’ performance on the job cannot be implemented, because currently, there is no recognized test for whether an employee is “impaired” by the use of marijuana (off duty or not). Current testing protocols can do no more than confirm whether an employee has marijuana in their system, not whether it results in impairment or being “under the influence.”

Without a drug test that measures impairment, an employer's efforts to maintain a safe work environment are compromised.

An employee’s use of legal prescription drugs is already protected.

Both the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and Oregon disability law require an employer to reasonably accommodate an employee’s disability and the treatment of a disability with medication, including situations in which off-duty use of medication affects the employee’s performance at work. A well-developed body of federal and state case law tells an employer whether an accommodation is or is not “reasonable.” SB 379, on the other hand, imposes no such limitation: an employer may not limit employees’ off-duty use of any lawful substances except to the extent it causes an impairment at work or relates to a bona fide occupational qualification.

Click here to contact your Senator and ask them to affirm an employer's ability to maintain a safe, drug-free workplace - oppose SB 379.

Oregon Chamber of Commerce Update on Legislature Week 2

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 17:20:01 GMT

Activity on Major Issues

We are expecting to see additional early activity on a handful of key policy and budget items that Democratic legislative leaders have identified as key priorities, including:

Medicaid Funding. The first major Medicaid funding bill - House Bill 2010 - was introduced last week. This bill will implement the first stages of Medicaid funding proposed by the Governor - the Hospital provider tax ($98 million) and the insurance tax ($410 million). These are the least controversial items of the Medicaid funding package, and therefore, will move first.

Cap & Trade legislation has now arrived. Late last week, legislators introduced the Cap & Trade bill - House Bill 2020. The bill is 98 pages long, and OSCC is still reviewing to determine the impacts. Of note:

- Transportation fuels are considered "covered emissions," meaning there will be fuel cost increases;

- Residential, commercial, and industrial natural gas rates will increase under the bill and ratepayer assistance options are limited; and

- Legislative counsel has determined that cap-and-trade is not a tax and is, therefore, exempt from Constitutional requirements for a 3/5th supermajority vote.

Business taxes. The Joint Student Success Committee has initiated its Revenue Subcommittee hearings on a potential tax plan that will meet the Governor's objective of raising business taxes by $2 billion for K-12, Pre-K, and higher education. The subcommittee is now meeting every Tuesday and Thursday evening.

Key Issues Coming up This Week

Rent Control and Tenant Protections. Senate Bill 608 will limit rent increases to 7% per year in buildings over 15 years old and also prohibits no cause evictions for tenants after one year of tenancy. This is likely the first key priority for Democratic leadership that will start moving. The first public hearings is today in the Senate Housing Committee.

Penalties for Oregon Retirement Savings Program Non-Compliance. Senate Bill 164 would add penalties if a business fails to comply with the Oregon Savings Retirement Program requirements. OSCC and other business advocacy groups are working with the Treasurer's Office to ensure that penalties are not triggered before the program is fully adopted and that education is the first step to compliance. A public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in the Senate Workforce Committee.

Codification of Obama-Era Environmental Laws. House Bill 2250 would require Oregon's natural resources agencies to compare any changes to federal regulations under the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, or Safe Drinking Water Act to "baseline" standards-defined as standards in place on the last day of the Obama Administration. Oregon already has water quality and air quality programs that operate independently of federal law and often go further. A hearing on the bill is scheduled for Tuesday in the House Energy & Environment Committee.

Marijuana Accommodation. Senate Bill 379 would make it an unlawful employment action to condition employment based on refraining from the off-duty use of cannabis or any legal substance. While the bill contains an exception for jobs where the work cannot be performed while impaired, there is currently no easy test to determine if someone is impaired while at the workplace. OSCC has opposed this legislation in past legislative sessions because it is a direct affront on an employer's ability to enforce a workplace drug-free policy. A hearing and potential work session is posted on the bill this Thursday in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Single use straw ban. Senate Bill 90 would ban the use of single use straws unless specifically requested by the customer. It is posted for a work session in the Senate Environment & Natural Resources Committee on Thursday, and we anticipate a series of amendments to the legislation.

Upcoming Feb. GEAC Meeting - Peter Frye on Land Use Issues in Portland

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 04:54:16 GMT

In his annual Portland land use report, Peter Frye will cover the following topics:

Implemented and proposed changes to the City's Comprehensive Plan.
Proposed Residential Infill Project (RIP) zoning and impacts on single family unit neighborhoods.
Opportunity Zones - What are they and where are they located in Portland.
Has Inclusionary Zoning benefited or hindered the start of "affordable" housing units now that the residential market seems to have plateaued?
Projects and land use matters Peter is currently involved with that may be of interest to East Portland residents and businesses. March 13 - Oregon State Chamber of Commerce update on Legislative action.

This meeting will be at 7:30a in the Columbia and Willamette Rooms in the Pavilion Building, 10000 SE Main (not at our typical location).

March 13 - Oregon State Chamber of Commerce update on Legislative action

Oregon Chamber of Commerce Update on Legislature Week 1

Tue, 29 Jan 2019 01:56:13 GMT

2019 Legislative Report - Week 1

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

The 2019 legislative session is now underway in Oregon.

The 2019 Legislature has already introduced over 1,700 bills. OSCC expects another 1,000+ pieces of legislation to be introduced over the next six weeks. Of the 1,700 bills that have been introduced thus far, OSCC is keeping an eye on:

HB 2655 and SB 379 which would prevent employers from enforcing zero-tolerance workplace drug-free policies on marijuana;
SB 110 and HB 2175, which would help alleviate the complications that have arisen from Oregon's new manufacturing overtime limits which cap production employees at 60 hours per week;
HB 2255 and SB 592, which would increase damage awards in medical lawsuits;
SB 608, a comprehensive rent control and tenant protection bill.
Dozens of bills that increase individual, business, property, or product excise taxes.

OSCC expects that several hundred new bills will be introduced this week. We will continue to screen all new legislation for impact on our local business communities.

As with previous sessions, OSCC expects that the Senate will be the backstop on bad business bills. Although Democrats have expanded their majority to 18-12 in the Senate, a handful of key moderate Democrats will still control the flow of bills that pass. Senators Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay), Lee Beyer (D-Springfield), Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose), Mark Hass (D-Beaverton), and Laurie Monnes Anderson (D-Gresham) will be the key bloc of Senators who will decide just how aggressive the legislature will be on issues of taxes and other progressive policies that will impact business.

Early Activity on Major Issues

We are expecting to see early activity on a handful of key policy and budget items that Democratic legislative leaders have identified as key priorities, including:

Rent control. Senate Bill 608 will limit rent increases to 7% per year in buildings over 15 years old and also prohibits no cause evictions for tenants after one year of tenancy. This is a key priority for Democratic leadership that will start receiving public hearings on February 4th.
Cap & Trade. We are expecting to see the 2019 cap & trade bill for the first time by the end of this week. It will likely start receiving public hearings the week of February 4th.
Business taxes. Starting this Tuesday, the Joint Student Success Committee will initiate its Revenue Subcommittee hearings on a potential tax plan that will meet the Governor's objective of raising business taxes by $2 billion for K-12, Pre-K, and higher education.

Other Issues Coming up This Week

Single use straw ban. Senate Bill 90 would ban the use of single use straws. It will be heard in the Senate Environment & Natural Resources Committee on Tuesday.
Workplace accommodations for pregnant employees. House Bill 2341 could require an employer to hire an additional person to do heavy lifting or to purchase equipment to allow an employee to stay in their job during the pregnancy. The bill is scheduled for a hearing in House Business & Labor on Monday morning. A similar policy has been adopted in Washington, but some business sectors have had issues with implementation.
Biometric data collection. SB 284 would make it an unlawful employment practice to collect biometric data (e.g. fingerprints, retinol scans, etc.) from employees. There are still unanswered questions about the scope of the bill, which will be heard on Thursday in the Senate Workforce Committee.

Your GEAC committee is working to keep on top of the bills coming up for consideration and will let you know when we need your help in letting legislators know your approval or disapproval of bills they will be voting on.

Connie Shipley, your GEAC contact, 503-830-1028

Next Legislature focus will be taxes! We will work to keep you informed!

Tue, 22 Jan 2019 22:57:26 GMT

Legislative Update - January 22, 2019

Dear OSCC members and colleagues -

We hope everyone had a wonderful MLK weekend. The 2019 Oregon Legislature is now officially upon us!! Today is Day 1.

We are already at work analyzing the 1,500 bills that have been introduced to date. Some of these proposals address legitimate needs, but details matter in legislation - especially in tax legislation and especially when there are so many proposals on the table at the same time.

Here's a list of major revenue-related proposals that are drawing attention in Salem.

Gross receipts tax (GRT): Despite voters' overwhelming rejection of Measure 97 in 2016, this concept remains a favorite of some influential legislators. Portland voters approved a citywide gross receipts tax on large businesses in November. The existence of a GRT in Portland will give proponents a toehold to push for a similar approach statewide. However, a GRT remains a particularly difficult tax for low-margin businesses, regardless of size.

Business activities tax: The Oregon Business Plan has floated a business activities tax (BAT) as an alternative to a GRT. The BAT, used in Washington, does not create the same concerns about pyramiding (being applied multiple times in the supply chain) as the GRT. However, it still would raise business costs and, depending on details of a specific proposal, could affect some businesses more than others.

Corporate tax rates: If neither of those ideas gathers support of 60 percent of both chambers, the Legislature could default to keeping the current tax structure and increasing the corporate tax rate. Meanwhile, the Governor's budget proposes an increase in the corporate minimum tax.

Small-business taxes: Small businesses have been in the crosshairs of revenue hunters in the Legislature for the past two sessions. In 2017, the House voted to roll back portions of the small-business tax deal that were part of the 2013 "grand bargain," but the bill failed in the Senate. In the 2018 short session, the Legislature disconnected from a portion of the new federal tax law that benefited small business. Senators Brian Boquist (R-Dallas) and Herman Baertschiger (R-Grants Pass) have sued, contending that legislation violates the state Constitution. Meanwhile, Governor Brown, who is named in the lawsuit, has proposed more rollbacks of small-business tax benefits - trimming a tax break that passed in the 2018 session with her support.

Other business taxes and fees: The long list of legislative concept drafts presented in the House Revenue Committee last week during Legislative Days includes an assortment of technical tax adjustments that would increase taxes paid by businesses. Also, some tax credits could be eliminated through the tax credit review process.

Kicker reform: The idea of ending or diverting the "kicker," which returns money to individual taxpayers when revenues exceed state economists' projections by more than 2 percent, has been kicked around for years. In 2012, Oregonians voted to designate the corporate kicker for education funding. Now, similar proposals to use the personal kicker for targeted uses such as PERS or education, have support. Kicker reform is one revenue option included in the latest version of the Oregon Business Plan, which was unveiled earlier this month.

Property taxes: The discussion about reforming Oregon's property tax system has amplified in recent months. The goal would be to eliminate inequities that lead to landowners with similar properties paying differing rates. Even by revenue reform standards, this would be a complicated process, and, therefore, is less likely than some of the other revenue proposals. However, targeted bills aimed at businesses' property taxes could gain traction. For example, one bill would limit the property tax exemption for nonprofit hospitals to the amount spent on charitable care, reduced by the sum of all amounts of compensation reported in excess of $1 million for any individual directors or employees.

Alcohol and tobacco taxes: Increasing tobacco taxes is a common revenue proposal, one that is included in the Governor's budget. Although the Governor has backed off of talk of a higher beer and wine taxes, her budget does propose increasing alcohol costs another way - by increasing the markup on liquor at state stores by 5 percent.

Medicaid taxes: The Governor's budget proposes a mix of taxes and fees to make up for a projected shortfall in Medicaid funding. The money would come from: increased hospital taxes, expanded taxation of health insurance plans, higher cigarette taxes and an assessment on businesses with a large share of employees who qualify for Medicaid.

Transportation taxes: The 2017 Legislature passed a transportation package, and taxes to pay for improvements are beginning to kick in. These include increases in gas taxes, higher registration and title fees, a 0.1 percent payroll tax, a bicycle excise tax, and in 2020 a new way of treating vehicle fees based on miles per gallon.

Carbon taxes: Representatives of the Governor's office presented a carbon-price proposal to the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction during Legislative Days last week. The model being discussed is a cap-and-trade system. Dozens of decisions remain that will determine the cost of this program to businesses, but under any scenario there will be significant costs. The question, is which businesses and consumers will pay, and how much. If a cap-and-trade bill passes, higher fuel and energy costs are all but certain.

As you can see, raising revenue will be one of the dominant themes of the 2019 Session.

OSCC will keep members apprised as the discussions roll out.

Pay Equity Gudelines in effect starting Jan.2, 2019

Sat, 05 Jan 2019 18:24:49 GMT

In an effort to help you know what you need to know about the new Pay Equity Guidelines that have just been put into effect, please go to the information at

http://files.constantcontact.com/42052618501/83c9b409-3957-4fb5-a8a4-07409eeaa317.pdf

These are provided by the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce. Below is the introductory letter from the Chair of the OSCC:

December 3, 2018

Dear OSCC members & colleagues,

Last month, the Bureau of Oregon Labor & Industries released their final rules for employers and employees on Oregon’s groundbreaking Equal Pay Act, passed by the 2017 Oregon legislature. The new law that goes into effect on January 1, 2019 requires that employees be paid equally for comparable work regardless of gender or any of Oregon’s ten other protected classes.

We believe this will be the most challenging human resources issue for most of our Chamber members over the next year. Further complicating matters – and increasing the level of urgency – is that lawsuits are allowed based on violations of the law starting on January 1st.

The guide, which you can view here, provides helpful information for your members as they prepare to comply with the new law. The guidance includes an overview of the law, frequently asked questions, a guide for employers on self-evaluations, a sample checklist of policies and practices, and a calculation tool created to assist employers in determining where they have potential wage gaps between employees.

As the leading grassroots business organization for our local business communities, we think it’s critical that every local business in every corner of our state has access to the best available information on how to implement the new law. We hope you will find that this tool provides great value to your members.

Sincerely,

Linda Moholt

CEO, Tualatin Chamber of Commerce

Chair, Oregon State Chamber of Commerce

The East Portland Chamber of Commerce is working to host a Town Hall on this subject soon.

Christian Kaylor to give Economic Forecast on 2019

Fri, 04 Jan 2019 02:20:42 GMT

Upcoming Event information:

East Portland Chamber of Commerce

January Government and Economic Committee Meeting

– Economic Forecast by Christian Kaylor

Location: Adventist Medical Center –

10123 SE Market St, Portland OR 97216;

Main hospital, Conference Room near Cafeteria

Date and Time: January 9,2019 @ 7:30 am

The East Portland Chamber of Commerce is hosting Christian Kaylor, a popular speaker, who will talk on the economic issues facing Portland. Christian Kaylor is a Workforce Economist for the Oregon Employment Department, specializing in the Portland area. He provides data analysis and advice relating to the Portland economy to local businesses, business associations and government agencies to facilitate intelligent decision making. Christian has been sharing with the East Portland Chamber of Commerce in January his analysis of the Portland economy and his perspective of what will happen in the coming year. He gives his analysis, comparing Portland with cities throughout the country. Members have found his insights to be very informative.

30-30-30

East Portland Chamber of Commerce Untitled page

Update on the PBOT 102nd Project - will you help make presentation to City Council?

Give your input on "Safer Outer Stark Project" before Dec. 31st.e

An online survey on the proposed improvements is now available! It will be open until December 31st.

Legislative Economic Forecast Update from OSCC

Study Aims to Improve Broadband in Oregon

Human Solutions Discussion on Homelessness

Division Transit Project Open House

OSCC Advocacy Update: Corporate Activity Tax Rulemaking

Human Solutions Ground Breaking Sept. 20th 10:30a - 11:30a

Thursday August 29 5:30 PM Town Hall Meeting with US Senator Ron Wyden

ACTION ALERT - CAP and TRADE opponent under attack

August 7th Human Solutions hosts Community Conversation about Homelessness

102nd Ave. update - EPCC Member Lee Cowles interviewed on KOIN TV Channel 6

2019 Legislative Report

ACTION ALERT

2019 Legislative Report - Week 21

ACTION ALERT

Legislative Report Week 20

Action Alert

ACTION ALERT

Week 17 Legislative Report 2019

Oregon Sees Record Revenue Growth

ACTION ALERT - PBOT improvement proposal on 102nd needs your input

Public hearings on PERS reform to begin

2019 Legislative Report - Week 16

ACTION ALERT

Now is the time to act on HB 3427

ACTION ALERT

HB 3427-A is the wrong approach for Oregon

2019 Legislative Report - Week 15

ACTION ALERT

Save Oregon’s Enterprise Zones! Oppose HB 2408A: Public Procurement Requirements on Private Projects

ACTION ALERT

2019 Legislative Report - Week 14

ACTION ALERT - HB3427 Gross Receipts Tax

2019 Legislative Report - Week 13

Action Alert-Stop the Raid on SAIF

Stop the Raid on SAIF

$2 Billion Schools Tax - OSCC Decision Analysis

ACTION ALERT

ACTION ALERT

2019 Legislative Report - Week 12

Oregon Tax Plan Released

Cap and trade hurts manufacturers, weakens Oregon's economy

Legislative Report Week 11, 2019

2019 Legislative Report - Week 10

2019 Legislative Report - Week 9

Action Alert

Action Alert: Hearing on Paid Family & Medical Leave Bill on March 25th

Mark your calendars for the first round of paid family & medical leave hearings

2019 Legislative Report - Week 7

Update on the Legislature March 13 meeting

– What is going on in the Oregon Legislative Session

Hear J.L. Wilson, PUBLIC AFFAIRS COUNSEL & Ashley Henry, Executive Director for BUSINESS FOR A BETTER PORTLAND

Legislative Report Week 6, 2019

Legislative Report Week 3, 2019

Do you want to fight SB 379 and keep your workplace a drug-free zone?

SB 379 is in direct conflict to the Oregon Supreme Court's decision in the Emerald Steel case, which held that Oregon employers are entitled to enact 'zero tolerance policies' on marijuana use.

SB 379 is preempted by the Drug-Free Workplace Act.

There are no recognized tests for impairment due to marijuana use.

An employee’s use of legal prescription drugs is already protected.

Click here to contact your Senator and ask them to affirm an employer's ability to maintain a safe, drug-free workplace - oppose SB 379.

Oregon Chamber of Commerce Update on Legislature Week 2

Upcoming Feb. GEAC Meeting - Peter Frye on Land Use Issues in Portland

Oregon Chamber of Commerce Update on Legislature Week 1

Next Legislature focus will be taxes! We will work to keep you informed!

Pay Equity Gudelines in effect starting Jan.2, 2019

Christian Kaylor to give Economic Forecast on 2019

Save Oregon’s Enterprise Zones!
Oppose HB 2408A: Public Procurement Requirements on Private Projects

Action Alert: Hearing on Paid Family & Medical Leave Bill
on March 25th