Less than 24 hours before the release of the state’s latest revenue forecast, Gov. Kitzhaber held a press conference, in which he expressed support for higher taxes on Oregon business. This comes after a bad month for many big businesses throughout the state. Integra is moving its corporate headquarters from Portland to Vancouver, Wash. The [...]
Ever so often, a piece of legislation is required to correct a situation, even though it should never have been necessary in the first place. On May 2, the Oregon House of Representatives passed House Bill 3434 on a unanimous 56-0 vote. I sponsored this bill in response to a specific issue in Medford. A [...]
A bill drafted in response to an important local issue is making its way through the legislative process. House Bill 3013 was inspired by the controversy surrounding the Cherry Creek Development in Medford. The property involved was purchased by the Jackson County Housing Authority, at which point the zoning was changed to a higher density [...]
We read with interest the Legislative Outtakes column in the Sunday paper by our colleagues, Sen. Alan Bates and Rep. Peter Buckley. The headline proclaimed “Legislators team up to fight for farmers.” We’re not sure most Rogue Valley farmers would agree Sen. Bates and Rep. Buckley are on their side in the debate about SB [...]
Civil society is based on the concept of rule of law. But the rule of law means less when laws can be deliberately ignored – when people are given permission to disobey the laws. Senate Bill 833 is a good example of this, as it essentially rewards illegal behavior. If passed, SB 833 would create [...]
In their quest to generate new state funding, the House Committee on Revenue is pursuing numerous proposals that would undermine the recovery of Oregon’s real estate market. The latest proposal attacking the real estate industry and our economy, House Bill 3433, would eliminate the tax benefits of like-kind (1031) exchanges. Currently, a ‘like-kind’ exchange allows [...]
The session has taken off like a rocket. Our office is flooded with meeting requests and we have been surprised by a number of visitors from home. Tuition Equity –HB 2787 allowing Oregon students who are here illegally to pay in-state tuition for Oregon colleges. As many of you know this is a difficult issue [...]
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a Free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” I wanted to take just a moment and respond to emails concerning gun control, gun rights, and Second Amendment issues. Please know that as far as I am concerned [...]
This first week is always busy meeting the newly elected Representatives, reacquainting with the returning legislators and stepping back into the routine of 15 minute appointments, committee meetings and long days. This session I will serve on two committees: Co Vice Chair of Agriculture and Natural Resources and as a member of the Veterans and [...]
This session will go down in history as a session of compromise and bipartisan agreement. It will also go down with the understanding that we (Oregon) really have a governor who leads. I am a Republican and our governor is a Democrat, but I have to say that the governor has led us through these [...]
