Your monthly round-up of news, policy updates and more from the OBI team. |
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Private Employer Vaccine Mandate On Hold |
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While the federal vaccine mandate is being considered by the federal courts and a stay remains in place, Oregon OSHA has put the Oregon rulemaking on a private employer vaccine mandate on hold. Oregon OSHA staff are continuing to develop possible options for what such a mandate would look like in Oregon. At this time, it is unclear if Oregon will follow New York and simply adopt a private employer mandate regardless of what happens with the federal OSHA rules. OBI has urged Oregon officials to simply align state rules with federal rules. Businesses do not need any more complicating factors right now. We will keep you posted, and feel free to contact Paloma Sparks if you have any questions.
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State of Oregon’s Quarterly Revenue Forecast |
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Oregon’s December 2021 Economic and Revenue Forecast was released Nov. 19 and continued to show a very strong revenue picture as the state continues to deal with the economic impacts of COVID-19. Since the September forecast, the baseline General Fund revenue outlook increased another $751 million to $24.2 billion. State economists said revenues set new records in personal income tax collections, corporate tax collections, lottery proceeds, partnership, capital gains and CAT tax returns.
While revenue is up, economists acknowledged that inflation is the primary driver of Oregon’s robust revenue growth, and that the biggest threats for future economic strength are continued COVID-19-related issues including new variants, inflation, supply chain bottlenecks and tight labor markets.
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Oregon Health Authority Mask Rules |
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The current mask requirements in Oregon Health Authority (OHA) rules will likely be extended, as the existing temporary rules expire on Feb. 8 and health officials believe there is a need for mask requirements beyond that date. OHA is proposing new rules that slightly modify the existing rules but are vague on when or how the mask requirement will be repealed. Despite the fact that many other states are significantly modifying their mask requirements or repealing them altogether, OHA has been unwilling to consider that approach. Given that, OBI has urged the agency to adopt clear, measurable standards for when mask requirements will be repealed. We have also asked the agency to acknowledge that federal guidance states masks are helpful, but not mandatory for vaccinated people when indoors.
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CORRECTION: OBI’s Annual Meeting to be Held Feb. 8 |
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Please mark your calendars to join OBI for our Annual Meeting on Feb. 8 at the Salem Convention Center! Additional details will be available in the coming weeks, but we encourage you to save the date to join us for a robust discussion of legislative issues and a preview of OBI’s activities and priorities for 2022.
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Oregon Business Plan’s Annual Leadership Summit |
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OBI is pleased to be a partner of the Oregon Business Plan, a collaborative effort between Oregon’s business community, its elected leaders, and other key stakeholders to achieve greater economic growth and prosperity across all of Oregon’s regions. This year’s annual Leadership Summit, Building Opportunity, was held Dec. 6.
The Summit included a variety of panel presentations and discussions about policy and investment proposals in manufacturing, workforce education, broadband, housing and other opportunities to benefit more Oregonians, particularly those hardest hit by the pandemic.
At the Summit, Gov. Brown announced she will advocate for a $200 million economic recovery package in partnership with the state’s Racial Justice Council. The package will focus on increased investments to local workforce boards, expand apprenticeship programs, develop career pathways in the community college system, and provide financial assistance to targeted populations to utilize these enhanced services.
Business leaders also discussed at the Summit the need for investments in the manufacturing sector and a hold on new taxes and regulations to help ride out the highest inflation we’ve seen in over three decades. This will allow businesses to recover and reinvest to expand in Oregon, especially in the semiconductor industry where we have the most opportunity to grow.
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Climate Protection Program |
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Monday, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) posted the Climate Protection Program rulemaking that will be presented to the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) on Dec. 16 for adoption. OBI served on the Rules Advisory Committee for the rulemaking and filed extensive comments in October expressing concern that the stringent regulations would drive natural gas and transportation fuel prices up for both businesses and families and reduce competitiveness of Oregon businesses, causing them to shut down or relocate. An independent economic analysis predicted that the regulation would result in a nearly $10 billion loss to Oregon’s gross state product. Unfortunately, comments from EQC commissioners at their November meeting led DEQ to modify the program to make it even more restrictive and costly. DEQ had originally proposed an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions consistent with Governor Brown’s climate executive order, but the modified proposal requires a 90% reduction in emissions. Additionally, DEQ increased the cost of compliance instruments by more than 30%, which will further burden all fuel consumers at a time when costs are already rising significantly due to inflation. OBI and many other partner organizations argued that the stringent program and lack of compliance pathways or cost containment measures could lead to price spikes and market volatility for consumers.
DEQ’s 352-page rule package on the Climate Protection Program can be viewed here. OBI is digesting the rule and will be considering options as the program would begin on Jan. 1, 2022, if adopted.
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Erik Lukens Joins OBI Team as Communications Director |
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OBI is excited to announce that our new Communications Director, Erik Lukens, will be joining our team on Jan. 1, 2022. He will lead OBI’s communications strategy and outreach. Most recently, Erik has worked as vice president for business solutions at GL Solutions, which develops database software used by occupational licensing agencies. Prior to that, Lukens was editor in chief of The (Bend) Bulletin and the editorial page editor at The Oregonian. During his nearly thirty-year career in media and communications, Erik has earned a reputation as a thoughtful and talented writer who was not afraid to tackle controversial topics and who could distill complicated ideas into succinct, impactful pieces. Please join us in welcoming Erik to our team!
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Oregon Business & Industry
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Salem, OR 97301
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