HOUSE REPUBLICAN OFFICE
STATE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
Willamette Week
The airport’s owner, the Port of Portland, recently signed 10-year contracts with Deschutes Brewery and Hopworks Urban Brewing to open new pubs in the D concourse. But if one of the nation’s largest labor unions gets its way, those openings could mark the last time local businesses claim a foothold inside PDX.
Unite Here, a New York-based labor union, represents airport concession workers up and down the West Coast—but for now, only a small percentage of those in Portland. For the past two years, it has been urging port officials to dramatically reduce the number of concession contracts at PDX. That change could sweep out local beer and bagels, but make it easier for hundreds of workers to join their union.
Oregon attorney general explains lawsuits against Trump actions
Portland Tribune
“If Oregonians are being harmed, we will join a letter, a lawsuit, a brief — whatever it is that will have the best shot at demonstrating our concern and our desire to prevent the action from being successful,” Rosenblum said at a Washington County Public Affairs Forum luncheon Monday (Oct. 16) in Beaverton. “It won’t be news to you that way too many of these actions have chipped away at our individual freedoms and our collective rights as Oregonians … who believe in the promise of certain inalienable rights and the integrity of the Constitution and the rule of law.”
Steiner Hayward credits luck, faith for ability to thrive
Portland Tribune
“I’m a doctor and a legislator because of the concept of ‘repairing the world,'” she said. “I was a Girl Scout leader for 10 years; same reason. Look, I do what I do because that’s what I was put her to do. I believe that.”
HOUSING
Portland Wants To Build 2,000 New Units Of Supportive Housing
Oregon Public Broadcasting
In a unanimous vote, the council approved a plan to develop at least 2,000 units of permanent supportive housing by 2028. The plan is currently unfunded.
JOBS & THE ECONOMY
Intel begins layoffs in finance group
The Oregonian
Intel has begun notifying workers in its finance group that their jobs will be eliminated early next year, according to multiple employees familiar with the plans. The chipmaker had warned staff last summer that these cuts were coming, part of a broader plan to bring down spending.
Eight years post-recession, finally some good news: wages edging up and home prices cooling off
Portland Tribune
A new report out Thursday from the Northwest Economic Research Center says local wages are just starting to bump up and a substantial cost-of-living increase coming soon will start putting even more money in the pockets of area workers.
AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES
Roseburg Resources to sell 170,000 acres of timberland to Australian firm
Mail Tribune
Roseburg CEO Grady Mulbery, who has led the company since Allyn Ford’s retirement at the beginning of 2017, said the sale is part of a larger effort to expand Roseburg’s national footprint as it pursues strategic growth opportunities in regions with stable markets and strong demand for timber.
TRANSPORTATION
TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane to Retire After Seven Years Leading the Transportation Agency
Willamette Week
“It has been an honor to serve as general manager these past seven years,” McFarlane says in a statement. “TriMet has a bright and busy road ahead and I pledge to continue in high gear until my last day.” TriMet is conducting an international search for McFarlane’s replacement, with a particular emphasis on finding a candidate who will make safety a central tenant of the organization’s mission.
Uber, Lyft may start engines soon in Medford
Mail Tribune
After months of debate, the Medford City Council appears poised to give a green light to ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft while striving to create a level playing field with taxi company.
HEALTH CARE
Referendum on Healthcare Tax Compromise Heads to Voters
The Lund Report
Petitioners and their opponents are going to the state Supreme Court over the ballot language. If the referendum is defeated, some insurance rates could rise and the state could lose millions in federal Medicaid dollars.
Trump’s health subsidy shutdown could lead to free insurance
The Associated Press
If President Donald Trump prevails in shutting down a major “Obamacare” health insurance subsidy, it would have the unintended consequence of making free basic coverage available to more people, and making upper-tier plans more affordable. The unexpected assessment comes from consultants, policy experts, and state officials, who are trying to discern the potential fallout from a Washington health care debate that’s becoming even more complicated and volatile.
OHSU President Robertson to retire
Portland Tribune
Robertson said Thursday, Oct. 19, that he planned to leave his post Oct. 31 to focus on his health and his family. Robertson was diagnosed in September with a mild form of multiple sclerosis. “My diagnosis was a shock to me and my family,” he said. “While my doctors assure me that I could continue to execute my role as president, this news has compelled me to re-evaluate my future and my family’s well-being.”
OHSU President Joe Robertson announces retirement
The Oregonian
OHSU’s board will officially accept Robertson’s offer at a meeting next Thursday. “I believe Joe’s offer of continued service would be of significant benefit to both OHSU and the public,” OHSU Board Chair Maria Pope said in the statement. “Beyond the continuity and stability it provides, it would allow him to continue to provide leadership in important health care and education policy conversations in Salem and our nation’s capital.”
OTHER NEWS
Wapato sale falls through again
Portland Tribune
An unsolicted offer to buy Multnomah County’s unopened Wapato Jail has fallen through for the second time in a year. According to Multnomah County, Pacific Development Partners made an unsolicited $10 million cash offer for the North Portland jail in May. The company had 90 days to perform due diligence.
‘Me too’ status unites victims of sexual harassment, assault
Register-Guard
Kelli Matthews, a professor of public relations at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication and a local social media guru, said the “Me too” movement provides a way for people to show solidarity and find community. “It’s a low-risk way for people to say, ‘This also happened to me, and I understand what you’re going through, and I know you understand what I’m going through,’ ” she said. “It’s also a way for women to show the community and show solidarity without having to share details or stories unless they wanted to. That’s powerful.”
OPINION
Guest: Legislator provides the correct formula for petition numbers
Representative Julie Parrish
Solving for X requires the right formula. How do you educate and inspire 84,367 Oregonians to sign a petition in 90 days? You start by giving over a half-million voters your personal phone number. You mail it to their homes, let newspapers print it and give it out live over the airwaves. And you tell people to call you… and they did.
Guest: Future brighter without big college debt
Democrat Suzanne Bonamici represents Oregon’s 1st Congressional District
Higher education is one of the smartest investments we can make. Study after study shows that a good college education translates to higher pay for families, a stronger economy, and a more enlightened public.
Guest: Protect health care for working Oregonians
Janet Bauer is a policy analyst with the Oregon Center for Public Policy
The campaign to defeat Ballot Measure 101 aims to torpedo one of the most important pieces of legislation to come out of the 2017 legislative session — the enactment of a financing package to protect Oregonians’ health care. A “no vote” in January would overturn the package. That would leave the state’s Medicaid program in shambles and raise costs for people who purchase their own health insurance.
Guest: Add talented and gifted programs instead of subtracting
Scholle McFarland is chair of Portland Public Schools’ parent TAG Advisory Council
The proposal also unexpectedly framed the discussion as either we have talented and gifted services or we have Access Academy. This was surprising because both were included in the strategic plan that the district’s talented-and-gifted department presented last spring. All talented and gifted students in the district have a right to services, but they don’t all need the same ones.