Oregon listeners are tracking several significant stories this week. Four major headlines stand out: a late-summer surge in COVID cases, the Oregon Legislature’s tense debate over new transportation taxes, business leaders pushing for small business relief, and a substantial wildfire in Central Oregon.
Health officials report that Oregon is experiencing its highest COVID test positivity rates of the year, with Lane County’s Senior Public Health Officer Dr. Patrick Luedtke predicting another potential increase as schools resume and cooler weather brings people indoors. Although Oregon’s case rates remain lower than in neighboring states, health leaders advise anyone at risk or feeling ill to wear a mask, stay home, and update their respiratory care plans. Fall vaccines are expected to roll out soon, but access may be spotty and some may face out-of-pocket costs, especially as new federal guidelines limit eligibility, leaving Oregonians to navigate yet another layer of pandemic complexity, according to KLCC.
In Salem, frustration is mounting over the fate of a multi-billion-dollar transportation funding package. Governor Tina Kotek’s proposal, now a streamlined House Bill 3991, would raise gas taxes, vehicle fees, and temporarily double the payroll tax for public transit, aiming to address Oregon’s persistent road funding shortfalls. The measure barely passed the House after heated debate, with many lawmakers and business organizations like NFIB Oregon expressing concern that additional taxes burden families and entrepreneurs without sufficiently holding agencies accountable for budgeting errors. Some Republicans pushed for measures like a sunset on the payroll tax and reductions rather than equalization of fuel taxes, while local governments brace for the added fiscal impact, reports from NFIB and OPB reveal.
On the economic front, business advocates are pushing to raise the exemption threshold for the Corporate Activity Tax from one to five million dollars to lighten the load on small businesses. They also seek fixes to Oregon’s Equal Pay Law that would allow hiring and retention bonuses, strategies especially crucial in a climate marked by inflation, supply chain challenges, and persistent workforce shortages. Meanwhile, preparations ramp up for the Working Together 2025 Conference, set to unite hundreds of Oregon leaders to tackle workforce and economic development, according to the Oregon Workforce Partnership.
Community news spotlights investments in education and infrastructure. Beaverton is underway with construction of a new, state-of-the-art high school designed for resilience and sustainability, a project funded by a $753 million bond. In Portland, Benson Polytechnic High School has completed an award-winning modernization recognized for seismic safety, adaptive reuse, and preservation of historic character. Meanwhile, Portland officials, responding to a rising homelessness crisis and budget crunch, appeal to residents to pitch in with donations and volunteer service as efforts intensify to open more shelter beds by winter, as KGW News reports.
Turning to public safety and the environment, the Black Rock Fire in Central Oregon has burned over 40,000 acres, though recent rainfall offers some hope for containment, reports the Central Oregon Fire Information team. Wildfire remains a pressing concern as the region transitions into autumn.
Looking ahead, Oregonians can anticipate ongoing legislative debates about taxation and spending, updates on public health guidance as the COVID situation develops, continued fire containment efforts, and fresh focus on workforce strategies at the upcoming statewide conference. Thanks for tuning in and don’t forget to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
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