SEPTEMBER 2016
Basin Business
Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
KLAMATH BASIN
Klamath Dry Ice business opens its doors
Business
Page 4
Game changing Basin Gaming moving, growing
Greg Henderson reviews Rural Business Summit — Page 4
KCEDA projects growth for Klamath County — Page 7
National Save for Retirement Week — Page 7
H&N photo by Kevin Hume
Owner Robert Kayton stands behind the counter at Basin Gaming’s new home, located at 1111 Main St. near the intersection with 11th Street, on Tuesday. Story on page 2.
A publication of the Herald & News Chamber: www.klamath.org
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Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
Basin Business
Ernie Gesner, left, and store manager Myron Clements help out customers at Basin Gaming’s new home, located at 1111 Main Street near the intersection with 11th Street, on Tuesday. H&N photos by Kevin Hume
Gaming business finds magic formula Basin Gaming moves to larger location BY STEPHEN FLOYD H&N Staff Reporter
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n the span of two years, Basin Gaming has gone from an effort to preserve the culture of like-minded hobbyists to a business growing beyond the bounds of its walls. Founded by owner Robert Kayton in 2014, the Klamath Falls store has recently moved to a venue three times its previous size with plans to potentially expand further if the business continues to grow. Kayton is among a local group of enthusiasts who share a love for board games, miniatures, trading cards and role-playing games. For a while the only store catering to this crowd was Astral Games on Main Street, a satellite location for the same-named store in Medford. When news of the local store’s closure broke in mid 2014, Kayton and others were dismayed and began contemplating what would become of their local gaming experience. “We saw the players and we saw the people willing to be here, we just didn’t see the
service being provided,” said Kayton. With backing from fellow gamer Jason Poff, Kayton opened Basin Gaming on Sept. 24, 2014, at 932 Klamath Ave. The store offered many of the same products as Astral Games including Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, Yu-Gi-Oh and other table-top games. It wasn’t long before business started doing better than expected and, after the first eight months, Basin Gaming leased the storefront next door to better accommodate players at their regular tournaments. Kayton said he is not particularly sure what led to the boost in their customer base, but suspects it had to do with one of their best-selling products, Magic: The Gathering cards. Kayton said a popular set from the game was released in May 2015 and likely helped drive business to the store. Although board games, other card games and collectibles do well, Kayton said Magic cards are the backbone of his business model between local sales and online purchases. “Magic is the reason we can stay open,” he said. Business continued to do well for Kayton following the expansion. More customers were coming in from off the street or after finding the store on Facebook, though See GAMING, page 3
Basin Business
Gaming
Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
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Continued from page 2
not always for the services offered. With a name like Basin Gaming, Kayton said more than a few people have dropped by looking for video games or a gambling venue. “We’ve had people coming in saying, ‘Where’s the poker?’” he said. They also found themselves involved in local events such as Comic Con at the Klamath County Library and Tech Con at Oregon Institute of Technology. Kayton said their participation will continue at these events, including Comic Con on Oct. 22. He said the store’s involvement in Tech Con, slated for next January, may also assume a more administrative role to help the college achieve their vision of what the event should be.
More growth As business kept growing into 2016, Basin Gaming again saw the need for expansion, this time contemplating the purchase of their own building. But Kayton said the business needed to have a longer history of operations “We’ve had more before it could qualify for a real estate loan. walk-ins in the last “We were just too new a business to make that a reality,” he said. week than we’ve Kayton said he then saw a “For lease” probably had all sign at the old location of year. ... This little Tequila’s Sports Bar & Grill at 1111 Main St. After finding the terms of the lease area right here has agreeable and the property owners easy to work with, Basin a lot of synergy.” Gaming started making plans to move up the block. With help from employees and loyal customers, the — Robert Kayton, store’s inventory was moved into its new location the week owner of Basin Gaming of Sept. 19, and they were open for business that Wednesday. Kayton said the transition has been “seamless” and, being in a more visible location, business has already started to improve. “We’ve had more walk-ins in the last week than we’ve probably had all year,” he said. He also said the other stores on that end of the street complement each other, between Nerds R Us drawing the gaming demographic and Jump ’N’ Jax bringing families to the block. “This little area right here has a lot of synergy,” Kayton said. But even in the midst of starting and growing a local business, Kayton has continued to work as an educator for the Klamath County School District, where he currently works full-time as the band instructor for six elementary schools in and near Klamath Falls. Kayton said balancing the two can be a challenge, but said it is easier because of how much he enjoys the environment Basin Gaming has created. “This is such a fun thing to come and do and interact with people,” he said of the store. “I look forward to coming here.” If business continues growing, Kayton said he wants to begin offering video games and access to online and virtual reality gaming in a setting similar to an internet cafe. He said a satellite store of their own may also be in the future, but that all relies on how the new location performs. “It really depends on how it is received,” he said. Kayton said his ultimate goal is to provide a space for the gaming community that is open and inviting, both to beginners and veteran gamers. He said, if a new customer were to walk into his store, he hopes they find themselves forming new relationships with fellow players. “If you’re willing to come here and give a game a try, you’ll definitely make friends,” he said. A grand opening to celebrate Basin Gaming’s new location is scheduled for Saturday and will feature sales on all products except individual cards. The store is open from 2 to 10 p.m. For more information, call 541-238-5159 or go to www.basingaming.com.
Ernie Gesner, above left, shows customer Francisco Pantoja a starter deck of the latest series of Magic: The Gathering cards at Basin Gaming’s new home, at 1111 Main Street, near the intersection with 11th Street. At left, Pantoja flips through individual Magic: The Gathering cards at the store. H&N photos by Kevin Hume
Mark Fay, M.D. Scott Stevens, M.D. Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye Physician/ Surgeon of the Eye
Edwin Tuhy, O.D. Optometrist
Jennifer Sparks, O.D. Optometrist
New Patients Welcome
2640 Biehn St. • 541.884.3148 • www.klamatheyecenter.com
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Basin Business
Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
Business summit lesson: Good times ahead for Klamath County BY GREG HENDERSON “Rural Business and Innovation Summit” is a title that dares you to ignore it. I didn’t and I attended a highcaliber conference at Klamath Community College on Sept. 14-15. The Klamath County business community and the Klamath Chamber of Commerce put together an exemplary conference that attracted more than 100 attendees and provided 15 presentations by professionals from across the country. It included panelists from the state of Oregon, Klamath County, KCC and the Klamath Chamber. It was time well spent. When you pull together themes that address Oregon’s workforce, the regional economy, small business survival (from a national speaker all the way from Oklahoma), business site selection processes (from a Wisconsin expert), seven panelists addressing issues and challenges of the rural business community, workplaces and workforces of the 21st Century, diversity of business ownership,
Greg Henderson
... I believe the greatest lesson of the summit is that Klamath County is on the threshold of something significant.
how to create winning teams, the Theory of Constraints, tourism, and the modernization of irrigation practices, you have accomplished an amazing feat. That is what the conference staff did. They should take a bow for all their work and the success achieved. Whenever you attend a business conference some-
one always asks, “What were your take-aways” from the conference? From the list of sessions mentioned above it is obvious there were valuable nuggets in every one. To choose a take-away from that list would be difficult and unfair to any not mentioned. Instead, I believe the greatest lesson of the summit is that Klamath County is on the threshold of something significant. Economic Development seems to have become everyone’s priority. This gathering showed the high value in teamwork and collaboration. Representatives from business and community organizations in and around Klamath Falls showed their excitement to coordinate energies and ideas into a common can-do attitude that will prove itself as the region pulls itself out of the recession we’ve been battling for far too long. There are good times ahead for Klamath County and all of Oregon should take note. Greg Henderson is publisher of the Southern Oregon Business Journal. www.southernoregonbusiness.com
Klamath Dry Ice opens
Dale Hinkens, third from right holding scissors, cuts the ceremonial ribbon celebrating the opening of Klamath Dry Ice. Hinkens, who also owns Blue Green Algae, said his company was having to source dry ice from Portland or San Francisco because there were no dry ice businesses in between that could meet its needs. To fill the need along the southern corridor, they began making their own dry ice and will provide service from Redding to Portland. Submitted photo
Basin Business
to 7.4 percent from 7.1 percent in July. The rate is down slightly from last year when it was 8 percent.
Klamath County added 190 jobs in August, more than the typical gain of around 100 jobs. Monthly hiring was concentrated in education and construction. Expect to see a larger push of seasonal education hiring in September.
Jobless numbers up, but Klamath adds 190 jobs
16%
Oregon and South Central Oregon Unemployment Rates Seasonally Adjusted, August 2011 - August 2016
Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
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Lutheran Center opens office
12%
8%
4%
Oregon
Klamath
Lake
Klamath County’s recovery is gaining some momentum with 0% employment levels up Aug-11 Feb-12 Aug-12 Feb-13 Aug-13 Feb-14 Aug-14 Feb-15 Aug-15 Feb-16 Aug-16 520 from last August (+2.3%). There was strong hiring in a variety of industries, including professional and business services Despite an uptick in unemployment manufacturing (+100). Large employment (+130); construction (+120); educational and health services (+120); and manufacturing (+100). Large levels this summer, therelosses haswere been slowto food andlosses were employment limited beverage storeslimited (-80). to food and beverage
and steady improvement to the employstores (-80). County: Theand seasonally unchanged at 6.6 percent in August. ment situationLake in Klamath Lakeadjusted unemployment rate wasLake County The unemployment rate wasmore down from last August when it was 7.6 percent. Counties. Job growth is becoming The seasonally adjusted unemploydiverse, gains are no longer concentrated rate was unchanged at this 6.6time percent Employment levels in Lake County declined ment by 20 jobs in August, typical losses for of year. in one or two industries. in August. The unemployment rate was Klamath County down from last August when it was 7.6 The seasonally adjusted unemployment percent. SUPPORT BUSINESS • PROMOTE EMPLOYMENT rate rose for a third consecutive month, up Employment levels in Lake County to 7.4 percent from 7.1 percent in July. The declined by 20 jobs in August, typical rate is down slightly from last year when it losses for this time of year. was 8 percent. Employment levels are up by 50 jobs Klamath County added 190 jobs in from last August (+2.2%). The only sigAugust, more than the typical gain of nificant industry change was a decline of around 100 jobs. Monthly hiring was con20 jobs in private educational and health centrated in education and construction. services. No other industry added or subExpect to see a larger push of seasonal tracted more than 10 jobs. education hiring in September. Next press releases Klamath County’s recovery is gaining some momentum with employment levels The Oregon Employment Department up 520 from last August (+2.3%). There plans to release the September county and was strong hiring in a variety of indusmetropolitan area unemployment rates on tries, including professional and business Tuesday, Oct. 25 and the statewide unemservices (+130); construction (+120); eduployment rate and employment cational and health services (+120); and survey data on Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Main Street Jewelers grand opening
Submitted photo
The Lutheran Center held a ribbon cutting Aug. 8 for the opening of its South Side office at 4036 South Sixth Street, Suite 3. The organization provides mental health counseling for adults and children; medication management; alcohol and drug treatment for adults and adolescents; drop-in screenings; physical therapy; life skills classes; and therapeutic foster care.
Do you own or manage rental properties? • • • •
Ever had a tenant pay the rent late or not at all? Has your property been damaged by a tenant? Do you need rental forms? Are you looking to save money when upgrading or repairing your property? • Are you aware of the Fair Housing regulations?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, find out how the Klamath Rental Owners Association can help you. JOIN TODAY!
Main Street Jewelers marks its grand opening after moving to 721 Main St. The jewelry store has been in the Klamath Falls downtown for more than 25 years. It is independently owned by Tim Clinton and Chris Smith.
4509 South 6th St. Suite 108, Klamath Falls, Ore. 97603 (541) 887-2317 www.KlamathROA.com
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Submitted photo
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Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
Basin Business
Goodwill completes renovations
Shasta dam
Donald Bader is new area manager for N. California BOR area office Submitted photo
The Klamath Falls Goodwill store has completed its renovations and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in August. The project aims to improve the shopping experience for customers and expand employment and training opportunities available for job seekers in Klamath County. The renovations include new signs to the exterior of the building and a remodeled Employment and Training Center. The Job Connection resource center will move to the front of the store and a state-of-the-art Learning Lab classroom for computer training will be at the back of the store.
Positive Flow Enterprises includes business training, consulting Positive Flow Enterprises LLC Betty Ramey Purcell — Owner/Operator 409 Pine Street Suite 200 Klamath Falls, OR 97601 541-892-7449 (anytime) positiveflowenterprises.org Positive Flow Enterprises was first conceived in June 2011 by Betty Ramey Purcell as a Community Wellness Education platform. Since that time, Ramey Purcell has earned a bachelor’s degree from Oregon Tech with an emphasis in Organizational Development. With that degree, and her nearly 30 years of business ownership and award-winning customer service experience, it seemed a natural progression that Positive Flow Enterprises LLC (PFELLC,) would include a multi level
business consulting and training aspect to the business. Additionally, the Community Wellness portion has developed to include personal coaching, wellness retreats and business training retreats. It is important to Ramey Purcell that PFELLC maintain a strong presence as an advocate for community wellness, she said in a news release. She has maintained strong ties with Integral Youth Services, where she managed the TLP program for two years, and continues to seek opportunities to connect with other community organizations.
Dutch Bros offers donation promotion for Toys for Tots On Thursday, Sept. 29, Dutch Bros Klamath Falls will donate $1 from every drink sold to support Toys for Tots on the company’s annual Buck for Kids Day. On Thursday, all Dutch Bros locations in the seven states the company operates will donate $1 from every drink sold to local youth organizations. Each Dutch Bros location is locally owned and operated, enabling each franchisee to select a local nonprofit organization that strives to better the lives of youth in their area. Toys for Tots is a nonprofit organizations that strives to provide local children a toy for Christmas. In hopes of bestowing them with joy during the holidays, and make a positive impact in their lives. “It’s National Coffee Day, and we’re super stoked to show our love and appreciation for kids. We’re going to donate $1 from every drink to show our support for kids, which is where our heart really lies,” said Co-founder Travis Boersma. “This year we get to celebrate and thank our customers while supporting children’s organizations in our communities.”
SHASTA LAKE, Calif. — The Bureau of Reclamation’s Mid-Pacific Region announces that Donald Bader has been selected as the Area Manager for the Northern California Area Office (NCAO) at Shasta Dam. “Don has successfully collaborated with both internal and external stakeholders to meet our diverse and challenging goals,” stated Deputy Regional Director Pablo Arroyave. “Based on his impressive tenure with Reclamation and experience with supervision, Operations and Maintenance (O&M), resources management, security, Safety of Dams and recreation management, Don will be a great asset in his new position.” As the Area Manager, Bader is responsible for managing a staff of 170 people, all programs and facilities within the Shasta and Trinity Divisions of the Central Valley Project, along with the Orland Project and the Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP). These divisions include thirteen dams with a combined storage capacity of nearly 9 million acre-feet and six powerplants with a combined nameplate capacity of over 1,200 megawatts. Bader was formerly the NCAO Deputy Area Manager. His duties included directly overseeing the Environmental, Security and Safety, and Water and Lands Divisions, as well as providing oversight for the TRRP. He also served as the O&M Director, and responsible for all O&M Program accomplishments for NCAO power plants, dams and associated facilities. Prior to his position at NCAO, he was responsible for the O&M Program at Hoover Dam on the Colorado River, Boulder City, Nevada. Bader graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Civil Engineering.
Basin Business
It’s National Save for Retirement Week, so take action for yourself C
ongress has dedicated the third week of October as National Save for Retirement Week. Clearly, the government feels the need to urge people to do a better job of preparing for retirement. Are you doing all you can? Many of your peers aren’t — or at least they think they aren’t. In a recent survey conducted by Bankrate. com, respondents reported that “not saving for retirement early enough” was their biggest financial regret. Other evidence seems to show they have good cause for remorse: 52 percent of households 55 and older haven’t saved anything for retirement, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, although half of this group reported having a pension. Obviously, you’ll want to avoid having either finan- cial regrets or major shortfalls in your retirement savings. And that means you may need to consider making moves such as these: ■ Take advantage of all your opportunities.
You may well have access to more than one taxadvantaged retirement plan. Your employer may offer a 401(k) or similar plan, and even if you participate in your employer’s plan, you are probably still eligible to contribute to an IRA. You may not be able to afford to “max out” on both plans, but try to contribute as much as you can afford. At the very least, put in enough to your employer’s plan to earn a matching contribution, if one is offered, and boost your annual contributions every year in which your salary goes up. ■ Create an appropriate investment mix.
It’s not enough just to invest regularly through your IRA, 401(k) or other retirement plan — you also need to invest wisely. You can fund your IRA with virtually any investments you choose, while your 401(k) or similar plan likely offers an array of investment
accounts. So, between your IRA and 401(k), you can create portfolios that reflect your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon. It’s especially important that your investment mix offers sufficient growth potential to help you make progress toward the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned. ■ Don’t “raid” your retirement accounts early.
If you start withdrawing from your traditional IRA before you turn 59½, you may have to pay a 10 percent tax penalty in addition to normal income taxes due. (If you have a Roth IRA and start taking withdrawals before you are 59½, the earnings will be taxed and may be subject to a 10 percent penalty – but contributions can be withdrawn without any tax and penalty consequences.) As for your 401(k) or similar plan, you may be able to take out a loan, but you’ll have to pay yourself back to avoid any tax or penalty consequences. (Also, not all plans offer a loan option.) More importantly, any money you take out early is money that no longer has a chance to grow to help you meet your goals. Try to do everything you can, then, to keep your retirement plans intact until you actually do retire. One suggestion: Build an emergency fund containing three to six months’ worth of living expenses, kept in a liquid, low-risk vehicle outside your IRA or 401(k). National Save for Retirement Week reminds us that we all must act to help ourselves retire comfortably. By making the moves described above, you can do your part. Submitted by: Meredith Hoffman Financial Advisor-Edward Jones 1307 S. alameda Ave., Suite B Kalmath Falls, OR 97603
Contact the Chamber of Commerce Klamath County Chamber of Commerce 205 Riverside Drive, Suite A Klamath Falls, OR 97603 Office: 541-884-5193 Fax: 541-884-5195
Heather Tramp: Marketing and Program Coordinator Email: heathert@klamath.org www.klamath.org www.facebook.com/KlamathChamber twitter.com/AccessKlamath
Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
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20 projects drive 5-year economic growth for Klamath
As they say, the numbers don’t lie. Our local economic development stakeholders certainly found that to be the case when we analyzed the data from our new report, which we are releasing this month as a five-year projection of where Klamath County stands to grow the most economically. We identified five sectors in which the greatest amount of post-recession recovery has occurred here in Klamath: education, energy, infrastructure, health care and retail. How did we determine that those are the sectors to experience the most growth? We based it on dollars spent on construction for those industries. Here, we rank each sector in the order of its contribution to the economic recovery of Klamath County postrecession. 1. Energy $840,000,000 2. Infrastructure $27,725,000 3. Healthcare $62,900,000 4. Education $50,200,000 5. Retail $32,000,000 O’Sullivan Next, KCEDA created a five-year projection based on data for projects slated to be under construction from 2016 through 2021. The research indicated that Klamath County is well on its way to economic recovery, as more than $1 billion will be spent to construct, rehabilitate, restore or demolish buildings and infrastructure in the county over the next five years. As I have written here before, I understand that many citizens don’t see much to get excited about when it comes to economic development — that is, unless they see something that positively, directly affects their livelihood. Good news: In this case, it does! Here’s how the findings in our report directly correlate to job creation here in Klamath County. Our report identifies about 20 projects that will provide a significant amount of full-time employment in Klamath County over the next five years. In the education and health care sectors, salaries average $55,000 and $46,000 respectively — and lower paying retail positions are bound to be created as well, which is exciting for our youth, college students, new graduates, and those returning to the labor force. So whether you are a mid-level professional, an entry level worker or someone returning to the workforce after taking time off, the economic growth our county is enjoying right now can have a positive impact on the job prospects you and your family will have in the near future. Interested in reading the whole thing? We plan to release the full report to tie in with the kickoff of the next fiscal year — but in the meantime, I encourage you to use the information here as a source of encouragement. There’s good news here for the health of our local economy. Greg O’Sullivan is executive director of the Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA). For information, visit ChooseKlamath.com.
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Thursday, September 29, 2016, Herald and News
Basin Business Paid Advertisement
September 2016 Newsletter for Oregon State Senator Doug Whitsett, District 28 Senator Doug Whitsett R-Klamath Falls - District 28 I represent the citizens of Senate District 28, which includes Klamath, Lake and Crook, as well as parts of Jackson and Deschutes Counties. As Senator of one of the largest Senate districts in the state, it is extremely important that my constituents remain in contact with me about the issues and concerns that affect their lives. You and I must work together to protect the common interests of rural Oregonians. I encourage you to contact my office by either email or telephone so that I can know how to best serve you. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Best Regards, Senator Doug Whitsett
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-311 Salem, OR 97301 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1728 Newsletters: www.leg.state.or.us/whitsett Email Senator Doug Whitsett: sen.dougwhitsett@state.or.us
AmericAn conservAtive Union rAtes voting records The American Conservative Union (ACU) is the nation’s premier conservative group supporting Americans who are concerned with personal responsibility, traditional values, a strong national defense and the preservation of liberty. The Washington D.C.-based organization is the national leader for providing conservative positions on issues to Congress, the Executive Branch, State Legislatures, the media, political candidates and the public. The ACU is the only organization in the nation to rate the conservative voting records of state legislators. It researches and selects a wide range of bills that reflect a member’s adherence to government integrity, as well as economic, social and cultural conservative principles. This year, the ACU produced a detailed scorecard across the full spectrum of conservative issues for over 8,000 individual legislators in all 50 state legislative bodies. Legislators with the strongest scores consistently voted with the ideals articulated in the U.S. Constitution and reflect how they view the role of government in an individual’s life. Legislators in each state who score above 80 percent receive awards for their commitment to conservative principles. Last week, the ACU released its 2016 ratings for the 60 members of the Oregon House of Representatives and the 30 members of the Oregon Senate. Representative Gail Whitsett (R-HD56) was the only member of the Oregon House to receive the ACU’s highest rating. Likewise, I was the only member of the Oregon Senate to achieve a 100 percent ACU voting record. We also both received ACU’s highest conservative awards in 2015. According to ACU Chairman Matt Schlapp, “The Oregon legislature continues to churn out a liberal wish-list of legislation that results in higher costs to consumers for health care, housing and energy. The list includes complex notification requirements for landlords of apartment buildings, forcing insurance companies to pay physician rates to non-physicians, and making Oregon the first state in the nation to ban coal fired power plants. Fortunately, a House-passed bill that would have allowed the state police to indefinitely hold up a firearms sale was not taken up in the Senate.” After the 2016 legislative session ended last March, the ACU selected twelve bills to evaluate legislators’ conservative values. The legislative record shows that Representative Whitsett and I voted for conservative values on 21 of 22 possible floor votes on those twelve bills. They are as follows: HB 4122--Food Labeling Mandate: This bill would have mandated that labels be applied to any genetically engineered salmon sold in Oregon. ACU opposed the bill because it was a mandate to drive up the cost of food to consumers. The House passed the bill by a vote of 32-27 but it subsequently died in the Senate Health Care Committee. HB 4147--Firearm Transfers: This bill would have prohibited the transfer of a firearm if the Oregon State Police (OSP) allege they are unable to determine whether the recipient is qualified to possess a firearm. Currently, the law allows dealers to release a firearm after three days if OSP has reached no decision. ACU opposed the bill because it supports the founders’ belief in the Second Amendment. The House passed the bill by a vote of 31-28, but it later died in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 1532--Minimum Wage: This bill created a complex system of minimum wage laws across the state, with levels rising to $13.50 per hour in Portland and to lower levels in other parts of the state. ACU opposed the bill because it artificially increases wages, hurting those who need the most help in finding employment, such as students and inexperienced workers. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 16-12 and the House passed it 32-26. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. HB 4143--Rent Control: This bill creates a series of new mandates on landlords, including giving a 90 days’ notice of terminating residency for month-to-month tenants. It also allows tenants to occupy the landlord’s private property rent free if the notification policies are not followed. The ACU Foundation’s Center for 21st Century Property Rights engages heavily on this issue because it opposes housing mandates that drive up prices to consumers and deny the rights of property owners. The bill passed the House with a vote of 48-11 and the Senate by 16-9. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. SB 1589--Expanding Corporate Subsidy Program: This bill expands a government business loan and credit guarantee program designed to help narrowly defined businesses that will “produce substantial benefits for the state.” ACU opposed the bill because government programs that favor one business over another too often are the basis for crony capitalism and the subsequent expansion of government-preferred businesses. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 21-9 and the House by 37-21. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. SB 1503--Health Insurance Price Controls: This bill mandates that insurance companies reimburse nurse practitioners and physician assistants at the same rates as physicians. It also prohibits negotiating separate rates for those who are not physicians. ACU opposed the bill because it interferes in the free market and drives up the cost of health insurance for consumers. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 21-4 and the House by 44-15. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. HB 4037--Solar Energy Subsidies: This bill gives a direct subsidy to those who implement utility-scale solar installations. For example, a two-megawatt installation would receive a direct subsidy of $57,000 over five years. ACU believes that all forms of energy should compete within the free market and government should not put its thumb on the scale to favor certain businesses. The House passed the bill by a vote of 51-4 and the Senate by 22-6. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. HB 4086--Unemployment Benefits: This bill creates a new category of employee: those who are “locked out” of their place of employment because of a labor dispute. Those employees will receive up to 52 weeks of benefits, while others will receive only 26 weeks of benefits. ACU opposed this discriminatory bill, which was designed to benefit employees of one company in Oregon that was involved in a labor dispute. The House passed the bill by a vote of 48-10 and the Senate 20-6. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown.
SB 1547--Renewable Energy Mandate: This bill makes Oregon the first state in the nation to ban coal-fired power plants on or before the year 2030. It also requires the state to obtain at least 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2040. ACU opposed the bill because it believes that all forms of energy should compete within the free market and government should not put its thumb on the scale to favor certain businesses. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 17-12 and the House passed it 38-20. Governor Kate Brown signed the bill into Oregon law. HB 4017--Medicaid Expansion: This bill directs state agencies to develop a plan to expand Oregon’s Medicaid program to include certain immigrants covered by an international agreement known as the Compact of Free Association. Research based on the ACU Foundation’s Family Prosperity Index shows that increasing per capita Medicaid spending actually has a negative impact on the economy and family prosperity. ACU opposed the bill because it expands a program that has been rife with fraud and waste, with no reforms. The House passed the bill by a vote of 36-22 and the Senate by 18-10. The bill was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. SB 1533--Affordable Housing Set-Asides: This bill violates private property rights by forcing landlords to setaside 20 percent of their properties for “affordable housing,” at prices below the market rates. The bill also imposes a new one percent excise tax on the permit value of construction projects. ACU opposed the bill because it arbitrarily creates mandates that drive up the cost of housing for others. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 20-8 and the House by 39-21. It was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown. SB 1587--Criminalizing the Free Market: This bill created a new felony for violating Oregon’s “prevailing wage” laws that is punishable by up to five years in prison. It establishes three new government positions and creates regulations that employers must follow in order to comply with the law. ACU opposed the bill because it artificially increases wages, driving up the cost of construction projects. The bill, in effect, makes it a crime to pay wages based on a free market. The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 21-7 and the House by 59-1. Governor Kate Brown signed it into law. These are only a few of the bills enacted by the 2016 Legislative Assembly that defy conservative values and the principles of a government limited by authority granted by the U.S. Constitution. Oregonians may expect more of the same during the 2017 Legislative Assembly. We have no doubt that Oregon’s current legislative political majority will continue to adhere to its progressive liberal agenda. Gail and I are pleased to be singled out by ACU for our resolute support for constitutional, limited government and our steadfast opposition to the liberal progressive agenda that serves to extinguish personal responsibility. 1520652