Working Families

Today, the Oregon Legislature settled in for a month long legislative session that will focus on the state’s budget and other reforms.  The Oregon Working Families Party will be paying close attention to the activities in Salem – which includes two pieces of legislation that will have a tremendous impact on Oregon’s economy.

Oregon Investment Act (OIA) – HB4040:

Submitted by State Treasurer, Ted Wheeler, along with a bi-partisan list of co-sponsors, the OIA has language aimed at helping get loans to Oregon small businesses, the bill also places a strong focus on incentives for so-called “venture capital” expansion, going so far as to create tax advantages for venture capital firms should they bring their money to Oregon.  The OIA is not a State Bank bill.  However, it can be an opportunity to focus the State’s investment practices towards helping small businesses and family farms. Click here for our legislative critique of this bill.

Saving Oregon’s Paper Mills (and Jobs!) – HB4142:

The export of America’s paper waste to China is negatively impacting Oregon’s paper mills – causing them to struggle with high prices and dwindling supply.  These struggles have contributed to mill closures and bankruptcies and hundreds of jobs lost throughout the state — with more on the brink.

HB4142, sponsored by Co-Speaker Arnie Roblan, the Republican and Democratic chairs of the Business and Labor Committee, and many other Representatives, will begin to address this problem by expanding the state’s preference for procurement of recycled products which is already written into law*, to include a preference for paper manufactured at paper mills located in the state. as long as the cost of that paper does not exceed the cost of non-recycled paper or paper manufactured outside Oregon by more than 10%.

This is not the full solution to the closure of our paper mills, but coupled with federal action it could help to save thousands of family wage green jobs in our State.

For a full analysis of the issue, CLICK HERE.
For a fact sheet regarding this issue, CLICK HERE.

Stay tuned to our website as the 2012 legislative session moves along for more updates on these and other pieces of legislation that will have an impact on Oregon’s working families.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
*(ORS 279A.125)

• 

Join u in Salem on Februrary 1st

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR THIS EVENT

There’s a movement sweeping across Oregon – a movement that is questioning where the state puts its money.

It’s a movement that is asking how we can build a more self sufficient economy independent from the power of Wall Street.  It is a movement demanding that we use our common financial resources to support small Oregon businesses and family farmers–not out-of-state mega banks.

Last legislative session, a proposal to create a State Bank just barely missed a chance for a floor vote.  However, the fight didn’t stop there.

Join the Oregon Working Families Party at a forum to discuss these critical issues.

Date: February 1st, 2012
Time:  6:00 – 7:30pm
Location: Auditorium of the Salem Public Library

Note: A membership meeting of the Mid-Valley chapter of the WFP will follow directly after this forum.  Those who wish to attend this meeting may do so, but decision making will be reserved for WFP members.

• 

• 

Currently 66% of all bank deposits in the state of Oregon are held by just 5 Wall Street banks. This is double what it was just 15 years ago.

The Oregon WFP has been a leader in the state on the issue of attacking the root causes of bank consolidation and in offering viable alternatives to the problem such as our legislative proposal to create the Oregon State Bank. We have also played a key role in launching the new campaign Oregon Banks Local, in which we researched and rated every bank and credit union in the state to find out how local they truly are.

Now the Oregon is being recognized as a leader in this national movement to strengthen local economies and create a more resilient, community-scale financial system. Take a moment to read all about it in this Nation article entitled “The Oregon Trail to Banking Local.”

• 

WFP Co-Chair Barbara Dudley calls out the City of Portland for its misplaced priorities in her editorial to the Oregonian “A Tale of Two Portlands.”

The Oregon WFP believes that the 99% have for too long been closed out of the halls of power–whether that is in Washington D.C., Salem, or in City Halls across the state. We believe the Occupy movement taking root all across the country is putting the needs of working people where they belong: at the center of our national debate.

Barbara’s article was also reprinted at Commondreams.org.

•