Tag: Jobs and the Economy

Merkley calls for more wildfire assistance

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley visits Long Creek. LONG CREEK — Just a day before the Canyon Creek Complex fire forced residents to evacuate from their homes, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley told those attending a town hall meeting in Long Creek that more assistance is needed to fight wildfires in the

Oregon lawmakers push for laws allowing pot businesses to use banks

PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) – A group of Oregon lawmakers is pushing for a set of legislative changes that would allow legal marijuana businesses in the state to use banks to handle their money. The sale of recreational marijuana, which begins in October in Oregon and is already legal in neighboring Washington, is a

Merkley bill aims to better link transit, jobs

PORTLAND, Ore. — Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., announced Monday at the Hollywood Transit Center in Portland that he has introduced the Transportation, Access and Opportunity Act, to encourage and support local governments to better connect their transportation systems to jobs and economic opportunities in the region. Increasingly, he noted, low-income

Merkley pushes to improve transportation

PORTLAND, Ore. — If you ride public transportation, your trip might involve a lot of stops just to get to one location. One of Oregon’s top democrats wants to make it easier for you. Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Transportation, Access and Opportunities Act. His goal is to fund 10

Getting the TPP right: What needs to happen in Hawaii

This week, trade negotiators from the United States and 11 other nations are gathering in Hawaii with the aim of completing negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a massive trade deal that will encompass nearly 40 percent of the global economy and shape our economic future for decades to come.

Merkley Statement on Failed Transportation Vote

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after he and a bipartisan majority of Senators voted against an attempt to bring a 1,000 page transportation bill to the floor less than an hour after it had been released: “After months of stalling on putting forward a

Merkley, Wyden introduce marijuana banking bill

Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden on Thursday joined a bipartisan group of senators and introduced a bill designed to make it easier for legal marijuana businesses to get financial services. Recreational marijuana is legal in several states, including Oregon, but it’s still illegal under the federal Controlled Substances act, which is why

Oregon Delegation Announces Manufacturing Designation for Oregon Communities

Portland, OR – Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden were joined by Oregon Congressmen Peter Defazio, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici today in announcing that Oregon and SW Washington have received a manufacturing designation under the Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative for the Pacific Northwest

MERKLEY STATEMENT ON ADMINISTRATION’S RULE CHANGE ON OVERTIME PAY

WASHINGTON, DC – Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley released the following statement after President Obama announced a rule change that would make millions more Americans eligible for overtime pay. It would extend overtime protections to all salaried workers making up to about $50,400 a year from $23,660.   “This significant change

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